examining the enchanting borders of this lake, whose azure waters flow
from the mountainous frontier of Tunisia to the opulent plains of
Bona. You botanists, who are attracted by the singular colour or
strange beauty of some plant or flower here, beware how you approach.
Under this magnificent vegetation a trap--a mortal trap--is laid: the
banks are of quick-sand! One step, and you meet death--a horrible
death. The earth gives way, and you disappear without a trace, for
those delicious flowers and plants close up their ranks again, like
immortelles over your sepulchre. Listen:--A French cavalry officer
came from Bona to shoot flamingoes on this lake. He was accompanied by
his servant, also on horseback. He shot a flamingo, who tumbled just
on the border of the lake, and dispatched his servant to fetch the
bird. At three or four yards from the bird, the soldier disappeared
with his horse; and some Arabs, coming up, at the cries of the officer
(for the Mussulman believes that the genius of the lake, propitious to
Mahometans, devours the profane European), with difficulty saved his
servant. As soon as the soldier was out of danger, he cried out, with
all the gasconade of a Frenchman, "_Je ne laisserai pas la ce maudit
oiseau, cause de ma mesaventure!_" In spite of the energetic
dissuasions of the natives, whom, by the way, he could not understand,
he advanced on foot; but the earth opened again--he disappeared. One
moment his head remained above this liquid ground, one moment he cried
for aid, and the abyss had swallowed its prey. However, at certain
points, this lake is quite approachable; and, there being several
barques, excellent sport may be had. I would, however, recommend
sportsmen to procure a letter of introduction to some neighbouring
grandee. There is an excellent caravanserai close by, at Ain Mokra.
For gazelles one must go quite into the interior of the desert--to
Boussada and Laghouat--in the great Sahara desert. Ghazella is, in
the Arab language, the synonym for beauty and velocity.

Those persons who really desire sport, however, I would recommend to
travel from Algiers to Tunisia by land, and, if possible, let them
pass by Kef, which is the frontier town. In the vicinity of this town
there are, no doubt, plenty of lions; and my friend (who visited it
with Dr. Davies, the celebrated explorer and excavator at Carthage)
heard of several there, though his stay was so short that he did not
succeed in bagging o