28 LIFE WITH THE HA AIR AN ARABS. 



range of them, but now both begin to require careful 

 stalking from bush to bush to get even within 150 or 200 

 yards of them. We keep their horns if they are good, 

 with merely the front of the skull, and this is cleansed 

 by being put daily into the sand when we halt. Our 

 Arabs value the skins of both very much, as they are 

 very soft though strong, and therefore make capital 

 water-skins. 



The flesh of the ariel is better for food than that of 

 the gazelle, but even of this one must after a time get 

 tired, so it was with no small pleasure that to-day, for the 



first time, eight sand-grouse were bagged for the pot. 



.- 



At 3 P.M. we arrived at a few huts, made of the 

 leaves of the dome palm, which are stated to be exactly 

 half-way between Souakim and Kassala. No natives 

 were to be seen here, not even a woman or child, but we 

 found an excellent well, and having replenished our 

 water supply we resumed our journey. The camel-men 

 are tending daily to become more troublesome, and at 

 4 P.M., having stopped their camels, declared they would 

 go no farther, and that we might shoot them if we liked. 

 This is, however, not our intended means of punishing 

 them, for we think that cutting off their supply of 

 gazelle, which they dearly love, and having one or more 

 flogged at Kassala, will probably prove quite as much to 

 their taste. 



Jan. 6. Last night the minimum temperature was 



