2/6 
START FOR THE SOUTH. 
[chap. X. 
expedition, he bolted into the high grass with my 
English saddle, and I never saw him again. In my 
weak state I had to walk. We had not gone far when 
a large fly fastened upon Mrs. Bakers ox, just by his 
tail, the effect of which was to produce so sudden a 
kick and plunge, that he threw her to the ground 
and hurt her considerably; she accordingly changed 
the animal, and rode a splendid ox that Ibrahim very 
civilly offered. I had to walk to the Atabbi, about 
eighteen miles, which, although a pleasant stroll when 
in good health, I found rather fatiguing. We 
bivouacked on the south bank of the Atabbi. 
The next morning, after a walk of about eight 
miles, I purchased of one of the Turks the best ox that 
I have ever ridden, at the price of a double-barrelled 
gun—it was a great relief to be well mounted, as I was 
quite unfit for a journey on foot. 
At 4.30 p.m. we arrived at one of the villages of 
Farajoke The character of the country had entirely 
changed; instead of the rank and superabundant 
vegetation of Obbo, we were in a beautiful open 
country, naturally drained by its undulating character, 
and abounding in most beautiful low pasturage. Vast 
herds of cattle belonged to the different villages, but 
these had all been driven to concealment, as the report 
had been received that the Turks were approaching. 
The country was thickly populated, but the natives 
appeared very mistrustful; the Turks immediately 
entered the villages and ransacked the granaries for 
corn, digging up the yams and helping themselves to 
everything as though quite at home. I was on a 
beautiful grass sward on the gentle slope of a hill: 
here I arranged to bivouac for the night. 
In three days’ march from this point through beautiful 
park-like country, we arrived at the Asua river. The 
entire route from Farajoke had been a gentle descent, 
and I found this point of the Asua in lat. N. 3° 12 
to be 2,875 feet above the sea level, 1,091 feet lower 
than Farajoke. The river was a hundred and twenty 
