42 ABUNDANCE OF GAME.

as there was considerable evidence of game, we did not trouble ourselves about the Gash.

The natives told us that a lion prowled about Fillik, and had killed several people. We saw no signs of it ; but when we met the rest of our party, they told us they had heard its roar quite distinctly, having passed at dusk within a couple of hundred yards of it, but, their rifles not being handy, they had concluded that discretion was the better part of valour.

There were swarms of doves of several varieties ; and although, as a rule, these birds are extremely common throughout the Soudan, I am sure we had not seen more than half a dozen since leaving the coast. Guinea-fowl were plentiful, and there were many kinds of bright-plumaged birds, a most refreshing change. The only species of guinea-fowl we ever came across in Africa is the one with the blue comb and wattles. There were plenty of gazelles ; and we saw for the first time the beautiful Dorcas gazelle {Gazclla Dorcas) which, throughout the remainder of our journey, was far more numerous than the common variety {Gazclla Arabica), which prefers the most arid desert. W'e saw, too, several herds of ariel, and had no difficulty in securing abundance of venison for our larder.

Three Houbara bustards were shot, and on our arrival in camp we found the cook-boy had caught one in a noose : we were glad to discover sporting tendencies in our servants. I never ate a more delicious bird than the bustard. It is but too frequently the case, that the game of these countries is dry and unpalatable, — at any rate, it would be thought so in civilized countries, — but this bird would be a great delicacy anywhere : its flesh when cooked is dark brown and firm, very much resembling that of a goose, and it has a flavour entirely its own.

Those we shot were very fat, in excellent condition, and were very good eating, either hot or cold.