374 EXTRACTS FROM 
leaved plants, and oleanders with their topmost shoots covered 
with splendid crimson blossoms. Odours such as we had 
never dreamt of, the true perfumes of the heaven-blessed Hast, 
a paradise after the fashion of the ‘ Arabian Nights,’ ravished 
our senses. Still there is nothing earthly that has not its 
darker side, and there the trees, bushes, leaves, and grass were 
all beset with thorns and prickles. Hven the dogs refused to 
work, and under these circumstances sport was quite out of 
the question. Every step we took brought fresh tortures, so 
we fled from this paradise as soon as possible, and hurried off 
to places where the vegetation was less luxuriant. 
Iwas much struck with the numbers and the variety of 
brilliant lizards in this garden of torment, for at every step 
tne reptiles rustled through the grass. 
After making a little round and shooting a few head of 
small game, we returned in the evening to the camp. The 
otaer sportsmen had been more fortunate and had brought in 
two Francolins—large birds, somewhat like a guinea-fowl in 
colour, and with a reddish-brown ring round the neck ; we 
had therefore now got within the range of this new species 
of game, with which we were to become better acquainted 
during the next few days. 
We here took a hearty leave of Salim and his men, for 
those fine fellows were now returning to their home. I 
was quite delighted with the picturesque look of the camp 
after dinner, and the beautiful way in which the fires lighted 
up the cliffs, and the gay figures of the servants and Bedouins 
that were moving about. A very long march lay before us 
tomorrow, as we intended to cover two days’ journey at a 
single stretch. 
The camp was already astir before sunrise, even while it 
was still quite dark. The tents were struck, everything was 
packed, and the heavy caravan moved off. We also soon 
followed it, and riding round the rocky cone, got into the 
