THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 34^ 



4ied about twenty yards diftance; but all the reft that could 

 efcape fled without looking back, or ihewing any kind of 

 refentment : I then took my mufquet in my hand, and 

 flood, prepared with my bayonet, behind the tree, but fired 

 no more, not knowing what their humour or difpofition 

 might be as to a return upon acceflion of new compani- 

 ons. 



About twenty fmall foxes, and a flock of fereral hun- 

 dred Guinea-fowls, now came up from the infide of the 

 pool. The fowls lighted immediately, and ran back again 

 to the water. The foxes retired quickly into the woods. 

 Whether they had aflembled with a view of getting a fliare 

 of the deer, an animal of this kind being generally attendant 

 upon the lion, or whether, as is moft likely, they were 

 feeking the Guinea-fowls, I do not know. I fufpect it 

 •was the latter, by their number ; for never more than one 

 at a time is remarked to accompany the lion. 



We obferved a. variety of traps and cages, forae of them 

 very ingenious, which the Daveina, or other Arabs, had fet 

 to catch thefe birds, feveral of which we found dead in 

 thefe fnares, and fome of them had not yet been touched 

 by beafts ; and as there was but a fmall diftance between 

 the traps and the water's edge, which could only be an- 

 fwerable to a fev/ days evaporation, we with great rea- 

 fon inferred, that the Daveina, or fome other Arabs, had 

 been there a very fliort time before. We found in the mud 

 of the pool large green flieli-fnails, with the animals alive in 

 them ; fome of them weighed very near a pound, in no- 

 thing, but fize and thicknefs of the fhell, different from 

 common garden-fnails. 

 Vol. IV. .X x 'Not 



