212 SAVAGE SUDAN 



" February 28. Nuers this morning hunting" all over ; 

 they have everything on the run. Possibly the dry 

 season gives them an exceptional opportunity to mob and 

 massacre; anyway they are everlastingly at it. I hear also 

 their dhurra crops failed, so that many are starving." 1 



"March i. Shilluks in an immense half-moon 

 encircling the sudd and swamps on north shore ; the 

 speed and agility with which they traverse these 

 dangerous bogs often shoulder-deep is nothing short 

 of marvellous. They are semi-amphibious." 



" Mogkrem. The Shilluks at the two villages on 

 north have many heads of Jackson's and a few of 

 Neumann's hartebeest, also of waterbuck, roan, tiang, cob, 

 etc., all killed in their bush-driving; besides hippo ivory. 

 The damage caused to game is terrible to contemplate, 

 since these savages kill like wild-beasts in sheer blood- 

 thirstiness and without any saving Grace of Mercy." 



The following incident shows that the simple Nuers are 

 not without guile ! While following the blood-spoor of 

 a badly wounded buffalo, we came face to face with a 

 hunting-gang with many dogs. The midday heat was 

 intense (108 in shade), and as the Nuers felt confident of 

 being able to finish off the crippled buffalo, we arranged 

 with them to bring the head aboard Candace, they keeping 

 the meat for their share. The following day, by mere 

 chance, Lowe came across the spot where they had killed, 

 the huge mass of half-digested grass leaving no doubt 

 as to the victim being a buffalo (and the Nuers never 

 tackle these unwounded). We at once sent to seek out 

 our crafty friends ; but no sooner had our emissaries 

 appeared in sight of the fires where they were busy 

 cooking, than the whole gang snatched up their posses- 

 sions and fled. 



1 Mr Butler confirms this, telling me that the failure of crops, with its 

 resultant food-shortage and famine among the savages, was exceptionally 

 severe in the season when these notes were written. Hence this organised 

 bush-driving was being carried out on a scale exceeding its average intensity. 



