APPENDIX A 



To the south-east of Joreh is a belt of forest country known 

 as Biskayia. Near the coast are a large number of man- 

 grove swamps, infested by the tsetse fly and known 

 collectively under the name of Wama Iddu. The greater 

 part of the water that falls during the rainy season in this 

 district drains into these swamps and into the rivers Arnoleh 

 and Durnford, and thence into the sea. 



The interior of the country is characterised by thick 

 belts of dense acacia scrub, alternating with small park-like 

 glades with a luxuriant growth of grass and dotted with 

 mimosa and occasionally with camel thorn trees {Acacia 

 giraffce). These plains often become swampy during the 

 rainy season, the slope of the land being insufficient to 

 drain the country. 



There are two main watersheds ; the first being that 

 which divides the valley of the Guranlagga (see map) from 

 that of the Lak Dera. The second divides the country 

 draining into the Guranlagga from that draining southwards 

 towards Wama Iddu and the Tana. It must here be noted 

 that the Guranlagga rises at a place called Gonia Iddu in 

 the district of Kurde in latitude o° 22' 28" S. and longitude 

 41° 10' 20" E., and flows almost due east, a very different 

 course to that marked on existing maps. The average 

 fall of the river is very slight, being i foot in 1849. 

 When I visited it, water was not running, although there 

 were several large pools in the stream bed : but the natives 

 state that after the rains it is often impassable for weeks. 

 The channel varies from 10 to 150 yards in breadth and 

 is filled with the densest jungle, through which in most 

 places it is often impossible to find a way. 



There are no permanent streams and no perennial rain- 

 pools or water-holes in southern Jubaland, but Gulola and 

 Gama Gar Swamps and the pools at Shimbirleh and perhaps 

 at Jara may be considered as semi-permanent, as with an 

 average rainfall they last throughout the year; but they 

 have been known to dry up, with disastrous results to the 

 Somali and their cattle, who were dependent on thom. At 

 Jara water may be obtained by digging from 3 to 9 

 feet, and I found traces of three old wells, now fallen into 



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