Nile

From Lake Albert to the Plains.

Issuing from the north west corner of Lake Albert some 5 m. from the spot where it entered that lake, the Nile, which is now known as the Bahr-el Jebel, or Mountain river, flows in a generally northerly direction. As far as Dufile, 13o m. below Magungo, it has a gentle slope, a deep channel and a current generally slight. It forms a series of lake-like reaches often studded with reedy islands. Immediately below Dufile the Kuku mountains on the west and the Arju range on the east close in upon the river, which, from an average width of 700 yd., narrows to 23o yd. Here the hills cause the stream to make a sharp bend from the north-east to the north-west. Four or five miles lower down the river widens to 400 yd., and a large island divides the stream, the eastern channel carrying the main volume of water.

This island marks the beginning of the Fola Rapids. At its southern end the water falls some 20 ft., and then, like a gigantic mill-race rushes through a gorge 33o ft. long and nowhere more than 52 ft. wide, to leap into a deep cavity not more than 4o ft. across. Escaping from this cauldron, the waters thunder on in a succession of rapids, which extend beyond the northern end of the island. In all the Fola Rapids are nearly 2 m. long. For the next 8o m. the Nile, save for the great volume of water, resembles a mountain torrent, its course interrupted by continual rapids. The last of these occurs at Bedden, where the river breaks through a line of low hills running athwart its channel.

Below Bedden various stations are established upon the river. Fort Berkeley, in 4o' N. (on the right bank), is the nearest to the rapids. Then follow Rejaf (left bank), Gondokoro (right bank) and Lado (left bank), all within 3o m. of one another. A striking feature of the scenery at Rejaf is a cone-shaped hill, about 37o ft. high, crowned by rocks which have the appearance of the ruins of an ancient castle. At Gondokoro the Nile is clear of the hill country, and enters a vast swamp-like expanse through which it flows with a very low slope and a very tortuous channel.

Between Lake Albert and the swamp region the Bahr-el-Jebel is joined by many streams. The most important of these affluents is the Asua (nearly 200 m. long), which enters the main stream from the east in 3° 50' N. (19 m. N. of Dufile), but has little water in the dry season. The Asua and its subsidiary streams rise on the western versant of the Karamojo plateau and among the mountain ranges which run off from that plateau to the north west, the most remote head-stream running originally due south.

The Region of Swamps.

The wide valley which the Nile enters at Gondokoro slopes so gradually towards the north that the river falls only some 182 ft. in a stretch of 475 m. Through this valley the river winds in an extremely tortuous course, and its banks are very low in the middle and lower reaches, so that the overflow has caused extensive swamps which are covered by a mass of papyrus and tall reeds, in which are numerous shallow lagoons or "mayyas." The shape of these lagoons is constantly altering, as also is that of the channels connecting them with the river. About 8 m. below Bor, many of the eastern "spills" unite and form a stream of considerable breadth, with a strong current. This stream, which is known to the Dinkas as the Atem, follows a course generally parallel to the Jebel, being bounded eastward by forest land. Opposite Kanisa (6° 46' N.), on the main river, the Atem divides into two channels, marshy land extending at this point a great distance to the east. The western branch, or Awai, rejoins the Jebel near Shambe 7° 6' N. The eastern branch or Myding continues through the marshes, eventually joining the Bahr-el-Zeraf (see p. 453) in its lower course.

Except for the Atem divergence the Nile, despite the swamps through which it passes, maintains a fairly definite course, with a considerable depth of water as far as Shambe, where, on the west, is a large lagoon. Five miles lower down the river splits into two great channels. That to the left, the main stream, continues to be known as Bahr-el-Jebel, but is sometimes called by its Dinka name Kir. The right branch, or Ba/ir-el-Zeraf (Giraffe river), has a more easterly direction, and does not rejoin the main river until 5o m. below its confluence with the Bahr-el-Ghazal (q.v.). From the point of bifurcation the Bahr-el-Jebel flows for 23o m. in a general north-westerly direction until it is joined by the Bahr-el Ghazal coming from the south-west. At the junction of the Bahr el-Ghazal and the Bahr-el-Jebel in 9° 29' N. the permanently submerged area is usually named Lake No, but the Arabs call it Moghren-el-Bohur (meeting of the rivers). Lake No in the rains covers about so sq.m.