190 A’ VISIT Oe MONBUTIU, which Monbuttu is covered as with a net. If, however, the first fissure occurs in a place where there is not enough water to accomplish the process just described, the hollow, which, to begin with, is usually round, becomes deepened by rain falling into it, and widened through the slipping in of its edges; and if then, in course of time, trees grow upon the bottom of such a “sink,” the curious sight is to be seen of a wide, deep caldron, its bottom covered with trees whose tops reach exactly to the level of the surrounding couniry.

In considering the characteristic features of this country, it is necessary to mention the little hills, isolated or standing in groups, which are very numerous where the country slopes towards the rivers and brooks. They are light grey in colour, generally fifteen feet high, of conical or truncated pyramidal form, and often of considerable breadth, sometimes entirely grown over, but usually bare. One would certainly put them down as great termite hills, if it were not that the natives build their huts upon them, and that a careful examination has failed to reveal the existence of passages constructed by ants. It therefore appears as if we had to deal here with a question of the product of denudation, and this view is borne out by the existence of similar hills on the lower and middle Bahr-el-Jebel. At any rate, these miniature mountains add not:a little to the beauty of the landscape, especially where three or four of them covered with huts are scattered amongst a zertba.

Accompanied by a very large crowd of people, and by the deafening noise of huge horns carved out of elephants’ tusks, we reached the village of Jondi; its numerous huts were scattered over the ground which sloped down to the Bogboro stream, and were surrounded by a wood of Scitamineze. Plantations of oilpalms became more frequent from this point, and lent a charm to the village, which was also rendered attractive by its picturesque hall-like buildings, and by the cleanliness and obliging manner of its inhabitants. The walls of many of the buildings were ornamented in quite a peculiar style ; long strips of bark (Xiopia athiopica) were fastened to the reed walls and sewn together with split rattan, covering the entire wall and having the appearance of mosaic. ‘The open space situated in the centre of the