THE LOWER AYI. 321 of Lau), &. Farther to the north, where the districts of the Atot, the Kich, and the Elyab border upon each other, it separates into two arms, which flow round a large island, that during the kharif is intersected by many small canals and swamps. All the cattle zeribas of the neighbouring Dinka are situated upon this island. ‘The eastern arm of the river, upon the right bank of which the village of Lau, or Lao, is situated, and which has to be crossed when going from Shambé _to Ayak, is called Goll by the Dinka. The westerly arm is named Gok. Farther to the north, both arms join and enter the Bahr-el-Jebel near Fauvér. The river is bordered by large, almost impassable swamps. ‘These swamps, as also the river itself, are often perfectly dry during the dry season, sothat water is only obtained by trenching. Lwal, or Elual, which is marked on Pruyssenere’s route, is only known here as one of the numerous swamp troughs.

The shameful slave-trade here causes me so much work that the days often appear to be really too short; in three days I have sent one hundred and eighty slaves from the suburbs of Bufi to their relations or to their chiefs, and even yet chiefs from the Mandari mountains are arriving here to reclaim their people. In performing this work, it is impossible to rely upon the least help from the officials of Bufi. A passive opposition to everything that I order makes all beneficial work almost impossible. No one will move a hand to help; to everything I say they answer ‘‘ Yes,” but at the same time remain sitting upon their ankarebs ; and all this one has to bear in the face of the complaints of the oppressed natives, and in view of the complete devastation of the country!

Nyamusa is the name of this district, which is inhabited by the Bufi tribe. Gonge lies to the north-west ; Médlo, which is said to have a language of its own (not Dinka), to the north; Mundar, or Mandari, where Bari is spoken, lies to the east ; Wira, or Vira, to the south; and the Mort, erroneously called Madi by their neighbours, live to the south-west. The language spoken by the Bufi Negroes cannot readily be classed with that of any of the neighbouring tribes, the numerals being entirely different ; but in all the languages and dialects of the tribes living in this neighbourhood so many analogies are to be x