'I'lIK iJONCiO. 109 



DonkuH, l,li(!r(! Jh a vciil.ahh^ lowri, Ai/ak, or Dnftdla, Hijuidin^' on \\w lij^lil, l)iiiik of 

 tlic river and Hurrounded hy u ])aliHud() and u dcicp ditcîli. 'Mk! (IwclliiioH, ulj built 

 on nuHcd ])lnilonnH, iin^ crowded io^-ciijuir witliin 1,1m! ((ik^Johiuc!, wliilKt Iho /cribu 

 in Hurroiiii(l('d l)y ii (îomplclc' /oik; of viIIii|>'(!H. Nortli-wcHt oi' Ayuk, at worne 

 diHtaiKUî Iroiii \\\v. riv(;r, îumI in a liilly cultivatrid diHtrict, iH situated unotlior jsoriba, 

 founded by the Arab tradern. Thin is tin; town ol' Jliinihek, alwo calbid Holy alter 

 the naitKî of the riv(!r and its (;hicf riv(!i;u"ii tribe. It Ih tlu) (îliief town of tlie 

 E^yi)tian acbnini.Hlrativc (jlovtirninenl. Aec-onb'nj^ to TV^lkin, \\n\ town population 

 nurnbcrw about .'),()()() individualH, and tliat of tin; neij^liboiirin^' viliaj^os .'iO,000. 

 In llol dreHH is regarded aw a reli{>iouH privilege, aud except the wiv(!Sof the Arabs, 

 no women have a ri^^Jit to be seen ch)tli(!d. 



^I'lii; BoNfiO. 



Towards the west, the jçreat Bonj^o nation, also (lalk'd Dor or Disran, occui)y the 

 liiily plains north ol' tlie JMiam-Niam, watered by the Jau, the 'I'onj, the Jur, the 

 liongo, and their numerous affluents. Schweinfurth, who lived two yciars amongst 

 the Bongo tribes, says tliat b(;for(! the arrival of tlu; slav(!-dea]ers tlxjy must liave 

 numbered at least about .'{()(), 000, but at present th(;y aj)p(!ar to b(! r(jduced to 

 100,000. Formerly distribut(!d in countless litthj indcipendcsnt communities, and 

 living in peace with eacli oth(;r, tin; Bongos nev(!r thought of uniting to nfsist 

 liostile attacks. When the slaves-dealers presfjntcîd th<!ms(!lves with their l)ands 

 armed with guns, they easily gained possession of tlie villages on th(; plain, 

 establish(;d their /eribas at all strategic points, and the whole country was soon at 

 their mercy. 'I'Ih; wliole Bongo nation threatened to disappear in a lew years, so 

 rapidly was the country wasted by the slave-trade and f)ppression. 1'he local 

 civilisation perished, and certain industries were abandoned. Schw(;inl'urth feared 

 that this original p(!ople, so remarkable in physical traits and usages, might have 

 been discovered only to In; lost to science. It seems, how(!ver, that thanks to 

 several years of peace, the country hiis begun to revive, allhough now again 

 tlireatened by the raids of the Arabs and their native allies. TIk; Bongo families 

 appear to be fairly numerous, owing, perhaps, to their relatively late marriages: 

 the young men marry only between the ages of fifter;n and seventeen, whilst in 

 other tri})es unions take place at thirteen or fourtecsn. 



The Bongo present a striking contrast to their nortlK^rn neighbours, the JJ(;nka, 

 although the two languages appear to point at a remote aflinity. Thcty are not so 

 black, the skin being of a niddish brown, similar in colour to the feiruginous soil 

 eoniposing the terrace lands sloping northwards. Of smaller stature than the 

 Derika, the Bongo are strong(;r and more thickset, the strong muscles of their 

 thighs and calves presenting a marked contrast, to the thin legs which give such a 

 "stilted" aj)pearan(;e to the marsh trilx's. Tlie women have largely d(;veloped 

 hips, and walk like animals, the tail they ornament themselves with, swinging about 

 at each st(!p, iidding to the resemblance;. Whilst the I)('nka head is narrow and 

 long, those of the Bongo are all brachycephalous, the skull being nearly round. 



