A CHIEFS GRAVE. 261 



similar belief in Unyoro, and on the Blue Nile the legend of 

 " hygena-men " is absolutely believed. 



There has been a drought here this year, and therefore there 

 is a good deal of poverty in the villages, but, notwithstanding 

 this, our porters were given some corn to eat. In the middle 

 of the village, which consists of the usual small Madi huts, in- 

 fested by bugs, the mother of the reigning chief is buried ; a 

 flat stone and several long poles, on which hang amulets, mark 

 the grave. The father of the chief is buried at the entrance 

 of the village, his grave being marked by an upright stone 

 about seven feet high, and a post notched at its upper end. 

 Wooden memorial figures, like those placed in the Bari burial 

 huts, do not exist among the Madi. Large heaps of sycamore, 

 figs lie in front of the houses. Scrotal hernias are exceedingly 

 common here among the men. 



Descending the hill from K6refi to regain the main road, we 

 had to cross a little Ichor which winds round the hill and then 

 joins Khor Kilive. We passed numerous enclosures surrounded 

 by well-tilled fields, some of them belonging to the village we 

 had just left, and the others, from Khor Lekir onwards, to the 

 community of Abasa. Baker's district, Fanyiquara, does not lie 

 near the river, but is merely a village community to the south- 

 west of Obbo. Fine tall trees were left standing in the fields 

 and clearings, and in their branches we heard the cackling of 

 the plantain-eaters (Schizasrhis) . The range of hills to the west 

 of the Nile presented a wondrous view, the glowing shades of 

 blue being relieved by a shifting veil of white and grey clouds. 

 After this the ground rose again considerably, and when we 

 had passed Khor Lebbii, Jebel Madi-Lokoya (named Madi- 

 Lucquoia on the maps) came into sight ; this latter name was 

 probably heard by Speke from the Danagla who accompanied 

 him, but the mountain is called Kemo by the Madi, and appears 

 as Bemo on Grant's excellent map. The village of Odiikwe, 

 where we stayed the night, was situated, like all Madi villages, 

 upon the ridge of a hill, and, in contrast to the general rule, 

 was surrounded by a very strong zeriba, and, for a wonder, it 

 was very neatly kept. Outside the village stood a tall, magni- 

 ficent tree, a Khaya (Madi, Eri ; Shiili, Tido), specimens of 

 which are met with rather frequently from this latitude south- 



