| | |of Shilluk |the river |is perhaps 500 | | |villages |channel, which |yards wide | | |spread along |averages from |behind it the | | |several miles |300 to 400 |eternal belt of | | |on the left |yards in width.|forest. Outside | | |bank, 400 |Near Kodok |of this again | | |yards from the|these grass |stretches an | | |river. From |islands occur |endless plain of | | |this point |in constant |high grass | | |southward, the|succession, and|dotted with | | |villages on |on the west |clumps of trees. | | |the western |bank a double |This side of the | | |bank of the |line of Shilluk|river is quite | | |river are |villages is to |uninhabited, | | |continuous. |be seen—the one|except by a few | | |They cluster |on the edge of |Shilluks who | | |along the |the swamp, and |cross the river | | |ridge and |the other |for the purpose | | |behind the |further inland.|of hunting or | | |forest. In |Landing can |fishing. | | |front of them |only |Occasional big | | |extends a |occasionally be|khors run into | | |broad belt of |effected on |the Nile on the | | |swamp, mostly |either bank of |eastern bank. | | |dry at low |the river |These | | |Nile, varying | |depressions run | | |in width from | |for many miles | | |a few hundred | |inland, and | | |yards to over | |their banks are | | |a mile. | |covered with a | | |Landing at any| |thick growth of | | |point along | |thorny trees. | | |this reach is | | | | |impossible | | | | |except at low | | | | |Nile. The | | | | |marsh is very | | | | |deep, and | | | | |covered with | | | | |thick grass | | | | |and reeds, | |