 The first British officer to conduct a patrol to Deim Zubeir was Major William Boulnois in early 1901.His mission found that ""the shrunken remnant of the population, constantly raided not only by the Azande but by other groups, had in despair given up all attempt either to keep livestock or to cultivate.Forced down to the level of primitive 'hunters and collectors', they now existed 'chiefly on the natural resources of the forest - roots, seeds, wild honey, fruit and wild beasts"'."