Bahr El Ghazal. 165 13. Itinerary of the Baiiu El Ghazal Rivek.

TAihi No—Me.hra El Rd: Place.

Miles.

TJ -Z a; o -c Qi • W -M s 2 C Ct-Lake No Balir El Ghazal Description.

Proceeding up-stream westwards from the junction of the Bahr El Jebel and the White Nile, Lake No is immediately entered. Lake No is known to the Arabs as the " Moghren el-Buhur," or the "Meeting of the Rivers." It is situated in north latitude 9° 29'. It is a .shallow expan.se of water covering a good many square miles of area, and surrounded on all sides by reedy marsh. It is jjrobably a portion of the great Uke which once covered this country. Through its eastern end the Bahi- El Jebel passes, and the Bahr El Ghazal enters it at its western extremitj-. Lake No acts as a reservoir for the wateraof the sluggish streams which drain the extensive plateaux forming the watershed between the Congo and the Nile.

These streams find iheir rise in an area lying between latitude b" and 8° north, and longitude 24' and 30 east. The channel by which their united waters are delivered to the Nile is the Bahr El Ghazal, and from it the province through which it passes receives its name. Its cljief affluents are the Rohl, the Jau, and the Tonj on the right, and the Bahr El Arab, the Balir El Homr, and thejur on the left. The water thus brought down fills up the depression known as liake No, over which area the water of the Bahr El Jebel spreads. The consequence is that this lake is an expanse of water through which little or no current passes, but whose levels rise and fall with that of the Nile. The flooded area changes according to the season of the year. It forms an imjiortaut reservoir for the White Nile. The actual extent of Lake No is difficult to ascertain. It has been variously estimated at from 20 to 40 square miles. These differences are probably due to the fact that the area was estinjattd at different periods of the year. During maximum flood the extent cannot he much less than the larger estimate, but at the period of low supply the area is much reduced, and in 1900 and 19(11 could liardly have exceeded 8 square miles. In the early months of these years the surface had shrunk to very small dimensions, and more resembled a large river than a lake. The width, during the period of low Nile, is extremely variable. Thus in April, 1901, in the first mile from the White Nile, the o])eu water surface was at times under 200 yards, and then suddenly widened out to, perhaps, 2 miles ; a litt'e further on it again contracted, and for 4 or 5 miles more varied from 300 to 600 yards. The depth, at that time, was nowhere more than 7 feet, and, in places, only 4 feet. No current at all was visible through any portion of the lake. Beyond the open water stretched a broad belt of flooded reeds. This belt was chiefly composed of " Um Suf," with clumps of ambach. The open water itself was full of reedy islands. Lake No abounds with hippopotami and waterfowl. The former cause a good deal of trouble to the Nner population, as they are unusually savage in this locality, and are .said to make a practice of attacking any canoe or raft crossing the lake. The bank to the north of the eastern end swarms with lion and antelojie of every description (January, 19ii3). After pa.ssing the entrance to the Bahr El Jebel, keep tn the northern channel. Open water right and a few low bushes ; ant-heaps (termites), and dry ground left. Some wood. Landing po.s.sible. At 6 miles fiom the White Nile a continuous line of Nuer villages runs parallel to the left bank of the channel for several miles, and marks the ridge beyond which tlie swamping does not extend. Their avei-age distance is some 2 miles from the river. The villages appear to be thickly populated, and the inhabitants possess large herds of cattle, sheep, and goats ; they now barter their fowls, &c., with readiness. From 7 miles above the White Nile — Bahr El Jebel junction (whilst still within Iake No) and westwards the channel is, in dry weather, reduced to 80 or 90 yards wide. In flood-time the line of the channel is not visible. This channel is by some termed the Khor El Deleb, in continuation of a khor of that name which flows into it at the western end of Lake No ; but as the Bahr El (ihazal is obviously the main stream, the latter name has been applied to it here from the Bahr El Jebel junction westwards. About 10 miles west of the Bahr El Jebel mouth take southern channel, which comes in west-south- west, leave northern chamiel, as it closes up and comes to a dead end 5 miles on. Large village, Nuer tribe, 2 miles away left. Scrub on hoiizon left. Reeds, sudd, &c., both sides, and all part of Lake No. The true Bahr El Ghazal comes in close here left. Narrow mouth, 40 yards ; 8 feet deej) in March. Sudd seen floating down stream, li miles an hour. Leave broad open channel, which bifurcates 2 miles farther on, and becomes the Deleb and Sif norina backwaters, ending 18 miles up. Take northern channel, which is now the Bahr El (jhazal. The Khor Deleb, which enters the river from the south at the western point of the lake, is a wide expanse of Z 2