34 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



Thoroughly satisfied on that important point, my audience 

 naturally wished to know where the solitary white man had 

 suddenly appeared from, what he wanted, and where he was 

 going. My stock of Arahic being very limited, consisting chiefly 

 of such useful words and sentences as "stop," "give me the 

 gun," "where is water," "go on," " is dinner ready? " &c., was 

 hardly adapted for a lengthened conversation with a number of 

 strangers of a most inquiring turn of mind, still, with the aid of 

 explanatory sketches in the loose sand, they at last compre- 

 hended that I belonged to a party which would shortly arrive, 

 and that it was bent on exploring and shooting in the country 

 higher up the river. Then they brightened up at once as the 

 idea of probable backsheesh developed itself in their brains ; 

 they "were all most experienced hunters who knew the country 

 well," and they would be our guides ; elephants, lions, buffaloes, 

 giraffes, all "kabeer," " kabeer ! " (enormous), were there in 

 immense droves, in fact, jostled one another, like Paddy's trout 

 in the famous stream, and his snipes in the Irish bog. These 

 mighty hunters were most anxious to be there and then engaged, 

 merely, though, on our account, so that there should be no 

 chance of our losing their valuable services, without which the 

 very idea of sport would be ridiculous. However much impressed 

 with all these unselfish offers of assistance, I preferred to await 

 the arrival of our caravan, even at the risk of losing by the delay 

 part of this high talent so self-denyingly placed at our disposal. 

 During the above conversation suggestions had been several 

 times made that I should see the sheikh of the village, but it 

 seemed best to await G.'s arrival. Evening was now, however, 

 not far distant, and the prospects of passing the night, should 

 the others not turn up, in the sole companionship of my camel, 

 near a jungle known to harbour more than one lion, not very 

 agreeable, I at last accepted the pressing invitation brought by 

 the sheikh himself of food and lodging in his hospitable village. 

 Led by my sleek host, who was clothed in a spotless white gar- 

 ment, and smelt strongly of butter, thanks to the grease with 

 which his curly locks had been plentifully adorned, I passed 

 through the opening in the thorny fence of the sereeba ; followed 

 by my camel and a large crowd of inquisitive villagers. Arrived 

 at the sheikh's hut, he and I seated ourselves upon an angareb, 

 native bedstead, placed in front of it, while my rifles, guns, 



