370 EXTRACTS FROM 
the border mountains—long steep slopes thinly covered with 
grass. The narrow track led us an endless distance through 
thorny bushes, and often crossed from one side of the stony 
brook to the other. Storks were standing on the hillsides in 
perfectly incredible numbers. In no region have I ever seen 
such masses of these birds as were assembled throughout the 
whole valley of the Jordan, especially in this valley of El- 
Audje. 
After a long ride we at last arrived at our camping-ground, 
where the tents were pitched at the foot of the hill, among 
the steppe-grass and prickly wild oats, but still not far from 
the edge of the rich verdure and the banks of the little brook. 
We were here almost at the head of the valley, which ends in 
a picturesque basin shut in by high slopes. 
It was with a sharp appetite that we attacked our lunch, 
for it was now three o’clock, and we had not eaten a morsel 
of food since five in the morning, while we had, moreover, 
gone through a great deal of exercise. The afternoon was 
spent in camp. 
Life in the open air, with a caravan and tents, is most 
charming, and very different to the cut-and-dried routine of 
European existence ; but unfortunately the camping-ground 
of El-Audje had some drawbacks, for the tents stood among 
the dry and highly inflammable grass, and a cigarette which 
had been thrown away kindled in a few moments a’ fire 
which was only extinguished by very energetic efforts. The 
large amount of ammunition which we had with us rendered 
double precautions necessary, so there was nothing for it but 
to greatly curtail our smoking. 
In the evening several of the sportsmen went out for a 
short stroll with their guns, and I succeeded in shooting a 
cock partridge as it was drumming, and also a stork which 
was flying to its sleeping-quarters. Thousands of these long- 
