44 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



child found great pleasure in nursing a young leopard, 

 We were shown here numerous other varieties of animals, 

 from giraffes to monkeys, some of them having been 

 only just brought in by the Arabs. Mr. Cohen supplies 

 the various Zoological Societies of Europe with the 

 animals found in this country. Our house, though far from 

 being palatial, has ample accommodation, for there is 

 room in the courtyard for our stores, and actually some- 

 thing resembling a staircase leading to a first-floor, which 

 consists of an outer court and four rooms. The walls 

 are made of mud baked in the sun, and therefore 

 not very attractive in appearance ; but as a protection 

 from both the sun and the outer world it answers its 

 purpose admirably, and there is no fear of our having 

 a heavy bill for damages, as the furniture only consists 

 of a few strips of matting and an angarep. 



Jan. 14. Of all noisy places at night Kassala would 

 not be far from heading the list, for by no human 

 ingenuity could it well be surpassed in this respect. Not. 

 a moment's quiet, for innumerable dogs keep up an 

 incessant barking to keep off the hyaenas, whose cry is 

 continuously heard in the outskirts ; drums are being 

 beaten, sometimes for a wedding, at others for a death ; 

 women are screeching, and priests are calling the faithful 

 to prayers, or the watchers of the night are shouting in 

 response to one another ; whilst our old friends, the cocks, 



