A COMFORTABLE BED. 267 



ing by some fresh tracks that elephants had drank 

 about a mile below our station. Later in the day we 

 heard that one had been caught in an Arab pit, and this 

 so frightened the others that they crossed the river. I 

 have no reason to grumble at my night's lodging, how- 

 ever, for Essafi made me a very comfortable bed by 

 clearing away the loose stones in a dry part of the 

 river directly under the bank, and covering it with a 

 thick layer of partially dry reeds. My ever-useful 

 water-bottle became my pillow, and thanks to this 

 glorious climate the sky was the only coverlet I 

 required. Essafi then performed the same office for 

 himself, making his pillow pf a bent branch, and soon 

 fell into the soundest of sleeps whilst I took the first 

 period for watching. Essafi has his own particular 

 pillow in camp, which consists of a concave piece of 

 wood fixed upon a stand about eight inches high, and 

 upon this he rests the back of his head, whilst his 

 luxuriant locks hang over it without any risk of being 

 crushed. The short time left to me before the sun went 

 down and darkness supervened was well taken up in 

 watching the ever-changing shadows and shapes of 

 objects that would be liable to deceive the sight in the 

 absence of moonlight, and also in arranging a night- 

 sight to my rifle. I find a strip of white paper 

 fastened by elastic bands along the whole length of 

 the barrel in a line with the sight answers the purpose 



