An Ornithological Expeditio7i to the White Nile. 237 



XXII. — An Ornithological Expedition to the White Nile. 

 By Harry F. Witherby, F.Z.S. 



With the object of making a collection of birds in the district 

 of the White Nile near Khartum^ I set out from England 

 on the last day of February, 1900. 



At Marseilles I joined my two taxidermists, Messrs. E. H. 

 Saunders and C. F. Camburn, both of whom liad already 

 done excellent work in Mr. H. J. Mackinder^s expedition to 

 Mount Kenia. 



We reached Cairo on March 6th, and our time being very 

 limited, a stay of three days had to suffice for collecting 

 provisions, ammunition, and much necessary information. 



The journey from Cairo to Khartum is already so well 

 known, even under the new conditions of the desert railway, 

 that but the briefest description of it is necessary. After 

 twenty-four hours^ easy railway travelling we arrived at 

 Assuan, and from Shellal, just above the Cataract, we 

 proceeded by a stern-wheeler to Wady Haifa. 



Owing to its being rather late in the season, as well as to 

 the extraordinary low Nile of 1900, this part of the journey 

 was, although comfortable, rather tedious. However, after 

 four days' battling with sandbanks we arrived at Haifa. 

 (On our return we travelled from Haifa to Assuau in three 

 days, but we then had the stream in our favour.) From 

 Haifa we took the last tourist train of the season to Halfya 

 opposite Khartum. This is most comfortable, and is pro- 

 vided with sleeping- and dining-cars and a restaurateur, 

 who furnishes excellent fare. The heat and dust were at 

 first certainly annoying, but we soon got accustomed to 

 such discomforts, and indeed it is surprising how little dust 

 enters the carriages, since very nearly all the country between 

 Haifa and Abu Hamed might, so to speak, be put through an 

 hourglass. 



After Abu Haraed, a few dom-palms and a thin mimosa- 

 scrub are all that grace the sand. 



From Haifa to Halfya by rail is 576 miles. Going up by 

 tourist train this occupied, including stoppages for meals 



