260 EXTRACTS FROM 
a somewhat large mass of rock, juts out into the lake, and is 
only connected with the shore by a narrow neck of land. 
There we got out and sent the Arabs and the boats behind the 
rock. It took some time before our energetic and authorita- 
tive orders succeeded in imposing silence on our swarthy 
companions; and we had no time to lose, for as the first 
glimmer of daylight was visible in the east it was necessary 
that everything should be perfectly quiet on the neck of land. 
We therefore made short work of it, drove the Arabs into 
their place of concealment, and left Osman behind as a 
guard. 
We now lined the neck of land and the rock, crouching 
down behind the bushes and the blocks of stone. At daybreak 
the flight of the waterfowl began. First came the Herons, fol- 
lowed by the Cormorants, Ducks, Pelicans, Gulls, Sandpipers, 
and a few Marsh-Harriers and Ospreys. Many shots were 
fired by the long line of guns, the large flocks of Pelicans 
being especially greeted with a well-sustained fire; but un- 
fortunately they were too far away, and only a couple of these 
great birds were foolish enough to fly low, and were bagged 
by two of the sportsmen. The stars had already vanished, 
and the night was succeeded by a glorious African sunrise, 
while the heat of the perfectly cloudless day already began to 
make itself felt. When we left our posts the flight was over, 
and every one picked up his spoil and made his way to the 
quickly improvised landing-place by the rock, where the 
boats were lying with the Arabs beside them and Osman 
taking charge of them all. 
Two Pelicans and various other birds had fallen, besides a 
poor Egyptian Vulture, which had inquisitively flown over 
the line of guns and had lost his life. 
After resting a little while we again set off to beat the 
bushes along the shore, which stretch both north and south of 
the neck of land, and form a dense undergrowth of tamarisks, 
