PLANNING NIGHT WATCHES. 221 these vast herds could be kept under such control. The Arab shepherds, instead of driving, "lead their flocks and all carry the proverbial crook, which in their case is used to shake down the dry pods of the mimosa, and the fruit of the Jieglcck and nebbuk trees, of all of which the sheep and goats are very fond. We heard lions roaring at night ; but as it was late, and we were all tired, we decided to wait till the morrow before going after them. The next morninc: we arranred that four of us should spend the night in different places, on the watch for them ; and that the remaining two should pass it at a place in the mountains, called Hademdumi, where there was some water in a narrow kJior, and where we were told we should have a very good chance. None of us had ever been there, and we drew lots who should go ; the choice fell on Lort Phillips and myself. We started off in a south-west direction, and, after going for some twelve or fourteen miles, found ourselves at our destination. The water was no more than a good-sized well dug by the Arabs in the bed of the kJior, and filled to a level with it ; and there was plenty of tall dried grass in the neighbourhood. The Beni-Amens had not yet moved there with their flocks, but intended doing so as soon as they had exhausted the grass in the neighbourhood of Toadclook.

We were disappointed at finding some Haikota people near there. They had constructed a good-sized ambush out of the leaves of the dJioiivi--m., on the bank beneath a tree, just over the water, and four or five feet above it. The previous night, one of them had killed the largest bull buffalo I think I ever saw, close by the water ; he had come down to drink. We were told, that, after the buffalo had been killed, a lion had made his appearance, but had left without their having fired at him.

We were of course far more anxious to shoot a lion than a