TAXES 233 



triumphant progress. Every village we passed begged 

 us to halt, and seemed quite hurt when we could not. 

 Numberless basins of asida, &c., were waiting for us 

 by the roadside, and sheep, chickens, and eggs were 

 even brought to me, the owners refusing payment, 

 though accepting it, not too unwillingly, in the end. 

 Are not these people almost Arabs ? 



It was most embarrassing ; for wherever I halted I 

 had company, all of whom claimed my acquaintance 

 as at Bir Dudu. Also came some who had been of 

 the hunting party, now just returning, which I had 

 met south of Dem Zubeir. I listened to long speeches, 

 the substance of most being that, in spite of what they 

 had been told would happen, I had now traversed 

 their country, insisted on paying for everything, seized 

 no women or children, impressed no carriers. So 

 would I name the real taxes the Government levied. 

 As there were none, I said so. 



The country itself changed slightly. We passed a 

 fair number of khors. The trees were still rather 

 scattered, and the ground undulating and gravelly. 

 One mass of gravel hummocks rejoiced in the dignity 

 of a name, that of Uji. In places it reminded me of 

 Kimberley. Outcrops of green earth were passed — 

 due, no doubt, to the copper for which the watershed is 

 famous. 



At a place called Biyeisi I received alarming intelli- 

 gence from Kafiakingi. I allowed the name of the 

 halting-place to be my guide, and sent word to the 

 native officer to keep his head. 



The river Gotelo was of great interest. Its rocky 



