76 



MY SOMALI BOOK 



Protectorate, and therefore the dwelling place of J., 

 the Political Officer in charge of the district. 



On arrival, of course, I at once went to call on 

 J., who w a« most kind and hospitable, and said I 

 must stay a few days. I could not afford more than 



a couple of days, but that time 

 Abdilleh could spend in accjuir- 

 ing information as to the latest 

 khabar of lions in the district. 



Besides J. there was a 

 cavalry subaltern named B., 

 whom I had met before, at 

 Hargeisa, just then engaged in 

 buying ponies for Government. 

 He looked rather a wreck, only just recovering from a 

 bad go of fever. It seemed doubtful whether this was 

 a form of malaria or a local fever conveyed by the 

 bite of a tick. These little beasts, in three sizes, were 

 all over the place at that season, and were a dreadful 

 plague, as nothing would altogether keep out the 

 smaller ones ; and when they bite they mean it, and 

 often leave nasty sores. 



As my expected permit to shoot in Abyssinian 

 territory had not yet come to hand, I was the more 

 interested in J.'s account of the Emperor Menelek. 

 It was well known that the old man was in a bad way 

 and had not been in full possession of his faculties for 

 some time past ; but the latest news from Harrar was 

 that he was now entirely in the hands of the priests, 

 who would not allow the doctors any access to him 

 and were dieting him entirely upon " sacrament 

 rations," as the only hope for his life ! One knew that 



