298 EXTRACTS FROM 
crests among the flowery gardens. Kites, Falcons, Black- 
winged Kites, Ravens, Crows, Night-Herons, and all sorts of 
small birds come to roost in the shelter of this cover, and 
being aware of this we hid ourselves behind the thick stems 
of the date-palms, and had some easy and very productive 
sport'; but as soon as twilight had succeeded to a glowing 
gorgeous sunset we rode back along an embankment to the 
tolerably large town. 
On the 13th we resumed our journey in splendid weather, 
and travelled down-stream from sunrise to noon without a 
halt. Arrived at the place where the mountains of Gebel- 
Tuk come close up to the east side of the stream, the country 
looked so promising, that we resolved to lie to near the 
crumbling bank and go ashore for a little exercise. 
There was neither village nor house in this neighbourhood, 
nothing but rugged rocky mountains separated from the river 
by a meadow not more than a hundred yards broad. On 
climbing up the stony slopes and barren ravines I found 
plenty of jackal-tracks and some earths, so I made the dachs- 
hunds hunt the deep gullies, but unfortunately without any 
good result. I also failed in my attempt to stalk the birds of 
prey which were sitting on the peaks and pinnacles ; but while 
pursuing this unsuccessful hunt I found some old tombs con- 
taining bones and also what were either fragments of a mummy 
or pieces of muscular flesh desiccated by the pure hot air. 
On returning from the mountains we killed a few Quail 
which, tired with some long flight, had pitched on the narrow 
meadow, and after a halt of some two hours resumed our 
journey, reaching the large and prettily situated town of 
Sohag about two o’clock. 
Here we at once landed for a ramble through the neigh- 
bourhood, and the Grand Duke and I went round beyond 
the town to some large pools near the barracks of its small 
garrison, where we found a great variety of birds. The many 
