AGRICULTURE UNDER DIFFICULTIES, 197 tion on the banks of the river, they do a great deal of damage.

Near Berber, I have seen places where, every night, the natives sat up to protect their crops against their depredations. Along the river they stretched a rope, supported on poles, from which hung numerous bells, and which they pulled vigorously whenever a "hippo" made its appearance, in order to scare the unwelcome intruder back into the river.

Agriculture in these parts is indeed no sinecure ; the husbandman has no peace night or day. All day long, vast flocks of doves, and small birds, cause havoc amongst his crops, and necessitate perpetual vigilance. One often sees boys perched upon lofty platforms, armed with slings, with which, accompanied by discordant cries, they endeavour to ward off their feathered foes.

A very considerable khor, called the Royan, joined the Settite some little distance to the westward of our encampment. My brothers, one day, rode across country, striking the Royan, some miles from its mouth ; and there they found numbers of Arabs with their flocks, many of the men busily engaged in setting snares for any antelopes that might come to drink at any of the occasional pools of water that were to be found in its bed. As this would not have improved our chances of sport in that direction, and as it was evident that at that time Arabs were dwelling there in considerable numbers, none of us thought it worth while to go there again. On the way, however, my brothers saw great numbers of antelopes of different kinds, among others a herd of mddrif. These exceedingly wary animals almost invariably keep to the open plains, and are very difficult to approach. Neither of my brothers succeeded in bagging one. The utmost they could do was to obtain a galloping shot, at well over two hundred yards.

Soon after our arrival at Cm Hagar, we sent a quantity of