Explorations in Central East Africa 



43 



the mammalia were the same as had been 

 found in the eastern section of the jour- 

 ney. On January 3d the Omo River was 

 left behind. It was now found that as 

 the expedition approached, the natives 

 fled to the hills and seemed inclined to 

 fight. They appeared to be a branch of 

 the Turkana. One day a number of 

 them attacked two of Dr. Smith's camel- 

 men, and were only driven off by firing ; 

 but this was the only case of attempted 

 hostilities on the whole journey. 



After leaving the highlands and cross- 

 ing at right angles the line of march of 

 the late Captain Wellby, the Magois were 

 encountered. They have the heavy build 

 and large features, with high cheek- 

 bones, of the Soudanese, and, above all, 

 the lines of raised tattooing on their 

 cheeks that is so typical of the people 

 about the Nile. Dr. Smith thinks it not 

 unlikely that they are a branch of the 

 Dinkas, who, perhaps being driven from 

 the Sobat by the Neurs, put the desert 

 between themselves and their persecu- 

 tors. They seem to care principally for 

 small red beads, and work them in gor- 

 geous patterns on leather plaques, with 

 which the warriors adorn their massive 

 dead-dresses. 



The most outre of our fashionable 

 young men can never aspire to the height 

 of collar worn by some of the Magois. 

 Their collar of beads throws the chin 

 high up in the air, and their locks are 

 done up in a great chiffon, composed 

 principally of clay covered with ostrich 

 feathers. Parallel lines of raised tattoo- 

 ing on the chest and abdomen, leopards' 

 skins hung over the back, and a bell hung 

 on a slender cord around the waist help to 

 enrich the men's apparel. They are the 

 only people Dr. Smith has ever seen 

 wearing a zebra's tail suspended from 

 the elbows. Many of the younger girls 

 have rather attractive features and pretty 

 figures. The worst burden they have to 

 carry in life seems to be the countless 

 necklaces of beads which spread over 



their bosoms to the waist, and the large 

 bracelets and anklets of ivory, brass, and 

 iron. Their hair is shaved above the 

 ears and cut fairly close on the top of 

 the head. 



Contrary to the advice of these natives 

 the expedition set out into the plain west- 

 ward, and here they suffered much from 

 the difficult ground and the scarcity of 

 water, and many transport animals and 

 much valuable baggage were lost. After 

 searching for a better route for many 

 days, a branch of the Magois calling 

 themselves Katua were encountered, and 

 Dr. Smith was surprised to find them 

 cow-worshippers, indulging in certain 

 rites supposed to be peculiar to the 

 Hindu religion. On reaching the most 

 northern extension of the Uganda high- 

 lands on February 15th, the Akara were 

 met with. Many of these natives were 

 agriculturists as well as stock - raisers, 

 and had substantial wooden dwellings. 

 Villages were passed which might easily 

 have contained 1,500 inhabitants. Dr. 

 Smith secured at this stage of the jour- 

 ney the only specimens ever obtained of 

 the spotted bushbuck. On March 2d 

 Lockall was reached, and there Dr. Smith 

 received a visit in state from King 

 Amara, who commanded perhaps 25,000 

 warriors. Fort Berkeley was reached on 

 March 14th last. As no steamers had 

 come up, however, the followers of the 

 expedition had to be sent down to Mom- 

 basa after waiting a month. But on 

 May 5th a gunboat arrived and Dr. 

 Smith and his collections were carried 

 down to Cairo. That site was reached 

 just ten months after the departure of 

 the expedition from the Somali coast. 



Dr. Donaldson Smith has not only 

 thoroughly explored a large tract of 

 Africa, but he has made a most valuable 

 series of surveys and some very inter- 

 esting collections. Dr. Smith has earned 

 a very high position as an explorer of 

 unknown countries, and deserves the 

 warmest praise of geographers. 



