TRAVEL IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 27 



lar winding more than I had ever conceived 

 possible. The course of the Blue Nile is generally 

 straight, and there are also mountains in the distance, 

 so that here travelling is sufficiently simple. 



The clothing of the traveller in the Sudan should 

 be much what he would wear for similar work in 

 India. However, the thorny character of the vegeta- 

 tion on the Atbara and Settit requires to be felt before 

 it can be understood, and, during the cold months at 

 least, I consider leather breeches essential, and in 

 the hot weather the cloth should certainly be faced 

 with leather. An ample supply of boots should be 

 taken. I had four pairs of regular stalking boots, of 

 deerskin, with rope soles, and spare pairs of soles ; 

 also a couple of pairs of regular shooting boots for 

 wet weather ; likewise two or three pairs of Cashmere 

 chuplies for marching. The Arab shikari is a very 

 heavy-footed creature, and I often regretted that I 

 had not the wherewithal to equip all of my shikaris 

 with stalking boots or felt-soled chuplies. Gaiters 

 should be of deerskin, but putties may be worn when 

 marching. I wore " tropine " a good deal during the 

 hot months, and found it cool, but its thorn-resisting 

 capacity is practically negligible. I had fortunately 

 provided myself with four Tent Club helmets, though 

 these can be purchased locally. In the thorn- jungles 

 one's hat is snatched from one's head fifty times a 

 day, which is wearing not only to the hat but to one's 



