Upon arrival at Abou
Harraz, four miles to the north of the Rahad junction, we had
marched, by careful dead reckoning, two hundred and eighty miles
from Gallabat. We were now about a hundred and fifteen miles from
Khartoum, and we stood upon the banks of the magnificent Blue
Nile, the last of the Abyssinian affluents.
About six miles above this spot, on the south bank of the river,
is the large town of Wat Medene, which is the principal
trading-place upon the river. Abou Harraz was a miserable spot,
and was only important as the turning point upon the road to
Katariff from Khartoum. The entire country upon both sides of the
river is one vast unbroken level of rich soil, wlich on the north
and east sides is bounded by the Atbara. The entire surface of
this fertile country might be cultivated with cotton. All that is
required to insure productiveness, is a regular supply of water,
which might be artificially arranged without much difficulty. The
character of all the Abyssinian rivers is to rise and fall
suddenly; thus at one season there is an abundance of water, to
be followed by a scarcity: but in all the fertile provinces
adjacent to the Settite and the upper portion of the Atbara, the
periodical rains can be absolutely depended upon, from June to
the middle of September; thus, they are peculiarly adapted for
cotton, as a dry season is insured for gathering the crop.
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