190 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXII 



iresliing mountain rill. A large colony of pig-faced 

 baboons * shortly made their appearance above us, 

 some slowly advancing with an inquisitive look, 

 others deliberately seating themselves on the rocks, 

 as though debating on the propriety of our uncere- 

 monious trespass on their domains. Their inhos- 

 pitable treatment at length obhging. us to make an 

 example, we fired two shots among them. Num- 

 bers assembled round the spot where the first had 

 struck, scraping the lead with their nails, and scru- 

 tinizing it with ludicrous gestures and grimace. 

 The second, however, knocked over one of their 

 elders, an enormous fellow, who was strutting about 

 erect, laying down the law — and who, judging from 

 his venerable appearance, must have been at least 

 a great-grand-sire. This national calamity caused 

 incredible consternation, and many affecting domes- 

 tic scenes. The party dispersed in all directions, 

 mothers snatching up their infants, and bearing 

 them in their arms out of the reach of danger with 

 an impulse and action perfectly human. 



Conducted by an elephant path, we descended 

 through the forest to a secluded dell on the north- 

 ern side of the range. Beyond, the whole plain 

 was studded with detached pyramidical stony hills, 

 amongst which we could perceive the extensive re- 

 mains of cattle enclosures and ruins, similar to those 

 we had passed in the morning, testifying of "cities 

 long gone by." The tracks of the elephants leading 

 back again to the mountains, we reascended by a 



* Cynocephahis Forcarius. 



