158 AN EXCURSION TO LUR.

The water-mark at the foot of the mountains showed that the lake had fallen about eighteen inches.

We halted at 10.17 A.M. near the hot springs. At the foot of the almost precipitous cliffs there is a strip of sand about ten feet broad, covered over with fragments of stone, amongst which I noticed beautiful red-ribbed quartz and much mica; at high water no doubt the whole of this place is covered. The cliff itself is a very fragile grey stone, split and cleft in all directions, so that one can lift out great pieces with one’s hand. ‘The inner surface of such pieces is of a yellowochre colour, covered in part by white efflorescence, having a bitter taste. This efflorescence is also found in great quantity on the pieces of stone lying about. From all the rents and crevices of the rock perfectly clear yellowish water exudes; it smells and tastes strongly of sulphuretted hydrogen, The temperature of this water was in one place 115° Fahr.; in two others near by 128.3” Fahr., the water in the lake being 84° Fahr. The atmospheric temperature was 81.5° Fahr., whilst the aneroid read 27.7 in.(I11 A.M.) The temperature of the air to a height of 44 feet above the ground was very hot, viz., 100.4° Fahr. One could not see any real sediment or animal life in the water, but there was a kind of white slimy substance upon the stones over which the hot water flowed. I took samples both of the rock and of the efflorescence for analysis. Many flowering euphorbias, two small wild date palms, and numerous bamboos grew in the neighbourhood.

I may be permitted to add here a few words concerning the hot springs in this country; I know of four, and they all contain sulphur. Going from north to south, the first is found to the west of Lado, not far from the road which leads from Niambara to Makraka; it is called Rillek, and has been visited and examined by Dr. Junker. The next lies on the northwest slope of Jebel Labilla or Abul Sala, to the H.N.E. of Dufilé; it is very large and very hot (156° Fahr.), and is called by the Madi “‘ Amruppi.” This hot spring appears to be either intermittent, or else to vary much in the quantity of water it yields. Near to this spring lies a second, containing boiling water. The third warm spring (133° Fahr.)

is situated in the Shuli district, two and a half days’ march to