the sultan, demanding his immediate attendance; but
it was not until the 6th of November that I heard definitely
of his approach, and then it was that he was
coming down the hill.
On the 7th he came with a host of Akils to Bunder
Grori, and put up in a Nahkoda’s hut. This indignity
he was obliged to submit to, as he had not cautioned
the merchants who occupied his forts of his intended
approach, and now no one would turn out for him.
Finding him so near me, I longed to walk over to him
and settle matters personally at once; but dignity forbade
i t ; and as he had come with such cautious trepidation,
I feared any over-hastiness might frighten him
away again. He seemed to observe the same punctiliousness
towards me, so I split the difference by
sending an embassy by my Abban, assisted by other
powerful Akils, early the following morning, when they
held durbar, and my intentions of travelling were fully
discussed in open court. For a long time the elders on
the sultan’s side were highly adverse to my seeing their
country, considering no good could possibly arise from
it, and much harm might follow; I might covet their
country, and eventually take it from them, whereas
they could gain nothing. • Hearing this, the Abban
waxed very wroth, and indignantly retorted he would
never allow such a slur to be cast upon his honour, or
the office which he held. He argued he had come
there as my adviser and Abban; his parentage was of
such high order, his patriotism could not be doubted.
Had he not fought battles by their side, of which his
scars bore living testimony? and now they wished to
stigmatise him as a traitor to his country! The sultan
must decide it. How could jungle-folk like them know
anything of the English and their intentions ?
The sultan listened silently during this discourse,
which, though written in a few lines, took many hours
of hot debating, by their turning and turning every
little particular over and over again j and finally decided
it in his usual curt and conclusive manner; by
| saying, “ The Warsingali were on the most friendly and
lamicable relations with the English; and as he was
pesirous of maintaining it, he would give me leave to
ftravel anywhere I liked within his dominions, and to
¡see and examine anything I chose. But out of fear for
the consequences, as the English would hold him answerable
should any disasters befall me, he could not
sanction my crossing over his frontier in any direction,
B id more especially into the Dulbahanta country, where
j a r s were raging, and the country so unsafe that even
warsingali dare not venture there.” This announcement
was brought back in high exultation by Sumunter,
jrho thought his success complete, and at the same time
Bfaounced to me the sultan’s intention of honouring
me with a visit in the evening, which was duly done.
■ H e came a little before sunset, with his bare head
■kven, a dirty coloured tobé thrown over his
» u l d e r j and hanging loosely down to his sandaled
p e t / ' He looked for all the world like a patriarch of
* Tote, properly thole, the dress used by Somali of both sexes It
Bmsists of a white cloth,, eeiiggmht ccuuDbiittss lWong, *fr equen*tl y a7dorned with
C