DENSE POPULATION. 275 



next morning until friend Rochama had finished his sleep, and, 

 with great difficulty and trouble, had persuaded his men to 

 carry our few loads. In the course of the march, which took 

 us over very hilly ground covered with high grass, Jebel Ato, 

 better known under the name of the district, Faranka, came into 

 sight. I noticed some Eriodendrons growing in a wood, but they 

 seemed to be very scarce here. A very steep and long descent 

 brought us at length to Khor Asua, which is here widened by 

 broad stone ledges to about one hundred and thirty feet, and 

 was very difficult to ford, especially as the late rains had swollen 

 it considerably, so that the water reached to our armpits. 

 Rich vegetation crowued the rocky banks, the bright blossoms 

 of the Spathodeas shone among the dark foliage of the tree- 

 tops, and red Loranthus twined its garlands round the trunks. 

 Exactly opposite the point where we descended to the ford, 

 Khor Bara, which we had crossed once before near Bayira, and 

 found rather empty, poured its abundant water into the Asua. 

 The village of Lenga-Lenga, which we reached after a short 

 march through open forest, stood on a corner of a rocky height 

 without any fence. Besides bananas, tomatoes are found here, 

 which were no doubt introduced by the Danagla. 



Village now succeeded village ; but the large hamlet Uong, 

 on the gentle slope of a green hill, surrounded by fine clumps 

 of trees, and having a fine view of the mountains of Fatiko, 

 was particularly attractive. As soon as we had crossed Khor 

 Bara, we entered a palm forest, in which were situated nume- 

 rous zeribas, fields, and hamlets, upon a comparatively level 

 highland. The village of Odiak, where Chief Rochama had 

 again thoughtfully had huts erected for us, lay within sight of 

 Bayira, which we had visited before. The adjacent large fields 

 were planted with sweet potatoes of the red-skinned variety 

 which are universally grown in the south, while in all the dis- 

 tricts to the west of the Nile the larger less sweet and white- 

 skinned kind is cultivated. The chief of this place kindly had 

 a feast prepared for my men in the evening; large quantities 

 of eleUsine beer and sweet potatoes were supplied by the vil- 

 lagers, who, in return, claimed a share of the men's rations of 

 meat, and dancing and singing kept the village astir until the 

 early morning. 



