140 FROM BINDER, AND NILE TO NILE precious than gold, even one such spot should escape.

On the route farther north, from Hillet Abbas over to Singa, in various places were to be seen artificial reservoirs of considerable size, formed to retain the rain-water for a time, but they were long since dried up when I saw them.

From nearly a hundred miles north, right down south to the banks of the Sobat, the country was closed to the visiting sportsman, who becomes a mere bird of passage ; for one-half of this area was reserved for the sporting purposes of members of the army of occupation and officials, and that to the south was the much-needed game reserve. So not even gedad were in danger from me, and my breakfast was short of its most pleasing feature.

The whole tract of country has an infamous reputation for lions, who appear to be bolder than elsewhere ; yet I had difficulty in prevailing upon the camel-men to make a good fire, and each night I awoke to find it extinct. The men sleep by their camels, and perhaps hope that camel would be preferred to man—a belief I should hardly think justified.

Two treks of twenty-three miles each, with but five hours' rest from 11 p.m. until four in the morning between, and with slow baggage camels, was a tiring experience. My fine Abyssinian mule had long ago given out, and was incapable of carrying a load ; so my seat had been taken on the camel carrying my kit-boxes, and weary indeed was the way.