200 DAHLAK 



These good fellows were amazed at the various wonders in 

 our camp ; at the sight of them they would laugh, hit each 

 other on the back and follow our movements with an almost 

 foolish concentration. When we returned to the tents in the 

 evening they would all be waiting there at a respectful 

 distance. They knew that we were about to unloose with a 

 magic touch a flame that would go up and down at our 

 command and that we would make tea in a couple of 

 seconds. They knew that at the first onset of darkness, Cecco 

 would light a powerful lamp that could be regulated (they 

 themselves did not even use candles). They knew that 

 Priscilla would paint one of the fish that had been caught 

 during the day. And they did not want to miss the show. The 

 miracle of painting, above all, visibly shook them. As the 

 picture took shape stroke by stroke, the comments of the 

 Yemenites would get more and more excited until when the 

 last touch on the eye was given, bringing the fish to life, they 

 would explode with a ^heova^ that was fit to split the ear- 

 drums. 



The things that amazed them most were : the photo-flash 

 (the first time we photographed them at night, they all fell 

 flat on the ground as if they had been struck by lightning ; to 

 satisfy them we had to flash five or six more bulbs on them; 

 the two boys flung their legs into the air each time); our 

 Rolex watches whose pointers still mysteriously moved under- 

 water; the gas stove; and the electric torches. 



One day, three superb white-bellied storks came to Dur 

 Ghella. I took my gun and invited one of the Yemenites to 

 follow me. When he saw me crouch, lift the barrel and go 

 boom, and the stork in consequence drop dead fifty yards 

 away, he took to his heels at breakneck speed across the 

 island and dragged all his friends to see. They looked sus- 

 piciously at the stork for a good ten minutes. That hole of 



