It blew hard in the night, and I feared for my tent several times; but nothing happened. Determined to spend an idle day to-day, so did not leave camp till 11 A.M., when I sauntered off alone to the camel pool in the ravine. There I sat for some time watching the dragon flies depositing their eggs in the water. I counted one lay 130 odd eggs in less than five minutes. Presently two lizards made their appearance and looked wonderingly at the intruder. I sat quite still; and at last, after shying several times, they scrambled down the rocks and came to drink head downwards at the edge of the pool close to my feet. Presently two fat mice came out of a crack in the rock and quenched their thirst. They did not seem at all afraid, though I could have kicked them easily. A pair of eagles came sailing over my head at the top of the ravine as I sat there. Such fine birds, breasts pure white, as also the top of their heads; the wings were black. I could have killed one with a good big charge of shot, but was very glad to let them go.
POOLS IN MEDISA RAVINE
LOOKING SOUTH-WEST.
Having sat by the pool for an hour or so, I scrambled on up the ravine, which twisted about as I went on and became choked with huge boulders of granite, which were climbed with difficulty. In about three quarters of an hour I came to the foot of the waterfall already described. Having rested awhile and had a drink I hunted about for a way over the cliff up the side of the fall. After some time, and a stiffish climb, I reached the top in safety, and sat down again close to the head of the cascade. I had not been there many minutes when my eye fell upon some droppings. I satisfied myself that the ibex could not be far off. After a diligent search in the sand I found his tracks, which led down a neighbouring ravine towards the Wadi in which lay our camp. I crept stealthily from rock to rock, feeling sure my friend could not be very far off, and had not been creeping down the ravine for more than a hundred yards or so when, to my disgust, I heard a shot fired lower down the ravine in front of me. I hurried down to find my Bedawi had just killed a fine buck ibex,—the very one I was after. It appears he had come up the ravine to look for me, fearing I had lost my way in the mountains. He had taken his gun and had come on the ibex feeding in the ravine quite unconscious of danger. He got a pot shot at about fifteen yards; so the old gaspipe has beaten the breechloader after all!
We got back to camp at sunset and, as my Arab had to go off to the water to fill our skins, I set to work and had the skin off before dark. The horns are fair for an African ibex; and, what is more, we have now plenty of fresh meat in the camp. I have given strict orders that all offal left over, and any pieces of meat, are to be buried in a deep hole, so as to prevent unpleasant smells. I find a “Wallace” spade invaluable on expeditions of this sort, as it can be turned to so many purposes. I consider them the most useful tool ever invented.
Medisa,
January 17th, 1891.
I spent a long day in the mountain;—a very hot one, too, as there was no wind and the sun was overpowering. Found signs of ibex in several places, but saw no beasts at all. We reached a great height to-day, and got a fine view of the surrounding mountains. This, of course, entailed a stiff climb down again. My Bedawi is as nimble as a cat. An Arab brought in a fine ibex head. He killed the beast yesterday not far from here. I have now thoroughly explored all the mountain to the east of our camp, and to-morrow start in the other direction. When Powney arrives, probably next Thursday, we shall shift camp a day’s journey farther into the mountains. There is a pool there, and I hear from some of the Bedawin that there are more ibex there.
