108 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



December 24th. Marched 10 miles to Sofi, finding 

 the first decent road-bungalow I have seen in the 

 country. Hippo-hide quite bad, and smelling abomin- 

 ably, so that it had to be thrown away. Wrote 

 letters, and killed a guinea-fowl with one shot in 

 evening. 



December 25th. Engaged Mahomed and Ahmed of 

 Sofi as shikaris, each on Ps. 10 per diem, to feed them- 

 selves. Went out with them to prospect for lion- 

 tracks, and found them, apparently a pair, in the 

 Till Khor, where I selected a tree for a machan, to 

 which I returned in the evening, and tied up a goat, 

 sitting up without result until dark, and leaving the 

 goat there all night. 



December 26th. Examined the goat, which was 

 untouched, owing possibly to the fact that goatherds 

 had been camping all round. Bagged four wood-grouse 

 with eight shots. Returned in afternoon, and com- 

 pleted machan with lamp, etc., taking cold supper. 



December 27th. Spent fruitless night in machan. 

 Bagged one sand-grouse and one guinea-fowl with 

 eleven shots, including four miss-fires. The old 

 Cashmere 5's are past work, being three years old. 

 Found Captain 0. C. in the bungalow on my return, 

 on his way to shoot for ten days on the Settit, so that 

 we shall to some extent clash. Returned to machan 

 in afternoon, with cold supper again. 



