THE BONGO: Area, boundaries, and population of Bongoland— Subjection of the Bongo to the Khartoomers—Decrease of population by slave-trading—Red tinge of the skin—Width of the skull—Small growth of hair—No aridity in climate—Wild tubers as food—Races of goats and dogs—Hunting-weapons— Villages and huts—Smelting furnaces—Money of the Bongo—Weapons for display—Wood-carving— Penates of the Bongo—Musical instruments—Character of Bongo music— Corpulence of the women—Hottentot Venus—Mutilation of the teeth—Disfigurement of the lips—Arrow-poisoning—National games—Marriage premiums—Natural morality—Disposing of the dead—Memorial erections—Mistrust of spirits—Loma, good and ill-luck—Fear of ghosts—Belief in witches— Peculiarities of language—Unity of the people of Central Africa—Extermination of the race Page 256 CHAPTER VIII. Calamities by fire—Deliverance and escape—Six women-slaves burnt—Barterings—Domestication of wild-cats—Plague of cockroaches—Pillen wasps—Agamæ and chameleons—Fever— Meteorology—Solar phenomenon—A festal reception with an unfortunate result—Disturbance of rest at night—Murmuring of prayers—Jewish school—Orgies and drum-beating—Casting out devils—Resolve to follow Aboo-Sammat—Start towards the south—Passage of the Tondy—Character of the forest—The water-bock—Scenery by night—Shereefee’s attack—Seriba Duggoo—Consequences of the steppe-burning—Seriba Dagguddoo—Burnt human bones and charred huts—Tropics in winter—Two kinds of ant-hills—Arrival in Sabby—Nocturnal festivities of the Bongo—Desolation of the country— Goat-suckers—Abundance of game—The zebra-ichneumon—The spectral mantis—Lions—Wonderful chase after hartebeests— Snake and antelope at a shot 315 CHAPTER IX. Tour through the Mittoo country—Early morning in the wilderness —Soldier carried away by a lion—Dokkuttoo—Fishing in the Roah—Feeding a slave caravan—Ngahma—Dimindo, the hunter’s Seriba—Wounds from the grass—Dangadduloo—Entertainment in the Seribas—The river Rohl—Reception at Awoory—Footsore—Trial of patience—People of the district—Poncet’s Seriba Mvolo— Mercantile prospects for the Egyptian Government—Fantastic character of landscape—Structure of pile-work—Rock-rabbits— Rock-rabbits’ feet—Nile cataract in miniature—The _Tinnea æthiopica_—Seriba Karo on the Wohko—Reggo and its breed of dogs—Kurraggera—Aboo Sammat’s festivities—A speech of the Kenoosian—Aboo Sammat and the subjugated chiefs—Deragoh and its mountains—Kuddoo on the Roah—Fear of lions in the forest of Geegyee—Return to Sabby—The Mittoo people— Inferiority of race—Disfiguration of the lips by Mittoo women—Fetters of fashion—Love of music 365