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... dinary spectacle. Very soon afterwards the increasing shallowness and the thick grass made further progress in the gunboat impossible, but having sighted a forest in the distance, Lieut. Comyn started for it in the Hislop boat, and when even this could be poled no further, did the last few miles by wading. The boat was once more reached at nightfall, and was only found thanks to the precaution which had been taken of tying a sheet to the mast. The wood which had been reached, consisted of enormous heglit trees, and contained many birds' nests, but the eggs-of the size of a turkey'ssome of which were boiled and eaten, proved most unpalatable. During the return voyage the hill Atin was climbed, and from its top the course of the river could be traced for miles. It appeared to lie in a belt of bush, but to be nowhere joined by any other stream. The'hill was composed of a red and black granite. The Ajibba in its neighbourhood declared that their tribe extends to the Abyssinian hills, and that they also dwell on the Agwei. Progress down-stream was comparatively easy, and on reaching the Agwei, Lieut. Comyn decided to explore it in the launch. Within the mouth he found it a fine river, 18 feet deep, and running for the most part between banks several feet high. Some belts of sudd had to be negotiated, but only one seems to have caused serious trouble during the ascent, though the difficulties were somewhat greater on the return. On the banks bush and plain alternated, with some fine trees, but at one part the country was flooded. Giraffe were seen, and many egrets and other birds. One of the crew was wounded by a crocodile, and on reaching a solid mass of sudd between high banks, Lieut. Comyn was forced to turn, reaching the steamer after an absence of three days, and proceeding at once to the Nasser post, where much-needed supplies of flour, rice, and sugar were procured.