42 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



thrown into the water where they are. Another plant 

 like the poker plant {Triborna grandis), a haemanthus, 

 I beheve, is supposed to produce violent headache if 

 it touches one. One day we put up several ostriches 

 and a wart-hog, and another passed a large head of 

 Jackson (?) hartebeest. Near Turda innumerable 

 monkeys chased each other among the trees or scurried 

 across our path. 



At one halting-place a lion paid us a visit. It was 

 about eleven at night. My guide, orderly, and self were, 

 as usual, a long way ahead. As the men were tending 

 to the camels, they told me that it was evident from 

 the docility of the beasts that there was a lion about. 

 I did not quite believe them, but a few moments later, 

 when about fifty yards or so from them, I distinctly saw 

 a long yellow form, which halted and then slinked away 

 at my shout, making for the camels. Presently in the 

 bush I saw two green orbs shining, but dared not fire, 

 unless it were to stop a charge, which in the Sudan an 

 unmolested lion will seldom deliver. 



This was the first lion at large I had ever seen, 

 though there are some near El Obeid. I had once 

 followed a twittering bird for a long time, as my 

 shikari had told me that there was " asal " (honey) 

 near. I had misunderstood him to say " asad " 

 (lion), and it was not till I used the local term " dood " 

 that he told me that there were none about. For some 

 reason I had failed to connect the honey-bird — that 

 true guide or practical joker, as its stomach is empty 

 or full — with tiie direction we followed. 



