144 SHORT STALKS 



the ncigliboiirliood ; also a female cdini, or inuuiitaiii 

 gazelle, which had been snared l)y some Arabs when 

 feeding at night in their 1 larley-fields. It is about twice 

 the size of the common gazelle of the plains {(Jazella 

 dorcas), and differs from it in the long, upright, and 

 straight horns, as distinguished from the lyre -shaped 

 horns of the smaller species. The cd mi has long- 

 pointed ears, and very large and prominent black eyes. 

 This beautiful animal excited us greatly, but, from what 

 we were told of its rarity and the ditticulty of finding it, 

 we had not much hope of securing a specimen. I was, 

 however, destined to become acquainted with it. ( Japtain 

 Ben Driz's enthusiasm for sport, as is the case with most 

 of the better- class Arabs, was centred in hawkino-. 

 Unfortunately we had no opportunity of seeing this 

 characteristic pursuit. 



Our movements were governed here, as elsewhere, by 

 the scarcity of good drinking water, and we finally got 

 leave to spread our mattresses in some spare rooms at the 

 railway station, to which a fresh supply of the precious 

 liquid was daily brought by train. 



The foot of the Salt Mountain is distant about two 

 miles across a stony tract of desert. We were told that 

 its intricacies were so great that it was impossi1)le for a 

 stranger to find his wav, Ijut there was no real dilticultv, 

 and we should have done better without the Arab whom 

 we took with us, as he w^as both stupid and lacked the 

 keen sight of most of his race. The mountain, which is 

 not more than three miles long, has the appearance of 

 having been dropped from above, and broken in the fall. 

 Its chaotic character is due to the solubility of the salt. 



