Ida Uhse and Wilhelmina von Hallwyl at a train station in the Sudanese desert

A STOP IN THE DESERT

Ida Uhse and Wilhelmina von Hallwyl at a railway station in the Sudanese desert. The railway line from Wadi Halfa to Khartoum was approximately 900 km long and had been completed exactly one year prior to the start of this journey.

Ida Uhse describes the journey in her diary. As usual, she is experiencing motion sickness.
“1st of Feb. Yesterday we left for the train at 5pm and at 7 the train set off, just after we had had dinner. There were seven of us ladies in the sleeping car, and it was neither as hot, as sandy nor as dusty as we had expected. This morning we got up at 6am as there were seven ladies who needed to perform their toilette. It was not yet too hot, but with every passing half hour, the heat got more intense. Large, white eagles with black wing-tips and naked heads were walking around nearby, which allowed Lieutenant von Geijer to take a photograph of one of them. The train stood still during meals, so that we could enjoy the delicious food without sand.
Today I feel ill at ease because, as the train rolls heavily, I often feel seasick. On Saturday morning we arrive at Khartoum.”