CROSS THE WELLE. 187 



by the river called by them the Obbi, declare that the Kibi is 

 only a tributary of the Kibali, and that this river comes in a 

 long sweep from the south-east. 



I have spoken of the Welle and Kibali ; it may, therefore, be 

 advisable to explain these names here. If a traveller comes 

 from the north accompanied by A-Zande interpreters, and asks 

 them the name of the river, they call it Makwa, an appellation 

 which it retains as long as it flows through the territory of the 

 A-Zande. Besides this name, however, the word Welle, which 

 signifies " river," " stream " par excellence, is in general use 

 among them, but is entirely unknown to the Monbuttu, who 

 call the Makwa, where it traverses their country, simply Kibali 

 (also meaning " stream "). 



We gained the southern bank in a swift canoe, and there 

 entered Monbuttu proper, the wonders of which I had long 

 wished to see. But the first march, as far as the village 

 Nedada, situated an hour's journey from the river, afforded 

 nothing of particular interest. After climbing the somewhat 

 steep slope of the river-bank, the road led us through a steppe 

 covered with gigantic grass. The light grey soil, intermixed 

 with an abundance of vegetable ashes, lies on a substratum 

 of sharp granite fragments, and is therefore unable to retain 

 sufficient moisture for the development of tall-growing vegeta- 

 tion. What trees exist are low and have thin stems, but they 

 display a greater profusion of foliage than is found in the north ; 

 this is particularly striking in the Vitex and Sarcocephalus, 

 which are extremely common. " Gallery " woods skirted the 

 brooks, but even these contained no tree of any great size. 

 The little village presented in contrast a very pleasing appear- 

 ance. Eound a clean open space, in the centre of which were 

 rows of juicy, green, young manioc-stalks, the huts, with their 

 tall conical roofs, formed a large circle, bordered along one-half 

 of its circumference by the Naponga brook, its wooded margin 

 formiug a charming background to the light grey soil and fresh 

 straw-coloured huts. The inhabitants of the district adjoining 

 the river are Mari, a Momvii tribe, who at the present day use 

 the same language as the Monbuttu, and resemble them in 

 appearance. Dwelling by the river-side, in villages lying far 

 apart, they attend chiefly to the ferries, but also engage in 



