SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 147 



cunning and treacherous the Baria were. ]-5rou, the 

 interpreter, was not behindhand in telling us all 

 sorts of terrible things about them. One story he 

 told us was this : There was a man who lived in a 

 village close to the frontier, and who had to pay 

 tribute to the chief of his province in ivory. He had 

 gone down to the desert, or jungle, to hunt the 

 elephant alone ; a wily Baria following him most of 

 the time. It should be stated that this tribe of natives 

 have no fire-arms, and only hunt and destroy with 

 spears and knives. The elephant-hunter was stalking 

 an elephant, and had come up to him ; at the moment 

 he fired, the Baria, who had been sneaking after 

 him, jumped up from behind, drove his knife into him, 

 and killed him. This is a good example of their 

 treachery ; but the Abyssinians are just as much to 

 blame in regard to the Baria or Shangallas, for when- 

 ever the Abyssinians catch them in much smaller 

 numbers than themselves they generally kill them. 



Feb. 7. — H. went on in front to Coom-Coom- 

 Dema : I said that as it was early I should shoot 

 over part of the country and join him later. I went 

 away into the jungle, which lay south of our camp, 

 and came upon some old elephant tracks. I had not 

 gone very much farther before I saw some gazelles ; 

 I managed to get near one of them, and, as it was 

 racing away on the side of a little hill, I rolled it over 



