donkeys in tlieir civilized state have no conception of
the beauty of the wild and original animal. Far from
the passive and subdued appearance of the English
ass, the animal in its native desert is the perfection of
activity and courage ; there is a high-bred tone in the
deportment, a high-actioned step when -it trots freely
over the rocks and sand, with the speed of a horse
when it gallops over the boundless desert. No animal
is more difficult of approach ■ and, although they are
frequently captured by the Arabs, those taken are
invariably the foals, which are ridden down by fast
dromedaries, while the mothers escape. The colour
of the wild ass is a reddish cream, tinged with thé
shade most prevalent of the ground that it inhabits,
thus it much resembles the sand of the desert. I
wished to obtain a specimen, and accordingly I exerted -
my utmost knowledge of stalking to obtain a shot at
the male. After at least an hour and a half I succeeded
in obtaining a long shot with a single rifle,
which passed through the shoulder, and I secured my
first and last donkey. It was with extreme regret
that I saw my beautiful prize in the last gasp, and I
resolved never to fire another shot at one of its race.
This fine specimen was in excellent condition, although
the miserable pasturage of the desert is confined to the
wiry herbage already mentioned ; of this the stomach
was full, chewed into morsels like chopped reeds. The
height of this male ass was about 13.3 or 14 hands;
the shoulder was far more sloping than that of the
domestic ass, the hoofs were remarkable for their size ;
they were wide, firm, and as broad as those of a horse
of 15 hands. I skinned this animal carefully, and the
Arabs divided the flesh among them, while Hadji
Achmet selected a choice piece for our own dinner.
At the. close of our march that evening, the morsel of
wild ass was- cooked in the form of 1 rissoles. the
flavour resembled beef, but it was extremely tough.
On the following day, 30th June, we reached Goze-
rajup, a large permanent village on the south bank of
the river. By dead reckoning we had marcbed 246
miles from Berber. This spot was therefore about 220
miles from the junction of the Atbara with the Nile.
Here we remained for a few days to rest the
donkeys and to engage fresh camels. An extract from
my journal will give a general idea of this miserable
country:—
“ July S.—I went out early to get something for
breakfast, and shot a hare and seven pigeons. . On my
return to camp, an Arab immediately skinned the
hare, and pulling out the liver, lungs, and kidneys, he
ate them raw and bloody. The Arabs invariably eat
the lungs, liver, kidneys, and the thorax of sheep,
gazelles, &c. while they are engaged in skinning the
beasts, after which they crack the leg bones between
stones, and suck out the raw marrow.”
A Bishareen Arab wears his hair in hundreds of
minute plaits which hang down to his shoulders, surmounted
by a circular bushy topknot upon the crown,
about the size of a large breakfast cup, from the base
of which the plaits descend. When in full dress the