352 LORI COUNTRY AND UPPER YALO.

instead of keeping to the south-south-east, turned to the east, probably with the intention of reaching the road which leads direct from Mvolo to Sayadin, and soon led us into the middle of a dense bush. We were therefore compelled to halt under the blazing midday sun to reconnoitre. About a quarter of an hour to the south-south-west of our halting-place we found a pitfall, near which the footprints showed us that game had recently been caught here and carried away. We therefore followed the footprints on the dry soil, which was a difficult matter, and in about half an hour we reached the small village of Mbaro, where we received a good reception and found good water. Part of an antelope was also offered us, and readily accepted.

All the lons in this district appear to serenade Mbaro at night, for their howls lasted till dawn. Hach howl produced a prolonged “he-aw ” from two donkeys which had been brought with us for the use of invalids; under these circumstances sleeping was not easy, so, although the morning was very cold, we were glad to break camp. The march through the park-like Lori district, with its small woods and numerous streams, was more like a pleasant walk, especially as, after we had passed the village of Rango, the country was studded by picturesque groups of rock. Jebel Madiri, a small gneiss hill, looked really like a mountain, rising as it does from broad grass steppe. Behind it we noticed the Mdilo hills trending towards the south. JI saw a Hyptis in the fields; it is here called xollo, and its fruit was just ripening. ‘The soil is splendidly cultivated, and on account of thickets and tall trees, which had been left standing, the country looked like a garden, in the midst of which were situated the clean wellkept zeribas of the village of Mbelle.

This village is almost joined by that of Lori (marked Tori on the maps), the residence of the Lori chief, Sei. It is formed of a large group of huts surrounding an open space. ‘The stores of ground-nuts are here protected from the ravages of mice in large baskets plastered with clay and placed upon stone pedestals. In addition to durrah, dokhn, and Hyptis, much tobacco, cotton with white seeds, and hibiscus are cultivated.

After passing the village the ground commences to fall. It is composed of the dark red ferruginous soil which is so