CATHOLIC MISSION AT OBEID. 311 CHAPTEK XIII.

OBEID TO SUAKDI.

The town of Obeid is most pleasant ; it contains a number of shops, and there are living in it many merchants, Greeks and others. The Eoman Catholic Mission, which we visited, is in a flourishing condition, though at present the staff of workers is small, consisting of only two sisters, one priest, and a lay brother. The priest received us very kindly ; he gave us some European news ; and he told us he was expecting three more sisters and two brothers, who were then on their way to Obeid from Khartoum. They do not find the climate very trying, and he spoke hopefully of the prospects of the mission. The church is small but well built, and a new and larger one is in prospect, the foundations of which were being laid. The schools are very good, and the children well dressed, clean and orderly ; we saw a good many people leaving church after morning service.

The wells at Obeid are very deep, the j)eople using windlasses ; they say the water supply is getting rather scarce, and it was thought that for that reason the seat of government must be removed to Bara, where there is plenty of good water.