TROOPS OF MONKEYS. 387 of Lutomba. From this point, as far as Khor Allo (Junker’s Ollo), there was a steppe, crossed by many swampy watercourses. There was a little wood in some places, chiefly composed of the small-leaved Anogeissus, and the usual species found on a steppe. ‘The Allo itself was fifty-five feet broad and five feet deep; it joins the Aire farther to the north, and these two streams form the Yalo. On the rising ground near this stream lay the Abukaya station of Manda, surrounded by a blooming garden, in which I noticed a number of Papaw-trees amidst the usual vegetables and fruit. A short march led us from Manda, over many rocky hills, to the foot of the mountains, and then, instead of following the old and certainly fatiguing road between them, which was the shortest route to our next station, my guide determined to go right round the mountains, in order not to tire me! Of course it did not matter to him that we lost a few hours by so doing. We therefore followed the apparently never-ending mountain chain towards the south and south-east, marching over its spurs, which jut out into the plain and form ravines and precipices, and going through canes and reeds, under a burning sun. After a four hours’ march, we halted for a short rest on the other side of Khor Mendé, which was almost dry, but our guides would not let us stay long, as they said we had still far to go, and they were perfectly right about that!

I noticed upon the bare flanks of the mountains luxuriant copses of a plant having the general form of a euphorbia. It was new to me; about forty inches high, it had wing-like appendages upon its four-sided stalk, and its flowers were red, like an aloe. Large troops of Cercopithecus were climbing about the rocks, led by a white-bearded male ; they were not at all shy. Many small khors with clear flowing water coming from the mountains had all a southerly direction. At midday we had at last left the mountains behind us, at least the great chain, and had entered cultivated fields, in the midst of which the station of Alugdnya is picturesquely situated. It is the most northerly station in this part of the province of Makraka.

Unfortunately it was impossible for me to stay here, as pressing duties caused me to hurry forward to Wandi.

I observed near here the granitic hills with broad white