70 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



sides these are the lion, leopard, hyaena, fox, pig, 

 Cape buffalo, gnu, kudu, hartebeest, pallah, steinboc, 

 and the little madoka, or Sultana gazella. The giraffe, 

 zebra, quagga, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus are all 

 common. The game-birds are the bustard, florikan, 

 guinea-fowl, partridge, quail, snipe, various geese 

 and ducks, and a very dark-coloured rock-pigeon or 

 sand-grouse. The birds in general have very tame 

 plumage, and are much more scarce, generally speak- 

 ing, than one finds in most other countries. 



The traveller on entering these agricultural districts 

 meets with a treatment quite opposite to what he 

 does from the pastoral tribes such, for instance, as 

 the Somal, Gallas, Masai, &c. &c. Here they at once 

 hail his advent as a matter of good omen, or the pre- 

 cursor of good fortune, and allow him to do and see 

 whatever he likes. They desire his settling amongst 

 them, appreciate the benefits of commerce and civilis- 

 ation, and are not suspicious, like the plundering pas- 

 torals, of every one coming with evil intentions towards 

 them. The Somal, about as bad a lot as any amongst 

 the rovers, will not admit a stranger into their coun- 

 try, unless accompanied by one of their tribe, who 

 becomes answerable for the traveller's actions, and 

 even with this passport he is watched with the eyes 

 of Argus. Every strange act committed by him, no 

 matter how simple, absurd, or trifling, is at once de- 

 bated about in council, and always ends to Viator's 

 disadvantage. They add to everything they see or 



