64 SAVAGE SUDAN 



FIRST DAYS IN FORESTS OF KORDOFAN 

 (North of Jebel Ahmed Aghd] 



Dawn of January 27th revealed both banks densely 

 wooded the usual table-topped mimosa being here 

 abundantly interspersed with great evergreen forest - 

 trees, chiefly tamarinds, regular mountains of foliage. 

 I was keen to disembark, but the belts of swamp-jungle 

 that fringe the main shore presented the accustomed 

 difficulty. In search of a landing-place we cruised along, 

 brushing the outmost sedges and disturbing red-legged 

 water-rails, squacco, and night-herons ; when, within a 

 narrow inlet, I observed slight ripples circling outwards. 

 Next moment, as we "opened" the creek, I was face to 

 face, within 30 yards, of a lovely leopard ! So low did 

 he crouch, lapping, that the shoulder-blades stood out 

 prominently above the line of his back, and the cruel green 

 eyes for an instant gazed straight up into mine. I had in 

 hand the Paradox gun but, alas ! loaded with No. 6 and 

 not a ball-cartridge handy. Thus, for a second time in 

 life (see On Safari, p. 27), I was constrained helplessly to 

 watch the great spangled cat slowly bound from view. 



Two initial attempts to land were repulsed by hidden 

 "khors" though the forest was but 200 yards away 

 and the sun had long passed the meridian ere we finally 

 overcame resistance and reached firm ground. 



Now since these "khors" became a perpetual menace 

 and obstruction throughout all our White Nile expeditions, 

 it may be as well to start by describing, once for all, what 

 that word locally imports. (Among the mountain-regions 

 it has a totally different significance, being there the 

 equivalent of donga or ravine.) 



A khor, then, is one of the innumerable shallow 

 depressions or channels forged in these dead-levels by 

 the flood-water on its course riverwards. At this season 



