“Settled villages become somewhat more frequent from that point until the Tedo district is reached. This is fairly thickly populated on both banks of the river, and for the first time we came across a considerable amount of cultivation. A large khor enters the Akobo from the east hereabouts, which probably has its origin in the Abyssinian highlands, whilst, from the village of Neum, a broad loop takes off from the Akobo and re-enters that river again some 5 or 6 miles further north. Up to this point the country had been chiefly open grass land, very sparsely wooded with trees, and occasional small groves of lalob, but it now became well wooded, and the swampy areas less frequent. Small villages were established at closer intervals, but the natives remained very timid and suspicious, and it was difficult in consequence to obtain the services of guides, as the larger number of the inhabitants concealed themselves on the approach of the caravan.
“The Anuak territory terminates at the junction of the Akobo and Ajibur streams, after which comes a long stretch of uninhabited country extending to the foot of the Boma hills. The district of Bula, some distance to the east, is reported by the Anuaks to be inhabited by men of a fair complexion—possibly Gallas. The Anuaks of the Akobo possess but few flocks of goats and sheep, and apparently no cattle. In addition to grain, they probably subsist to a large extent in the dry season on fish, as fish weirs and traps are occasionally met with in the river.
Width, depth, and current.“The average width of the Akobo in its lower reaches is 20 yards, and depth 7 feet, current 3 miles an hour (February); higher up above Neum its width increases to 40 to 60 yards, and its depth diminishes to 18 inches. Its banks are generally high and steep. In its upper portions it flows over a lava bed.
Navigability.“Small dug-out canoes are also used by the natives for travelling along the river. Navigation in a small launch would probably be quite possible as far as Neum for several months in the year. The larger Nile steamers would most likely be unable to navigate this stream owing to the extraordinary sharp curves and bends of the river, the stream when in flood being very swift. It is quite possible, however, that a powerful launch, drawing, say, 18 inches of water, might, at full flood time, be able to proceed, perhaps, as far as Melile, although extreme caution would have to be observed, for in parts the river flows over a lava bed, whilst in others, fallen trees in the river might prove dangerous.”
Discharge.The discharge of the Akobo near its mouth was calculated by Captain H. Wilson to be 2,185 gallons per second in October, 1901. There was then a clear waterway 15 yards wide and 14 feet deep, on each side of which were belts of sudd from 20 to 30 yards wide.
Ajibur, or Ruzi I.The Ajibur (Austin) or Ruzi I (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.
Gelo River.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. Though Bottégo 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 Bóttego, 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.