(f) Country South of the Akobo.[103]
Boma.South of the junction of the Ajibur and Akobo rivers, an undulating tract of country is traversed before the foot of the Boma hills is reached. The soil is generally of a gravelly nature, but the district is often most charmingly wooded, whilst striking cocked-hat shaped peaks to the west enclose the valley of the Ajibur and add variety to the scene. Until the Boma hills are entered the country appears to be quite uninhabited, for it was not until we reached the lower slopes that we observed natives for the first time gathering the fruit of the many palms that grow, as well as bamboo, hereabouts. The hilly district of Boma[104] is then entered, and many streams, valleys, and ridges have to be crossed. The soil is seemingly very fertile and capable of producing all kinds of cereals. Proceeding as we did in a south-westerly direction through these hills, we, of course, only traversed quite a small corner, so to speak, of the country, but were much impressed by the possibilities of the place as the site of a future post along the frontier. The natives appeared quite friendly; the scenery at times was really grand; and plenty of food and water could doubtless be always procurable once the natives saw that they would be protected from outside raiding parties. The average altitude of this region is generally from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea level, but other ridges and heights attain an altitude of close on 6,000 feet. The natives were exceedingly shy, but eventually we persuaded them to approach us, though unfortunately we were unable to converse with them except by that most unsatisfactory of means—signs. Physically, the men—we saw no women at all at close quarters—are finely built and appear a higher type than the Nuers or Anuaks. Many of them wore ostrich feathers in their head-dress, and several had large circular knives—like those of the Turkana, but much broader—round their wrists. Beads were very generally worn, and many of the young bloods had broad bands of red beads, picked out with patches of blue and white ones, fastened across the forehead. Small skin aprons, not unlike those of the Turkana, were also worn by some of the men. Most of the men’s spears were sheathed and not carried like those of the Nuers and Anuaks uncovered. The huts we saw were wretched little grass erections with no appearance of stability, and gave one the impression of being little more than mere rough shelters. We gathered from these natives that they had recently been raided by the Magois, whom they hate and fear, and had in consequence no goats or sheep left. We certainly did not see any, but at the same time the men looked so sturdy and well-filled that they probably had plenty of grain food. Moreover, the wild fig grows fairly abundantly along the banks of some of the streams. The loftier heights of the country are well wooded, and though, perhaps, they were somewhat distant to judge accurately, I think probably these trees would provide excellent timber for building purposes. The climate appeared most bracing, and, judging by the few days experience we had, the rainfall must be very heavy.
Grand solid rock peaks in places spring out from the ridges in a curious manner, and by their precipitous appearance would probably tax the resource of the most skilled Alpine climbers to reach their summits. We were able to learn nothing regarding the customs or habits of these natives, and, in fact, from the time we left Anuak country until we reached the Uganda Protectorate had to carry out all conversation by signs. Judging by the great display of beads made, for trading purposes I have little doubt but that red, blue and white beads would be readily taken in exchange for food. The small bead known as “pound” beads would, I think, be far less popular than a slightly larger variety about the size of a pea. The beads should be opaque, and the ordinary glass beads procurable in Cairo, I fancy, would be little sought after.
Karuno.To the south of Boma and some short distance away from the foot of the hills, a pleasantly wooded tract of country is traversed, consisting of alternate plains of open bush and grass land, whilst water is obtained from khors running in a westerly direction across this plain, before turning north. Further south, again, however, a most uninviting dried up plain, which, after rains, would probably be converted into heavy bog, is met with, and water now becomes a most-serious consideration as far as about lat. 5° 30′ north, where a broad sandy-bedded khor winds its way across the plain in a westerly direction. Along this river bed we found the Karuno tribe settled in considerable numbers. They appeared to be a somewhat powerful tribe, and were certainly the most elaborately bedecked and prosperous looking set of men we saw during our journey. They possessed large numbers of cattle, goats and sheep, and donkeys, and also grow grain along the banks of the Karuno. Like all the natives of these regions, they are extremely suspicious of strangers, and though not unfriendly, are by no means anxious, it seemed to us, to have anything to do with Europeans. I do not remember these people having ever before been mentioned by any traveller; but on comparing my map with Mr. Donaldson Smith’s we seemed most obviously to be at the place shown by him as inhabited by the Magois tribe. On enquiring of these natives where the Magois were, they pointed away across the plain to the west, and gave us to understand they had been driven away in that direction by the Turkana, who had come up in force from the south. Although we tried to induce the Karuno people to bring grain or goats and sheep into camp for sale, they would not do so, nor would they even provide us with guides. This is probably more due to the fear these natives entertain of travelling into their neighbour’s country than from any unfriendly motives. Here, where raids and counter-raids are frequently being indulged in, considerable hostility naturally exists between the several tribes living next each other. The Karuno in some respects are not unlike the Turkana, except that their head-dress is not a long pendant bag-shaped one, but more like a squat chignon, which is stuck full of fine vari-coloured ostrich feathers. Beads are worn by them in great quantities, chiefly red, white, and a variegated one known in East Africa as “Punda malia” (zebra). Many of the young warriors in addition to numerous strings round the neck, had solid bands of beads—similar to those we saw in Boma—fastened across the forehead. The elders have most handsome head-dresses made of cowrie shells, whilst others again wore skull caps made of small white and red beads worked into a neat design of many circles. Physically, the men are well set up and sturdy, though they do not run to height much and are probably little above the average stature.
