as stout and jovial as the holy friars of romance: let me add, that he was also most simple-minded, kindhearted, good, and gentle.

We had hardly exchanged greetings when the clatter of horses' hoofs announced the return of the young Frenchman, whose wife we had already seen at the mill. He seemed fond of his Abyssinian bride, and to like much the backwoodsman's life he was leading. In the season there was plenty of game to be shot, and of course he had a lion story to tell us. He had gone out shooting wild pigs one day, with an old single-barrelled fowling-piece; and not finding any sport, had penetrated far into the forest, when towards sunset he came on some boar tracks which led him to a deep pool surrounded by rocks and big trees. On looking cautiously round one of these, he suddenly found himself face to face with three lions who were drinking the water. As he had only buck shot with him, it may be imagined that he retraced his steps again with the utmost rapidity and caution. At last he gained the open country, and was walking quietly along with his gun over his shoulder, whistling a tune, when he noticed two Shohos sitting under a tree, who the moment they caught sight of him flung their arms into the air and ran away as hard as they could. This conduct surprised him, and he glanced round to see what was the matter, when, lo and behold! there were the three lions following him, in a grave and dignified manner, at about thirty yards' distance. Luckily there was a village

near, the people of which, as he approached it, drove the lions away with their cries.

In the afternoon I wandered through the forest, which was very beautiful. A handsome Arab boy carried my cartridges; he was one of our escort, and must have been all his mother's child, from his large eyes, delicate features, and slender frame; but he marched behind me with an enormous brown bess on his shoulder, a sword at his side, and a revolver stuck in his belt, with a warlike air which clearly showed that his soul was above his size, and he considered himself the guardian of my safety.

In one of the thickest parts of the forest, where the interlacing boughs of the trees were laden with tropical creepers, and almost shut out the rays of the sun, we came on a party of natives, encamped at the foot of a great rock, near which a mountain stream leaped over the boulders into a deep black pool below. They never moved a muscle as we approached, but stood with their shields and spears at their sides like bronze statues, or one of the groups of savages at the Crystal Palace. Luckily they were able to guide us to the camp, for we had already lost our way in the intricacies of the forest. When we got back to Subaguma, I found C. nearly recovered from his accident. Most of the escort had been sent away to collect oxen for the march into Ethiopia. Mustafa had discovered a large scorpion under a stone in the tent; but this was a trifle, for these creatures abound here and in Abyssinia, where they attain an extraordinary size.

February 23rd.-Our baggage was ready at daybreak for the oxen, but the oxen were not forthcoming. The soldiers, it is true, had collected some of the owners of the beasts, but all they did was to look at the baggage and then squat down in a circle and talk to one another for four or five hours consecutively; some of them stood all the time on one leg, like storks, a position from which they seemed to derive great satisfaction.* Seeing no chance of a move, I went for a walk, and shot a black-crested eagle, a beautiful bird, with a handsome top-knot of long sable feathers standing upright from its head. Strangely enough, when I killed it, it had just swallowed a big rat entire, the tail of which was still hanging out of the bird's beak. The rat must have been actually alive when the eagle swallowed it, and, had I not seen it, I should not have believed that this small species of eagle could have disposed of so big a morsel without first tearing it to pieces. When I returned to the camp, the Shohos were still conversing as monotonously as ever, but they looked rather astonished when one of our soldiers, a gigantic negro from the White Nile, whose already ugly face was rendered still more hideous by the small-pox, took the eagle and began to devour it raw; however, that episode over, they continued their palaver as before, nor were there any signs of the oxen. It was not till sunset, and after we had paid

*There are many races in Africa who always stand on one leg, the knee of the other leg being generally bent, and the flat of the foot placed against the knee of the limb that is upright; when they are tired they change legs.