790 THROUGH SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA TO THE SUDAN. 



Th(> land now beciinio more and more swampy. The Anyuak, 

 poA^erty stricken through many Abyssinian razzias, live hidden away 

 on small islands in these swamps. A large part of the people have 

 migrated westward, and live in a state of semislavery nnder the pro- 

 tection of the more powerful Nuar near the Egyptian fort of Nasser, on 

 the Sobat. Approaching Lake Tata, the swamps became so numerous 

 and deep that I turned south and marched tothe Akobo, or Ajuba, which 

 river I reached near the village Gneum, where I struck Bottego's route. 

 The attempt to march along the northern bank of the Akobo failed, 

 because we stuck fast in the swamps, where 1 lost many of my mules; 

 so, after two days, I marched back to Gneum and crossed the Ako])o. 

 The country on the left shore of the river, which had here a north- 

 westerly direction, was drier. 



As at that time I had only the maps of Bottego and Wollby, I 

 concluded that the Akobo of Bottego and the larger Kuzi of Wcllb}^ 

 must be one and the same river. I therefore hoped to get from here 

 to Nasser dry-shod, but, instead of turning to the north, as I expected, 

 the course of the river after a few days took a due westerly direction, 

 winding in and out over an immense grassy plain. I was now in a 

 ver}^ bad plight; my cattle and Hour had been a long time exhausted, 

 the countr}^ was nearly uninhabited, and game, which had been plenti- 

 ful on the first days on the river Akobo, became scarce. Glanders had 

 broken out again, and every day more of my animals succuml)ed. 

 Suddenly I reached the right bank of a slowly flowing river, full of 

 crocodiles. It was now apparent to me that this was the Ruzi of 

 Wellby, or, as it is called by the Nuar, the Pi])or. It was impossil)le 

 to cross the Pibor \Aithout boats; so I recrossed the smaller Akobo in 

 the hope that, marching on the right ])ank of the Pil)or, I might find 

 A'illages with boats. iNIy situation liecame now desptM-ate; out of 05 

 animals with which I had left Gimirra, I had only 13 nudes, 2 horses, 

 and 2 donkeys left. 



All the stores not absolutely necessary were thrown into the I'iver. 

 The same was done with all the tents except ni}^ own, as well as with 

 my ])ooks and clothes, the only part of my belongings which 1 con- 

 trived to bring safely home being my collections, photographs, diary, 

 and route books. The day after we had passed the Akobo, I had 

 alread}^ dug a hole in which to hide an o])ject which for tiie moment 

 was only a useless weight — the tusks of an elephant 1 had shot in the 

 (iurafarda Mountains — and 1 was just looking round my tent to see 

 what more I could dispense with, when suddenly a great tunudt arose 

 in the camp. I snatched up my rifle, as 1 thought an elephant or a 

 girafie had come near the camp, ])ut my chief Somali jumped in, cry- 

 ing, "Marka, marka."'* Abyssinians, Galla, and Somal were scream- 



" " Steaiiier, steamer." 



