ELEVENTH DAT. 179 



clearing, where there were only a few somewhat taller trees, 

 on the tops of which were sitting eight or ten Cinereous 

 Vultures. Such a number of big birds all together looked 

 very imposing ; and on one oak sapling I remember having 

 seen four of these heavy creatures, their weight making the 

 tree literally bend. We at once determined to ride up to 

 them ; but as it was very hard work for the poor horses 

 to get through the thick scrub, we dismounted and, leaving 

 them with the trainer, hurried up to the aforesaid trees 

 as fast as we could I armed with my double-barrelled gun, 

 and my brother-in-law carrying his rifle. 



When we had got within about a hundred and fifty paces, 

 the vultures flew off one after another, and only one 

 remained sitting on a dead branch with its breast turned 

 towards us. To have shot at it with the gun would have been 

 utterly useless ; so, as my brother-in-law was even still more 

 out of breath than I was, he unslung his rifle and gave 

 it to me, and, aiming as well as I could, I fired, but unfor- 

 tunately missed, and the vulture spread its heavy wings and 

 slowly flew off to a neighbouring wood. 



Returning to our horses we mounted again, and soon 

 afterwards saw the same flock of vultures perched in just the 

 same fashion on the edge of another wood not far off, and on 

 trying to approach them very nearly succeeded in getting 

 within shot. 



We now found ourselves standing on the top of a hill, 

 quite at a loss what to do ; for the thick wooded valleys 

 and clearings by which we were quite surrounded were so 

 very like each other that we had no idea in what part of 

 the country we really were. Even the trainer had lost his 

 bearings. We therefore just rode on in the line which seemed 

 most likely to be right. 



While trotting along we were lucky enough to meet with 

 the head forester, who, on hearing our shots, had hurried 



N2 



