Lado; Bold. 127 here they bend away to the south-west, leaving between the upper course of the river and the mountains some miles of open country.

The remainder of the country comprised in this Mudirieh has already been described in Chapter I, pp. 16-20 (Upper Nile), and Chapter IV, p. 101 (country east of the Bahr el Jebel).

(c) Rohl (Mudirieh).

The Mudirieh Rohl used to have several outlying stations in the Monbuttu country, where ivory is collected from the countries still further south. The route along the River Rohl has always been the favourite one for the ivory caravans, and the only one safe from the hostile Mam-Niam.

From the Zeriba Dufalla, where the road from Rabat Shambeh on the Bahr el Jebel debouches, up the course of the Rohl, to the Makaraka country, there used to be a number of small stations, which are on an average two days' journey from one another.

A small colony of comparatively friendly natives is settled in the neighbourhood of each, hut the rest of the inhabitants have taken refuge at a distance from the river so as to avoid raids.

Topography. The Zeriba Gosa is the first station north of the Makaraka country ; the land in this district is marshy, but becomes firmer towards Sayadin, where it is covered with thick, high grass. North of the latter station the river is called the Rohl, while to the south it is known as the Aire.

To the east, treeless low-lying lands are visible, bounded Country, by a range of cone-shaped hills which run in the direction of Sayadin. These hills are of granite and metamorphic rock, but chiefly grey granite : their highest points are about 3,000 feet above the sea.

The hills are well wooded, and many bamboos (Bambusa Abyssinica) grow in the neighbourhood. The soil is bare, except in the ravines and valleys among the hills, which are clothed with bush.

In the country lying west of the river, a short light-