238 GONDOKORO TO AGARU. 



warded by many a wound, and yet one rarely sees maimed 

 people in the villages. If a company of people join together 

 in a hunt, the booty is brought home, and the flesh of buffa- 

 loes, elephants, and large antelopes is divided amongst the 

 inhabitants of the village. The chief receives, should he desire 

 it, the head of the slaughtered animal. If a man goes out hunt- 

 ing alone, he keeps all that he kills. If a wounded animal 

 escapes, it belongs to the finder ; but if a wounded elephant 

 dies in a neighbouring district, one tusk belongs to the finder, 

 the other to the man who first wounded it, and its flesh must 

 be divided in the village to which the finder belongs. 



The breeding of sheep and cattle was once very actively 

 carried on here, but now, with the exception of Chief Maye's 

 numerous herds, only large flocks of sheep are to be seen. 

 Cattle are only milked by men ; the dirty habit practised by 

 the Dinka, Bari, and others, of washing the milker's hands and 

 face, as also the cow's udder and the milk-pot, with urine 

 does not exist here. Butter is chiefly used for anointing the 

 body, sesame oil being preferred for use in cooking. Blood is 

 freely eaten. Durrah beer and tobacco are the only narcotics 

 used. The tobacco is smoked in curiously formed pipes, and 

 is mixed with two parts of charcoal, either for economy's sake 

 or to increase the strength. Salt is an article in great request, 

 and is obtained from the ashes of plants ; saline clay is said to 

 exist farther to the east, but the method of extracting salt 

 from it is not understood. With the exception of iron, no 

 metals are, apparently, found in the country. Copper and brass 

 are imported chiefly from Khartum, sometimes from the south, 

 as also are cowries. There is no communication with the east 

 except on the frontier of the country (Latiika). The Ber 

 country occupies a position to the north-north-west and north- 

 west of this district ; its inhabitants, several of whom I saw, 

 are certainly Shuli. Irenga is the nearest district towards the 

 east ; it is also called Arenga, or even Renga. Its striking 

 rugged mountains are partly visible from here ; they are said 

 to be distant three days' good march, and the road which leads 

 to them passes over the Logere mountains, the inhabitants of 

 which carry on a flourishing trade with those of Irenga. The 

 language spoken in Irenga is quite distinct from the Latuka 



