104 BAY OF BENGAL TIGER-DRIVING 



and takes no time to fix. It is, of course, unsuit- 

 able for sitting over " kills " or water. 



I knew nothing would return under at least a 

 week, so I sat me down in patience, though my 

 soul was consumed with vexation. 



The weather was ideal and the shore perfection 

 so far as strolling about went, and bitterly dis- 

 appointed though I was, I enjoyed going about 

 the place, generally quite alone, from dawn to 

 dusk. 



I also enjoyed being silently paddled up the 

 numerous narrow khals, which always afford a 

 certain amount of interest, although in this part of 

 the Sunderbunds animal life is practically limited 

 to tiger and cheetal, and bird life to herons and 

 kingfishers. 



I saw many specimens of the Guisab lizard, one 

 quite 6 feet long and more like a small crocodile 

 than a lizard. The Indians pronounce them to be 

 venomous, but in point of fact they are perfectly 

 harmless. The sailors killed a large black snake 

 some 7 feet long. 



On Monday I landed and had a hot and ex- 

 hausting day walking in long grass on sand and 

 in jungle, selecting places at which to tie up. I 

 had to see to everything myself, and I found it very 

 trying to hobble about all day in a broiling sun 

 with a rifle in one hand and a stick in the other. 

 On Tuesday the Collector of the District turned 

 up in his launch, most kindly coming to see if he 

 could be of any use to me. 



I liked Mr. Bradley Birt. He seems to me to be 

 a clever, cultured man with ideas, liberal-minded 

 and in sympathy with the natives. He shares 



