Visit to Somaliland. 387 



and level as if it had been laid out for polo. Doubtless this 

 land was under cultivation ages ago^ as close by are the ruins 

 of Avhat must have been a considerable town of stone houses, 

 while thousands upon thousands of graves^ the foot- and head- 

 stones still standing, suggest a former large population. The 

 next day Aylmer left us. Taking his tent and a few camels, 

 he started oflP for Burao, on the edge of the Howd, where 

 report said that lions were killing cattle. His start was, 

 however, most unpropitious, for, as the loaded camels were 

 waiting patiently and the last adieus were being made, 

 Fremantle fired a shot at an Eagle, which caused a general 

 stampede, and down came tents, water-barrels, and " ghee-" 

 tins among the gravestones, with the result that several had 

 to be returned into store. 



As we were now beyond the reservation limit we unpacked 

 our rifles, and the camp was soon decorated with skulls and 

 horns. Our botanical and ornithological collections had 

 been growing meanwhile, and several most interesting addi- 

 tions which have since proved new to science were made here. 



On February 5th, leaving Sheikh, we turned eastward, 

 and marched in the direction of Wagga Mountain, little 

 dreaming how long it would really take us before we reached 

 its cloud-capped summit. A short march through ideal- 

 lookiug game-country brought us to a water-hole, by which we 

 camped for the night. Luckily we had brought a supply of 

 drinking-water from Sheikh for our own use, as the water here 

 was of the most filthy description, being almost too offensive 

 even to wash with. To our Somalis this was no hardship, 

 and we watched them gulping it down with evident gusto. 

 Again and again I have noticed that the Somalis seem 

 utterly indifferent to the quality of their drinking-water, 

 while with regard to their food they are '^ faddy " in the 

 extreme. They will not eat the flesh of the Water-buck ( Cobus 

 ellipsiprymnus) , or of the Gerenook [Gazella waller i), or of any 

 bird, neither will they eat fish or eggs. Fishes, they say, are 

 near of kin to snakes, which they hold in particular horror ; 

 while eggs, they allege, are not fit for food, being simply un- 

 developed birds. This, of course, does not apply to the coast 



