Tribes of the Sobat. 133 Nasser Post the country is probably the finest occupied by the Nuers, as it is for the most part well wooded, and in places one passes through really beautiful park-like country. Villages are numerous, and several of the districts, such as Fauwel and Jurwel, are well cultivated. East of the Pibor their country bordering the Baro is a desolate marsh!

Although the huts and villages of the Nuers hereabouts are well and substantially built, the natives themselves are shy, suspicious, indolent and altogether a very low type of humanity. They appear to cultivate only such small plots of ground in the immediate vicinity of their villages as will suffice for their own requirements for perhaps six TATUO OR DELEIB — AMERICAN PROTESTANT MISSION STATION OH THE SOBAT.

months in the year, whilst during the remainder of the year they live chiefly on fish, which, existing in great quantities, are easily speared during the dry season of the year. They do not appear to hunt at all.

Physically, the men are tall and well-built, but show little signs of muscular development, being generally longlimbed and wiry. They are all stark naked, and cover themselves from head to foot with cow dung ash, whicii gives them a particularly filthy appearance and renders their skin extremely rough and coarse. They make no, attempt to adorn themselves, but are extremely anxious to procure brass wire with which to make for themselves bracelets extending from the wrist to near the elbow. This seems to be about their only vanity. They are all armed T 2