238 MY SOMALI BOOK 



skinning knives, saddlery, binoculars (prismatic glasses 

 of eight or ten magnification are best), rifle-oil. 



As to clothing, I usually wore coat and breeches of 

 khaki drill (gabardine is perhaps better), with canvas 

 gaiters, and boots with cotton rope soles which are 

 wonderfully noiseless. Latterly I discarded a coat, 

 wearing only a khaki flannel shirt with spine-pad. A 

 sun-hat (Indian pattern) covered khaki should be 

 worn. I prefer to carry cartridges m my coat-pockets, 

 but it is as well to have a few on one's belt, where a 

 knife is always useful, and after lion or leopard there 

 may be occasions when a pistol would come in handy. 

 Cartridges should be in soldered-up tins containing 

 not more than fifty in each, and see that you have a 

 plentiful supply. It is worth remembering that some 

 shipping companies make difficulties about taking 

 ammunition on passenger steamers, so have the 

 question settled in time or despatch yours to Aden 

 in advance. 



But there is no end to the advice that can be given 

 — and has been given far better than I could do it — 

 on shikar outfits generally. I will endeavour to con- 

 fine myself to the special conditions that obtain in 

 Somaliland. 



Stores in the way of food and drink are a question 

 of one's personal tastes. One needs little in the way 

 of preserved meats, but plenty of fruit, etc. Tinned 

 fruits are bulky, but dried fruits are a great stand-by. 

 A good supply of rice should be taken, as the only 

 substitute when potatoes go bad. A little liquor 

 goes a long way, but brandy should on no account 

 be omitted. Lime-juice helps to make up for lack of 



