104 HEIMAWS DATCH. 



large brimstones, a fritillary, and a wood argus, 

 whilst amongst the moths I recognized quantities 

 of the gamma and the humming-bird hawk moth. 



When we went down to the shore to bathe, 

 huge shoals of what looked like bass were playing 

 close in shore, but alas we had no means of secur- 

 ing any, though they would have been a noble ad- 

 dition to our ill-found larder. 



Last night, whilst writing up my journal, with 

 my legs dangling from a rafter, and a great wood 

 fire burning by my side, by which the men lay 

 curled in their bourkas, the wind that came moan- 

 ing through the open places in the wall brought 

 with it a sound between a child's wail and a wolf's 

 howl, which was so distinct from the jackals' cries 

 that it arrested my attention at once. The men 

 sprang to their feet simultaneously, and with ex- 

 cited faces whispered 'barse' (panther). At our 

 backs was the ruined doorway through which 

 the forest trees stretched their arms ; in our front 

 was the huge empty window place with thickets 

 of briar and thorn half blinding it, and right 

 under it the sound seemed. For a moment I 

 believe the same feeling was on all of us, that the 

 next event would be the entrance of our serenader 

 by either door or window. However, this wore off 

 at once, and snatching up ray rifle I crept to the 

 window place to try to make out the beast in the 

 moonlight. But outside all was a maze of shadowy 



