was objectionable. Hassan bad not come with the
ponies he went after from Rhut Tug; I must therefore,
before advancing, send back to the farther frontier of
the Warsingali to purchase, by bills on Aden, five
ponies at thirty dollars a-head, to be afterwards given
away in presents to chiefs on the road for allowing me
to pass through their territories, and this, at a min imnm
calculation, would occupy a fortnight’s time, and even
then I should have to go single-handed, without a servant,
instrument, or article of any bulk with me. Of
course this, as the Abban knew, I never would consent
to. On no account would I suffer my being separated
from my men and property when the time for my return
to Berbera was so close at hand; and, moreover,
without the instruments the journey would be of no
avail. Row succeeded row when I pushed matters
closely; the Abban sometimes affected repentance, but
more often became defiant, and forbade anybody’s assisting
me without his entire consent. Such, in fact,
were the effects of these angry ebullitions of temper
on the minds of my people, that the young Prince
Abdullah, fearing to be witness to them any more,
took his leave and departed home.
31st.—At length the rear traps arrived, but one
camel, having been taken ill on the march this morning
whilst coming from Abi, was slaughtered to
“save” his flesh, and devoured by my hungry men.
As soon as everything had arrived, and the men were
made aware of my intention to push forward, they
requested their discharge, affecting fear to enter on a
strange land, but in reality seeing I had no cloths left
to pay them, as afterwards transpired. This deficiency
I visited on the Abban, who, in trying to
excuse himself for inefficiency in his protectorship,
meekly said he had been grieved to see the very rapid
decline of my property, but he could not help it, as
I had so many thieves in my employment! !! Mrs
Awado now came over from Birhamir, bringing a sheep
and some ghee as a present for me; but I refused taking
anything from the relative of the Abban, and this
appeared to grieve her much. She said she had
heard of all my disputes with Sumunter, her son, and
had remonstrated with him about th em ; he was a
proud man, and easily led away by vanity. She
could see his being at variance with me would not
end to his advantage on his return to Aden, and
tried coaxing him to journey with m e ; but at the
same time told me he would have to be well upon his
guard, as in former years he had married clandestinely
with a damsel of the Rheer Hamaturwa, a subtribe
of the Habr G-erhajis, who occupy the hill-range
overlooking Bunder Hdis; and her loss to those people
would be avenged at once, if he ever came within
their power. The Rheer Hamaturwa had heard of
my intention to journey westwards, and would be in
readiness to descend upon and intercept our march,
kill Sumunter, and destroy the whole of u s ; indeed,
they had sent messages to that effect.