213 CHAPTER X.

COMMUNICATIONS.

Communicatioiis in the Sudan are carried on by :-A. — Railway. B.— River. C. — Roads.

D. — Riding and Transport animals. E. — Post and telegraph.

I There is no wheeled transport, except a few carts in the larger towns drawn by camels, mules, or oxen, and an experimental system of wheeled transport, rough carts drawn by oxen, in the Bahr El Ghazal.

Motor transport is in an experimental stage, and has only proved a partial success up till now, chiefly owing to the generally sandy nature of the ground and the present lack of roads.

There is a light railway at Khartoum which it is intended to run in conjunction with a tramway at Omdurman.

[For practical details and hinta regarding Communications in the Sudan, see " Notes for Travellers and Sportsmen in the Sudan " * (price PT.5), "Sudan Almanac"* (price PT.5), and "Notes on Outfit for the Sudan" (price PT.2), all obtainable from the chief booksellers in Cairo or the Agent-General, Sudan Government, War Office, Cairo. The.se are recommended as being indispensable for intending travellers.]

Section 1. — Railways.

To Said Pasha (1860) is due the first idea of connecting the Sudan by railway with Lower Egypt. Mougel Bey Historical, reported on the subject, but, owing to the expense involved, the project was abandoned.

The first attempt at actually laying a railway in the Sudan dates from the time of the Khedive Ismail Pasha. After a preliminary study in 1865-66, by Messrs. Walker and Bray, the Khedive sent up, in 1871, Mr. J. Fowler, C.E., to settle on the best routes for putting the Sudan into railway communication with civilisation. After some time spent in preliminary surveys, Mr. Fowler decided on a line which, starting from Haifa, would run up the eastern Nile bank, cross the river about Amara, and roughly follow the left bank to Ambugol. From here it would strike across the Bayuda desert, viu Jakdul, to Metemma, cross the river again here, and continue along the right bank to Khartoujn North.

From Debba a Une was to be laid direct to El Fasher, capital of Darfur. In the Eastern Sudan, meanwhile, a line was to be laid from Suakin, via Sinkat, to cross the Atbara and strike the Nile opposite to Khartoum.

These routes were accurately surveyed, and the railway from Haifa was actually begun and carried along the right bank to. about Sarras. It was then abandoned, partly for financial reasons and partly at the desire of General Gordon, who considered that the country was not yet ripe for works involving such a considerable outlay.

During the 1884-85 expedition the railway was continued for some 40 miles, but in consequence of the evacuation of the Sudan it was dropped, and the portion beyond Sarras was destroyed by the Dervishes.

In 1896, when operations became imminent, the Sirdar began laying a line from Korosko southwards, but this was soon abandoned, and the original railway was continued in April, 1896, in the direction of Dongola. This line was completed after considerable difficulties, as far as its present terminus, Kerma, on 4th April, 1897.

Tlie main line, striking from Haifa across the desert to Abu Hamed, was commenced on 1st January, 1897, and, after a stoppage of 22 days for want of material, reached Abu Hamed, 230 miles, on 31st October, 1897. It was laid at the great rate of about a mile a day, the maximum speed for one day being 5,200 yards. The record for 1 month was 48 miles ; this was during October, 1897.

* Brought yearly up to date. 2 F