2 54 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



bed that night but for the porters having mobbed a 

 young pig (Bosh-vark), which, although it did not 

 go very far among so many, still assisted materially 

 to allay the cravings of hunger. Near sun down, 

 too, I had a slice of luck ; Sunday pointed me out a 

 grand bustard or pauw [Otis kori), which, after a long 

 and somewhat difficult stalk, I killed. When return- 

 ing to camp after this success, I heard a koran {Otis 

 7'uficrista) calling ; after a slight search I discovered 

 the position of this garrulous bird, and while endea- 

 vouring to get within range, flushed in succession, 

 out of the long grass, three of the same species, all 

 of which I bagged. As the specimen of the first- 

 mentioned species weighed upwards of thirty pounds, 

 and the korans were as large as hen capercailzies, I 

 did not retire to my blankets hungry. A hint I 

 would give to future travellers in Gasa Land : cook 

 these magnificent birds as soon after they are shot 

 as possible, otherwise they become tough. This is 

 the secret of spatch-cock being such a toothsome 

 dish in India. 



The following day the appearance of the country 

 materially changed, in many portions its character- 

 istics being so similar to a nobleman's park at home, 

 that when I gazed, it required no stretch of imagi- 

 nation to believe myself transported to the British 

 Islands. 



Spoor of game, from that of the mammoth ele- 

 phant to the diminutive stein-bok, was everywhere 



