and the plain was reached without interruption. We had been so
much accustomed, to the cry of the jackal], an animal very common
in northern Africa, that it would not of itself have,engrossed our
attention for a moment; but although we had very frequently been
disturbed by hyaenas, we never found that familiarity with their'howl
or their presence could render their near approach an unimportant
occurrence; and the hand would instinctively find its way to the
pistol before we were aware of the action, whenever either of these
interruptions obtruded themselves closely upon us either by night
or by day. I t must, however, be confessed that the cry of the jackall
has something in it rather appalling, when heard for the first time at
night; and as they usually come in packs, the first shriek which is
uttered is , always the signal for a general chorus. We. hardly
know a sound which partakes less of. harmony than .that which is
at present in question; and indeed the sudden burst of the answering
long-protracted scream, succeeding.immediately to the opening note,
is . scarcely less .impressiye than the .roll of.the thunder-clap immediately
after a flash of lightning. The effect of this music is.very much
increased when the first note is heard in the. distance, (a circumstance
which often occurs,) and the answering yell bursts, out. from several
points at once, within a few yards,; or feet, , of the place where the
auditors are sleeping.. The jackall can never.be a formidable animal
to anything but sheep and poultry, unless, perhaps, when the number
assailing is very great; but. it is usually so little molested by the
Arabs, whose dogs protect their live-stock .from harm, that we have
frequently gone close up within a few yards of. one, before he would
turn to walk away. The same indifference in retreating is also peculiar
to the hyrnna, who not only walks away very slowly when
advanced upon, but appears at the same time to have a limping
motion, as if ; he were lame of one leg. The hysena most commonly
seen in the north of Africa is that which is striped in the back, black
and grey; its paws are scarcely, more,formidable than those of a large
dog,,but its teeth and neck, are very strong, and there is no animal
fiercer when wounded or closely attacked.
We arrived at Apollonia late in the evening, and set out early
the next ;morning,.. to find; the:spring which, was,said to exist in a
neighbouring .ravine.;. .We. foEowed the course of the aqueduct
mentioned above, which appeared , to us. to finish at the mouth of the
wady ; but our companion, Shekh Aadam, pointed, out to us a spot
where it was; continued over the hill and along the .side of the precipice:;
this was probably done to avoid the rush, of; water whjeh
thunders down, the vallies after rain, and brings; with it large stones,
trunks of trees, and other matters, sweeping everything-before them
in their .course. . As the 1 aqueduct was. constructed of; stone,: and
covered over apparently, with the same materials, besides being coated
in the inside (or water-course) with: cement, there does not seem to
be any objection to its having been.carried out of the level, j We proceeded
up the ravine nearly ,a mile and a halfi and then came to a
stream, of water issuing out of .the, rock at some; distance above,
which descended in Httle cascades and was lost in the bed of the
wady. .The sides of this ravine are, nearly perpendicular, and about
five hundred feet in height: near the top we observed two caves,
situated as those were which have already been described; and had