434 THE PLAIN OF BERDUDDA. 



their chief from us ; a fact made very evident 

 by the saucy look of confidence assumed by our 

 Has, Ohmed Mahomed, secure in the number of 

 supporters whom he mustered around him. 



The country we marched through to-day was 

 called Berdudda. Towards the end of the journey, 

 we passed an elevated plateau of no great height 

 or extent, apparently of an upheaved alluvial 

 stratum similar to that beneath our feet, but 

 altered in its geological character by the action of 

 heat. Birds of every hue abounded, brightly 

 reflecting the sun's rays from their bronzed or 

 golden plumage ; whilst the most beautifully 

 painted butterflies added their kaleidoscopic colour- 

 ing to the more immediate vicinity of our path. 



Hares also were so numerous that they seemed to 

 spring out of every bush and tuft of grass we came 

 near. The Dankalli profess not to eat them, but this 

 is a prejudice, I think, that has been introduced with 

 the Mahomedan religion, the laws of which, respect- 

 ing clean and unclean meats, are the same with 

 those of Moses. That they kill hares, and take some 

 little trouble to do so by running them down, I 

 had frequent proofs. One to-day was put up, unfor- 

 tunately, in such a situation, that in whatever way 

 she ran, she was headed by some party or other of 

 the Kafilah men. Though so insignificant an 

 animal, the excitement of the chase she occasioned 

 spread along the whole line of march, and men and 

 boys, I, as well as the rest, were soon in hot 



