The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-22

all the year around there Is an enor-
nous loss going on by the evaporation
from the swamps OF the upper Nile. 4
A sponge MS Big m Indiana.
I despair OF giving you an adequate
idea OF these mighty swamps They III,
on the northern slope OF the Kong
watershed, and are fed by the great
branches of the White Nile. known az
the Bahr ell Jcbel, the Bahr ell Ghazai
and the Bahr eli Zaraf. They begin
where the River Sobat- flows into the
Nile, and form an irregular triangle.
the base running from there 200 miles
westward, and with the southern apex
at Dor. which is zoo or 800 miles far
thcr south. They lie on the bed OF
what III prehistoric times was a gleat
lake, and they are composed OF masses
OF reeds, papyrus and other swamp
grasses. These. are SO united that
they soak up the water like mighty
sponge. Now, If you will imagine a
sponge as big is the State of Indiana.
from two to six feet In thickness. and
so situated that 1t Is always filled by
the waters OF the Nile, you may have
some idea Of this region. The place
where the sponge lies is not far from
the equator, and tho tropical sun beats
down upon It. so that a steam is aieays
rising. 1t soaks up the waters of the
Nile and gives them out into the air.
The evaporation is SO great that an
amount equal to half the capacity Of
the Assouan reservoir is lost every
day, and In the summer fully so per
cent. of the water supplied by the
great lakes does not get into the main
stream of the Nile. The water'of this
swamp Is nowhere much over mans
head. and In most places, except where
the main streams flow through, 1t is
only about as deep as his waist. The
evaporation Increases at the time OF
the floods, when more land is covered,
and no matter how much water flows
Into the swamp, only about the same
amount flows out This is so through
out the year.
The Sudd.
This vast region Is known as the
Sudd 1t Is now being explored, and
attempts have been made to cut chan
nels through 1t. have met some Of
the surveyors who have attempted to
penetrate it. and some who have
broken away parts Of it to open up
channels for the Nile. They describe
1T as a vast sheet of brilliant green.
made up OF papyrus, feathcry reeds and
sword grass, These rise from five to
fifteen feet above the water and arc
broken here and there by patches of
ambatch trees and by channels, pools
and lagoons. The greater part OF 1t
has no human inhabitants. and this Is
especially so#of that region along the
Bahr ell Ghazal There are some Dinka
villages near Bor and few. tribes on
the edge the Belgian Ilongo. Farther
south at I.ado and Gondokoro the re-
gion is populated.
N 1t is only at the south of the swamp
regions that big game is to be seen.
There the land is a little higher, and
elephants, giraffes and huffaloes in.
habit the edges of the swamps. In the
heart of it, and, in fact. in all parts OF
1T, there are vast numbers of hippo
potaml, and there are all sorts Of
swamp birds everywhere. From the
reeds and mud banks clouds of wild
cranes, geese, storks. herons. pelicans
and ducks Of every description rise up
MS the boats approach, and there are
insects by millions. There are all sorts
of mosquitoes moths. spiders and flies,
and there are other insects which carry
fcvers. and the tsetse fly, which causes
tho sleeping sickness, Among the
queer Birds is the whale.headed stork,
one OF which may be seen here In the
palace grounds ut IShartum, The Wild
geese are black, white and brown.
1t is impossible to conceive how
closely tho vegetation OF the Sud- is
matted together. The roots OF some Of
the plants so down into the bcds Of