THE MADI OF BORA, 13

the men I saw were naked, except a young man who wore a

small apron of cotton thread. Tron ornaments seem to be very much esteemed ; many of the people have their lips pierced, as well as the rims of their ears, in which short pieces of straw are stuck. I saw bracelets of ivory and of hippopotamus and python skin, and girdles made of the thin scales of a land shell. There were no women visible. The principal chief is named Lonya, and lives a little farther up the stream; unfortunately, he did not make his appearance until our boat had already started, and though he called to us, we could not manage to turn back. Meantime the trade in wood had come to an end, and an abundant supply of firewood was laid in. We now continued our journey through huge masses of floating plants. Both banks are shut in by chains of hills. Above Bora nume- rous taw/s combine with banks of mud to form a kind of barrier, through which the steamer slowly made its way from one channel to another. JI may remark that, on the whole, the river is not very deep in comparison with its considerable breadth. Where the papyrus growth permits a view of the shore you frequently

see steep banks of red clay, usually dotted with houses and bananas.

To-day again a regular tropical thunderstorm broke over

us. We are in the month of July, but in the middle of the Kharij7, and as the rain lasted a long time, we anchored in

_ the river two hours after sunset. An awning was put up, and the whole company of crew and passengers retired shivering under their ox-skins and coverings. The rain continued until eleven in the evening. About an hour and a half before sun- set we had passed the spot where on Gessi’s map are written the words, ‘‘ Branch to the west.” I have recently been able to convince myself that the stream which was supposed to be there does not exist; but there is a branch to the west, which joins the river again after flowing round an island.

The journey was resumed at 3.10 A.M. before break of day, although we were all shivering. The sunrise presented us with .a magnificent spectacle. The broad majestic stream, now freed from all vegetation and obstructions, was gilded by the rising sun, and we could see the tall red clitfts, the

wooded hills ascending gradually to the lofty azure mountains,