ARRIVAL AT TARANGOLE. 235 



we had to arrange for the transport of our goods to the neigh- 

 bouring village of Bangajok, by the porters making several 

 journeys, which naturally caused considerable loss of time. 

 We had also to remain a night at Bangajok, as immediately 

 beyond Loriajo there are some very deep swamps, in which 

 one sinks to the knees, and many torrents, swollen to the level 

 of the banks, render the passage difficult. As the population 

 of this village, which formerly, judging by the number of huts, 

 must have been over a thousand, had deserted it, we had to 

 send to Tarangole to requisition porters. We found in the 

 deserted huts rough figures of clay, representing oxen and 

 sheep — perhaps children's playthings, or maybe talismans, as 

 they were numerous in the huts built for cattle and sheep. 

 The somewhat elevated position of Bangajok, on the ridge of 

 a slight undulation in the middle of the valley, permitted me 

 to make a small triangulation ; even the Lokoya Mountains 

 were visible. 



Late in the evening the porters we so much needed arrived, 

 under the leadership of Chief Maye's son, Lajuri, and estab- 

 lished themselves in the deserted huts, which now, on account 

 of the numerous fires, had quite an inhabited appearance. 

 Unfortunately, mosquitos were very numerous. Proceeding on 

 our journey, we passed at first through very thick acacia woods 

 growing on yellow sandy soil, then over a wide open field 

 with isolated trees, where the village of Katiga stood in Baker's 

 time. Now its inhabitants are located in two separate moun- 

 tain villages. Then we went through extensive woods of acacia 

 and Balanites, intercepted now and again by troublesome swamps, 

 till at length, after a two hours' march, we reached the culti- 

 vated land, in the midst of which Tarangole, our headquarters 

 in Latuka, is situated. The Lafit range is about four and a- 

 half hours' march from here. A straight road leads right over 

 it to the Ber country, whence people frequently come hither 

 for trading purposes. 



Tarangole is the oldest settlement in this part. It was 

 opened up twenty-five years ago by Danagla troops in the 

 employ of Khartum merchants, and since that time, with some 

 few interruptions, it has been a place for the exchange of ivory. 

 I say expressly " exchange," because, owing to the warlike 



