220 GONDOKORO TO AGARU.

The whole of Liria, although it joined us last year, and can now be crossed almost without an escort, is still virtually independent. Its inhabitants, a fine powerful race of the Bari type, and entirely like them in manners and customs, have a bad and widespread reputation as robbers. ‘They used to extend their raids northwards as far as Ber, and southwards into the district of Kiri, and it was not till the chiefs of the last-named district had received arms from me that they succeeded in keeping them at bay. Rugang enjoys a great reputation as a rainmaker, a somewhat dangerous calling; his father was killed by his subjects because rain did not appear. While durrah is grown largely in this district, tobacco, curiously enough, is seldom cultivated, and thrives badly. The people procure their tobacco chiefly from Latuka, which yields a large and superior quality. It is a good hunting region, for the extensive open woods harbour large herds of antelopes, and elephants are also plentiful. The fact that the dwellinghouses are generally without fences proves that beasts of prey are not very numerous or are not dreaded ; however, compounds for the cattle are, as usual, enclosed with thorn-fences.

The night was over at last, in spite of the rain, the wind, and the swarms of mosquitoes, and the Latuka were ready to start; Chief Rugang had put in an appearance with spear, bow and arrows, ready to act as our guide, only the promised porters had not arrived. On my reproaching him for not keeping his promise, the chief went off in a great hurry to fetch them, and after a few minutes returned, accompanied by three women; the men, he said, were engaged in field-work, so the women should do the carrying. ‘This proposal was, to their great satisfaction, refused, the baggage was redistributed, and after some delay we at last marched off, Rugang insisting on accompanying us. He is living at strife with his people, as he confided to me on the way, because they wanted rain, and he did not give it them.

The country in front slopes gently down to the Khor Rodon, for the mountains of Lokoya, which penetrate like a wedge into the plain that stretches from here to Gondokoro, now lie behind us, and the general rise of the ground is but sight. The sandy soil supports the same vegetation as to the west of the