action of the honey-bird is an established fact in natural history,
it would be interesting to know whether he ever tries to entice
quadrupeds also in assisting him in obtaining his much-loved honey.

As we walked back to the camp the sun suddenly broke forth, the clouds
rolled away, and on looking up at the point where the guns had been fired
we saw on the summit a number of moving figures, looking like black
specks against the morning sky. Everyone stood watching the far-off
inhabitants of the mysterious realm, wondering how we were to gain the
high overhanging rock that descended sheer to where we stood. Presently
the excitement reached fever-heat when we saw the small black figures
grouping themselves into a mass, and then we noticed that one man was
being slowly lowered by a rope over the precipice. The rope was
apparently passed under his arms, and as he swung out into mid-air his
companions began to let him down rapidly to where we stood. Owing to the
overhanging nature of the rock the wind caused the man to swing backwards
and forwards as a pendulum, and by reason of hitches that seemed to occur
in the arrangements above he was several times stopped in his descent.

At last, however, his feet touched the ground and headed by Omar, we all
rushed towards him. He was a very tall, loosely-built man, his complexion
almost white with just a yellowish tinge, colourless lips, colourless
drab hair; vague irregular features, with an entire absence of
expression. He wore an Arab haick upon his head bound with many yards of
brown camel's hair, a long white garment, something like a burnouse, only
embroidered at the edge with crimson thread and confined at the waist by
a girdle containing quite a small arsenal of weapons, while at his back
he carried a rifle of European manufacture, and around his neck was the
invariable string of amulets.

"I seek Omar, son of the Naya, the Great Queen," he cried with a loud
voice, as his feet touched the grass and he disengaged himself from the
swaying rope, which still continued to descend.

"I am Omar, Prince of Mo," answered my friend, stepping forward quickly.

The messenger from the mysterious realm above regarded him keenly from
head to foot, not without suspicion. Then looking him straight in the
face, he said with a puzzled expression upon his countenance:

"Thou hast altered since thou hast dwelt among the English. Thy face is
not that of Omar who left many moons ago with our