MADI TRIBES. 365 



among themselves. Specimens of it which I noted down show 

 its identity with the Madi idiom of the Bahr-el-Jebel, the 

 distribution of which is therefore, as far as my present know- 

 ledge goes, as follows : — 



(1) The Madi, to the east and west of the Bahr-el-Jebel, 

 (2) the Liibari, (3) the Kalika, (4) the Logo, (5) the Brera 

 division of the Amadi on the Kibali, (6) the Abukaya-Oizila 

 and Oigiga, (7) the Jojeri of Mom, near Wandi. 



The relationship between this group and the westerly group 

 in the Bahr-el-Ghazal district, which have a remarkable linguistic 

 similarity, remains still to be discussed. At any rate there is 

 a well-marked difference between the language of the Madi 

 group living in our province and that spoken by all the other 

 tribes and peoples. It constitutes a compact division, to which 

 I would give the name of southerly, to distinguish it from the 

 northerly group of languages (Dinka, Bari, &c.) 



The whole territory occupied by the Madi was formerly 

 enormously rich in cattle, and even to-day in some parts, as, for 

 instance, at Jebel Yatti, large and numerous herds are still 

 maintained. On the whole, however, the number of cattle has 

 been reduced almost to zero, owing to the frequent raids made 

 from Makraka. In many of these razzias, six to eight thousand 

 head of cattle were carried off, and very quickly dissipated. 

 Now, however, agriculture flourishes, and besides talahun, red 

 durrah, and sesame, which used to be cultivated, the large- 

 grained white durrah from Makraka, which yields exceptionaTy 

 good flour, and was probably originally introduced from the 

 north, is also grown. I need hardly mention that gourds, 

 Helmia bulbifera, Lubias, hibiscus, &c, are largely cultivated, 

 but it is interesting to note that good yams are grown on 

 Jebel Yatti. 



At Janda a perfectly new scraggy plant was brought me 

 from Liibari ; it had greyish-green, lancet-shaped leaves, and, like 

 the potato, some forty bulbs upon its roots, each four to five 

 inches long, about an inch in diameter, with a thin white 

 skin ;" when cooked it forms a good vegetable. It is now 

 much cultivated here, and is called lomho ; the natives plant 

 its shoots and bulbs all the year round, and have only to leave 

 sufficient room between the plants (which reach a height of 



