276 NOETH-EAST AFRICA. 



Fauna. 



The southern part of Dar-For also forms the northern boundary of the forest 

 zone, which, however, thanks to the rains, encroaches towards the north on the 

 basin of the Bahr-el-Arab. Here stretch the dense forests of El-Hallah, frequented 

 by the elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, and buffalo, which are chased by the Baggâra 

 hunters of the Kambanieh or Habanieh tribe. The ostrich, and various species of 

 antelope, are also found in large numbers in the surrounding steppes ; but the 

 plains of the northern provinces are the favourite resort of the ostrich hunters, and 

 the finest feathers are procured from this region. 



In the vast steppes which intervene between Kordofân and Dar-For, the nomad 

 pastors engage twice yearly, before and after the rainy season, in a general battue. 

 All the domestic animals of the tribe, such as the camels, horses and oxen, used as 

 mounts or beasts of burden, are brought into requisition and driven to the hunting- 

 ground, where the beaters spread out into a circle so as to drive the game towards 

 the entrance of a narrow passage strewn with traps and well guarded at the 

 outlet. Horsemen then fall upon the captive animals and massacre them before 

 they have time to destroy or free themselves from the traps. Occasionally as 

 many as three hundred large animals — antelopes, gnus, and buffaloes — are thus 

 obtained in one day, and the tribe are in this way enabled to pay the arrears of 

 their taxes. In the southern region of Dar-For, the ardha, or white ants, exist in 

 such numerous colonies that whole forests are destroyed by them. In times of 

 want the natives eat these termites, mixed with the fruit of the tamarind. After 

 sunset they light fires before the pyramidal hills of the " white ants," who rush 

 out in thousands, and thus whole boxes are packed with them " like the boxes of 

 currants in Greece." 



Inhabitants of Dar-For. 



The race of " pure Forians," as Mohammed the Tunisian called them, occupj'- 

 the mountainous region in the centre of the country. As far as can be judged 

 by the meagre reports on the tribes that have been studied by travellers, they are 

 Nigritians of a dark brown complexion, the nose flat and the forehead low and 

 receding. They are divided into several groups, of which the most important are 

 the Kunjara, who till recently ruled over the country, and governed Kordofân 

 before the arrival of the Egyptians. Although considered as Nas-el-Belid, or a 

 " stupid people," the Forians have at least this advantage, that they lack the 

 cruelty and avarice of their neighbours. Under their rule the people of Kordofân 

 increased and prospered, whereas they have become' impoverished and have 

 decreased since the departure of the Kunjaras. The Kunjara language, which 

 after Arabic is that most generally spoken in Dar-For, is said probably to belong 

 to the Nubian group. But Lepsius has discovered that there are essential 

 differences between the speech of the Nubas and that of the Kunjaras. 



The Massabat nomads, who are found in the plains between Dar-For and 

 Kordofân, are also said to be of Forian race, although they are now assimilated to 



