JUNKER'S EXPLORATIONS. 455 



shore of the Welle, besides some isolated descendants of the 

 A-Zande princes. I turned my steps thence towards the 

 north-west, and came upon the Welle again at the end of ten 

 days. The whole district up to this point is inhabited by 

 Banjia, who are akin to the A-Zande. A great number of 

 strange tribes people the farther bank of the Welle and its 

 labyrinthine archipelago. Later on I crossed the Mbomu 

 farther to the north ; it is an important tributary of the 

 Welle, which, rising in the eastern A-Zande domain, near 

 my route from Dem Bekir to Ndoruma, flows southwards, and 

 enters the Welle still farther to the west than I penetrated. 

 I made a circuit to the north through the territory of numerous 

 tribes which are now broken up, and reached my headquarters 

 again at this place." 



This is the most important part of Dr. Junker's letter, and 

 as he declares that his journey is ended, and that he is only 

 waiting for " a favourable opportunity to return home," he 

 will, I hope, give you in person an account of his toils and 

 struggles, his work and labour. I have written again both to 

 him and to Lupton, and, considering the difficulties in the 

 Bahr-el-Ghazal, where Lupton has to put forth all his energy 

 to protect himself and his province, I have invited Junker to 

 come to us, where greater quietness prevails (may it continue !), 

 and where his departure will depend only on the arrival of the 

 steamer. I hope he will consider my proposal, and act accord- 

 ingly. I cannot conceive what the views of the people at 

 Khartum are concerning these districts, whether they imagine 

 that our handful of men are a sufficient protection in them- 

 selves, and that all the Negroes together are no match for us. 

 Lupton has been expecting a steamer for the last nine months. 

 I had myself to wait eight months, and then after all I did 

 not get the very things I wanted. Well, we will do our duty, 

 and if circumstances become still more complicated and we are 

 worsted, the Government will only have itself to blame. 



Lupton Bey has sent me a great many very interesting 

 notes about his southern territory, but I refrain from discussing 

 them, as I am going to send them to Dr. Behm with the map. 

 Lupton defends the connexion of the Welle with the Congo 

 most warmly, which, however, seems no longer possible after 



