the ostriches, from constant fasting, become so weak,
he is able to ride in amongst them, and knock down
one by one as many as may be in the flock. The flesh
is eaten, and the feathers are taken to the sea-coast
for transportation to the Aden market. I once saw
a donkey-load of feathers carried to market that had
been taken in this way.
There are two methods, also, of killing gazelles; the
more usual one is effected by two men walking into a
bushy ground to search for them, and when discovered,
walking in such large circles around them as will not
scare them; gradually they draw their circles in, until
a favoured bush, down wind, is found, which the herd
is most likely, when once moved, to pass by, and behind
this one of the men stops, with his bow and
arrows, whilst the second one, without ever stopping
to create alarm, continues drawing in the circles of circumvention
until he induces the gazelles to walk up
to the bush his friend is concealed in, when one or
more may be easily shot. The other plan for killing
them is extremely artful, and is done on horseback,
and therefore on the open plain. Fleet animals, like
antelopes and gazelles, always endeavour to head across
their pursuers, no matter in which direction they go.
The Somali, therefore, taking advantage of this habit,
when they wish to catch them on ponies, which are
not half so swift as the gazelles in fair open chase,
economise their strength by directing their animals’
heads towards the leading gazelle, and thus inducing
the herd, as they continue heading on, to describe
double the circumference of ground their ponies have
to traverse. In process of time, the gazelles, by their
extra exertions, begin to flag and drop, and the hunters
rush in upon them, and cut them up in detail.
20th.—To-day the young prince, Abdullah, returned
to say the Dulbahantas had been conferred with, and
had shown the strongest objections to my seeing their
country, enumerating at the same time all their reasonings,
such as I had already heard; but added, as a
great concession on their part, as a particular favour
they wished to show to my Abban, that I might be
permitted to advance a little way to the next valley;
but then only on condition that I would surrender to
them the whole of my remaining property.
I now heard more particulars of the Dulbahantas
. fights, and the manner in which they first originated.
For full thirteen years they had been disputing amongst
themselves, and many cabals had sprung out of it.
Whilst these intrigues were gaining ground, a minor
chief, named Ali Haram, with a powerful support in
connections, about five years ago determined on alienating
himself from the yoke of the government, which
was headed by an old Grerad, called JMahamed All, the
rightful and hereditary chief. Since then the original
kingdom has been divided into two portions, called
the Northern and Southern Dulbahantas; but although
the northerners declare themselves independent, the
chief of the south still fights for his lawful rights, and
at this present time had driven the northerners, with
all their cattle and stock, to Jid All Tug, the next