278 THE RIVER KUFF0 FERTILITY OF THE SOIL. 
presented a few small detached hills, the most interest- 
ing being in Kidi. They sloped away to the north 
from a high bluff point at their southern extremity. 
Our huts were within a few yards of a sluggish 
stream, the Kuffo, from Uganda, Its depth, its mud- 
coloured water, and the tall rushes with which it was 
fringed on each side, prevented us from seeing the 
crocodiles with which it is said to swarm. In the 
third week of October its waters had swollen im- 
mensely, and bore along with them islands of the 
papyrus which it had torn away in its course, and on 
which I often wished myself embarked, as they were 
on their way to Egypt. Several times, when a gleam 
of sunshine broke upon the hills of Kidi, we could see 
from a height near camp the river Nile, looking like a 
mirage, but we were prohibited from going nearer it. 
While fishing upon the KufTo I was rather surprised 
to find that its bottom was pebbly, while its banks 
were formed of retentive clay, about ten feet in depth, 
through which no water seemed to percolate. The 
soil upon the pathways, after it had been thoroughly 
washed with rain, became of pure white sand, without 
gravel, and formed a pleasant walk. It was a loam, 
with from 40 to 70 per cent of clay, and, if closely 
drained, would make excellent land for growing wheat. 
Of the surrounding countries we obtained a good 
deal of geographical knowledge ; for the people here 
were not afraid, like those about M'tessa of Uganda, 
to state what they knew. We had fully expected to 
receive letters from Egypt, but saw only some beads 
quite new to us, which must have been brought from 
thither. Until Bombay should return with a letter 
from a party of Egyptian ivory-traders to the north, 
