A MILITARY POST 



situated on the very banks of the Juba River. 

 Between the village and the sea is a low and narrow 

 range of hills, running north and south, approxi- 

 mately 200 feet in height, through which the river has 

 cut its way, leaving on each side of its bed cliffs that 

 rise perpendicularly from the water. On the Juba- 

 land side, on the very top of these cliffs, stands the 

 little military post of Gobwein, and at their foot 

 nestles the village itself, consisting of several hundred 

 native huts, an unpretentious bazaar and the Camel 

 Corps lines. To the north-west the little hill called 

 Helwalud can be seen covered with dense vegetation, 

 which grows even more profuse, if possible, as it nears 

 the water's edo-e. But in between Gobwein and 

 Helwalud is a plain (from which the former gets its 

 name), that stretches away to the north-west until it is 

 lost to view. In times of great drought immense 

 herds of cattle are driven down to water here by the 

 Somali, thousands upon thousands of head packed 

 tight together, for it is unsafe farther north, owing to 

 the tsetse fly that haunts the bush along the river 

 banks. 



The Juba is here a broad stream of muddy colour, 

 which has cut a deep bed for itself in the rich alluvial 

 soil. It rises in the mountains of southern Abyssinia 

 and flows in a southerly direction, but its windings are 

 innumerable, and below Sarrenleh its current is very 

 slow. The latter place has hitherto been mis-spelt 

 " Serenli," owing to ignorance of its true meaning. 

 In the Somali lanofuagre the suffix " leh " is often 

 added to a word, and means "containing or possess- 

 ing." Sarrenleh means "containing Sarren grass," -^ 

 i.e. the place where Sarren grass grows. Other 



* Eragrostis papposa. 



45 



