the Western Coast of the Red Sea. 201 



On leaving Halaib we found a strong wind and big sea 

 running from the north^ and our dhow rolled very heavily. 

 After a good run of about 60 miles, we put into a small land- 

 locked harbour called Khor Shinab, the entrance to which 

 could not have been more than about 80 yards wide, between 

 coral-reefs, on which the sea was breaking heavily. The 

 country round Khor Shinab is an absolute desert, being 

 covered with sea-shells and pieces of coral up to the foot of 

 the hills. 



We arrived at Mahomed Gol on February 6th, and, after 

 staying a day or two to arrange matters with the sheikhs, 

 started with 14 camels on our journey to the Erba Mountains, 

 After leaving Mahomed Gol, our way lay for some days 

 through valleys like the dry beds of rivers, between low, 

 barren, and rocky hills. Some of these valleys had curious 

 lines of igneous rock running down and across them. In one 

 of the valleys we came across some small lierds of wild asses. 

 These, the Arabs say, are escaped animals that have bred in 

 the hills, which is probably true, as they seem larger than the 

 true wild ass. At Haddai we camped at the mouth of a deep 

 gorge with steep cliffs on both sides. At the other end of this 

 there was a pool of water with a small stream running into it, 

 where we got two kinds of Turtle-Do ves {Turtur I'oseogriseus 

 and T. senegalensis) and some blue Kock-Pigeons. Here a 

 small brown Finch with darker stripes on the head was 

 common, and Sylvia blanfordi was frequently seen. There 

 were also flocks of the small Bengalee and some of the 

 Abyssinian Sun-birds. The reddish-brown Sand-Partridge, 

 which Mr. Ogilvie Grant has named Animoperdix cliolmlexji, 

 was only seen singly or in pairs, but its shrill call was often 

 heard among the rocks. In the evening, just as it got dark, 

 scores of the Sand-Grouse came down to drink ; these Avere 

 all of the same kind, with black bars on the head. 



The next few days of our journey took us through a most 

 desolate country, consisting of valleys full of sand with a few 

 bunches of dead grass and bushes, and spurs of low hills 

 covered with loose shale and slate. In one of the valleys were 

 the traces of an ancient gold-mine, with hundreds of well- 



