202 DeMTt TV. and S. W. of Dongola.

There is plenty of evidence of natron in the valley, but the place, where most of the digging is done and where the thickest seam of natron is reported to be, is 2,400 yards from Jebel Kashaf and to the west of it, at a bearing of 310° (mag.). The diggings are in what looks like a dry salt pan left by the sea, except that the sand is very red. The method of collecting it is as follows : About 2 to 4 inches depth of sand is cleared away until the natron, a substance resembling a yellowish rock salt, is reached ; the top part is usually bad, being half sand. Then there is a seam J to 2 inches thick, of good natron, and again below a little bad natron, and then below all sand again. Sometimes all the natron is spoilt by being mixed with sand. Near the natron diggings is a large thicket of selem bushes, and besides this and at Melani, there is a clump of date trees and selem north-east of Jebel Kashaf and another thicket of " littel " scrub, besides plenty of halfa, tamam, taklis, and halaf grass etc. A party of 4(X) or 500 camels could live some months in the valley on the grazing only. Good shelter can be obtained from the wind, and there are plenty of garids etc. to make tukls. Gazelle plentiful. Arbiiin " The Arbain road lies along very high land, and anyone traversing the road during the winter months should, '"°'*" if possible, march with the wind, i.e., from north to south. The cold was intense, and the shelter from north wind nil, as all hills are steep on the north side and slope gradually away to the south.

" At Sultan, Lagia, and Selima this is reversed, and the hills are steep on the south side. This change in formation accounts probably for the presence of water." Game. This desert region is the haunt of the Addax, the rarest of Sudan antelopes. Specimens have been killed near Tundubi.

WeUs and Oases.

Sheb-Kakhia Nakhla. — Situated about 80 miles north-west of Haifa. Named after the single date palm overhanging the wells.

digtrict.* Surrounding the hill on which this date palm stands is a narrow valley about 80 yards wide. Throughout this depression water can be obtained at a depth of 3 J to 5 feet. The water is of better quality than that of any of the neighbouring wells and is abundant. There is practically no grazing or fuel here ; the latter can be obtained, however, at a distance of 2 to 3 miles.

Hassab El Gabu. — About 10 miles west (?) of Nakhla. This well is situated on the top of a circular sandhill 30 yards in diameter. Good water is found at a depth of 2 feet, as it may be almost anywhere between Nakhla and Sheb. Good grass for camels.

BiR SuLEiMAT. — 1 1 miles ( ? ) from Nakhla. Good grazing. Water bitter, but plentiful. BiR Sederi. — 28 miles from Nakhla. Water bitter. Little grazing. Dom palm covered sandhills 100 yards from well.

El Haad. — 33 miles from Nakhla (direction uncertain). No well, but good grazing on " Haad " grass. Sheb. — 40 miles W.S.W. of Nakhla. Is the southernmost water in the Sheb district. Well 4 feet deep and same in diameter (October, 1902). Water plentiful, but brackish and aperient. Good grazing and plenty of firewood. This is a watering place on the Arbain road.

Terfaui (I). — About 6 miles north of Sheb, situate in a small oasis in a broad wadi said to lead from the oasis of Selima to the Nile by way of Kurkur. This valley is bounded on the west by precipitous sandstone cliffs. There is a group of trees here 250 by 300 yards. Good grazing for camels. The water is drinkable. Immediately to the west of Terfaui is a pass over which the usual road to the northern oases of Beris, etc., passes. This is usually a watering place on the Arbain road.

Abu Hussein. — About 35 miles north-west of Sheb. Consists of a clump of trees and bush-covered mounds about 30 feet high. There are three more places exactly similar to Abu Hussein, two being to the eastward and one to the west. They are all about 5 miles apart and lie in a general line from east to west. Water may be found at a depth of IJ feet at any of them, and here and there between them. Good water and plentiful. Grazing also good.

Terfaui (II). — 16 miles north-west of Abu Hussein or about 50 miles north-west of Sheb. It consists of small mounds of sand covered with long green grass. Water plentiful at depth of 4 to 5 feet, grazing good, consisting of tufts of long grass, over an area of about 1 mile by J mile. There used to be three dom palms here, but these were burnt down by Captain Ross in 1894 on account of the snakes which infested them.

Kassaba. — The northernmost well in the Sheb district is at Naseib, 15 miles north of Kassaba. At Kassaba the water is not good, but many old wells point to its having been much used in former days. Situated in an open plain about 26 miles N.N.W. of Sheb. A watering place on the Arbain road.

Selima Oasis. — Selima lies on the Arbain road about 78 miles south of Sheb and 55 miles west of the river at Sagiet El Abd. Haifa is about 120 miles to the north-east. It is perhaps the most important oasis in the western * This ditrtrict is not actually in the Sudan, but owing to its proximity to Haifa, some description of the wells iu it is given here.