954 
panion, and ascertained that though flow- 
ing directly southwards it did not at that 
time actually reach Lake Rudolf, but prob- 
ably passed into it only by infiltration. 
For ten days the River Sacchi was 
ascended, through a fine and fertile coun- 
try, but with few inhabitants. At about 
5° 30’ N. L. this river was quitted for the 
adjoining mountain range on the left, and 
after passing the water—parting at some 
5700 feet in altitude a descent was made 
into the valley of the Sobat or strictly 
speaking that of the Guiba or Acobo—one 
of its principal southern confluents. The 
Guiba was reached on January 3, 1897, in 
about 6° 30’ 8. L. and 35° E. L. It was 
here found tobe a stream of about 200 feet 
in breadth and a foot and a half deep— 
some 30 or 40 miles from its sources in the 
mountain of Caffa. The descent of the 
Guiba was commenced on the left bank. 
A few days later the stream was crossed 
and progress was continued on the right 
bank some way from the stream, which was 
regained at Ghira, the first village in the 
extensive district of Jambo. Here it was 
found that a tongue nearly allied to that of 
the Shilluks of the Upper Nile was spoken, 
and intercourse was opened with the natives 
by one of the Ascari who happened to be of 
a native of Fashoda, but there were great 
difficulties about guides. Finally it was 
determined to proceed to the north, and 
another confluent of the Sobat—the Ghélo, 
a limpid stream running placidly west- 
ward—was reached on January 23, 1897. 
On attempting to descend the Ghélo the 
party became involved in marshes and much 
harassed by hostile natives, and were obliged 
to return to their former quarters on the 
Ghélo which were regained on February 
6th, after serious losses in men and bag- 
gage-animals. After a few days’ journey 
up the Ghélo, during which a new lake, 
proposed to be called Lake Gessi, was dis- 
covered, that river was left, and a course 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 261. 
nearly due north was taken which brought 
the party after crossing several smaller 
affluents on the 26th of February, 1897, to 
the main stream of the Sobatin 8° 10’ N. L. 
The Sobat or (Upeno) is here a fine stream 
of 900 feet in width and 3 feet in depth, 
flowing through a fertile and thickly popu- 
lated valley. Crossing the river with the 
assistance of the natives, which here were 
still of the Jambo tribe, the party con- 
tinued up the right bank for several days, 
and then left the river to ascend the Abys- 
sinian mountains—which border the valley 
on the north. Before doing this, however, 
a letter was sent to the Abyssinian Resi- 
dent in the adjoining districts of the Sajo 
asking for permission to pass through his 
country. In reply to thissome Abyssinian 
soldiers, were dispatched to invite the Ital- 
ians to come on, and to show them the way, 
and shortly afterwards they met Abba 
Cialla, brother of the Resident, Giotd di 
Lega, with a large cortege sent expressly to 
welcome them. On March 16th accord- 
ingly the weary travellers arrived at Jullem, 
near Gobo, the residence of the Desgatch, 
and were most cordially received. Surely 
now, they thought, their long tramp had 
come to an end and they would have an 
easy passage across Abyssinia to their coun- 
trymen at Cassata. Never were such ex- 
pectations more miserably disappointed. 
The treacherous Abyssinians made an at- 
tack on the Italian camps on the night of 
March 17, 1897. Captain Bottego was 
killed, Citerni was wounded, and the whole 
of the party either slaughtered or taken 
prisoners. Citerni and Vannutelli were 
imprisoned in irons, and most shamefully 
abused and treated until June 13th, when 
orders were received from Menelek that 
they should be sent up to Addis Abeba. 
Although these orders were complied with™ 
it was not until the day of their entrance 
to the capital that their chains were 
removed. At Addis Abeba, which was 
