THE NEAR EAST 
can follow the ibex, for although, no doubt, there are some wonderful 
places in the hill countries of Southern Arabia, these are not open to 
travellers. 
The granite ramparts of Sinai are easily reached from Suez, by way 
of the little port of Tor (or Tur), which is situated close under the culmina- 
ting peaks, and only separated from the foot of the mountain by a coastal 
plain of fifteen miles in width. By following up one of the main wadis 
one can reach the heart of the mountains. Camels being the only means 
of transport, only the larger valleys can be used for the main caravan; 
but short lateral journeys from the big valleys will enable an energetic 
hunter to explore all likely ground. In the valleys are water, fuel and 
fodder. In spring they are a feast of colour and choked with luxuriant 
growth, thus making ideal camping grounds. The spring is the most 
enjoyable time to visit the peninsula, but owing to the height of the 
ranges one can hunt there in summer without much discomfort. In winter 
and early spring the climate is perfect, with a hot, dry atmosphere during 
the day and fresh, cold nights; there may be even frosts. 
The main portion of the peninsula is a table land, which is reached by 
following up the steeply inclined valleys. Mr E. N. Buxton, the first 
Englishman to successfully hunt the ibex in the peninsula, camped 
for a month at an average altitude of 5,000 feet — entirely different 
conditions to my experiences of the ibex hills of Ghor-el-Araba, where 
one camps far below the level of the sea. 
The difficulty of detecting the ibex, the restless habits of the beasts 
themselves, the very broken country they live in, as well as shifting winds, 
are the main drawbacks with which the hunter has to cope. On stormy 
days Mr Buxton found it better to stay in camp, for successful stalking 
was an impossibility. Another peculiarity of ibex stalking in these com- 
paratively hot regions is the allowance one must make for their desire to 
keep cool. In the early morning they may be low down, perhaps right 
down in the gorges, but they very soon move up higher, either lying up 
in the shade of the rocks, where they are practically hidden, or actually 
hiding in caves and deep clefts, where they are absolutely invisible from 
every quarter. There is, however, a certainty of finding ibex in some 
numbers, hard work and very careful spying being the most reliable 
guarantee for success. 
As regards size of horn the little Sinaitic ibex has a very proud show 
in proportion to its size; although quite the smallest in bulk, its horns 
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