278 FATIKO TO FAUVERA. 



of country is very considerable, as shown by the pitchy black 

 patches of swamp. The numerous rivulets, some of which, like 

 Khor Malach, contain very good water, are generally fringed 

 and almost filled with granite boulders. The ground, which in 

 the lowest places is a rich, black, and very heavy humus, is 

 replaced by clay and quartz sand upon the ridges of the hills. 

 The mountains visible here were Jebel Ato, lying just in front 

 of us, and Jebel Moro, a group situated far off, in the Lango 

 district, and not yet marked in any map. 



On the whole the vegetation is poor. Woods are very scarce 

 in the Shuli country, but abundance of high grass is met with, 

 and this uniform covering often gives the country the appear- 

 ance of a large savannah, although it is really undulating and 

 hilly. It is difficult to gain much knowledge about the animal 

 world during our journeys in single file, even when one is at 

 the head of the procession, for the rustling and crackling of 

 the trampled grass through which a way must be made scares 

 all the animals away. We saw, however, many elephants. 

 The village of Koki, temporarily deserted by its inhabitants, 

 is beautifully situated, and still more beautifully cultivated. 

 Tobacco, sesame, eleusine, bananas, and even cotton, are grown. 

 Our night quarters lay away from the road, at a place called 

 Koro, which was exceedingly dirty. Besides the white-blossomed 

 Tephrosia, I saw here a yellow-blossomed variety. Our next 

 march was exceedingly monotonous, and led through slightly 

 undulating country, which looked like a sea of grass, interrupted 

 only by patches of bog and mud ; there were no fields, no 

 villages, and no inhabitants. We reached Khor Mennabor, 

 the first and most northerly papyrus swamp along this route. 

 The incidents of African travel must be experienced to be 

 appreciated — to jump from one plant to another, to miss one's 

 footing and fall up to the breast into water and mud, to feel 

 the burning sensation caused by the fine hairs of Vossia 

 grass, which abounds in such marshy spots, and above all, to 

 witness the absurd appearance presented by a whole company 

 of people kicking about in swamp and mud, all these things 

 are very curious. We met a caravan, of Waiiyoro who had 

 been buying ivory from the Shuli in exchange for brass and 

 bark cloths, and who were probably going to exchange them 



