6398 Extracts from the Letters of 



Wagtails, whitethroats, larks, plovers and sparrows are seen every- 

 where ; in many cases apparently identical with our English species ; 

 as for instance the sky lark, common plover or lapwing, and perhaps 

 the ordinary sparrow of the country, which comes exceedingly close 

 to our common house sparrow, if it be not the very same bird, — being 

 equally domestic and familiar, and even more plentiful than in Europe. 

 In the thickets and groves along the Nile, and which here and there 

 adorn even the desert, various richly decorated tropical birds are met 

 with, but the ornithology of this part of Africa, like its botany, has a 

 plain unadorned character, partaking throughout of that found to 

 prevail in the temperate zone. — p. 126. 



Hippopotami seen above Berber. — Talking of the hippopotami, we 

 saw several when in the upper country above Berber, and in the 

 White River, and could sometimes hear them blowing in the water at 

 night : we never saw them on land, and could only see their broad 

 truncated snouts, and part of their huge heads occasionally raised 

 above the surface : they are not at the present day to be found below 

 Berber.— p. 131 



The Crocodile more fearful than formidable. — As to crocodiles, 

 Mr. Lake, an excellent shot with his rifle, killed at least three of these 

 monsters, on the sand-banks, but never could secure their bodies, as, 

 on being mortally wounded, they always contrive to flounder into the 

 water, where they either sink dead, the body not rising till after at 

 least twenty-four hours when decomposition has begun, or they come 

 on shore after some time to die. The crocodile is a very timid 

 animal, and I firmly believe rarely, if ever, ventures to attack an adult, 

 and then only in the water, never on land ; but there is no doubt that 

 they will seize children who venture into shallow water where they 

 abound : an instance of a little girl having met with such a fate 

 occurred at a village on our southern route, the very day before our 

 arrival. The Arabs along the Nile never evince the least fear of 

 crocodiles ; the boatmen are constantly paddling about in the water 

 to shove their boats off" the innumerable sand-banks that obstruct the 

 navigation in all parts of this immensely long river ; and I have seen 

 large birds strutting about almost within a foot or two of their huge 

 jaws, as they lie basking on the banks, a dozen or more together, and 

 have even seen them perch on the top of the crocodiles' heads. The 

 real danger to a man, should he be able to approach so wary an 

 animal near enough to receive injury (which could happen only in 

 case of one disabled by a wound), would be from a stroke of his 

 powerful tail. Their mode of gliding into the water when disturbed 



