CHAP. I.] 
ABOUKOOKA 
77 
of the river, but to be reached only by wading through 
the swamp. The establishment consisted of about a 
dozen straw huts, occupied by a wretched fever-stricken 
set of people ; the vakeel, and others employed, came 
to the boats to beg for corn. I stopped for ten minutes 
at the charming watering-place Aboukooka to obtain 
the news of the country. The current at this point is 
as usual very strong, being upwards of two and a half 
miles per hour; the river is quite bank-full although 
not actually flooding, the windings endless; one mo¬ 
ment our course is due north, then east, then again 
north, and as suddenly due south; in fact, we face every 
point of the compass within an hour. Frequently the 
noggors that are far in the rear appear in advance; 
it is a heartbreaking river without a single redeeming 
point; I do not wonder at the failure of all expeditions 
in this wretched country. There is a breeze to-day, 
thus the oppressive heat and stagnated marsh atmo¬ 
sphere is relieved. I have always remarked that when 
the sky is clouded we suffer more from heat and op¬ 
pression than when the day is clear ; there is a weight 
in the atmosphere that would be interesting if tested 
by the barometer. 
The water is excessively bad throughout the White 
Nile, especially between the Shillook and the Kytch 
tribes; that of the Bahr Gazal is even worse. The 
