356 RETURN MARCH TO LADO. 



which rose in front of us like a watch-tower. Beneath a cliff, 

 radiating from it, we saw the blackened ruins of the village of 

 Vari. It was already I p.m., and we had as yet not found 

 a drop of water ; the guides appeared to be in an uncertain 

 state of mind, and asserted that no water could be reached 

 before sunset. We were therefore all the more pleased when 

 we met a Negro in the midst of the wood, whose sister we had 

 restored to him at Ayak, and who offered to act as our guide. 

 And thus, at 3 p.m., after a hot and dry march, we reached 

 the village of Mizani, which lies at the foot of the densely 

 wooded Jebel Ui. 



We were now once more in the Kederii country. Our 

 course thus far had been southerly, but we now turned to the 

 east, in order to reach our old road. Our night's march was 

 repeatedly disturbed by elephants, but early in the morning 

 we reached the bed of Khor Arita, which is possibly identical 

 with Khor Arise. 1 For about ten minutes we marched along 

 its bed, which abounded in pools of whitish water. Another 

 burnt village lay in front of us, beneath Jebel Nyangali — it had 

 been " visited " by Danagla ! Jebel Waru is a mass of granite 

 rising boldly above the red sandy soil to a height of four hun- 

 dred feet. Its flanks are densely wooded, and, to judge by 

 the numerous deep, narrow fissures, across which we were 

 frequently obliged to jump, it must yield an abundant supply 

 of water. Khor Labikko was already known to us as a tribu- 

 tary of the Ito, and was at present quite dry. 



The village of Mollo is situated near this khor, in the midst 

 of corn-fields. I noticed there many trees hung with skulls 

 and horns. Unfortunately these trophies were obtained only 

 from dwarf antelopes and beasts of prey, which appear to 

 abound in the vicinity. From a lofty pole in the centre of 

 the village the skin of a python fluttered in the wind. The 

 numerous graves round the village could be recognised by 

 pyramids formed of slabs of rocks or by huge heaps of stones, 

 from the centre of which rose a pole, with three notches in its 

 upper extremity, which was shaped exactly like those which 

 are seen on the ancient Mohammedan tombstones in Southern 

 Arabia. I saw occasionally a third form of grave enclosed 

 1 Such is not the case. — E. G. R. 



