skipping. I t was tke Hon. East India Company’s
sckooner Mahi, commanded by Lieutenant King, conveying
our Captain, Lieutenant Burton, and tke complement
of tke expedition. Arrived in tke karbour,
we saluted tkem witk our small-arms, and went on
board to pay respects and exchange congratulations.
King tken gave us a hospitable entertainment, and we
all repaired on shore.
Tke same evening a thundering salute from tke
Mahi was fired, to assure tke Somali we were travelling
under tke auspices of tke British Government,
and King departed witk his vessel.
Lieutenant Burton now took occupation of tke centre
tent witk Heme, and tke party was complete.
We were tken severally appointed to our respective
duties, Lieutenant Burton commanding; Stroyan chief
surveyor; Herne, photographer, geologist, and assist-
ant-surveyor; whilst I was to be a Jack-of-all-trades,
assisting everybody, looking after tke interests of tke
men, portioning out their rations, setting tke guards,
and collecting specimens of natural history in all its
branches. Tke central tent was fixed as a place of
rendezvous for all to flock to in case of any sudden
alarm. Here I appended my guns and sword, whilst
my revolver-pistol and dirk were placed within my
belt by day, or under my pillow by night. I made
tke whole guard sleep witk their arms in rear of tke
camp, where it was most likely any attack might be
expected. As so many men were necessarily brought
on duty by watching tke cattle grazing in tke daytime,
I only posted two sentries by night to watch tke
camp—one witk tke guard in tke rear, tke other over
tke cattle in front; whilst we Englishmen and tke
Balyuz occasionally patrolled tke camp to see that tke
sentries were on tke alert.
9 th.—On this day tke Gugi, or south-west Somali
monsoon, in opposition to tke Dairti, or north-east
monsoon, commenced in tke hills behind our camp,
and warned us that we should soon have to start
southwards. Tke fair had already begun to break.
Caravan after caravan streamed out of tke town,
wending their way across tke plain like strings of ants
emerging from a hole, and, like tke busy habits of those
little insects, kept tke whole maritime plain alive in
motion. At this time we were daily expecting a vessel
from Aden, which would bring us some letters and
instruments that were on their way out from England,
and saw tke great Ugakden caravan preparing to leave,
but were undecided what to do—whether to go witk
tkem without our things from England, or wait and
rely upon our strength in travelling alone. Tke latter
alternative was unfortunately decided upon, and we
saw our wonted protector depart upon its journey.
15 th.—Saw tke shore and karbour, alike both destitute
of any living thing, save a few diseased and dying
cattle, and one poor forlorn girl, in whom tke smallpox
had begun to show its symptoms, and who was
now mercilessly left by her parents, witk only two or
three days’ provisions, to die like a dog on tke inhospitable
plain. Having suffered from that disease my