three men walking quietly into camp, leading ponies
by their reins, whilst the guard, to intimidate them,
were firing, bullets in the air immediately oyer their
heads. My anger knew no hounds. All hopes of
security seemed annihilated by such direct disobedience
to all order, and persistence in such a false principle
as trying to frighten, which all black men, by a
sort of natural instinct, invariably endeavour to do.
I then assembled the men, and in presence of the
intruders again proclaimed through the Balyuz my
intention to punish with severity any person who
might create a false alarm or fire a bullet vacantly
in the air; directing that, in case of any opposition to
a challenge, they should fire into, and not over, their
object.
I then sent the Balyuz and the three newly-arrived
men round to the front of the camp, where Lieutenant
Burton and the other two officers were sitting, to be
interrogated as to the purpose of their visit. We all
at first naturally suspected them of being spies sent to
inspect our dispositions and resources; but after along
palaver with Lieutenant Burton, he concluded that
their coming there was accidental, and not designed.
True to their nature as Easterns, who from constant
practice can forge lies with far greater facility to themselves
than they can speak simple truths, bringing in
with the readiest aptitude the application of immediate
circumstances to harmonise appropriately in the development
of their tale, these men at once made use
of the circumstance of the arrival of the vessel that
evening, saying they merely came down to ascertain
if the ship was not full of building material, as it was
currently reported amongst their clan, the Habr Owel,
that their old enemy, Shermarkey, the chief of Zeylah,
was lying with other vessels in the port of Siyareh,
waiting an opportunity to land at Berbera and take
occupation of the place by building forts, as he had
done on previous occasions. This story seemed the
more probable from the fact that everybody knew
Shermarkey wished to have the place, and that he
would at any time have taken it, had it lain within
his power to do so.
The more to impose on our credulity, they further
asked, with an air of indignation, “ How could you
suspect us of any treacherous intentions towards you,
when you know us to be men of the same tribe as
your ^Abbans ? ” The palaver over, these wolves in
sheep’s clothing were allowed to sup on dates with our
men, and depart at their pleasure.
_ usual hour we all turned in to sleep, and
silence reigned throughout the camp. A little’after
midnight, probably at one or two A.M., there suddenly
arose a furious noise, as though the world were coming
to end: there was a terrible rush and huny, then came
sticks and stones, flying as thick as had, followed by
a rapid discharge of firearms, and my tent shook as
if it would come down. I bounced out of bed, with
pistol and dirk in hand, and ran across to the central
tent to know what was the matter, and if we were
to have any shooting. Lieutenant Burton, who was