36 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



" l The rising of the river begins in February or March. 

 Sometimes the river will rise and fall again within the 

 twenty-four hours, and this was what happened to 

 Father Knoblecher when he was passing between the 

 islets of the first rapids. He was afraid on one occasion 

 that he should not be able to get back to Gondokoro, 

 as his boat had stranded ; but the next day the water 

 rose and floated it, this movement of ebb and flow 

 occurring several times in succession. The Bairys, 

 amid whom is situated the Catholic establishment of 

 Gondokoro, belong to a numerous and powerful tribe, 

 which is descended from a chief named Zangara, 

 and from his sons, Karchiouk, Bepo, Pilza, "Wany, 

 Watavy, and Manabour. They were formerly in 

 regular communication with a very distant tribe in- 

 habiting the south-east, but the caravan which used 

 to come to them every year has not been seen any- 

 thing of for several seasons, owing to the hostile 

 attitude of the intermediate tribes. 



" ' ETHNOLOGY. 



" i The population is very dense all along the course 

 of the White Nile wherever the land is productive. 

 The arms used are lances, darts, large double-edged 

 swords, ebony clubs, and tridents with three sharp 

 blades, which the natives project with the hand. I 

 send with this one of these tridents for the Academy's 

 inspection, and two spades manufactured by the 

 Djours out of the iron of the country. 



