3 oS KEDIBA TO BITI. 



Another hour's march led us at last to a splendid watercourse, 

 which is so picturesque that it has no rival in this part of the 

 country. Climbing down its high banks, a richly wooded 

 island lay before us, beyond an expanse of water some hundred 

 feet broad, which we found to be three to five feet deep, as we 

 waded round the point of the island. Just above the ford, 

 Khor Labikko, a considerable stream coming from the south- 

 west, joins this river, the Ito, which flows from the south. 

 The united streams flow from the south-south-west to the 

 north-north-east. The colour of the water is a light grey, but 

 its taste is very good. Shortly after passing Khor Tafari, we 

 had an example of the speed with which these watercourses 

 can rise ; this khor rose so suddenly, on account of rain which 

 had fallen in the south, that the stragglers of our caravan were 

 cut off from us, and only caught us up two days later on. The 

 road from Khor Ito as far as Chief Doli's village presented 

 nothing worthy of mention save grass, steppes, small hamlets, 

 and a view of several blue mountains and peaks. 



Morlabba, D51i's village, has about six hundred inhabitants, 

 belonging to the Kederii tribe, who appear to be quite different 

 from all the surrounding natives. The Mandari, who, to judge 

 from their language, belong to the Bari, dwell to the east of 

 Morlabba. To the north-west dwell Morii-Kodo (i.e., northern 

 Morii), who are erroneously called Madi by the Mittu tribes; 

 due west the same tribe is found, as well as the Mittu, and 

 Liggi and Nyambara live to the south. The language of the 

 Kederii differs entirely from that of the surrounding tribes ; it 

 appears, from its sharp s and rattling r, most like the language 

 of the southern Madi, and the cardinal numbers from I to 4 are 

 identical. The name for 5 is different — tau in Madi, ndzi in 

 Kederii. The other cardinal numbers are formed in Kederii by 

 5 and an affix ; for example, dzidallo 5 + 1, dzidirri 5 + 2, &c. 

 All other numbers are, however, entirely different, as also the 

 names of plants and animals. 



The impression which the people made on me was very 

 favourable ; they were modest, even rather bashful, and they 

 appeared to be chiefly occupied in agriculture, as the Danagla 

 had ruined their cattle-breeding, and their fields covered the 

 country in all directions. A kind of red durrah, not so bitter 



