262 
SOMALILAND 
eyes ! Turning to the north, I could see far below me the 
maritime plain, and thirty-three miles off the sea. In the 
west, as far as the eye could see, the huge barren range 
stretched away into the morning mist Turning about, 
the panorama was even grander still. Valley and ravine, 
mountain and river-bed receded, until the whole was backed 
by the great Mount Wagar, 6,800 feet high, the grandest 
mountain in the Gulis Hange. The whole scene reminded 
me of the view from Lady Horton’s walk near Kandy, 
Ceylon, without the latter’s magnificent wealth of foliage. 
I sat and gazed and gazed upon the scene, and seemed to 
be in fairyland. There was not a sound to be heard. The 
silence of morning lent an additional charm and inspiration 
of awe to the scene. I took my telescope and surveyed 
the yawning precipices, but could see no sign of life. At 
last I tore myself away, for the sun was becoming powerful, 
and I had a long day of hard climbing before me. 
Descending to the southern slopes, that I might not be 
accused of shooting in the reserved area, I wended my way 
down the rocky elephant paths. As I descended I found 
many villages, some of which were perched right on the 
tops of the peaks. I was obliged to descend further south, 
where 1 was told I might shoot. 
I had walked for several miles without seeing a sign of 
animal life, when, after passing over a plain to some hills 
to the south of the main Gulis Range, two pretty little 
kllpspringers jumped up in front of us, and disappeared 
with huge leaps over a precipice. I ran to the edge and 
there, far below me, beheld one of the rock-jumpers stand- 
ing upon a huge boulder. I took a steady aim, and put 
the bullet in the centre of his back, rolling him over and 
over down the steep rocky mountain-side. It was a pretty 
sight to see the other bounding away from rock to rock. 
It was with no little difficulty that we reached the dead 
one. A beautiful little antelope he was, with his peculiar 
rounded and hollow hoofs, and rough, olive coat. After 
carefully skinning him, I wended my way further south. 
