436 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



The road, which was tolerably good, wound along 

 a valley about a couple of miles broad, some portion 

 of which was cultivated, but the greater part was 

 overgrown with a curious kind of wild bulbous 

 plant, which much resembles our daffodil, and lilies 

 of different kinds. 



On either side rose hills some six hundred feet in 

 height, covered with low jungle and brushwood, 

 which M. Vernier informed us were composed chiefly 

 of iron-ore, which yielded eighty-six per cent, of 

 metal, fully equal to that imported from Sweden 

 On one of the hills, to the left of the road, a mining 

 company has been established, and a tramway 

 formed to convey the metal to Bone. 



We started three or four hares and a partridge 

 en route, as we rode along. At a short distance 

 from the town is a large loop-holed building, which 

 was formerly the limit of the French jurisdiction, 

 and M. Vernier informed us that he had been pre- 

 sent at several skirmishes with the Arabs at that 

 point some fifteen years ago. 



After a pleasant ride of about two hours, a turn 

 in the valley gave us a view of the Lake Fedzara, 

 and we were all much delighted with the scenery 

 and with our prospects of sport, for clouds of duck 

 were seen hovering over the reeds, which were at 

 some distance from the edge of the water. The 

 lake is about sixteen miles in length, and varies from 

 four to ten in breadth. The road winds along the 

 northern bank between the lake and a long range 



