46 DAHLAK 



first were 'Don't be a fool' or 'Do you think that's funny?' or 

 even a well-aimed blow. 



However, we got organized and within a few minutes His 

 Excellency was able to look over our complete store of 

 underwater equipment, specimens of embalmed fish, madre- 

 pores, shells and the collections of fauna in formalin. Gregory, 

 the domestic seagull, also came under inspection. The Viceroy 

 expressed admiration for what he saw and asked many 

 searching questions in good French, which Vailati, exemplary 

 leader of the expedition, answered from behind the luminous 

 smile of his moustaches. It was a happy encounter; a trip 

 together was arranged and we promised at the Viceroy's 

 special request to furnish the small museum in his official 

 residence with marine biological material. Our subsequent 

 gift to Massawa (of stuffed porcupine-fish, box-fish, pug-fish 

 and madrepores and echinoderms, etc.) was greatly appre- 

 ciated, and we were later invited to a cocktail party at the 

 Italian Consulate at Asmara, and to an intimate luncheon 

 at the Viceroy's palace when His Excellency and his Princess 

 Consort graciously received us. They told us that this was the 

 first time Italians had been so received since the unhappy 

 events of the war. 



From that moment all the silent barriers were down and 

 we were left to carry out our work in peace. We could go to 

 and from the islands without impediment and the only 

 formality that remained was that of keeping two Eritrean 

 police on board. However, we knew that they loved coming 

 aboard and that at the garrison there was much rivalry for 

 this particular duty. As soon as we were out of port the two 

 policemen would tear off their uniforms and spontaneously 

 place themselves at our disposal. Sometimes, to their intense 

 pleasure, they came fishing or shooting in the interior of the 

 islands. They were thoroughly decent chaps and spoke fluent 



