218 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



April 22nd. The night passed without incident, 

 and I awoke with a headache, and went back straight 

 to camp. Lions had evidently been prowling round 

 the camp all night, so my absence was doubly un- 

 fortunate. I spent the day in my aerial chamber in 

 the fig-tree, which was cool and comfortable ; and I 

 then thought that a portable hammock would be by 

 no means useless in this country, to be slung when 

 occasion requires. In the afternoon my headache 

 went off, and I went out with my rifle, but saw 

 nothing of note, except a sounder of wart-hog and 

 a single boar. These animals are not found at all 

 below Homar ul Gizm. After dinner I again went for 

 the night to the machan in the fig-tree. 



April 23rd. The night passed without incident and 

 we got off at 7 a.m., and marched from Banderey 

 until 11 a.m., when we reached Mugdu, the starting- 

 point for the Galegu. The going was bad cotton-soil, 

 and I suppose we covered 8 miles, or 16 in all from 

 Homar ul Gizm. On the road I shot a brace of guinea- 

 fowl, and missed three easy shots at oribi, at distances 

 of 20 to 30 yards. However, I made amends just 

 before the march ended by killing a fair reedbuck 

 of 11| inches, facing me at 80 yards, striking the 

 apple of the throat. As our next march involved 

 crossing the Rahad, whose banks are generally too 

 steep for camels, we prospected up-stream in the 

 afternoon, and found a suitable crossing, Mokedou, 



