just as unruly. This was a fair specimen of Somali
travelling; any pretext to save the trouble of moving
is accounted too precious to be lost. The ground here
was a little more wooded; tall slender trees, with thick
green foliage, grew in the bed of the ravine, in which
there were some occasional pools of stagnant rain-water,
and the brown rocky hill-sides were decorated with
budding bush acacias, which afforded a good repast for
the weary camels, whose journey over the boulders
must have been very fatiguing to them.
20th. As the sultan did not arrive, and the young
prince would not allow my men to load, I ordered the
interpreter and Imam to remain where they were,
whilst I returned to Bunder Gori to see what was the
matter, and on no account were they to issue any food
until I came back again. As soon as I had gone two
or three miles, I found the young prince and all the
camel-men hastening after me, and entreating me to
return, they said the sultan was on his way, and
would amve in camp in the evening. I complied,
conditionally that they bound themselves to march in
the morning whether he came or not. Once again
in camp, I had my food prepared, and sat savagely
watching the effect its odour had upon my starving
men, who, fearing they would get none, formed in a
body, and came petitioning me to forgive them, as
they consented to do my bidding for ever after. They
were then fed.
21 st. After loading in the morning, with a great
deal of beating and thumping, all the camels, save
two or three weakly ones, were whipped up a winding
steep ridge, one of the buttresses of the mountain,
to a camping-ground, six miles farther on, called Ad-
hai. Here we were at the station originally assigned
for the first day’s march, and, for the first and last
time during the whole journey, I pitched the tent.
The higher we ascended the hill the more abundant
became the wooding, and green grass for the first time
was visible amongst the stones. This freshness was
attributed to a recent fall of rain. Altitude, by boiling
thermometer, 45 77 feet.
22d.—I sent all the freshest camels off to Goriat for
the remaining property, with orders that everybody
should return on the following day. At this height
the temperature of the air was very delightful, the
range at noon being only 79°. I spent the whole day
specimen-hunting, and found the rocks were full of
fossil shells. I killed a new snake or variety of Psam-
mojphis sibilans, and shot an interesting little antelope,
Oreotrctgus saltatrix, the “ klip-springer ” of the Cape
Colonist, as well as hyraxes and various small birds,
which we duly preserved. My collections in th i s
country were sent by Lieutenant Burton to the Asiatic
Society’s Museum, Calcutta, and have been described
in their journals by Mr E. Blyth, the Curator.
23d and 24th.—Passed without anybody appearing,
and I was becoming much alarmed at repeated stories
I heard of the Abban’s dishonesty. I t then transpired
that Sumunter was heavily in debt, and one of his
principal creditors was at Bunder Gori detaining h im