SUDD 115 



When we towed away a piece the current brought 

 down another. The river was too deep to pole, and 

 all being afraid of crocodiles, we had to take turns 

 overboard at clearing the screw by the light of a 

 lantern, i.e. the rais and myself, as the interpreter and 

 engineer could not swim. When we did get to the 

 passage into the stream below we found that the 

 water had pressed the barrier down on it so that it 

 was almost closed up. It was dawn, i.e. five hours 

 later, when we got through, and the evening of the 

 third day from leaving it when we rejoined the gun- 

 boat. A sudd barrier had formed on our way down 

 across the Pibor River. One morning we found 

 ourselves steaming up-stream of one of the tributaries 

 not far from Nasser, having missed the way during 

 the night, and had to turn back. At Nasser we 

 bought some sugar, rice, and native flour, having 

 been out of them for fourteen days, owing to the 

 stupidity of starting unprovided, and also to the dis- 

 honesty of my cook. The Anuaks of Obo (the village 

 near the Agwei, where the Abu Klea wooded), who 

 became very friendly, told us that the Agwei is the 

 common channel of two streams, one of which rises 

 in the hills, the other in the same plains as the Pibor, 

 of which it " might " be a loop. The former is 

 inhabited by Anuaks, the latter by Agibbas. 



At Nasser I was visited by the sheikh of Bang, an 

 old Nuer, who came to ask whether he was not to 

 accompany me in my projected [sic) attack on the 

 Agibbas, as his people were all ready. I sent him 

 away very disappointed. When I paid the interpreter, 



