THE KEDERU COUNTRY. 307 



2. Fkom Kediba to Biti — Condition of the Amadi District. 



THE KEDERtJ COUNTRY — A VILLAGE FESTIVAL — MISDEEDS OF THE DANAGLA, 

 AND RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF SOCIAL ORDER — THE MORU COUNTRY — 

 NOTES ON THE AKKA. 



Among luxuriant fields of Penicillaria, growing to a height 

 of some ten feet upon the grey loam, we marched over hilly 

 country, bestrewn with stones, and covered in most parts with 

 bush. In the midst of the latter were numerous small zeribas 

 and industriously cultivated crops, where high wooden scaffold- 

 ings (often two storeys high) served as watch-towers and 

 frightened away the birds, which visit the crops in large num- 

 bers. After passing the small Khor Ngorre, which was seven 

 feet broad, but contained only a little water in its red sandy bed, 

 we reached the important Khor Tafari, that here rushes rapidly 

 almost from south to north, and is about fifty to sixty feet 

 broad and five feet deep. The banks, which are fringed with 

 beautiful woods, are of a grey loam ; the eastern bank is about 

 ten feet high, and steep, while the western bank slopes gradually 

 to the water. The current has formed at this place a large 

 sandbank. The natives assert positively that this stream joins 

 Khor Ito farther to the north, and then assuming the name of 

 " Gel," crosses the country of the Elyab and reaches the Bahr- 

 el-Jebel opposite Bor. Numerous small watercourses join the 

 Tafari, which is said to contain water throughout the whole 

 of the year. All the hamlets which we passed were deserted 

 on our approach by their inhabitants, who fled into the jungle. 

 The fires were burning in the huts, and as soon as we had passed, 

 their owners returned. The people here seem to be accus- 

 tomed to rough usage, for in our province it would certainly 

 never occur to any of the people to flee before a traveller. 

 A Kederii hamlet gives one the idea of a child's plaything, 

 owing to the neatness and diminutive size of the huts. We 

 halted shortly after crossing Khor Pottoka'i, where I observed 

 the nests of the weaver-bird, which I had missed for some time. 

 The honey-guides (Indicator Sparmanni) in great numbers 

 tried hard to attract our attention, unfortunately in vain. 



