The sun., 1899-04-30

British officers and they have brought back
some interesting Information from the Upper
Nile AM its tributaries.
This map shows the routes OF the gunboats
during their quest for Information about the
reconquered Sudan countries. 1t may lie
said In explanation that the White Nile is the
main Nile stream coming from the great lakes
Of Central Africa and IL is this streal:: that
gives to Egypt the immense volume of water
required for irrigation The Blue Nile is very
much inferior in length and volume OF water.
but 1t becomes charged. among the Abyssin-
ian mountains. with the sediment which gives
fertility to the fields of.ower Egypt. Thus the
White and Blue Niles supplement one another
and It is OF vital Importance to Egypt to have
both the floods OF the White Nile and the rich
muds OF the Blue Nile.
The gunboats assembled both tine Blue Nile
and White Nile and also several OF their trlb-
utaries The letter y on the map indicates
the furthest point reached on each river. The
Blue Nile was ascended .or 200 miles above Om-
durman until the boat was stopped by the low
stage Of the water Then the White Nile was
ascended for 600 miles. the Sobat for PIP miles
and the Bahr- el-Zeraf for distance OF lo5
miles from Its mouth. Eventually the gum
boats reached Lake No. where the waters OF the
Bahr ell Ghazal and tho Bahr- e-Jebel mingle
and issue from the lake as the White Nile. This
Hlhin TlNeI upONo tiut pOlHI is KNOWN az tn6
Bahr-el-Jebel.
The gunboats. might easily have gone much
further south II it had not been for the suid,
the we'll known barrier OF vegetation which has
often made navigation impossible in the re-
gions where the waters come together to form
the White Nile. The portions Of the rivers
whereth is'barrer.e Xis's are indicated by shad-
Ing on the map, The sudd never mpedes the
OF the Sobat. but.the Bahr. r.el-Jebel. or main
stream. coming from the Victoria Nyqnza, Is
| reported by the Runboats to lie closed by the
| sud- for about 1850 miles below Lake No. The
water filters through. but navigation is i'm;
he sudd sST am it It's pso closed
The SiIdar's explorers describe the sudd as
they saw i in different places, They say that
bed OF the river. At other points it is found
floating in large patches and hangs loosely to-
| through sudd Of these descrlptIons. though
Stl STtth dlleu!ty; lP m many any places however, the
closely together as to form an insuperabe
obstacle Obs to TIE the % rassaGo OF any boat When
sage sage with knives; Iilih99ks. a." a. as ' was done lone
many years ago by sir Samuel Baker.
vt IL will be recalled allied, that tn the enyoys whom
penetrate this. floating vegetation. Modern
explorers have frequently been stopped by this
obstacle. though many Of them haye forced q
vegetation. Gessi rasha with 800 soldiers
months elapsed befors:an Egyptinn'Gotilla was
able to reach the party by ascending the river
IRsnes Of o eiea hs'
men were -devoursd by Insects. wasted hy
lever and reduced to live on Wild herbs and tho
| bodies OF their dead comrades. Most OF them
| found graves in the surrounding swamps and
Gessi himself survived the disaster only a few
that many families Of the Nuer tribe pitch
their tents, OF, the yerdant, surface and live on
| the fish which they catch by spearng through
| the foundations Of their dwellings.
| . kitchener's explorers describe the White
Nile rs having broad channel and very small
| velocity. There are marshes Oh both sides Of
tho river. two or three miles broad. and COM
municatlon with the western shore is lmpoTsi-
| Very different conditions are found on the
Blue Nile, 1t has, u rapid current and lofty
gion between the two rivers will grow any
! thing. and II would be easy to construct works
fRsr" e yaPy @pa few 3 fae 81 he
the population increases t will he useless to
undertake expensive works. Both the White
| haalthful. and in the autumn it may he imnos-
siibe for EuTrope9ns T. live safely on either
bic. as they contain ebony and hne timber.
, immediately after Fa9hoda was orrupied in
Eahr-e-G GhaSai to within q short distance Of Of
| Nleshrn- ell REX, making the entire journey
through vast marsh into int which %h 'hs country i
| later. on second visit the lower part OF the
liahr- ell GnaHql channel was found to lie COM
| pletely chokei with sudd.
| The trip m the Sobat River was noteworthy
because so little is kn4wn of that stream and
| Its navigation Is uuimreded as far aS the
| gunboats ascend ID. 4 fortified post was es-
The qbas o he % Ne do InG not Know
| exactly in what light to regard the whites who
50 long have been absent from their country.
The Shilluks ard DinkaS are showing a very
| friendly disposition toward the Government,
but tie powerful .Nuer tribe il, reported TO he
! llevcd. however Lord Cromer SAYS. that their
fears, will wear Of when they ar" convinced
| Anglo EGYPTIAN forces aud the slave raiders
| who formerly desolated their country