384 THROUGH ABAKA COUNTRY TO GOSA. 



sengers whom I sent to the zcriba to fetch its commander 

 returned, bringing with them Chief Endauia, accompanied by 

 most of the people who had been the greatest sufferers, and I 

 ascertained from them that when a rumour of my approach 

 arrived two days ago, the robbers decamped during the night 

 with all their treasures, and that the zeriba was now deserted. 

 I at once gave orders for the erection of a station here to 

 guard the frontier. 



Chief Ranga, of the Babukur tribe, owns this exceedingly 

 fruitful district ; he appears to depend in a measure upon the 

 more powerful An sea. The latter 's eldest son rules over the 

 Babukur who live round Jebel Mogille. They are an ugly 

 people, of a deep black colour ; their upper lips are pierced, 

 and in many cases their ears too, and they possess even a 

 worse reputation for cannibalism than the Monbuttu themselves. 

 I noticed that eleusine, sweet potatoes, Colocasias, yams, Helmia, 

 and a little durrah were cultivated. The huts and granaries 

 were in shape like those of the Nyam-Nyam, but less graceful. 

 The language of the Babukur, as well as their appearance and 

 their universal custom of circumcision, reminded me forcibly 

 of the inhabitants of Londii, in Kabrega's country, who have 

 also migrated from the west. A Sterculia is common here ; 

 the Abaka manufacture a coarse cloth from its bark, which 

 they use for aprons. 



It was impossible to do all that I had intended here, on 

 account of Mbio's capture and the flight of the robbers. A 

 long stay would have been useless, so, with a heavy heart, I 

 commenced my return journey. The old road was taken as 

 far as Meridi, but from there we struck out in a new direction 

 to Gosa. The country we traversed rose gradually, and several 

 low ridges of hill crossed our path. Large pieces of beautiful 

 white quartz are scattered over these ridges. The people 

 manufacture the long pins and broad plates which the women 

 wear in their lips out of this quartz by rubbing one piece 

 against another. After passing Ngele, a miserable village, 

 where we could obtain no durrah, but got some very good yams, 

 we marched through a district having an exceedingly wintry 

 aspect, and containing many deep swamps, to Moggii, a large 

 village, where Ansea's brother, Falongo, resides. Thick Ano- 



