 Deim Suleiman remained the official capital of Bahr El Ghazal and housed many shops with its craftsmen being famous for their skills, though Wau became the greater commercial centre.According to Father Stefano Santandrea of the Verona Fathers, the first buildings of burnt-bricks in the province were erected under the rule of Gessi as well as the first school, ""to which 17 chiefs were already sending their children.They were receiving instruction (in Arabic) together with over 100 children of the local troops"".