Temperature.The temperature in these regions is comparatively cool, and the thermometer very seldom rises to 100° Fahr.
Health.The natives appear healthy, and there seems no reason why, with ordinary precautions, white races should not enjoy equally good health, though the more southern portions, at any rate, of this district are certainly within the “Blackwater” fever zone.
(e) The Beri Tribe.
Description.The following information is taken from a report by Captain N. T. Borton, who visited these people in April, 1904.
The Beri tribe appear to be a mixture of the Bari and Latuka. They live on a hill about 2,000 feet high called Jebel Lafol which is composed of granite with several fair sized trees growing on it. It lies about 50 miles south-east by east from Mongalla.
Houses.The hill is artificially terraced with granite slabs throughout and on these terraces, practically right up to the top of the hill, are built the tukls of the people, exactly similar to Bari Tukls except that the sides are made of strips of wood instead of reeds. The fighting men live round the foot of the hill and the older people higher up.
Water.There is no water on the hill itself—all has to be carried from rain pools of which there are at this time of year about a dozen round and fairly close to the hill.
Cattle.All cattle were driven off during our visit and were only beginning to return when I left—there did not appear to be many really large cattle zeribas, though these too may have been removed at our approach which had been watched for by day and night for the last three days.
Chief.Alikori[101] is the chief of the tribe and holds absolute sway. He is an oldish man of about 65 years of age, about 5 feet 8 inches in height, and like nearly all his tribe, wears a feather quill piercing his lower lip to allow the saliva to run off, when smoking, with a minimum of trouble to the smoker.
Succession.The rule of succession is that brothers succeed each other according to seniority; after the youngest brother’s death, the succession passes to the eldest son of the eldest brother and so on through the family.