216 SHORT NOTES 



Record of character of country. 



(XI.) — The travellers would naturally record in his report, 

 when passing through new ground, everything that he could 

 observe as to the nature of the physical features of the country ; 

 the extent and character of the forests ; particular s about rivers, 

 both at the time of his visit, and at other seasons, &c., &c. 



Much of this should be entered on the map, as it is much 

 easier to indicate there the extent and shape of a forest or 

 marsh, than it is to describe the same in a report. 



The points of chief importance are enumerated in any work 

 on reconnaissance. In some countries special points have to be 

 noticed, which might not occur to an ordinary traveller. 



It is particularly desireable that travellers should note on 

 their maps the boundaries of the different tribes, carefully dis- 

 tinguishing between those boundaries or portions of boundaries 

 that are well determined and those that are only approximately 

 represented. They should also state the name of the paramount 

 chief, if any, to which the tribe is subject. 



All boundary negotiations in Africa turn upon this point, 

 and it is always a fruitful source of trouble ; boundary lines are 

 sometimes drawn cutting off tributary tribes from their para- 

 mount chief, the result being invariably discontent and often 

 bloodshed. 



Names of mountains and villages. 



(XII.) — In all countries that do not possess a written lan- 

 guage, names are a great difficulty. Even where there is a 

 written lang'uage, it is frequently impossible to get one general- 

 ly accepted name for a mountain, however conspicuous it may 

 be, as it often happens that a peak or range is known by several 

 different names in the different districts around. 



It is necessary, therefore, that the traveller should satisfy 

 himself as to w^hether the important places that he locates are 

 g-enerally known under one name or not, and should state his 

 authority in his report. If he hears of more than one name for 

 a mountain or range of mountains, he should, of course, state 

 both, with the source from which they were obtained. 



A difficulty occurs in the nomenclature of villages also, 

 from the fact that they are so often named after the rulin g 



