i 4 4 AN EXCURSION TO LUR. 



their hair dark red. The painting was still more grotesque. 

 One belle had painted her legs grey, with red stripes, and placed 

 on each cheek a bright red spot. The lower lips were pierced, 

 and generally contained a long straw stalk. The following 

 ornaments were noted : iron ornaments of all kinds (iron beads 

 excepted), ivory rings, necklaces of teeth, long conical brass 

 ear-rings, and half-moons made of brass. Gorgets appear to be 

 very popular, wide at the bottom, narrowing at the top ; brass 

 and copper seem to be rare. I could, of course, learn little 

 about habits and customs during so short a stay. 



Considerable intercourse exists between the Shiili on the 

 eastern bank of the Nile and the people here. Fatiko can be 

 reached from here via Fagaki and Fabo in three days. A 

 march of six or seven days to the west leads to Liibari, beyond 

 which lies Kalika. It is said that a large river exists in the 

 south-west, but no one has seen it ; branches from the Bahr- 

 el-Jebel to the west certainly do not exist. Our stay here 

 was unfortunately too short — only a few hours — to allow 

 of excursions. The enormous number of flies was remark- 

 able ; they appeared to be the common house-flies, and in the 

 evenings heaps of greenish flies could be swept together on 

 deck. 



At ten A.M. the aneroid marked 27.70 in. (temp. 87.5° Fahr.) 

 Somewhat later we continued our journey. From this point 

 the voyage was less impeded by floating vegetation, and the 

 accumulation of reeds near the bank disappeared ; we passed 

 many villages. Hippopotami are rarer than they are farther to 

 the north, probably on account of the deep water. The only 

 birds I saw were the heron, which abounds everywhere, the 

 darter, and the cormorant ; the pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), 

 generally so common, becomes scarce towards the south. After 

 a slow voyage of five hours seventeen minutes, against a 

 very strong current, we anchored near the foot of a chain of 

 hills, in order to visit another chief. Unfortunately, after we 

 had climbed the hills to his village, which is situated behind 

 them, all the people had fled, so a dragoman had to be sent to 

 them as an ambassador. MurhaleJcas (grindstones) and talabiin, 

 ready to be ground, lay before each of the ten small huts 

 which I found here, besides which I noticed quantities of water- 



