Kordofan.

177 Tn January strips of bark are torn off the trees, dead branches cut away, and, in well managed gardens, the grass is cut as protection from fire. This should always be done, as fires, both accidental and incendiary, are by no means uncommon. As soon as the hot weather comes on, the sap runs up the tree and oozes out of the wound and the tree comes into leaf. This "garden" (geneina) gum is collected every few days and taken into the nearest market. As soon as the rains commence the flow of gum ceases. Wild gum (wadi) is also collected by people who do not own gardens, from the ownerless and, as it were, wild trees, but it is worth comparatively little.

The forests south of the Khor Abu Habl are full of red gum acacias (talh), but the trees are not worked, as the gum is of little value compared with the hashab which abounds. The latter is not yet worked to more than half its capacity, even in Eastern Kordofan.

The following table shows the amount of gum, in hundredweights, exported from the Sudan, most of which comes from Kordofan, but it is impossible to say exactly what proportion :— Year. Cwts.

1879 1880 1881 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 144,706 135,646 150,861 41,963 60,912 170,781 220,000 191,214* The chief market for ostrich feathers is at El Nahud, where considerable quantities are collected. The best come from Dar El Zeiah in Northern Darfur, but few of these come into the market. The Hamar Arabs keep a few birds in pens. Ostriches have been seen within a few miles of El Obeid. Ostrich farming on a large scale has been proposed, but would be difficult on account of the expense of obtaining food. Feathers from wild birds (Kitala) are longer and more valuable than those plucked from farm birds (Maata), which, though cleaner, are shorter and cheaper.

The trade in ivory was never very large, and had in 1901 practically ceased. It is now, however, increasing rapidly, owing to Government restrictions being removed. Over 50,000 lbs. weight passed through Nahud in 1903.

Large quantities of india-rubber might be collected from the country south of El Eddaiya if the cost of transport to Khartoum admitted of a fair price being paid for its collection. At present it does not.

There is a large export of cattle, mostly to Omdurman. The imports consist chiefly of cotton goods, sugar, salt, soap, tobacco, beads and metal goods, such as axes, hoes, and fasses. Blue and white cottons and muslins, with open-work pattern, are chiefly in demand, but coloured goods are frequently asked for now that the sartorial regulations of the Khalifa are no longer in force. The blacks especially like striking colours, but the dyes must be fast to stand washing with mud and water when no soap is available.

It must be borne in mind in comparing the following account with former ones, that the Khalifa laid practically the whole of Kordofan waste at various times, and that when the province was re-occupied in December, 1899, all the large towns and most of the villages had ceased to exist. Thus, on the old road to El Obeid from Tura, via Abu Shok and Khursi not a single village or well remained, and the present road from El Dueira to Helba and Bara had to be taken. Bara was found almost deserted, all the old houses and gardens having been destroyed. Khursi, once a large place with a market, had no inhabitants, and has now only a few huts. At El Obeid there was not a single soul, and nothing was left of the old city but a portion of the mudiria buildings. Melbis is quite overgrown, and Abu Haraz is "still in ruins. Between El Obeid and Taiara there are now six villages. In January, 1900, there was not one. At Foga, once the headquarters of troops and a telegraph station, the ruins can hardly be traced. At many places in Dar Hamid, hundreds of date palms had been cut down. Everywhere the destruction was wanton and complete.

The only people who successfully resisted the Dervish occupation were the Nubas ; living in the hills, they closed Ithe entrances to their villages with defensible walls. They were constantly raided by slave-traders in the old days l«nd so knew how best to defend themselves. But although the Mahdi failed to force these hills, except in the case lof a few small and detached ones, the inhabitants all suffered severely, especially from slave-raiding. Mek Geili said in 11900 that he had lost two-thirds of his people, and, judging by the number of deserted houses in his country, this Statement is probably not much exaggerated.

Those Arabs who were not taken to Omdurman, and who rebelled against the Khalifa in 1896, fled after Mahmud's Ostrich feathers.

] vory.

Iiidiiiiiibber.

Cattle.

Imports.

Past and present conditions.

* lu 19<J4 the amount of gum exported from Kordofan is expected to be 219,300 kautars. One kantar = 100 lbs.