JILAT— LIONS. 107 



an appearance of fertility which contrasted agreeably 

 with the barren rocks between which we had been 

 travelling. We crossed the plain, and went on about 

 three miles beyond Ailat to encamp near the famous hot 

 spring. The village, as is usual throughout Northern 

 Abyssinia, is at a distance of two or three miles from 

 water ; the cause assigned by the people for this singular- 

 practice is, that plundering bands often encamp near the 

 water. Probably the danger from wild beasts, which 

 come down to drink in considerable numbers, is another- 

 reason for not living close to the springs. Of this risk 

 we had a most melancholy practical illustration a few 

 days later. 



The hot spring at Ailat issues from some rocks in the 

 bed of a torrent, which is dry except after heavy rain 

 in the hills. The water is extremely hot, 140° Fahr... 

 but perfectly tasteless. 



I did not go out next day until the evening, when 

 some people saw a lioness close to our camp. Mockler 

 and I went to look for her, and after peering about some 

 -time, Mockler saw her in a bush, and fired, but missed. 

 I could not see the animal distinctly. She got amongst 

 some dense green bushes, and, as it was already dark, 

 we were obliged to leave her. 



The next morning we took up her tracks ; she had 

 been joined by a lion in the night, and had gone to the 

 north. We did not succeed in finding her, however. I 

 killed a large pig (Phacochcerus), of which I preserved 

 the skull, and shot several birds, amongst which were 

 Lamprocolius chrysagoster, Halcyon semiccBrulea, and 



