154 Bohr El Ghaml.

Rivera.

Drainage of the country.

Water giipplv.

'. Rivers and Water Supply.

The surface of the Bahr El Ghazal country is intersected by many rivers threading their way from the watershed towards the Nile. Passing through the lower plateaux of the tableland, they are mostly fine broad rivers, with high banks and sandy bottoms, and are generally similar in formation. The Boro, Sopo, Chel, Sueh or J ur, and Rodi vary from 80 to 130 yards in breadth, and should be navigable for small craft, when in flood, for considerable distances. The current in flood is not more than 2 knots per hour. The Jur River is navigable for steamers from its mouth as far as the " Poste des Rapides " at Rafili, and probably above this point by light draught steamers to Khojali, from August till November. In the tableland and higher plateaux of the watershed, these rivers are fed by many streams running down from the slopes and hills. On the other hand, in the lower steppes to the north, the water runs up into many khors and swamps, which break away from the banks. Lower down, the banks disappear altogether, and the waters are discharged into the sudd.

The western portion of the Bahr El Ghazal is drained, at least in its more elevated portions, by several rivers running in a more or less northerly direction. These are, beginning from the east : The Rohl (Naam) River, the Jau, the Tonj River, the Jur River, with its more important branch the Wau River, the Bongo River, and the Chel River, which, not far from Deim Zubeir, unites two branches, the Kuru and the Biri Rivers. There are also less important rivers, such as the Mulmul and the Getti, which do not flow during the dry weather. Tlie most important of all, on account of its volume of water, is the River Jur or Sueh, which, flowing from Tembura's country past Wau, joins the Bahr El (ihazal some 20 miles below Meshra el Rek. The courses of the other rivers, whether ultimately falling into the Bahr El Ghazal itself, or first joining the Bahr Telgona or Bahr El Arab, have not yet been properly explored, and the exploration is rendered difficult by the fact that, owing to the flatness of the country in their lower courses, the water spreads all over the land and forms enormous swamps which stretch to those which join the Bahr El Ghazal itself. The Jur itself, powerful a stream as it is, does not break the rule, and the parties occupied in cutting its sudd had great difficulty in tracing the channel when crossing the swamps. According to its drainage, then, the country can be divided into three zones, viz., (a) the perennial swamps near the mouths of the rivers, (b) the somewhat raised alluvial flats further up, which are liable to inundation during tlie rains, and (c) the undulating plateaux or hilly country in the upper reaches.

In the dry season water is scarce in the plains and plateaux. It is generally obtained from shallow pits and wells, seldom more than 20 feet below the surface, though it cannot always be found at that level.

4. Administvdtion.

The Bahr El Ghazal now forms a Province under a Mudir or Governor (and Commandant) assisted by three or four British officers and inspectors. The headquarters are at Wau.

At present a line of Government posts has been established from east to west as follows : — Shambe on the Nile, Rumbek, Tonj, Wau (the headquarters), Chamamui (Chak Chak), Deim Zubeir and Telgona. A post has also recently been established at Kossinga and another at Kafi Kingi to the north-west of the province. Each of these posts consists! of a small garrison, a few huts, and store-houses.

For administrative piurposes the Province is divided into three Districts — " Eastern," Headquarters at Rumbek ; " Central," Headquarters at Wau ; and " Western," Headquarters at Deim Zubeir.

Ivory.

Indiarubber.

"Odilo" ..r "Ndala."

5. Resources.

The resources of the country are yet to be developed. There is a good deal of ivory, and elephants are still very numerous in many parts, especially towards the north, where they feed on the gum tree. The natives hunt them, but do not apparently reduce the numbers to any extent.

Ivory now forms one of the chief products of the Province. The following information regarding the forests of the Bahr EI Ghazal is taken from a report by Mr. A. F. Broun, Director of Forests to the Sudan Government.

As regards the india-rubber, the rubber-yielding species is found to be a fairly large apocynaceous creeper, a landolphia, called " Odilo " by the Jurs, and " Ndala " by the Golos and Dinkas. Of three other similar plants, one is an apocjmaceous climber (also a landolphia) called " Apwamah " by the Jurs and Dinkas and " Bi " by the Golos, nearly allied to the first ; another is a large (originally epifhytic) ficus, known as " Kwel " ; while the third, known generally by its Arabic name " Lulu," is a bassia (Parkii), and the only one which belongs to the natural order, the sajwtacecB, which )nelds the best gutta-percha.

" Odilo " or " Ndala " (landolphia owariensis) is found almost entirely on the ironstone, and only in very rocky