308 DR. O. FINSCH ON BIRDS FROM NORTH-EASTERN 
On the return journey I spent a few days at Undel Wells, with the view of obtaining 
a more special knowledge of the fauna of that elevation, having reason to believe it 
differed materially from that of the higher and lower zones. I did not, however, obtain 
much satisfactory information until my subsequent trip, at a later date, into Northern 
Abyssinia. 
I arrived with the rearguard at Zoulla, where, after having made some additions to 
my collection, I prepared seven cases to be sent to England. As I have before stated, 
I obtained permission from H.B.M. Consul at Massowah to join him, Capt. Mokeler, 
and Mr. Blanford in an expedition into the Bogos country, which, although already 
explored by Brehm and Heuglin, I thought worthy of attention. Had opportunity 
offered, I should, in accordance with my instructions and my own wishes, have visited 
the country towards lake Assal. During the third week in June we were occupied in 
preparing for our proposed trip. We sent our baggage and provisions round to Mas- 
sowah by buggalow, and our animals by land. We ourselves started on board the 
‘General Havelock’ for Massowah, where we had to remain a few days arranging our 
affairs. 
On the 22nd of June we left Massowah for the mainland, assembling our caravan at 
about four miles distance, at Monkooloo, and started the next morning with thirty- 
eight camels, eight horses, and about thirty men. We halted at Sahati, en route for 
Ailet, and heard there of Lions, but found no traces of them, so proceeded to Ailet the 
following day. Our camp here was situated on the banks of a wild nullah, watered by 
a hot spring at no great distance. This place is noted but too truly for its man-eating 
Lions and Panthers. It is a legend in the village “that no man dies in his bed.” 
During one or two days I accompanied Capt. Mokeler (Mr. Blanford being lame) in 
pursuit of a lioness, tracks of which we had seen close to our tent, but with no success, 
Capt. Mokeler only obtaining one shot, which was without effect. 
On the 27th of June, after some premonitory symptoms, I received a sunstroke, 
which completely put an end to my researches. My friend Mr. Blanford was more 
fortunate, and laid a good foundation for his subsequent collection. On the 29th, at 
about 12 o’clock at night, I was awoke from a sick bed, along with my companions, by 
shrieks of the most fearful kind. It was pitch dark; and we rushed out of our tents 
with our arms in our hands, to find our followers in a state of most dire terror and con- 
fusion, filling the air with cries of “the Lion, the Lion ;” and then a dusky form was 
seen to bound away over the thorn fence and disappear in the darkness. After having 
in some degree quieted the fears of our people, we called the roll, and found that one 
of my gun-bearers, a Shunkgalla of huge proportions, lay dead in the midst of us, his 
throat bearing but too terrible marks of the manner in which the poor fellow had 
perished. I may add that, only the night before, Mr. Blanford’s butler had been 
severely wounded in the head by the claws of what we supposed to be a Panther. 
These brutes had passed by our camels, horses, milch-goats, and fires without harming 
