238 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



declare that they know many of the lions by sight 

 which frequent the Settite, from seeing them often 

 follow their cattle when they bring them up the valley 

 after the rains, and say that my fat one was a very old 

 offender, having robbed them of many a cow, and that 

 the news of his death had spread through all the villages. 

 March 20. Vivian has shot a maariff with a most 

 curious pair of horns, and we are at a loss to know whether 

 their condition is the result of a well-fought battle or of 

 abnormal development. One horn is only represented 

 by a short stump, as if it had been broken off, whilst the 

 other is so completely twisted out of its natural position 

 that instead of curving backwards it turns directly out- 

 wards, and is otherwise misshapen. It will form a 

 valuable addition to his collection of heads. On our 

 return home in the afternoon we ^heard, much to our 

 astonishment, that Gumming had been to the camp to 

 see how we were getting on, and then returned to the 

 Roy an, where his party had just arrived from the Salaam. 

 All quite well, but they have shot nothing of importance 

 beyond a giraffe, owing to the almost total absence of 

 game there, excepting tetel and mehedehet. They in- 

 tend, therefore, to return to the Settite in a few days, and 

 we shall then be able to hear more of their doings since 

 the great separation. I have continued to keep a daily 

 record, 1 when practicable, of the maximum temperature 

 Vide 'Chart.' 



