168 Kahr El Ghazal.

Place.

Miles.

S .a » d -0 tjS5 » 1 13 s i Description.

FaW Bahr El Arab no Lao Forest ... Bahr £1 Arab .

Lake Ambadi 96 100 103 104 From here for the next 20 miles good wood left. At mile 90 a large and important khor comes in, also on the left bank. This channel, which was asserted by the boatmen to be the Bahr El Arab, and which was ascended under this supposition, flows from a uortli- westerly direction and evidently brings water from a long distance. Later experience has proved that the Biihr El Arab is several miles further up-stream, but this klior must, nevertheless, bring down a large volume of water during the flood. It is (|uite possible that it forms a second mouth of the Bahr El Arab. It joins the Bahr El Ghazal through two small hikes or lagoons, the largest being about 1,000 yards long by 80 yards wide, with an island in the centre. These lakes are swarming with hip])opotami. The width of this khor is much greater that than that of the Ghazal, biing from 100 to 120 yanls. It has a perceptible though feeble current even iii April, but its depth is shallow, averaging from 4 to 5 feet. It wiis ascended for some 8 miles above the junction, when shoal-water jirevented further progress. Its general direction is north-west, but at the furthest point reached it turns sharply to the north, and its course can be traced for a long distance, winding through the comitry. Even here it* width is 100 yards, with wide-stretching mud-flats on either side. It runs between flat plains covered with low griiss and averaging 2j feet over the water at the liver's edge. It diflei-s ren"arkably from the Ghazal in its characteristics, jjarticularly in the absence of the reed frinjje which distinguishes the main river. Its rise must be small, as the banks show no trace of flooding. From o miles above the junction a succession of Dinka villages line both banks. Some of these are large and a;)])ear to be thickly peopled. The i>rincipal village is called Ijau. This consists of a large collection of scattered huts, groupeil together, and covering a large area. It would ho interesting to exj)lore this khor during high water and ascertain whether it really is one of the outlets of the Arab River.

To return to the Bahr El Ghazal. Fi'om the point where this khor joins it, the general course is due west and fairly straight with occasional long curves. It is bordered liy a narrow stri]) of papyrus on either bank, and travetses a country i f flat gras.s\' plains. This river is placid and sluggish throughout its entire length, and can never approach anything like a torrent, even when in floo I. It meanders along, slowly and gradually sucking away the moisture of the vast, water-logged flats through which it psisses. Its width averages from 00 to 70 yards, and its mean depth i.s 10 feet. At mile 100 trees and bush are found on both sides arrd the banks are clear of reeds and continue until mile 103, where the Bahr El Arab joins the frhazal. This forest is known ;is the "Gha'a b'ta el Ai'ab," and is one of the few wooding-stations to be found on the river. The ti-ees upon both banks are different from those found elsewher-e. There are a few mimosas, but the bulk are very thorrry trees with bright greerr leaves. The belt oi wood is about half a mile in width, back from the river. Behirrd it are open spaces of grass, through which broad and shallow lagoons wirrd. In this plain are many large clumps of trees. Except irr the depreesions, the country here is certainly not flooded, even in the rainy seasorr. The marks on the banks show that the niaximum rise of the river is not more tlian 3 feet. The Bahr El Ai'ab is a broad well-defined channel, from 40 to 100 yards in width, and confined bet«eeir well-marked, but swampj', banks. Its direction, at the junction, is due irorth, but alxmt 3 miles further u]) it tur-ns more to the west ami rurrs a[)parently through forest. Next to rrothing is kno«n of this river'. Felkin crossed it in December-, 1879, and foutrd it, 300 nriles from its nroulh, 120 yards wide, with banks IT) feet above low water. He noted that in the lainy sea.son it flooded the surroirnding coirntry. It is impossible to investigate this river-, as, at sonre 1,300 yards above the junction, it is closed by sudd and reeds. It has no current at the nrouth, and its depth is fi-oiu 10 to 11 feet at low water. The water- of the Bahr El Arab is singularly clear and ft ee fronr .sediment. Reports received in the sprirrg of 1901 show that this river is still blocked by sudd. Immediately up str-e.im of the Bahr El Aral) junction the Ike Kit, or Ambadi, begins. The Bahr El Ghazal traverses lliis lake, but fr-om this point its nomenclatur-e changes, and the river is known as the " Kit,' or " Kelt," by the natives, and as such is entered on many maps. At mile 105, Ijake Ambadi is drvided into two ])Hr-ts by a large grassy islarrd, about a mile in length, the right diannel berrrg 400 yards, and the left 150 yards wide. Half-way up tie right channel, the lai'ge Mayyeir Ahrrred Arabi, previously alluded to, rejoirrs the Bahr El Ghazal. It has a width of .500 to 600 yards here. The swam])s surrounding this lake are of c in.siderable br-iadth, especially on the left side. They are very low atjd reedy, and a very small rise irr the water levels must increase the flooded area enormously. It is impossible to calculate the width of the swami>s oir the left bank. They appear to extend for rjiany miles fronr the water's edge. Lake Ambadi has an average depth of 10 feet, in the dee))est parts of the channel, but shoals rapidly on either side. It is evidently tlie great reservoir of the Bahr