chap, viii.] BABOONS. 229 
dined off Ibrahimawa’ s botanical specimens were suffer¬ 
ing from a most powerful “ vomi-purgatif.” The angels 
that watcb over scientific botanists had preserved Ibra¬ 
himawa from all evil. He had discovered the yams, 
and the men had stolen them from him ; they enjoyed 
the fruits, while he gained an experience invaluable at 
their expense. I was quite contented to have waited 
until others had tried them before I made the experi¬ 
ment. Many of the yam tribe are poisonous; there 
is one variety much liked at Obbo, but which is deadly 
in its effects should it be eaten without a certain pre¬ 
paration. It is first scraped, and then soaked in a 
running stream for a fortnight. It is then cut into 
thin slices, and dried in the sun until quite crisp ; by 
this means it is rendered harmless. The dried slices 
are stored for use; and they are generally pounded in 
a mortar into flour, and used as a kind of porridge. 
The sickness of the people continued for about an 
hour, during which time all kinds of invectives were 
hurled against Ibrahimawa, and his botany was termed 
a gigantic humbug. From that day he was very mild 
in his botanical conversation. 
On the following morning we crossed the last range 
of rocky hills, and descended to the Latooka valley. 
Up to this point, we had seen no game; but we had 
now arrived in the game country, and shortly after 
our descent from the rocks, we saw a herd of about 
twenty Tetel (hartebeest). Unfortunately, just as I 
dismounted for the purpose of stalking them, the red 
flags of the Turks attracted the attention of a large 
party of baboons, who were sitting on the rocks, and 
they commenced their hoarse cry of alarm, and imme¬ 
diately disturbed the Tetel. One of the men, in re¬ 
venge, fired a long shot at a great male, who was 
sitting alone upon a high rock, and by chance the ball 
struck him in the head. He was an immense specimen 
of the Cynocephalus, about as large as a mastiff, but 
with a long brown mane like that of the lion. This 
mane is much prized by the natives as an ornament. 
