-62 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



chiefly of one flat plain covered with a short dry grass 

 without even a stunted mimosa to break the sea-like 

 expanse. The soil is now no longer sand, but a fine dark 

 earth that only awaits the husbandman to render it of 

 incalculable value to Egypt. Several ariel were seen, but 

 no amount of careful stalking would enable us to get 

 within 300 yards of them ; and as the guinea-fowl have 

 been equally wary, we stand a chance of running short 

 of our fresh meat supply. Albert ' very feeble ' to-day, 

 but we hope it is only due to his digestion having been 

 upset by yesterday's ebullition of temper. 



Jan. 19. Off again before 9 A.M., and, after passing 

 through a mimosa-wood in which guinea-fowl were found 

 'in hundreds and bagged in proportion to our wants, we 

 -came again upon an immense plain, but with this great 

 difference, that it was in parts cultivated with dhurra, now 

 in full ear, and here and there a solitary Arab could be seen 

 plucking the heads off. Several new kinds of trees, and 

 birds of beautiful and varied plumage, were also noticed. 

 In the afternoon we entered an immense forest of bare 

 .stunted trees of various kinds, but having as the one 

 general characteristic the most villanous thorns that the 

 ingenuity of Nature could well devise ; and though our 

 clothes are of stout material, they occasionally gave us 

 some practical experience of their fish-hook propensi- 

 ties. Here in every direction could be seen innumerable 

 birds'-nests suspended as by a fine cord from the tips 



