THE BARTA STEPPE 



71 



behind the next hill. Our march led us across the highlands op- 

 posite the General Matthews range in a fairly straight direction 

 towards the eastern slopes of Mount Nyiro, and but for a break 

 of half an hour at sunrise, and three hours' rest in the middle 

 of the dav, lasted till eioht o'clock in the evenino- when we 

 halted beneath some fine trees by the dried-up bed of a brook. 

 The district traversed had been dreary in the extreme, patches 

 of dry yellow grass and a few isolated leafless acacias being 



BEISA ANTELOPES. 



the only vegetation. In the afternoon we crossed a sandj^ 

 plain called the Barta steppe, where were a few Beisa antelopes, 

 the only game we saw, and of which the Count brought down 

 two. The sun had been very hot, but the men all arrived in 

 camp in good condition. 



Our hopes of finding water in the neighbourhood were soon 

 dashed to the ground. Tired as the men were they went olF to 



