Kordofan. 175 In Western Kordofan there is a series of swamps — Abu Zabbat, El Sinut, El Seneita, Toto, Kutna, and Burdia — but though in the rains they are generally full of water, they dry up almost at once, and can hardly be dignified with the name of lakes. The Baggara Arabs, who frequent these swamps, dig wells in the middle of them as they dry up and build up the mouths with wood and earth to a height of 4 or 5 feet, to prevent the mud and grass washing in during the rains. In Southern Kordofan there are many such tracts of land under water during the rains ; and Butler Bey (in March, 1902) found, about 50 miles north-west of Jebel Eliri, a lake called El Abiad, which although said never to dry up, was dry in January, 1903. It was (in March, 1902) about 6 miles by 4 miles, and contained excellent fish. As far as could be ascertained it had no outlet. The only really permanent lake, as far as is known, is Lake Keilak in the Dar Homr district, which is about 4| miles by 2 miles.

In many districts the difference of level is so slight that it is very difficult, except during or just after the rains, Wadis, &c. to detect which way the water flows. As soon as the country dries up the wind and sand rapidly obliterates all signs of running water, and many wadis can only be recognised by their more abundant vegetation.

In the centre of the province, that is, south of the Helba-Bara road and parts of Dar Hamar and north of the Gedid-Um Ruaba-El Obeid road, there is no watershed, and hence no khors or wadis properly so called. This country is undulating, but the hills seldom have any general direction ; where they have, it is north and south, but the valleys are seldom of any length and never contain streams. The rain sinks in where it falls. However, just as in Dar Hamid, every basin, though without an outlet, is called a khor, so in this part of the country every depression is called a wadi, and takes its name from the adjacent village.

The water supply, which is entirely dependent on the local rains, is derived from ( I ) wells ; (2) surface water in pools Water or fulas and the lakes ; (-3) tebeldi trees {Adansonia digitata), and melons. supply-The best watered portions of Kordofan, excluding the Nuba hills, are Dar Hamid, Bara, and El Eddaiya, where the wells can be worked with a shaduf, and there is enough water for irrigation, and the basins of El Obeid, Abu Haraz, and Sherkeila.

Elsewhere water is always liable to give out, and towards the end of the hot weather whole villages are frequently obliged to migrate to more favoured places until the rains once more fill the fulas.

North of 14° 13', except actually during the rains, when pools form in the khors, the only water obtainable is from Wells, wells or holes in the hills. The former are numerous, but are liable to become choked by drift sand or to fall in when a sudden rush of water comes down the khor. They vary greatly from year to year, being entirely dependent on the local rainfall over a limited area. There are a few places, such as Gabra, Habisa and El Safia, where the water is said never to give out. The wells in the desert country are seldom more than 50 feet, and often only 5 or 6 feet deep, being dug in the bed of a khor, often at its termination, as at Kagmar.

On the Bara-El Dueim road some of the wells are, however, over 200 feet deep, and water is generally plentiful. Further south the wells become less deep, and give less water. In the valley of the Khor Abu Habl and in Dar El Ahamda the wells average 30 feet, but the amount of water they contain depends entirely on the local rains.

The deep wells in Eastern Kordofan are of two kinds : those in hard soil or rock, and those in sandy soil. The former are generally 5 to 8 feet in diameter and unlined, and with care will last for years. The latter are seldom more than 3 or 4 feet in diameter and require constant attention. As they are dug, a lining called " lawai," has to be put in. This is made of grass rope in lengths of about 40 feet. Near the bottom the lining is made of the roots of trees, that of the " hashab " being considered the best for this purpose. This class of well requires constant repairing and cleaning, and seldom lasts more than two years, when the sand at the bottom " caves in," and a new well has to be dug. Hence, where many old wells are found it does not imply that more than one or two were open at the hame time. In these, as in all desert wells, a dilwa must be used for drawing water, as a bucket damages the sides. Men must not be allowed to go near the mouth of the well with boots on. In a few places stone-lined wells exist.

In the Nuba hills the wells are usually big holes, down the sides of which the women climb to draw water ; the art of well-sinking is generally unknown. In some places, however, the wells are lined with trunks of trees. When watering cattle the men and women go down the well standing across it and pass kantushes up and down. This is a very quick way of drawing water, but, as a good deal is spilt, and as both men and women are naked and covered with oil and red clay, the effect on the water is unpleasant. When drawing water in this way the women protect their head-dress, which consists as a rule of a lump of clay on each tuft of hair, by putting half a gourd on their heads.

In the Nuba mountains running streams are occasionally found, notably at Jebel Eliri, Jebel Tira El Akhdar, and Jebel Kindirma, but their water almost immediately disappears into the soil on reaching the plains.

In other mountains water is found in large rock tanks often as much as 500 feet above the plain. In the greater portion of Dar Hamar there are no wells, and as soon as the surface water dries up, generally about the end of October, the natives are dependent on water-melons and water stored in tebeldi trees.

" Fulas," or artificial ponds, exist near many villages. They are usually made by damming a khor, but the ground Fulas. is so porous that the water seldom lasts after October. The lakes have already been described.