iVwer Districts. 143 I inhabited by Dinkas, of whom a few are still to be found living among the Nuers, whilst the hinterland of the right Inhabitants, bank of the Zeraf is still occupied by them. They, however, live in dread of the Nuers, and many of them have left their villages and have sought safety on the river Sobat.

The Nuers are very shy, but having got over their first timidity on meeting strangers they are cheery and openhearted, evincing none of that suspicion and churlishness which is such an ever-present characteristic of the Dinkas, even in the more northern districts, nor that inexpressible laziness, a trait of both Dinkas and Shilluks.

The men, boys, and unmarried women are, of course, naked. The married women wear loin cloths of skin, and a few of the men leopard skins. They all affect the long red-dyed hair, the universal custom of the Nuer tribes.

The following is a detailed description of the various Nuer districts on both banks of the Bahr El Zeraf as far as is at present known (taken from a report by Captain H. H. Wilson, 1903) : — The first district on entering the Zeraf is Lak, of which the head Sheikh is Fador Wad Koing (1903). His country is of great extent, and split up into various sub-districts. This district extends between the Zeraf, Bahr El Jebel, and White Nile, near Tonga, the majority of the villages and people being nearer the Bahr El Jebel than the Tk. Zeraf. Only a very small proportion of them winter on the latter river, the majority do so on the White Nile, up-stream of the mouth of the Zeraf. The chief village of Lak, and in which Fador himself resides, is called Fulwal, and is close to the Bahr El Jebel.

The only sub-district of Lak which is on or near the Zeraf, is Warao, of which the Sheikh is one Warao Wad Koing. This sub-district is entirely on the right bank of the Zeraf, at about 50 miles from its mouth, the winter hunting village being situated about 1 mile inland, on the right bank of a big khor known as Bahn, which runs into the Zeraf at this point. The inland village where the people reside during the rains and grow their crops, is about two hours' march inland, and is called Fulfam ; the sheikh himself resides in this village.

The district of Thiang is also a large one, being situated on both the right and left banks of the Zeraf, at or about 80 miles from the mouth. The head Sheikh is Toi Wad Thief*, who has two big villages, both on the left bank, called respectively, Fakoi and Fai-at. The people living on the right bank spread themselves between the Zeraf and Jebel Thiang. rivers, and in the winter descend to the banks of either or both of these rivers to graze their cattle. The people on the right bank have their " rain " village at a place called Khandak, about three hours inland on the right bank at 80 miles. The Sheikh of this section is called Deng. These people are great hunters of the elephant. The villages of this district are seen from the river at about 120 miles, standing about 1 to 2 miles back, with Gaweir. a thick belt of trees behind them; just north of these trees are seen several clumps of deleib palms, and a few solitary dom palms. This district is on the left bank entirely, as far as could be ascertained. The Sheikh of the district is one Nyal Wad Jek*, a young man well disposed to the Government, and who has only recently succeeded his father as sheikh. He is very well supported by his uncle, Niar Wad Koing, an elderly man. These people remain in the same place all the year round; the ground being sufficiently high to admit of their building their rain villages in proximity to the river. This was the furthest point visited by Captain Wilson (1903). The information regarding the remaining district is from hearsay.

This is the district ruled over by Sheikh Diu, who, being an influential man in these parts, is known by this Faslieikh. name only. He rules his own district only, and has nothing to do with the other Nuer districts above mentioned, each of which is independent, under its own sheikh. This district lies in the upper region of the Zeraf on the east bank, and the name Fasheikh applies to the inland district, where Diu and his people reside in the rains, as opposed to the village of Ajiung, which is the winter village.

The history of Diu's occupation of this district is interesting, and was supplied by several men, who may be quoted as local authorities. In the days of the old Government it was a large Dinka district, the chief sheikhs of which were two men well known to the present Government, i.e., Aiung Yor and Agweir Owae, who are, at the present time, settled on the left bank of the Sobat, at M' Yolga, vide p. 139. At that time, Diu was somewhere on the Bahr El Jebel, and the Nuer sheikh on the Zeraf was one Bil Wad Teng, who lived at the spot that is pointed out as the zeriba of Kuchuk Ali, the Khartoum trader. The two lived together, the trader probably working the country under the guidance of the sheikh. On the retirement of the Government from these parts and the disappearance of Kuchuk Ali, Diu came down and seized the Dinka country to the south of this spot, turning out the Dinkas under the above-mentioned sheikhs, and establishing himself as the paramount power in the district. He is stated to consider himself a " fakir " in the same way as Denkur ; but that he is not hostile to the Government is clear from the fact that he sent his representatives to Kodok last year.

Fasheikh is stated to be about three hours' march inland from Ajiung, but inaccessible owing to the intervening swampy ground.

* Visited Khartoum, 1904.