OP THE OLD WOKLD. 453 



but could see nothing, though the growling was still 

 heard now and again; and at times I fancied I 

 saw something stirring. I drew my pistol, and 

 fired a double shot at what I thought was the body 

 of the lion, in order to make him show face ; a loud 

 growl followed, we heard a crashing among the 

 underwood, and the brute had stolen away without 

 showing fight, for in about ten minutes we heard 

 him roar about half a mile off. 



The moon now became overclouded, and our 

 chance was up for the time, so we returned to the 

 douar, where the caid had prepared a tent for us, 

 in which we slept very comfortably rolled up in our 

 blankets. 



The third lion was heard roaring in the distance, 

 as he lurked round a neighbouring douar. 



Saturday, 27th. — The caid sent us a substantial 

 breakfast, which consisted of hard-boiled eggs, hot 

 gallets, made of fine white flour, milk, butter, and 

 a huge dish of " kouskous," the staple food of the 

 Arabs, which is made of wheaten flour, damped and 

 rolled into small grains like millet-seeds, which are 

 afterwards dried, and boiled up with mutton and 

 fowl, or with milk and sugar. Strolled about the 

 jungle all day, visiting the trail of the lions we had 

 been after in the night. The pugs of the lion were 

 nearly eighteen inches in circumference, those of 

 the lioness about fourteen. The jungle in this part 

 of the country is chiefly composed of a beautiful 

 heather, (now in flower,) the myrtle, of which tlie 



