Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/70

50 NEW AFRICAN PLANTS. neying some distance, were overtaken by the Abyssinian army, the general presenting them with a letter from the king ordering them to return by the way they had come, and there was nothing to do but to accept the situation, bad as it was. They returned into Somaliland, where they spent Christmas in company with Prince Boris, a Kussian sportsman, whom they chanced to meet. On Feb. 1st they were across the Shebeli again, and on the way once more to Lake Rudolf, moving as quickly as possible to the Juba, as the Abyssinians might be down on them at any moment. Keeping as westerly a course as possible, he reached the wells of El Madu on March 3rd, beyond which lay a mountainous and waterless tract of country for three days (45 geographical miles). This was success- fully crossed, though the expedition suffered from lack of water, and twelve camels died on the way. After going a long way west through the Boran country, and overcoming a temporary outburst of hostility on the part of the natives, they explored the northern end of Lake Stefanie. Going far up to the north they came to a black race of people called the Amars, living high up on a mountain, and it was by their village that he was pointed out the grave of Prince Ruspoli, who had come down from the Juba river, the only traveller that had ever succeeded in getting nearly so far into the country. Going farther on, they came to a large river (50 yards broad, with a current of four miles an hour, and 3|- ft. deep), which he afterwards found flowing into the northern end of Lake Stefanie, and he dis- covered that it arose partly from Lake Abeia itself and partly from the mountains immediately about that lake. Their further experiences included an attack by a large and warlike tribe called the Arbore, inhabiting half of the valley above Lake Stefanie, who assailed them with javelins and arrows, but were quickly dispersed by the whizzing of a few bullets. There were no roads, and they had to make paths over ridges two thousand feet high above the surrounding country. On July 4th they found themselves without guides in such a bushy country that they were obliged to make five long marches in the bed of a river knee -deep in water the whole time. As their boots were wearing out, they were forced to walk barefooted ; but their spirits ran high — Lake Rudolf was near, and they were to be the first to reach it from the east. After more than a year's wanderings in all sorts of country, and under most diverse circumstances, they found themselves at the goal of their ambition. They reached Lake Rudolf on July 14th, 1895. A journey round the northern end of the lake disclosed the fact that the Nianann was the only river emptying into the lake, and that there was no River Bass, as supposed by Count Teleki. Mathiola Smithii Baker fil., sp. n. Fruticosa ramosa cortice pallide brunneo ramulis cinereo-pubescentibus. Folia obovata vel oblonga utrinque cinereo-pubescentia vel subtomentosa margine subintegra vel remote serrata, ^-f poll, longa, circiter ^ poll, lata, apice obtusa vel subacuta, lamina ad basin in petiolum attenuata. Flores racemosi, apicem versus congesti inferne laxiores. Pedicelli breves validi cano-pubescentes. Sepala externe cano-pubescentia