2 30 Seven Years in the Soudan.

Mam-Niam, and Niambara. This Mudir, who is called Atrusc, has been in these regions almost from his infancy. He has made an expedition from Makraka to the Nile, and then to the Lake Albert opposite Magungo. I was able to obtain from him the following particulars about the branch that I noted down in my map between Dufile and Lake Albert. He declares that near Wadelai a great river issues from the Nile, and runs into the interior with a breadth of more than six hundred feet for a distance of three and a half dajs' journey ; that it then divides into two streams, one flowing north-east and the other west ; but the Mudir could not tell me where it ended, as it ran through countries out of his jurisdiction. And yet Colonel Mason declares he never saw this river ! In my opinion he must have passed at night, and therefore it escaped his observation.

I have by me a report by Poncet's elephant-hunters, which was published by Maltebrun. In it this river is also spoken of. The book is entitled Le Fleuve Blanc {notes (jeographiques et etnolor/upies) et les passes d Velephant dans les pai/s des Denl-a et Djur, par Jules Poncet, and both in the report and the topographical maps there is marked a river, Avhicli issues from the Nile and flows north-east. Yesterday, after dinner, I took a turn in the camp of the newly-arrived troops, among whom are several natives from the country of Munza. I asked one of them, who is familiar Avith the Arab tongue, whether he had known ]\Iiani.

" Yes," he replied, " I was with him at Bakangoi ; he was a great friend of the Sultan. Miani brought with him from Cairo a large dog, which he gave to the Sultan, who in return presented liim with two monkeys and several parrots." From the description given by the Monbuttu, these monkeys must have been young tame chimpanzees, because he told me that when they reached the age of four to five years they were as tall as a man of middle