138 Gdo.

Ajibur, or Kuzi I.

Gelo River.

The Ajibur (Austin) or Ruzi 1 (Wellby), a small stream rising on the Boma hills, flows northwards to the Akobo and joins it on the left bank about 80 miles from its (Akobo) source. Water was standing in pools in its bed in February, 1901.

The Gelo River rises in the Mocha hills (Abyssinian), situate about east long. 36°, north lat. 7° 30', and flows generally in a westerly direction to the Pibor, which it enters on the right bank 26 miles above its junction with the Baro.

Mr. Oscar Neumann, who explored this river in 1901, considers it a very important source of supply of the Sobat, and far more so than the Akobo river, which he thinks comparatively insignificant. Mr. Neumann is strongly of opinion that after traversing Lake Tata the river divides, one branch flowing into the Pibor, as above stated, the other or others flowing northwards towards the Baro. Thougli Bottego seems to have had the same opinion, Major Austin does not lend much credence to this theory.

Neumann gives the following description of the upper regions adjoining this river : — " In Shekho I found a large river running westwards. I believed this river to be the Gelo, discovered near its junction with the Ajuba by the Italian Bottego, an opinion which was confirmed afterwards. Travelling became very difficult here. The western slopes of the south Ethiopian plateau are cut by many deep ravines; the roads, therefore, were narrow and bad, and many of my mules became wounded and useless. As it flows westwards, the River Gelo is lined on both sides by the densest forest. I could march only about 2 or 3 miles each day, and to cover that distance the men had mostly to cut the way with axes and bush knives from morning to noon, after which the caravan was able to proceed. The inhabitants of this forest are the Mashango, who are very seldom seen, but we often found large traps made for hippopotami and waterbucks, and loops made of creepers for monkeys and other small animals going to the water. Already in Gimirra I had seen, far away to the west, a long mountain chain running from north to south, called by the Galla ' Gurafarda ' that is to say, ' horse's ear,' from a sharp double peak in the middle. It took more than three weeks from Gimirra to reach the point where the Gelo pierces the mountains, forming magnificent cascades. Some days after passing this gap, I saw from a bamboo-covered hill in the west a boundless bush and grass-covered dead flat plain, the plain of the Sobat and the beginning of the Sudan. Only a few granite hills are scattered over it. Ascending one of these I saw, far away, a large lake — Lake Tata — through which the River Gelo runs. Here we found the first villages of the Yambo or Anuak, who were the first true Nilotic people I met. They are a division of the great Shilluk tribe, which is spread over the whole Eastern Sudan, and extends southwards to the east short of Lake Victoria. The few samples I obtained of their language show that it is scarcely distinguishable from that of the Kavirondo people on the east shores of Lake Victoria, whose country I passed on my first African journey in 1894.

" The land now became more and more swampy. The Anuaks, poverty-stricken through many Abyssinian ' razzias,' live hidden away on small islands in these swamps. A large part of the people have migrated westward, and live in a state of semi-slavery under the protection of the more powerful Nuer, near the Egyptian fort of Nasser on the Sobat.

"Approaching Lake Tata the swamps became so numerous and deep that I turned south and marched to the village Neum, where I struck Bottego's route. The attempt to march along the northern bank of the Akobo failed, because we stuck fast in the swamps, where I lost many of my mules ; so, after two days, I marched back to Neum and crossed the Akobo. The country on the left shore of the river, which had here a north-westerly direction, was drier."

Major Austin, gives an interesting description of the river and country west of Lake Tata : — " The Anuaks of the Gelo river district need very little description, and, as practically little was seen of them except when passing their villages, not much information was obtained regarding them. As compared with their compatriots on the Ufeno river, they appear to be a far less prosperous race, and, physically, might be described as an anaemic-looking tribe, probably due to the fact that the tract of country they inhabit is for nionths at a time one vast swamp, and unhealthy in consequence. They are more suspicious and shy than the northern section, but not really unfriendly in any way, as we had no difficulty in obtaining guides from them. They do not take the same pride in their personal appearance as those of the Upeno, and few of the men wear skins. The women are less particular also, and unhesitatingly entered the river at Patok devoid of all clothing, and washed themselves on the bank before our men. The unmarried women, like those of the Nuers, deem it unnecessary to provide themselves with any covering. Beads are worn, but not in the same quantities nor with the same taste as further north.

" The right bank of the Gelo, as far west as about east 33° 50', is generally well-wooded some little distace from the river, but the left bank west of about east 33° 50' is absolutely devoid of a tree or even almost of a shrub. An open treeless grass plain appears to extend south until the Akobo river is reached.

" Patok, the first village on the Gelo reached by the survey party, is one of very considerable size, skilfully concealed in a thick belt of wood, the interior of which has been cleared to a large extent. The dllage is enclosed by a stockade of tree trunks and branches for defensive purposes.

" Most of the large villages along the Gelo, such as the Otwol, Chiro, Oran group, Goin, and Ungela are similarly concealed inside belts of tall trees, and surrounded by stockades.