314 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



Ten miles from the river a sand-storm commenced. 

 When riding only one's hands suffered, but when 

 walking pieces of stone, the size of a lentil, beat 

 against one's face. I tried to eat some cold meat by 

 making a tent of a blanket, but sand was the chief 

 ingredient of the dish. 



At J. Makhzan, a small group of low hills, we halted 

 for the night. The storm had ceased. I was much 

 amused by the confidence shown by the rats. As I ate 

 my dinner two of them, of a pinky colour, jumped on 

 my arm and sat there. I hasten to add that on the 

 march my beverage is tea. 



In a day and a half I was at Selima, and the same 

 afternoon saw me off to Haifa via the hitherto un- 

 mapped direct route. After leaving the oasis, by the 

 lower col of J. Selima this time, we careered along the 

 same plain we had traversed before. The large hill of 

 many points at the north end of the rocky ridge known 

 as the Bab es Salama, on the Kosha-Selima road, soon 

 became conspicuous. 



At our sixty-fifth mile we entered somewhat hilly 

 country — before reaching it the country had been of 

 long swelling undulations — which continued till we 

 reached J. Mukdud (the pierced one) about 40 miles 

 from the Nile. A visit to this hill would make a short 

 goal and repay a tourist anxious to know what the real 

 desert is like. It is about 100 yards long and 70 feet 

 high. It is surrounded by much larger hills, which 

 to the north form a continuous chain eastward. At 

 its northern extremity it has a passage about 15 feet 

 high by 10 wide — "a man on his camel could ride 



