114 TMiSONAL NARRATIVK 



The little Nisus sphenurus was especially abundant, 

 feeding on cicadce. It is a smaller bird than the closely 

 allied shikra of India (Nisus hadius), and more insec- 

 tivorous. 



At night it was cloudy, a little rain fell, and we 

 moved our tents and baggage hurriedly, for there was 

 lightning and thunder to the westward at no great dis- 

 tance, and our people feared that the stream might come 

 down suddenly. We saw some of the sudden floods so 

 prevalent in these torrent beds afterwards, and certainly 

 they are to be feared. However, on this occasion the 

 water did not reach us. 



Another long march up the valley produced a great 

 change. As far as Kelamet, twelve mUes from Mohabar, 

 we were still amongst parched and barren hills, but at 

 an elevation of about 3,500 feet we came almost sud- 

 denly into a tract of hilly country covered with the 

 richest verdure. Green bushes and kolqual trees covered 

 the hill-sides, magnificent baobab trees were dotted over 

 the valleys, every little glade was covered with green 

 grass. We had passed from the coast region, in which 

 no rain falls during the summer months, into the high- 

 lands, in which the monsoon rains last from June till 

 October, as in South-eastern Asia. 



The temperature was delicious. Life seemed to return 

 with new zest. A day or two suflSced to banish aU the 

 effects of the heat at Massowa and AUat. The animals 

 seemed refreshed like the plants, and birds were singing 

 in all directions. Many of these were quite new to me ; 

 a parrot, Pionus Meyeri, was common, and no less than 



