SNIPE-SHOOTING. 25 



To-day we first meet with the Ichneumon, a large species 

 of the Polecat tribe. This beast was formerly held sacred by 

 the Egyptians, to whom it rendered some service by devour- 

 ing the eggs of the crocodile and killing snakes. It is now 

 abundant in the Delta, but rare to the south of Cairo. 



February X'dth. — We arrive at a small village, about five 

 miles by water from Damietta, where we remain for several 

 days, as it is close to a reedy marsh, the best locality for 

 snipe that we shot over in Egypt. Here one may kill forty 

 or fifty couples of snipe in a day for a whole week without 

 going over the same ground twice. However, I was not 

 very successful the first day, owing to my having obtained a 

 guide who told me that duck was in great abundance ; con- 

 sequently I reserved my fire for them, never having had a 

 real good day's duck-shooting in Egypt. I must confess 

 that my companion showed his sense in being contented with 

 the snipe-shooting and in not following me on my wild-goose- 

 chase. With my guide I plunged into the thick reeds, 

 whence I could not see ten yards in front ; here I waded, 

 in mud up to my knees, for half an hour straight out towards 

 the centre of the lake, and began to get very tired of seeing 

 nothing, when up rose an old Bittern from its noonday 

 slumbers ; him I shot in hopes that the report might disturb 

 some of the numerous waterfowl of which I had heard so 

 much from my guide, but the existence of which I began to 

 doubt. vSave a few Marsh-Harriers, no birds were roused 

 by the sound ; consequently my temper began to fail me ; 

 so, after struggling on for some distance further and finding 

 nothing but reeds, I turned about, and was heartily glad when 

 I found myself once more on the snipe-ground, where I bagged 

 ten couple in about half an hour. My spirits now rose again. 



