JACKALLS IN THE CARAVANSARY. 337 
neither, nor both together, can be compared with the horrors 
described to me of this famine. 
About midnight, I was disturbed by the loud yells of the 
jackalls, prowling close under the walls of the caravansary. One 
of them contrived to scramble up to the roof, where, pacing 
about, he continued his responsive screams to his hungry com¬ 
panions below; but not content with that achievement, he 
found his way down into the quadrangle of the building, and 
then I soon heard two fine grey-hounds which I had brought 
with me, in full chase after the interloper. It must have been 
easier for him to descend than to mount again, for the race was 
repeated several times round the court before he could make his 
escape; and then it was by earthing himself under a heap of 
large stones, which had been piled up on one side to complete a 
yet unfinished part of the building. By the time I could join 
the fray, my people had got every thing mounted for our march ; 
and leaving the poor animal in his sanctuary, the gates of our 
quarters were thrown open, and we set forth in one of the most 
lovely nights, or mornings, I know not exactly which to name 
it, that I ever saw in my life. The extreme heat of the pre¬ 
ceding day, had given me due warning not to tempt a similar 
fire. And, as the nights were now so little inferior to day, in light¬ 
someness sufficient for the purposes of observation, I was very 
well pleased to change five o’clock, with a hot sun, my former 
time of starting, for three hours earlier, with generally a cooling 
breeze. 
Hence, at two o’clock (May 19th,) we rode out from the 
gate of our caravansary, under the guidance of a moon so 
bright, that with ease I could discover the hour and the bearings 
by my pocket-compass. Our road lay nearly south; and at 
3 d 2 
