Bahr El Gliazal.

109 Miles.

2 Place.

•3 V a » c • Description.

t— t fM Kit River Mattuk-el-Wabur Mouth of Jnr Siver 10 114 123 128 El Ghazal, receiving the waters of the swamps and the soutliern rivers, and slowly discharging them by means of the narrow but deep channel of tlie Gliazal itself. At low water it has a lengtli of about 10 miles by an average breadth of 1 mile ; in fl(od-time the area must be very much greater. It is a great nursery for certain of the sudd gra.sses, but chiefly those of the "swimming" variety. The Agolla, L'lricularia, Aldrovandio, Olel/ia,and many other kinds aie found upon its waters. The Pistia is conspicuous liy its absence. Among the reeds in the swamps a certain amount of Vossia procera and Saecharam spontatievm is met with, but not in such proportion as on the Bahr El Jebel. The pajiyrus does not exist on this lake, nor does the ambacli. Except between miles .35 and 82, the former is not found at all on the Bahr El Ghazal, and it only grows in real lu.\uiianee between miles 05 and 77. After Lake No is passed, ambach is not found in the Bahr El Ghazal. The absence of pa])yrus and " um sflf " is probably the reason why the sudd in this river is .so much less tenacious and is so much lighter in consistency than than that of the Bahr El Jebel. [Col. Peake, however, S])eak8 of the sudil here as being of a "very tough and felt-like consistency."] Lake Ainbadi is the home of large numbers of the rare Baloeniceps Rex. The evaporation upon the lake must be very great during the hottest months. With two large and shallow sheets of water like Lakes Ambadi and No, the amount of water discharged by the Bahr El Ghazal must be largely reduced before it reaches the White Nile. At mile 114 the lake stops and the river recommences. This is the Kit, properly so called. Its width here is from 100 to 120 yards and its depth 10 to 11 feet. The current is .so feeble as to be almost imperceptible. The Bahr El Homr comes in near this point. On the 1st October, 1900, Captain Sanders found the Bahr El Homr navigable for 5 miles ; after which it was blocked by sudd. Its width is 80 yards and depth, 9 feet ; direction N.N.W. Col. Peake places its junction 9 miles further down stream. It appears to have no discharge in March and April, and the water shoals so that it is impossible to explore it. For the next 3 miles the Kit has a mean width of 180 yards. The water surface suddenly naiTows to a width of 20 yards, the remainder of the channel being filled by sudd. In this block are several reedy islands. The country is now a dead Hat in every direction. Even on these African rivers it is rare to see an ex| anse giving a greater impression of flatness than does this. On all sides marshes extend, a])parently to the horizon. It is quite imjjossible to ariive at an idea of their area. In these marshes are many large lagoons. A little farther up-stream, the channel widens again from 35 to 40 yards, with a depth varying from 12 to 15 feet. Occasionally it shoals to G feet, or less, piobalily owing to sunken sudd upon the bed. Navigation at all seasons must be very difficult, as the river winds and twists through the marshes. Tliere are no tall reeds here ; nothing but floating plants, and the wa'er is choked with nnsses of decayed weed. It is a hopeless morass. During stw-my weatliei', this place is one of those where blocks are often foimed. There are no signs of life anywhere, with the exception of the Baloeniceps Rex, which are numerous. These horrible marshes continue for another 6 or 8 miles. Sudd islands separate the channel, in places, and the width varies greatly. At one point of this reach, viz., at mile 120, the main channel of the Kit was (juite closed in March, 190(1. The entire river was forced through a small opening, 10 or 12 yards wide, through which a strong stream was rushing, and in one place it was actually barred for 50 yards. The total length of the block was about 500 yards. A more loathsomelooking swamp it is difficult to imagine. The sudd in this river is very diflerent from that of the Bahr El .lebel. It is impossible to walk on its surface, wliioh resembles slime rather than sudd, but which is bound into a mass by vegetiible matter. The chief ingredients iippear to be the long trailing, swiiumiug ])lants, descrrbed as found on I<ake Ambadi. It is not difficult to force a way through it, but the stuff, when removed, does not float as does that on the .lebel, but sinks and decays. Three miles on, the two groups of trees called Matruk-el-Waliur ("the landing-p'ace of steamer.s," vide Junker) are passed on the left, about 2 miles from the main stream. A channel, at present blocked by sudd, leads to the landing-place. Matruk-el-Wabur is an island of dry land in a Sea of swamp. When Col. Peake visited it in 1898 the remains of the former French occupation were visible. The Egyptian flag was hoisted here on the 28th September, 1898. Ui)-stream of this point, for .mother 5 miles, the Kit winds about ; the width of the channel increases, averaging from 180 to 200 yards ; its surface is covered by myriads of water fowl, the whistling duck being especially numerous ; a few IJinka are to be seen, who have come down to the river for the purpose of fishing anil hunting the hippopotamus. At mile 128 the channel bifurcates. The Kit itself runs due south, in the direction of Meshra-el-Rek. The other branch has a westerly direction, and receives the water of the Jur River, -(vhich, again, forms the outlet for the Sueh and Wau Rivers. The latitude of this junction, as observed in April, 1900, was