276 : LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN' ARABS. 



raga elephants passed close by the site of our camp on 

 their way to drink, and that some also paid El Effaara 

 a visit the night after we left there, and one was caught 

 in an Arab trap. This trap is a very simple contrivance, 

 though it must take some time making, for it consists of 

 a pit which is dug in one of the main approaches to the 

 river specially favoured by elephants, and then very 

 carefully covered in with sticks, straw, and the surround- 

 ing soil. The mouth is much bigger than the bottom of 

 the pit, so when an elephant falls into it his legs become 

 cramped up and he is powerless to move, and as he is 

 within reach of their spears the Arabs can kill him by 

 inches at their leisure. The Hamrans are making the 

 most of our presence, and of their consequent pro- 

 tection from the Base in this neutral territory, 

 by driving their immense herds of cattle all over the 

 country. More than two thousand drank at the river 

 to-day, almost opposite to our camp, and Albert took 

 it upon himself in our absence to frighten the drovers 

 away with the discharge of a few cartridges, and by telling 

 them that the next time they came near us they would 

 be fired upon with more effect. I went out for a stroll 

 along the river this afternoon with Essafi, chiefly to find 

 something for the larder ; but my thoughts were soon 

 turned in a different direction by Essafi pointing me 

 out a lion sitting close to the water's edge, quietly 

 gazing on the mangled remains of a hippo which had 



