valley beyond this, which I was now desirous of visit-
ing. Ali Haram was an old man, and consequently
incapacitated from taking an active part in these
tumultuous fflibusterings; he had therefore, since his
first accession to power, deputed a son called Mahamed
Ali Gerad to act as Regent in his stead, and this was
the man of whom the Warsingali spoke to me at
Bunder Gori so disparagingly.
21 st.—I was now preparing to start again westward,
when an order came from the Abban to my men,
that no property should accompany me, excepting
what little I felt disposed to part with in presents to
the Dulbahantas; as an Akil, by name Husayn Hadji,
the senior man present at Jid Ali, had decided, as a
final measure, on seizing everything I brought with
me immediately I set foot in Jid Ali. Though I had
had experience enough of the Abban’s tricks to see
that this was merely a farce, though a very useless and
inconvenient one, I permitted the arrangement rather
than make a row and retard my progress, and set out
with the young prince, Hamed, Farhan, and two camels
and drivers, leaving Imam and the other nine camels,
with their drivers, behind, to follow as soon as I should
send back.
At the western extremity of the valley we came upon
a small mound of earth, all white and glistening, covered
with nitre in an efflorescent form, which shone so
conspicuously in the sun, it could be seen at many
miles distance; from the base of it a clear spring of
water trickled, so disagreeable in taste that no one, save
Somali, could possibly drink it. Now, emerging from
the low land, we again left the trees behind us, and
rose by a well-beaten foot-track to the primary level
of the country, where stone and bare ground prevailed.
Each of these elevations and depressions was a mere
reflection of the other, only varying more or less according
to their size; and as my line was directed due
west, I always had the mountain-range at even distance
on the north, whilst every feature on the south
remained the same. It was monotonous in the extreme.
At the fifth mile we came upon some springs of bitter
water, sunk in deep cavities in the earth, from which
we filled our water-skins, and travelled on till night;
when, dark overtaking us, we slipped into a hollow in
the ground, called Ali, cooked a little rice with the
water we had brought, and slept it out till morning.
Distance, thirteen miles.
■ 22d.—As soon as the morning was well aired with
the sun, and the black men had recovered from the
torpor which the cold seemed to produce on them as
it does on lizards and snakes, I struck out for Jid Ali,
hoping to surprise the Abban, and thereby counteract,
if possible, his various machinations. But this was
not to be done. At the thirteenth mile, as we were
descending in full view of Jid Ali, at a place called
Birhamir, I was met by the Akil Husayn Hadji himself,
who, instead of showing any disposition to hinder
my approach, was very affable and kind in manner.
He politely begged me to remain where I was and rest
the day, and on the morrow he would take me to the