326 BUFI TO RUMBEK. 



From tlie top of the groups of rocks which are scattered 

 about, and which Dr. Schweinfurth has very well depicted, 

 a ridge of hill was seen in the north-north-west. It was 

 probably the mountain named Gurken by the Son, and Doka- 

 vuru by the Lesi. The Hyrax and graceful squirrels still play 

 upon the rocks, and the Ptilopachys pair in the surrounding 

 fields. The old zeriba has vanished, and in its place are 

 luxuriant corn-fields. I shall, however, build a small station 

 here, and willingly spare five soldiers for it. 



After rather more than half an hour's march, we arrived at the 

 cataracts of the Yalo. The river, which is surrounded by mag- 

 nificent vegetation, is divided here into three arms, separated 

 from one another by islands, formed of a chaotic agglomera- 

 tion of rocks, over which it is very difficult to climb. The 

 name of Damlaba Maniifo, i.e., the Great Rapid, is given to 

 the easterly branch of the cataract ; the number of fish it 

 contains is quite marvellous. On the road we had already 

 seen many people laden with fish twenty-four to forty inches 

 long, which gave no very agreeable perfume to the air. The 

 ground was covered with fish scales and bones, the remains 

 of many suppers, for the natives often fish here all night long. 

 Even the rocks are spotted white all over, an evidence of the 

 presence of large numbers of fish-eating birds, the most im- 

 portant of which are herons and Haliaetiis vocifer. More than 

 twenty men were standing in the roaring rapids, the water 

 being up to their waists ; the circular nets are stretched over 

 rods and simply let down into the stream and drawn along 

 against the current, to reappear immediately with three or four 

 fish. The principal fishing season is in November and Decem- 

 ber, when the river falls. Most of the spoil are fish of prey 

 which follow the lead of swarms of Chromis. Many Sanseviera 

 grow upon the rocks, as do bushes of Tinnea cethiopica, which 

 were in bloom when we passed, and the ground was covered 

 with the orange-yellow prickly fruits of the Citcumis Tinneana. 



The district inhabited by the Lesi tribe appears to be very 

 fruitful, to judge by the cultivation. Besides the usual species 

 of corn, Hyptis, Voandzeia, and ground-nuts are cultivated. 

 Hunting must be extensively carried on, and with much 

 success, for we noticed great numbers of pitfalls in the high 



