352 LOEI COUNTRY AND UPPER YALO. 



instead of keeping to the south-south-east, turned to the east, 

 probably with the intention of reaching the road which leads 

 direct from Mvolo to Sayadin, and soon led us into the middle of 

 a dense bush. We were therefore compelled to halt under the 

 blazing midday sun to reconnoitre. About a quarter of an hour 

 to the south- south-west of our halting-place we found a pitfall, 

 near which the footprints showed us that game had recently 

 been caught here and carried away. We therefore followed the 

 footprints on the dry soil, which was a difficult matter, and 

 in about half an hour we reached the small village of Mbaro, 

 where we received a good reception and found good water. 

 Part of an antelope was also offered us, and readily accepted. 



All the lions in this district appear to serenade Mbaro at 

 night, for their howls lasted till dawn. Each howl produced 

 a prolonged " he-aw " from two donkeys which had been brought 

 with us for the use of invalids ; under these circumstances 

 sleeping was not easy, so, although the morning was very 

 cold, we were glad to break camp. The march through the 

 park-like Lori district, with its small woods and numerous 

 streams, was more like a pleasant walk, especially as, after we 

 had passed the village of Hango, the country was studded by 

 picturesque groups of rock. Jebel Madiri, a small gneiss hill, 

 looked really like a mountain, rising as it does from broad 

 grass steppe. Behind it we noticed the Mdilo hills trending 

 towards the south. I saw a Hyptis in the fields ; it is here 

 called hollo , and its fruit was just ripening. The soil is 

 splendidly cultivated, and on account of thickets and tall 

 trees, which had been left standing, the country looked like 

 a garden, in the midst of which were situated the clean well- 

 kept zeribas of the village of Mbelle. 



This village is almost joined by that of Lori (marked Tori 

 on the maps), the residence of the Lori chief, Sei. It is formed 

 of a large group of huts surrounding an open space. The stores 

 of ground-nuts are here protected from the ravages of mice 

 in large baskets plastered with clay and placed upon stone 

 pedestals. In addition to durrah, dokhn, and Hyptis, much 

 tobacco, cotton with white seeds, and hibiscus are cultivated. 

 After passing the village the ground commences to fall. It 

 is composed of the dark red ferruginous soil which is so 



