440 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 
adorning their narratives with encounters of this 
kind. It may^ therefore, be legitimately inferred that 
elephants and lions are more scarce in those regions 
than the narratives and descriptions would lead us to 
believe. M. Caillie, however, in one or two passages, 
mentions the traces of elephants' feet ; but no tragic 
adventures befel him, (or any individual of the 
numerous caravans which he accompanied for the 
space of a year,) by encounters with these monsters, 
with wild beasts, or with any other dangerous 
animals. The same may be said of crocodiles, which 
were supposed to abound in the Dhioliba. Scarcely 
was he once incommoded, and that by the neigh- 
bourhood of an enormous serpent, during his whole 
journey across the great desert. 
O. Tanning, The preparation of leather is frequently 
mentioned in the Journal. It is known that the 
Africans, and the Moors particularly, are very suc- 
cessful in this operation. Some persons have thought 
that desiccation is the means they principally use ; 
but this seems improbable, because both in Nubia 
and Egypt the true process of tanning is in use, and 
is quite as good as ours, though shorter. The natives 
are also skilful in working the leather; they cut 
and embroider it with great success. 
P. Beer. M. Caillie sometimes speaks of the use of 
beer ; but he has neglected to tell us how and with 
what it is made. Is it the beverage which in Egypt 
