Keili and Fazogli.

123 The women are also naked, save for a small loin cloth of skin. They are good looking and attractive. The Burun dialect spoken by Idris Wad Regab's men, but no Arabic, is understood by the Burun of the Yabus. Their word of greeting is " Moka." The Burun north of K. Yabus live as a rule on the scattered hills during the rains, and drink from the rainwater which collects in natural rock tanks. During the dry season, when this water is exhausted, they either descend to the plain and live on the khors, in many of which water stands in pools, or else have to carry their water for a considerable distance. Some of the hills inhabited by them are Abuldugu, Surkum, Melkan, Gum Gum, and Wadaga. K. Gemmeiza, flowing from near J. Abuldugu towards Melut, furnishes their principal water supply.

They also obtain water from " Hafirs," or ponds, which are roofed with thatch to lessen evaporation. Wells seem to be very rarely sunk. These northern Burun are now very poor, and women and children are very scarce.

The Burun, in the Garre Valley, seem more prosperous, having plenty of water and grain in their country, but both sections, especially the northern, have been most deplorably reduced by slave raids from the east. The principal raider, however, Ibrahim Wad Mahmud, as before stated, was captured by Lieutenant-Colonel Gorringe in February, 190i. The southern Burun country is still almost entirely unexplored. The Burun seem to have little intercourse with the tribes living on the White Nile, and no regular roads to it, except perhaps from J. Gerawid to J. Ahmed Agha, seem to exist. It is intended, however, to open up roads between the western frontier of Abyssinia and the Nile, and to improve the present primitive system of water supply in this district. For report on routes, vide Chapter V. and Appendix, Vol. II.

C'ommunicatioiis.

Keili.

Keili, which is part of Dar Fung, is bounded on the east and south-east by the Abyssinian frontier, which divides Boundaries. it from Beni Shangul, Gomasha, and Dul, and on the north-east by Fazogli. Keili claims to share with Fazogli the mountains of Agaru, Kashangaru, and Ragreig, though practically the whole of Agaru belongs to the latter, and the whole of Ragreig to the former, as also does Jebel Gainshur. Jebels Kurmuk and Maiak are within the southern limits of this district, and Jebels Surkum and Abuldugu to the west also belong to it. On the north the boundarv is Jebel Tabi.

The Jebelawin inhabit the eastern portions of the district, and the Burun the western. For administrative purposes, inhabitants, this district is in the Dar Fung District.

The acting Mek of Keili is a youth of about 15 years of age. His father, Beshir Hamdan, who was much addicted to slave dealing, was arrested and deposed by Government, February, 1903.

The valley between Ragreig and Jebel Keili forms as it were an oasis, and must have a population of several thousand. It is a very pleasant spot in the dry season, but in the rains becomes more or less swampy.

Sheikh Bilburka, of the Fung inhabitants of Dul, now lives at Keili in order to avoid the exactions of the Watawit, under Abyssinian rule, similarly Sheikh Jela Abdalla, a Jaali refugee, fled from Beshir and Shanji villages in 1897, and now lives in the Arab settlement at Keili.

The Jebelawin language is used at Jebel Keili. The Burun use a dialect of the Burun language similar to that Langu.ige. of Jebel Maiak.

In the valley between Jebels Kurmuk and Keili a great deal of dura is grown, both for local consumption and for Cultivation, the supply of the mountaineers in the hills near Dul. There are plenty of cattle, sheep and pigs. etc.

Some alluvial gold is found in the khor east of Jebel Ragreig. Gold. Water is obtained from wells and from pools in khors, whilst on the face of Jebel Keili itself there are several Water springs. At Jebel Surkum there is a perennial supply of muddy water from four holes on the south side of the Jebel. supply.

At Jebel Abuldugu there is water in the pass through which the road from Gule leads. This, however, does not last all the year round. Natives then water in the Khor Ganna, about 2 miles to the east.

Keili is the chief town of Dar Fung and is rapidly growing. It is situated at the foot and to the south of J. KeiH, and is the residence of the Mek. There is also a small garrison of Sudanese regulars here from Wad Medani, as well as some mounted irregulars.

(c) Fazogli. I B Fazogli is not included in Dar Fung, but belongs to the Roseires District ; it is bounded for administrative ■purposes as follows :— On the north-west and west by the Hameg (Abu Gemai to Jebel El Geri), on the noith by P the Jebel Geri-Abu Ramla line, and from Abu Ramla its boundary runs southwards along the Abyssinian frontier to Jebel Kashangaru, thence northwards towards Jebel Agadi, Dar Fung being to the west of this line.

Boundaries.