180 UGANDA AND TEE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

season, on account of the large number of ild animals which infest it, and who are only driven away when the grass is burnt; but, as we were a large party, we decided to risk an encounter with the inhabitants of the forest ; so, having said farewell to Genaue Bey, we started on our three days' march and met with no very startling adventures.

The first eight miles runs to the south of west to a small village, where we collected grain for our 2)orters' use on the way, as there is no cultivated ground between Pizelia and Dem Idris.

The road through the forest was very winding, and led us through some lovely sylvan scenery. We were completely surrounded by trees, whose mighty branches were so thickly interlaced that we could not see the crowns, which in many instances must have risen to a height of 120 feet.

The dense foliage completely shut out the rays of the sun, and even at mid-day we marched along in a dim, mysterious twilight. Bright-coloured creepers drooped in graceful festoons from the trees, forming bowers of ever-varying beauty ; here and there we caught glimpses of shady avenues, through which darted the startled denizens of the forest. Now and then birds of lovely plumage flew overhead, uttering shrill piercing cries; rainbow-hued butterflies fluttered hither and thither; while the lium of myriads of insects made the silence more intense. Sometimes we passed under lofty arches