79 431 tile traffic in slaves between the Soudan and Arabian coasts has decreased in a very marked degree during the past few years.

39. S The people continue to prosper, but do not on that account change their manner of living. They spend every piastre they can save in adding to their flocks and herds, and are most unwilling to part with a single animal. Their ambition is to own cattle rather than to improve their houses, food, or clothing. There has been no cattle plague this year, and the herds have increased ; the rains, too, have been good. There is plenty of labour for local needs, though the development of the province is much hampered by want of population. This, however, is increasing, and during the past year seventeen new villages have been formed. The colonies of discharged soldiers, who supply a certain amount of unskilled labour in Singa and Sennar, are all doing well. The revenue, which depends chiefly on the harvest, shows an increase of nearly 3,000Z. over that of 1908, and is capable of further develoimeut if the etiorts to persuade the natives to collect gum in the dry weather when they have no work in the fields could meet with some measure of success.

Tlie administration of justice is reported by Ca2)tain Nickerson to have gained the confidence of the peojfle, who are nearly always willing to give evidence and assist in the arrest of criminals. Crime shows a general diminution, though among a halfcivilized jDeople crimes of violence may be the result of very trifling incidents. One woman, for instance, walked 50 miles to jeer at the relatives of a man whom her husband had beaten. The consecjuences of this lady’s suj)erfluous intervention was that a serious faction fight took ]3lace, and four men were killed. The province is, in general, tranquil, and the conduct of the nomad Arabs has been satisfactory. The increase in the amount and value of their herds acts as a check on fanaticism. A man who owns 800Z. worth of stock will think twice before joining a movement which may lead to the confiscation of his property.

40. Upper Nile Province.

In the northern parts of this province the tribes show signs of becoming somewhat more civilized every year, but this cannot be said to be the case with the Sobat and Khor Filus Dinkas or the Nuers. These people are well off from their own point of view, as they possess cattle, and their crops are sufficient for their needs, and they are intolerant of any attempt to raise them in the human scale. South of the 12th 2>arallel clothing is a superfluity, and the young warriors of the negroid tribes are satisfied to lead a wild and turbulent life. What with sudd, swamp and impenetrable thorn forest, the country is hard to open up, and such revenue as can be collected is almost entirely derived from cattle-tribute. It is satisfactory, however, to note that payment in money is increasing, £E. 850 out of ,£E. 1,500 having this year been paid in cash as against £E. 300 in 1907. Coinage is also siowl}" replacing beads as currency, as trade progresses southwards.

As an illustration of Einka character, Mr. Struvd narrates the following incident which recently took place in a tribal court of justice :—One Dinka stole ten bulls from another; a court was held, the robber acknowledged his theft, and the cattle were ordered to be I'eturned; not only, however, was the robber not iunisbed, but the court decided that since he had been to all the trouble and risk of stealing the cattle for nothing, he should keep one of the bulls as compensation. Probably there was not one of the assembled judges who had not at some time attemjDted to steal a neighbour’s cattle. An English inspector, who orders restoration of all captured cattle and fines the thief, may as often as not be looked upon as a brutal innovator.

The Mek continues to administer tribal justice among the Shillouks, but he is aging, and some of the tribesmen are inclined to be unruly and to treat his decisions with contempt.

41. White Nile Province.

The year 1909 has been prosperous, owing to the high Nile, heavy rains, and freedom from locusts. In spite of labour difficulties, large quantities of dhurra have been grown and exported. The cultivation of simsim has also considerably augmented. The gum season has been good, the quantity sold at Duemi being the greatest since the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.