302 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



backward glances announce terror at the sight of man, 

 and it is impossible to stalk them in the open grounds, 

 which they prefer. The leopard and the cynhyaBna, the 

 koodoo and the different species of antelope, are more 

 frequently killed in these deserts than in any other part 

 of the line. Hog of reddish colour, and hares with 

 rufous fur, are sometimes started by caravans. The 

 hyrax of the Somali country basks upon the rocks and 

 boulders, and the carapace of a small land-turtle, called 

 khasa, fastened to a branch, serves as a road- sign. The 

 k'hwalu, a small green parrot, with yellow shoulders, 

 the upupa or hoopoe, a great variety of fly-catchers, 

 larks with jet-black heads and yellow bodies, small 

 bustards, hornbills, nightjars, muscicapas, green pigeons, 

 sparrow-hawks, and small doves, are seen in every 

 jungle. Near the settlements the white-necked raven 

 and the common chil of India (Falco cheela), attest the 

 presence of man, as the monkey does the proximity of 

 water. The nest of the loxia swings to and fro in the 

 fierce simoom ; the black Bataleur eagle of Somaliland, a 

 splendid bird, towering shily in the air, with his light 

 under-plume gleaming like a silver plate, and large vul- 

 tures (condors ?) flocking from afar, denote the position 

 of a dead or dying animal. 



Until late years the Wagogo, being more numerous 

 than they are now, deterred travellers from traversing 

 their country : in those early days the road to Unyam- 

 wezi, running along the left or northern bank of the 

 Rwaha, through the Warori tribe, struck off near 

 Usanga and Usenga. It is related, when the first caravan, 

 led by Jumah Mfumbi, the late Diwan of Saadani, 

 entered Ugogo, that the people, penetrated with admi- 

 ration of his corpulence, after many experiments to 

 find out whether it was real or not, determined that he 



