256 FADIBEK TO LABORE. 



few months ago, and very important as a junction of the roads 

 leading to Tarangole (two very hard days' march), Fadibek 

 (two good days' march), and Lahore (three long marches). A 

 boiling-point observation gave the height of Obbo (which is 

 not, by the bye, on the site of Baker's Obbo) as more than 3000 

 feet. 



Obbo is the most northerly outlying division of the Shiili 

 country, not counting Ber, which is cut off by Latiika ; Latiika 

 tribes dwell to the north-east (Jebel Ifuddu), Bari to the north- 

 west, and Madi to the west. The people have adhered very 

 faithfully to their Shiili manners and customs, and the language 

 spoken in Fajuli is perfectly identical with that spoken here. 

 " Old Kachiba," the rainmaker, died long ago, and was suc- 

 ceeded by one of his 120 sons, but the people are still hospi- 

 table, friendly, and obliging. 



Very hilly country, covered with high grass, and in many 

 places with thick brushwood, extends from Klior Ayi, which we 

 forded, to Khor Ovidda, which loses itself in a ravine, and 

 seems in places to be blocked up with boulders. In spite of 

 the mountainous character of the country, it sinks so much that 

 the aneroid fell from 26.56 inches at Obbo to 27.05 inches at 

 the latter Idior. The whole land is hilly, and intersected by very 

 numerous small khors ; it is industriously cultivated, and its 

 alternate fields and park land present an exceedingly diversified 

 aspect. 



Ogilli, three and a half hours' distant from Khor Ovidda, is 

 the first and the principal zeriba of the district of Fanyiquara, 

 which we entered here, the Ovidda being the boundary both of 

 the Obbo and Shiili districts. The population of Fanyiquara 

 consists of Madi ; they are easily recognisable by their language, 

 which is similar to those spoken on the west of the river. 

 After a farewell look at Jebel Okkiri, the march was recom- 

 menced, for the chief of Ogilli kindly supplied us at once with 

 men to carry our few loads. The little Ichors, most of which 

 were dry, became so numerous that in a quarter of an hour's 

 march we had crossed four of them. We were still in a 

 mountainous country, where the rain was powerful enough to 

 excavate channels even in stone ! The ground, which had 

 fallen, began to rise again perceptibly towards the ranges of 



