Education; Cliviate. ll

The Arab population is inclined to be fanatical ; and to enable tlie Government to keep itself informed of the religious feelings of the people, a consiiltory board of Ulema (learned men) has been estab ished at Omdurman.

There are two Christian missionary stations amongst the black tribes : one {American Protestant) on the Sobat River, and the other (Austrian Roman Catholic) near Kodok. The latter mission is now establishing another branch in the Bahr El Ghazal.

There are also several missionary schools at Khartoum and Omdurman. A British Protestant Church is about to be built at Khartoum, and there are Roman Catholic, Greek, and Coptic churches in course of construction.

EDUCATION.

In the Sudan a higher primary school system is gradually being developed. There are four of these schools (Khar-

toum, Omdurman, Haifa, and Suakin), besides a few Kuttab or village schools, where instruction is given in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Every day shows a greater necessity for a Sudanese class able to read, write, and cipher sufficiently to fill the minor appointments under Government. This class is gradually being constructed, but it takes time, especially as competent teachers are scarce.

All school subjects are taught in Arabic, not English. The latter language is not encouraged, but it can be taught, as a foreign language.

The Gordon College, with an endowment of over £E. 100,000, was finished and opened in October, 1903. At present it contains a Higher Primary School, attended by 1-50 boys, and a Training College for Schoolmasters and Kadis. Competent Sudanese teachers of the vernacular are now the chief requirement, but this want will be remedied as time goes on.

A separate wing of the building affords room for an institute for bacteriological work,* and research into the products and diseases of the country.

Another invaluable adjunct to the College is found in some technical workshops generously and completely fitted up by a private benefactor.|

CLIMATE.

The cUmate of the Sudan naturally varies over such a huge territory. Roughly speaking, it may be said that from the latitude of about Shendi northwards the climate is dry throughout the year. South of this, the rains in the summer, increasing in intensity towards the south, towards the sea, and towards the Abyssinian hills, cause a damp climate for two or three months, the remaining months being quite dry.

Between Haifa and Dongola there are a few rainy days in the winter, and, very exceptionally, some torrential rains in the summer. At Suakin heavy rains occur at intervals from August to January, with occasional rainfalls during the spring. The Khor Baraka flood maybe expected at Tokar about the 15th August, and the Gash flood at Kassala during the first week of July.

The rainy season proper, on the Upper Blue Nile, Atbara, and in Abyssinia commences about the middle or end of May, the rains lasting till the middle of September ; light rains in January and February ; heavy rains sometimes in October and November.

The rainy season at Khartoum and in the " Bayuda desert " lasts nominally from the middle of June to the end of September, but during this period rain rarely falls on more than 15 days. In the Bahr El Ghazal the rains last from April till October, and in Southern Kordofan and Darfur from June to October.

Heavy rains occur in addition in the valley of the Upper White Nile from September to November ; also numerous thunderstorms, especially in the hilly region round Rejaf and the Sudd district to the north of it.

On the Sobat, rains last from May to end of October. The more imhealthy parts, in each case only during the period immediately succeeding the rains or the Nile flood, are, in the order of the evil, the Bahr El Ghazal, the Upper White Nile, the Upper Blue Nile, Kordofan, Kassala, and Suakin. During the rest of the year the climate is dry and healthy throughout. The temperature is, in the summer, undoubtedly hot, the thermometer having on rare occasions risen to as much as 126° ; but on the other hand, except in the rainy season, the nights are always cool and refreshing.

During the rest of the year, the temperature naturally varies considerably ; but it may be said that the winter is bright and invigorating throughout, and not too hot. There are even unpleasantly cold winds at times.

♦ The Laboratory is the generous gift of Mr. Wellcome. t Sir W. Mather, M.P.