A DANGEROUS CAVE 



opposite end to Gil Gil, there is a cave known locally 

 as the " Devil's Breath." At certain known times, 

 namely from four to seven in the morning and during 

 the same hours in the evening, a poisonous gas, which 

 has since proved to be hydrochloric acid gas, in sufficient 

 strength and volume to kill a cow in twenty seconds, a 

 goat in about fifteen seconds, and a dog almost instan- 

 taneously, comes from this cave. The cause of this is 

 beyond me, and I leave it to others more capable than 

 myself to furnish an explanation. For the comfort of 

 future visitors to this cave, I may inform them that 

 the gentleman on whose land it is situated has had a 

 railing put round, as well as a notice warning people — 

 those who can read — of its dangers. I saw a marvellous 

 collection of skeletons of animals lying near it. 



Another peculiar feature of the lake is that there 

 are absolutely no fish in it, yet it is the home of in- 

 numerable aquatic birds — sea-gulls, cormorants, ducks. 

 Eg3^ptian geese, pelicans, storks, also kingfishers, sea- 

 eagles, sacred ibis, golden-crested crane and many 

 others — besides otters and hippopotami. 



Rumour had it also that a few huge water python 

 made it their home, though I never saw but one ; on 

 the other hand, I did find to my cost one day, when 

 I had to wade ashore, that it was teeming with 

 leeches. 



Again, there is a belt of water-Hlies and reeds 

 averaging about five hundred yards wide nearly all the 



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