112 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



gunner with his wrist knife — which he afterwards 

 sold him. 



In order not to allow myself to be prevented going 

 to the top of the hill, I started for it in the darkness 

 before dawn, accompanied by three men. The hill 

 was a double peak of black marked red granite, rather 

 handsome when polished. From the top I had a 

 grand view of the country which, except for the belt 

 of trees either side of the river, appeared to be a vast 

 open plain. On my return I found a group of excited 

 Agibbas at the foot of the hill. I made great play 

 with my glasses, &c., while the interpreter managed 

 to speak to them. A fine looking youth was intro- 

 duced as the head sheikh's son. He told me that the 

 Agibbas ranged to the hills of Abyssinia (fourteen 

 days' journey, he said ! ?). There is little doubt that 

 they are the people Major H. H. A. Austin, R.E., 

 C.M.G., D.S.O., came across in 1901 in his Sobat 

 to Mombasa journey. He found them shy but friendly, 

 and coifed as I have described. 



As we moved down-stream the natives often ran 

 along the banks waving their spears and shouting — 

 I think for the beads and wire I occasionally showered 

 out. At Nyanabec, however, I found the place 

 deserted. For " Auld Lang Syne " I left a box of 

 beads on the path near the village, although it looked 

 as though we were still suspected to be slave raiders. 



Not far from the "sudd covered lake" a terrible 

 wind storm drove us into the right bank. We were 

 unable to extricate ourselves from the sudd for over an 

 hour owing to it. 



