8 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
manner as I was able, to go with me where I wished and 
to obey my commands, — I agreeing to pay for one month's 
wages in advance, and no further sum until the return of 
the expedition to the coast (except in certain cases where 
the men had families, and I arranged to pay these a small 
sum monthly). In case of a man’s death, his heirs were to 
receive the money due up to the time of his death, but no 
more; and any deserter would lose all claim to wages. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Sealy, Political Agent for the Somali 
Coast at Aden, kindly had the agreements properly wit- 
nessed, and it was impressed upon the men that any case 
of desertion would be severely dealt with. 
I bought two strong mules, as well as two ponies, Mr. 
Fred Gillett also securing a pony and mule for himself; and 
when we left Aden, on the 29th of June, we nearly filled 
the miserable little steamer that was to convey us to Ber- 
bera. Besides our fifty-five Somalis, our ponies, mules, 
and boxes, there were some fifty other natives with their 
loads of cloth, who were going back to Somaliland. I was 
afraid the vessel would be swamped in crossing the Gulf 
of Aden. It did not go directly to Berbera, but stopped 
first at Zeila, an old town that used to be in the possession 
of the Turks, and afterwards made a second stop at Bulhar; 
but at neither of these places could the vessel land, and we 
were obliged to go ashore in a chair carried on the backs 
of the natives through the breakers. 
On the 1st of July we arrived at Berbera, all of us feel- 
ing in a most depressed state from the unspeakable voyage 
we had had,— my poor Somali boys having been pent up 
like so many sheep for nearly three days. 
I was disappointed that more camels had not been pro- 
cured for me; but I found that there had been such a severe 
drought that caravans came rarely to Berbera, as they could 
procure no food for their camels. About seventy camels 
