| | |from stream, which constitutes | | |boundary with Abyssinia, 800 yards | | |E. of fort. | | | | | |[There is an alternative route | | |_viâ_ Asar. This is however very | | |little used. It was taken by the | | |two companies of Soudanese troops | | |who first occupied Gallabat in | | |December, 1898. It had been | | |previously used a good deal by | | |Dervish fugitives to and from | | |Gedaref. The water supply along | | |the Doka road is now better and is | | |sufficient, if troops march at | | |night, without carrying any great | | |amount of water:— | | | Gedaref | — | — |A rather stony track in places | | |leads across open country covered _Asar_ | 10 | 10 |with high grass and dura to Asar. | | |This is a Debania village and | | |residence of their head Sheikh, | | |Wad Zaid, and is situated at the | | |S.W. end of a ridge 300 feet high | | |and 1½ miles long, running nearly | | |N. and S. Here there are two good | | |wells which supplied Ahmed Fedil’s | | |force of 3,000 to 4,000 men | | |besides women, &c., for more than | | |three weeks. A road leads from | | |here to Beila, also to Shasheina. | | | | | |Leaving Asar, several deserted | | |villages were passed, and after | | |traversing undulating open country | | |for 8 miles, talh and soffar | | |forest commences. | | | _Khor Tagala_ | 15 | 25 |Water in holes in rocks by the | | |road side. It has the usual