MERGE TO GYRENE. 
491 
On our return to Apollonia, by the road which we have just 
described, we noticed several excavated chambers in similar positions 
to those which our servants had mentioned : they wexe cut in a 
ravine to the westward of our path, many hundred feet above 
the level of the torrent, in places apparently inaccessible. We 
found, on inquiry, that whole families resided in them, ascending and 
descending by means of ropes ; and indeed we ourselves could see 
persons in some of them who appeared to be reconnoitring our move- 
ments. It was late in the evening before we reached the plain upon 
which Apollonia is situated, and so dark in the thicker parts of the 
wood which reaches from the top to the bottom of the hills that we 
could scarcely distinguish our way. As we were leading our horses 
down a very steep part of the road we came suddenly upon a 
large hyaena, which we should not have seen if he had not been 
perched upon a mass of rock somewhat higher than our heads, 
lying close by the side of the path. The foremost of our party had 
drawn a horse-pistol and was in the act of presenting it to this 
unv^elcome visitor, when he opened a howl which so startled our 
horses that we had the greatest difficulty in holding them, and 
turning himself round, walked slowly up the side of the hill, evi- 
dently in no way disconcerted at our appearance. As we did not 
wish to fire if it could have been avoided, we made no attempt to 
molest him in his retreat ; for the report of our fire-arms would have 
alarmed the whole forest, which we understood to be much infested 
by hyaenas and jackalls. As it was, the dismal howl which our 
shaggy friend uttered was echoed immediately by the shrill cries of 
numberless jackalls, none of which, however, were we able to see, 
3 R 2 
