It may readily be imagined that my arrival was hailed with satisfaction
by the natives throughout the country. Should a stranger have filled my
position, there might have been some suspicion in the minds of the
natives, but I had been so well known during my former journey, that the
people accepted the new government with thorough confidence.
Wat-el-Mek, who was always the discoverer of unknown lands, had lately
visited a new country in the east.
It may be remembered by the readers of "The Albert N'yanza," that
shortly before my return from Shooa (only six miles from Fatiko) a new
country named Lira had been discovered by the vakeel of Koorshad
Agha - "Ibrahim." Poor Ibrahim was dead, otherwise I should have had a
good and dependable man.
The Lira country was rich in ivory, but the greatest prize discovered
was the presence of donkeys, which are quite unknown in the White Nile
districts.
Wat-el-Mek had now penetrated beyond Lira, and had reached the country
of Langgo, which was exceedingly interesting.
From the description of the people, it appeared that the portion of the
Langgo visited by them was entirely different from the country between
Gondokoro and Unyoro.
The expedition HAD CROSSED THE SOBAT RIVER, and had arrived in the
Langgo about 130 miles due east of Fatiko. They described the country as
similar to portions of the Soudan. Generally, flat plains of the rich
grass known as negheel, which never grows high, and is the finest
pasturage. The trees were for the most part Soont (Acacia Arabica),
which is not met with in the White Nile countries south of the Sobat
junction.
The Langgos were an immense tribe, but were, like the Baris, divided
under many chiefs. These people were exceedingly large and powerful, and
were esteemed as great warriors. They seldom ate flour, but lived upon
the milk and flesh of their innumerable herds.
The cattle were as large as those of England, and were celebrated for
the extreme size of their horns.
Wat-el-Mek had made a razzia with a very powerful force, collected from
all the stations of Abou Saood, and he had succeeded in capturing an
enormous number of these fine animals, together with a large herd of
donkeys.
These strange cattle would not live at Fatiko, as the herbage was quite
different to that to which they had been accustomed. They died in such
numbers, that in three months only three or four remained out of as many
thousand. Thus all these beautiful beasts were wasted.
The river Sobat was described as flowing from the south, and was known
as the Chol. The Asua river is only one day's march or about twenty
miles, east of Fatiko.
