observed in Northern Somali-land. 63 



longed stay at, and we uere lucky enough to find that a 

 small steamer, belonging to the great Parsee firm of Cowasjee 

 and Dinshaw, was due to start for the Somali coast two davs 

 after our arrival. This just gave us time to make our neces- 

 sary arrangements, and no more ; so we embarked on the 

 steam " cockle-shell " ' Tuna ' on the evening of the 23rd, 

 hoping to arrive at Berbera the following morning about 10; 

 but, alas ! our hopes were doomed to disappointment, and it 

 was five in the evening before we sighted the Berbera light- 

 house. Thoroughly as we subsequently enjoyed ourselves, 

 none of us care to dwell on the horrors of that crossing. 



Arrived at Berbera, we at once called on the Resident, 

 Captain Cox, and Mrs. Cox most kindly had rooms prepared 

 for my wife and Miss Cole, while Aylmer, Gunnis, and I had 

 our tents pitched on the Maidan and spent the night under 

 canvas. The next day was devoted to hiring camels, horses, 

 and men, and we should have got off to the hills with very 

 little delay, had not we three men been attacked with a violent 

 sort of sickness which we attributed to " tinned provision 

 poisoning," our cook, with economic zeal, having used for 

 breakfast the contents of a tin that had been opened the day 

 before. T had a very sharp attack, but used strong measures 

 with myself, with the result that I was about again the next 

 day, while the other two, who could not, at first, be prevailed 

 upon to follow my example, were laid up for several days. 

 For the benefit of those who may be similarly attacked, I 

 will venture to give the secret of my treatment,— repeated 

 doses of castor oil, with hot-water emetics. Having hired 

 our camels and camp-followers, and an excellent lot of men 

 they proved themselves to be, I started with the ladies for 

 Dobar, a place about eight miles from Berbera, where we 

 awaited our invalids, who joined us two days later. Dobar 

 IS a little oasis nestling among barren-looking hills, but it is 

 of the utmost importance to Berbera ; for it is from here 

 that the latter place draws its water supply. 



Tiny threads of the precious liquid, quite hot, ooze out 

 of the rock in all directions, and would soon be absorbed 

 by the parched ground around, were they not carefully 



