| | |few houses about 2 miles from the | | |river on some sand hills called | | |Sayef, being one of three villages | | |of that name. | | | | 4 | 86 |After 4 miles over cotton soil the | | |road crosses a sand-hill ridge | | |running at right angles to the | 1 | 87 |river, and about 1 mile from it, | | |and descends into the plain close | | |to the river at a point where | | |another village, also called | | |Sayef, is seen about 2 miles | | |inland. At this point there is a | | |good meshra, and a ferry to the | | |other bank. | | | | 6 | 93 |After several miles of low scrub | | |on the river side, and cotton soil | | |which has all been cultivated, on | | |the east Debasi Meshra is reached. | | | | | |Here the Khalifa had a big grain | | |depôt, the ruins of which can | | |still be seen. There is a regular | | |ferry from here to the other bank. | | |Two miles from this meshra is the Debasi | 2 | 95 |village of Debasi; population | | |about 400. The road for this | | |distance is through sand hills, ½ | | |mile from the river. | | | | | |The village is on the north bank | | |of deep khor. No water in khor | | |(13.3.99 or 1.10.99), but might | | |entail 2 or 3 miles circuit at | | |high Nile. From Debasi to Shabasha | | |(3½ miles) road close to bank. | | |Thence to 14th mile 1 to 1½ miles | | |distant. | | |