216 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



We then waited quietly for all evidence of breathing to 

 cease, and after sundry prods at it with a stick without 

 its showing any signs of life, we were on the point of 

 descending from our perch, when a convulsive spasm 

 turned the body over to the edge of the pool, and in an 

 instant it disappeared into the jaws of a crocodile, which 

 without doubt had for some time taken a very consider- 

 able interest in our proceedings. I regret losing it as a 

 specimen, for it was far larger than I had imagined the 

 hyaena was ever found, and even than Essafi had pre- 

 viously seen. Possibly it saved one of us having a 

 more intimate acquaintance with the watchful crocodile. 

 Arabs will never stand near the edge of a pool, from 

 fear of being switched in by the tail of a crocodile, and 

 wonderful stories they tell of how women and children 

 fall victims in this way to its cunning. The mail for 

 Kassala left to-day ; in other words, Hadji Basheer started 

 on horseback for the great capital with our letters, and 

 if in two days' stay there he will find sufficient time to 

 recite his grief to his friends on the loss of Jarrone, we 

 calculate upon his return in ten with our long ex- 

 pected budget of letters and newspapers. Hadji is a 

 title he has obtained by a visit to Mecca. 



March 1 1. Vivian has severely wounded a rhinoceros, 

 but without any practical result ; returning home he had 

 a long stalk after a herd of buffaloes, and succeeded in 

 killing a fine bull. Essafi and myself went to an island 



