202 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



fly, and, besides, he has then to catch it. In one of my 

 feeble attempts at this, I have been told, exciting sport, 

 I caused considerable astonishment to the natives, as they 

 watched me rushing about with my outstretched net after 

 a butterfly that had a strong objection to visiting its in- 

 terior, and I soon came to the conclusion that it was 

 cruel work destroying the lives of such innocent and 

 beautiful creatures. 



March 5. Vivian has been very fortunate in finding 

 a rhinoceros standing under a big mimosa in otherwise 

 open ground, and so well concealed was he that both 

 Mohamed and himself walked almost up to the tree 

 before observing him. Seeing probably that there was 

 no chance of escaping quietly from his hiding-place, he 

 allowed Vivian to walk round him for a side-shot, and 

 this, though well-directed, produced no apparent effect 

 beyond making him give a loud whifF. A second shot 

 from the ten-bore with six drachms of powder was more 

 than even a rhinoceros could bear quietly, and out he 

 came at Vivian, but with a very feeble attempt to show 

 fight, and then a third bullet dropped him dead. Vivian 

 has a very good gun-bucket, made of leather, which is 

 suspended by two straps from the saddle on the off side, 

 in such a direction that when the stock of a gun rests 

 in it the muzzle points upwards behind the right arm, 

 and after a little practice the gun comes to hand most 

 readily. This pattern bucket is specially described by 



