ARRIVE AT SHOO A. 
444 
[chap. XVI. 
weighing about 500 lbs. vanished among the crowd in 
a few minutes. 
On the fifth day’s march from the Victoria Nile we 
arrived at Shooa; the change was delightful after the 
wet and dense vegetation of Unyoro : the country was 
dry, and the grass low and of fine quality. We took 
possession of our camp, that had already been prepared 
for us in a large court-yard well cemented with cow- 
dung and clay, and fenced with a strong row of 
palisades. A large tree grew in the centre. Several 
huts were erected for interpreters and servants, and a 
tolerably commodious hut, the roof overgrown with 
pumpkins, was arranged for our mansion. 
That evening the native women crowded to our camp 
to welcome my wife home, and to dance in honour of 
our return; for which exhibition they expected a pre¬ 
sent of a cow. 
Much to my satisfaction I found that my first-rate 
riding ox that had been lamed during the previous 
year by falling into a pitfall, and had been returned to 
Shooa, was perfectly recovered; thus I had a good 
mount for my journey to Gondokoro. 
Some months were passed at Shooa, during which I 
occupied my time by rambling about the neighbour¬ 
hood, ascending the mountain, making duplicates of 
my maps, and gathering information, all of which was 
simply a corroboration of what I had heard before, 
excepting from the East. The Turks had discovered a 
new country called Lira, about thirty miles from Shooa; 
the natives were reported as extremely friendly, and 
their country as wonderfully fertile, and rich in ivory. 
Many of the people were located in the Turks’ camp ; 
they were the same type as the Madi, but wore their 
hair in a different form : this was woven into a thick 
felt, which covered the shoulders, and extended as low 
upon the back as the shoulder-blade. They were not 
particular about wearing false hair, but were happy to 
receive subscriptions from any source ; in case of death 
the hair of the deceased was immediately cut off and 
