AFRICAN BRIDGES. 367 



tants of Kakuak are very numerous, and live in scattered 

 zcribas encircled by thorn hedges. The huts remind one of 

 those of the Bari, on account of their low walls and small 

 doors. Inside each zeriba tobacco is cultivated, and two 

 species of Phaseolus overgrow the thorn hedges. The women, 

 who are patterns of ugliness, were just employed in beating 

 eleusine on large flat pieces of rock, which lay scattered about, 

 and heaps of Hyptis were drying in the sun, giving out an 

 aromatic odour. I took a stroll through the eleusine fields to 

 observe the habits of numerous dwarf parrots (Agajoornis joul- 

 laria). I shall always remember this walk, for on a stalk I 

 noticed a small bird climbing, which appeared quite strange 

 to me. I soon caught it — the first Crethia from north-east 

 Africa, which neither Eiippell nor Heuglin mention. A young 

 specimen of the rare Myrmecociclila nigra was also captured, 

 and the pools afforded a new Triton, besides which a number 

 of very small frogs with very strong voices attracted my 

 notice. 



An almost absolutely straight road — an avis rarissima in 

 this country — led from the picturesque rocks of Langomeri to 

 the Ye'i valley. Its soil was a very moist alluvial clay, mixed 

 with much yellow sand. The woods were very light indeed, 

 but on the sides of the road were numerous sharp cutting 

 sedges. At the ford, the Ye'i was about twenty-five feet broad 

 and thirteen feet deep, so that the people had here improvised 

 a bridge, but I am still not quite clear how the porters, with 

 loads upon their heads, crossed it. We all preferred a very 

 unpleasant cold swim, and soon a number of brown and black 

 figures were splashing in the river, bidding defiance to the 

 numerous crocodiles. Shortly afterwards we had to cross 

 another stream, which was thirteen feet broad and over six 

 deep. The bridge here was so respectable that we all crawled 

 over it, in order not to hurt the feelings of its architect. The 

 station of Yatako, which is situated upon an ascent, is a 

 wretched, unsavoury village. We had to remain there two 

 days, almost as prisoners, for the great feast (Id-el-Kebir) 

 prevented our marching, and the continuous rain did not 

 allow us to leave the miserable huts. The natives brought to 

 me whole families of the Golunda pulchella, a beautiful and 



