THE BELINIAN CHAIN. 289 



6. Fkom Gondok6ro to Obbo. 

 {Letter to Consul Hansal in Khartum, dated Obbo, May 23, 1881.) 



THE BELINIAN MOUNTAINS— ANIMAL LIFE — MUSCOVY GLASS — LOKOYA AND 

 ITS HILLSIDE VILLAGES — LLRIA — OKKELA, A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE — 

 LATTJKA AND ITS PEOPLE — THE UNEXPLORED REGION TO THE EAST — 

 PALM FORESTS — AGARU AS A HEALTH RESORT — FADIBEK AND ITS TRADE 

 — AN EXCURSION TO FAJULLI — LA.NGO VISITORS — OBBO — RETURN TO 

 THE NILE. 



In order to inquire into some complaints which had reached me, 

 and at the same time to inspect our new stations to the east 

 of the Bahr-el-Jebel, I went through Gondokoro to Tarangole, 

 in Latiika, thence through Agaru to Fadibek and Fajulli, 

 returning to this place by Fadibek, and I intend to go through 

 Keren to Lahore, and then to the south-west. 



The route from Gondokoro to the adjacent Belinian range, 

 and thence to the Lokoya mountains, in the Liria district, was, 

 on the whole, better dealt with in the older investigations of 

 Morlang and Peney than on Baker's meagre map. You re- 

 member that a broad sandy plain, with open acacia woods 

 and abundant doleb bushes, stretches out from Gondokoro 

 towards the Belinian chain. To the north this plain slopes 

 down to the swamps of Bor and Ber, while to the south its 

 margin rises up to the mountains of the Bari and Shiili coun- 

 tries. The region is very rich in game. Numerous herds of 

 elephants wander over the wide plain, for they are very fond of 

 the fruit of the Balanites, which are exceedingly common here. 

 Unfortunately, lions are a sore plague to man and beast. The 

 ascent begins shortly before Belinian, so that Befo's village, 

 Urbare, though apparently in the same wide plain, is much 

 higher than Gondokoro. The Belinian chain itself, and the 

 country round it, are well cultivated and thickly peopled ; 

 numerous herds of cattle and goats — sheep are very rare in the 

 Bari district — were grazing on the short green grass, accom- 

 panied by hundreds of buff-backed herons. Water is not 

 wanting, for the Kirinion, here called Kadwe, a very important 

 Ichor, provides water all the year, and also plenty of fish. Its 



