212 
SAVAGE SUDAN 
“ February 28.—Nuers this morning hunting all over ; 
they have everything on the run. Possibly the dry 
season gives them an exceptional opportunity to mob and 
massacre; anyway they are everlastingly at it. I hear also 
their dhurra crops failed, so that many are starving.” 1 
“March 1.—Shilluks in an immense half-moon 
encircling the sudd and swamps on north shore; the 
speed and agility with which they traverse these 
dangerous bogs—often shoulder-deep—is nothing short 
of marvellous. They are semi-amphibious.” 
“ Aloghrem. — The Shilluks at the two villages on 
north have many heads of Jackson’s and a few of 
Neumann’s hartebeest, also of waterbuck, roan, tiang, cob, 
etc., all killed in their bush-driving; besides hippo ivory. 
The damage caused to game is terrible to contemplate, 
since these savages kill like wild-beasts in sheer blood¬ 
thirstiness and without any saving Grace of Mercy.” 
The following incident shows that the simple Nuers are 
not without guile!—While following the blood-spoor of 
a badly wounded buffalo, we came face to face with a 
hunting-gang with many dogs. The midday heat was 
intense (108° in shade), and as the Nuers felt confident of 
being able to finish off the crippled buffalo, we arranged 
with them to bring the head aboard Candace , they keeping 
the meat for their share. The following day, by mere 
chance, Lowe came across the spot where they had killed, 
the huge mass of half-digested grass leaving no doubt 
as to the victim being a buffalo (and the Nuers never 
tackle these unwounded). We at once sent to seek out 
our crafty friends; but no sooner had our emissaries 
appeared in sight of the fires where they were busy 
cooking, than the whole gang snatched up their posses¬ 
sions and fled. 
1 Mr Butler confirms this, telling me that the failure of crops, with its 
resultant food-shortage and famine among the. savages, was exceptionally 
severe in the season when these notes were written. Hence this organised 
bush-driving was being carried out on a scale exceeding its average intensity. 
