734 Mr. A. Henry Savage Landor [May 81, 



There were only a few Greek traders at the time of my visit, all more 

 or less in a pitiable condition owing to malarial fever of a violent 

 kind. A cross, made of two pieces of a kerosene box nailed npon a 

 stick, marked the grave of General Gatacre, who died of fever in a 

 tragic manner on the river Sobat a short time l)efore I passed throngh. 

 Thorns thrown over the grave prevented hyenas from eating the body. 



During the rainy season small steam-boats can come up the Nile 

 and the Sobat as far as Gambela. I was there during the dry 

 season, and, as I wished to see some of the tribes north and south 

 of the Sobat, I took my entire caravan overland in great zig-zags, 

 and not by river, as far as the Nile. My men and animals suf- 

 fered considerably from the intense heat along the dreary flat mud 

 country. 



A great tribe of long-legged people is to be found south of the 

 Sobat : the Xuers, a strange, suspicious, unreliable lot, possessing 

 thousands of cattle which they will on no account sell or barter. 

 Their oxen, hardly less civil than their masters, took special delight 

 in charging my caravan whenever they had a chance. The Nuer 

 men paint their bodies white, whereas Nuer ladies retain the original 

 colour of the simplest costume supplied by nature. These people are 

 nota])le for the abnormal length of their legs — quite characteristic of 

 most Nilotic tribes. Nuer men often plaster the hair into a long 

 point ; it is done with a preparation of mud and other ingredients, 

 which have the property of dyeing the hair red. 



Anthropological and ethnological studies were made on the 

 interesting tribes on both sides of the Sobat river. A long descrip- 

 tion of the customs and manners, as well as numerous photographs 

 of types, will be found in the two volumes describing this journey, 

 viz. " Across Widest Africa." * The anatomical structure of these 

 people would certainly lead one to believe that they were specially 

 built by nature to live in marshy regions. They were tall, long- 

 legged, like most members of other Nilotic tribes. Not unlike the 

 Sliilnk wliom we shall meet further on the journey, they possessed the 

 habits of water birds. One frequently perceived them standing on 

 one leg, not unlike flamingoes along the river banks. 



The hal)its of the Nuers were extraordinary. Anatomically all 

 the races of the Nile valley, and along tributaries of the Nile, were 

 of great interest. 



I crossed and re-crossed the Sobat several times witli my entire 

 caravan in order to visit tribes which interested me. The river was 

 broad and swift, and we employed much energy, time and patience to 

 convey baggage and nmles across. The mules were compelled to swim 

 across the river. Shots were fired during the time the animals were 

 in the water, in order to scare away crocodiles. Many were the 

 incidents of our long and rapid march across that wretched land 



* Across Widest Africa, by A. Henry Savage Laudor (Hurst and Blackett). 



