EXPLORATION 107 



no nearer ; neither did they make " country war," as 

 the usual shouting is called. 



We soon next day came on villages, and at one 

 I halted. The Agibbas had formed a large, dense 

 semicircle at the far side of a clearing a hundred 

 yards or so across. I got out to speak to them, but, 

 although they answered my questions, their attitude 

 was so hostile that I did not get beyond half-wa}'-, 

 when I had my chair put down. My Anuak inter- 

 preter presently bolted back to the boat, and continued 

 his functions from there. After a bit I followed more 

 leisurely. The Agibbas certainly looked very fine, all 

 uniformly coifed and armed. 



The river brought us within two miles of the hill 

 we had seen. It was called Atin. Beyond it our 

 progress was a little impeded by sudd, but the moon 

 was a good friend, so we steamed till well into the 

 night, and halted within sound of lowing cattle. 



The following day we sighted another hill, called 

 Lokichar. The river here broadened to a lake about 

 fifteen hundred yards in diameter. To the north and 

 west was a vast treeless plain, to the south slightly 

 rising ground. I regretfully admit that my exploration 

 of the lake was cursory. At the time I had but a small 

 quantity of coal for an emergency, practically no 

 wood, and the bushes around were useless for fuel. 

 Added to this was my inexperience, and the fact — 

 which, however, would have weighed little with us — 

 that we were practically out of European food. 



To the west was a waterway, where the depth of the 

 stream abruptly changed from eighteen to eleven feet. 



