Had an adventure with ibex to-day, but failed to get a shot. We had come about three miles up the Wadi in an easterly direction from camp. Then the Wadi turns north to the Kohila water, about ten miles off. Here we turned to the left, and entered a narrow ravine, which led us up in a short time to the base of the mountain-top. Here we rested, and lunched on eggs and biscuits, admiring the grand view of these steep mountains, which shut us in on every side. Having lunched, we set off again, still bearing north, and soon saw our Wadi far away below us, as it curled gradually round to the N.W. We were just going down a narrow cleft in the rock, about two yards wide. I was first, and my Arab close on my heels, when I suddenly saw, not above fifteen yards off, a fine old buck ibex. He had heard us, and was slowly making off. I snatched the rifle from the hands of the Arab; but before I could cram a cartridge in and get a shot the old fellow had got round a corner of the cleft. It was too steep for me to follow, so I quickly divested myself of my boots, and started off up the side, telling my Arab on no account to move from where he was. On looking over the edge, I saw my beast, who had been joined by another, standing about 250 yards off, staring hard at my head, which was all he could see of me. We stared at each other for fully a minute; and, as I did not budge an inch, he seemed satisfied and walked slowly on. I waited till he had got over the top of a cliff—which I knew was very steep, as I had seen it from the Wadi in the morning—then started off quietly in pursuit. I fancied I had him in a corner; but not a bit of it! When I reached the edge of that precipice I could hear him climbing down underneath me. I dared not follow, so I hastily climbed down a gully close by, which led to the Wadi below, hoping thereby to cut him off before he could climb down. But I never saw either him or his mate again. They had either hidden in a cleft in the rocks or else gone off on the other side. They both had good heads, more especially the buck, whose horns shone in the sun and curled right over his back. Their coats are a beautiful soft silvery brown, shading off to white below. I was disappointed; moreover, my stockings and feet were cut by the rocks; so, as it was getting late and our water was nearly finished, I put on my boots, and we went home. We passed on the way a family of Bedawin in two little tents, three or four little black dots of children, their mother, two little kids and a puppy dog. How the latter can have got across the desert I can’t make out. We met the father later on, returning home up the Wadi, leading a camel with a cord tied through the poor beast’s nose, which was quite raw.[9]
So we have still no fresh meat in camp; but, as the Arabs say, “bukra” (to-morrow).
MIDDLE POOL, MEDISA,
SHEWING REFLECTION OF ROCKS IN THE WATER
Medisa,
January 15th, 1891.
Visited the same ground as yesterday, and examined every ravine, nook and cranny in the vicinity without success. This took about three hours; and, as I had no boots on, my poor feet were fairly worn out—also a pair of socks, which I put over my stockings to save them from being cut. This is a capital way of getting over the ground quietly, as one can tread like a cat and peep round all the corners without being observed. I had an unconquerable thirst on all to-day; and as we passed the little Arab encampment which I spoke of yesterday, we were only too glad to get a good drink of water from one of their skins. I gave them a little salt and tobacco in exchange, which gladdened their hearts. After this halt by the way, for refreshment, we passed two more Arabs leading a camel, one an old man, the other young. My Bedawin recognized them as fellow-tribesmen, Ababdi, and they ran and fell into each others arms. The younger one had his hair in plaits, hanging down all round his head, and cut off all the same length at the bottom, just like the pictures of one of Bertie’s Somalis. Neither of them had ever seen a breech-loading rifle before. They were struck with wonder at the charge going in at the wrong end. The grooving down the barrel also astonished them muchly. They went into fits of laughter as each new thing was pointed out to them. I fear they departed rather out of conceit with their own old gaspipes. I gave them each a cigarette, and lit them by means of the object-glass of my telescope and the sun. They were simply speechless with wonder; took the lens and examined it all over, and finally ended, as usual, in going off into roars of laughter. The younger man had a beautiful set of white teeth, contained in a mouth like a rat trap. When he laughed I could see right down his throat, and nearly out at the other side of his head.
Medisa,
January 16th, 1891.