20 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap, ii 



(which I missed clean) and a snap-shot at long range 

 were the only chances I got. 



We were now in another dry watercourse, having 

 crossed a low rocky pass of 3750 feet and descended 

 only some 50 feet. Here we came upon a small square 

 Abyssinian guardhouse, with a flag flying from the top, 

 garrisoned by half a dozen men. It is situated at 

 the junction of the Zeila-Gildessa and Jibuti-Gildessa 

 roads, and is just a little over 100 miles from Zeila. 

 During the night we were disturbed by shots fired by a 

 party which had just arrived from Jibuti, and had 

 camped opposite us. It seems to be the custom here for 

 French travellers to fire a few shots on arrival at a 

 camping-ground, just to let any one within hearing know 

 they are armed. 



Next morning B. and myself lounged by the fire 

 till daybreak, when we went over and made the 

 acquaintance of the party whose arrival had disturbed 

 our night's rest. It consisted of two priests and a 

 civilian, with their caravan of mules and donkeys, bound 

 for Harrar, where there is a large Catholic Mission, 

 After exchanging a few remarks about the road and 

 weather, we left them packing up. On passing a strip 

 of jungle I got a snap-shot at a lesser kudu, but with my 

 usual luck. The day's march brought us to Gel-Dabbal, 

 which proved a windy and dusty camp. 