The women are not unlike the Turkana, and weave their hair into straight ringlets which fall round the head. They also wear beads in great numbers round the neck, whilst the lower part of the body is covered with a skin apron, cut away at the side with a flap in front and a long trailing tail arrangement behind.
In addition to long handled spears, the men carry short stabbing spears, and oblong-shaped hide shields.
Exactly what extent of country the Karuno occupy I can hardly say, but I should imagine they do not exist further east than the foot of the escarpment, where the country becomes thickly wooded with thorn bush. In a westerly direction they probably do not extend more than 2 or 3 miles beyond where we first struck the Karuno river bed, leaving an uninhabited area of country between themselves and the Magois. After leaving the Karuno, and striking at first in a south-easterly, and later in an easterly direction, we reached and travelled along the foot of a rocky escarpment through an irregular bay, as it were, in the hills. The valley, between our line of march and broken hills to the south, was thickly wooded with thorn bush, and water was difficult to find. We saw a few old grass huts of natives, which had been deserted for some months previously, but saw no signs of human life. It is probable that this tract of country can only be occupied during the rainy season of the year, owing to the extreme scarcity of water.
Musha.After we had worked our way through these hills, finally crossing the eastern ridge by an easy pass, we found ourselves in a broad plain, thickly covered with thorn bush. Some 30 miles east more hills seemed to bar progress in that direction, whilst to the south the thorny plain appeared to extend for some 40 miles to the foot of the high mountain masses to the west of Lake Rudolf. We were now in the tract of country called by Dr. Donaldson Smith, Musha. The thorn-bush plain terminated to the north at the foot of two lofty mountains, the more westerly one of which attains a height of close on 6,000 feet, whilst the loftier mass to the south-east of it (previously known to me as Mount Naita.Mount Naita, and called by Dr. Donaldson Smith, Etua; whilst in Bottégo’s map it is named Aguzzo) reaches a height of about 7,300 feet. We passed numerous kraals whilst journeying in an easterly direction across this plain, which had all been temporarily abandoned by the natives, with whom we could get no intercourse, as they refused to approach us. On several occasions, when we saw two or three natives watching us from a distance, men were sent out to try and induce them to come into camp, but they fled before our men could get within even shouting distance of them. We were most anxious to obtain the service of guides, as the country before us was unknown, and the anxieties regarding water had become very great. It would appear, judging by the tracks we saw, that the Musha possess much livestock, consisting of camels, cattle, donkeys, goats, and sheep. In the thick bush, however, these people had little difficulty in driving them away and concealing their animals until we had passed, when presumably they returned again to their kraals. On one occasion, however, our advent was unexpected, as near our camping ground some of our party surprised two or three Musha, who were tending a flock of over 200 goats and sheep, and perhaps a dozen donkeys. The natives fled, leaving everything behind in their little enclosures. Strict orders were issued that these animals were not to be touched, as we hoped by so doing we might induce the natives to understand that we were not a marauding expedition, and were desirous of opening friendly intercourse with them. The animals were left alone all that day and night, but the Musha evidently feared to return, and when we marched off next morning the donkeys gave us a parting bray, which was the nearest approach to friendly intercourse we experienced in this neighbourhood, as we never saw another Musha man during the rest of our journey. In due course we crossed another low range of hills to the south of that grand mountain, Naita, and entered another wooded valley, which ultimately joined that of the River Sacchi, where we arrived on the 1st April, and our difficulties regarding water for the present were at an end. I would here remark that perhaps for nine months in the year, for a large party to cross this bit of country from Boma to the Sacchi, by the route followed by us, would be a most risky undertaking owing to the extreme scarcity of water. The many watercourses shown on the map were found to be almost without exception merely dry stony beds in which no water was procurable by digging. Fortunately, about the 20th March, rain had fallen to the east of where we then were, and by extraordinary good luck we subsequently found pools at intervals, after long continued search. One point worthy of note is that, in spite of previous rain, we seldom found water in the actual nullah beds, as, owing to their stony nature, the water runs off at once. What water was found was nearly always in depressions some distance away from the banks of these nullahs, where the clayey soil prevented percolation, and retained water in pools until it became evaporated in due course by the hot sun.
ANUAK WOMEN.