HIGHER GROUND 



he did not seem to be getting on well. The following 

 night was the first cool one we had so far experienced, 

 and instead of lying sweltering under a mosquito net, I 

 was able to sleep with a thin rug over me. 



Next day, the 1 7th, a trying march of six and a quarter 

 hours over a rough uphill road brought us to Lasman, 

 a bare and stony camping-ground, with a few wells, at an 

 altitude of 1850 feet. During this march one of the 

 camels had to be abandoned on the road and another 

 destroyed. At Lasman we saw, for the first time, some 

 gerenuk [Lit/iocranius wallei^i) and also a number of dik- 

 dik, of which we bagged five. The next march to Somadu 

 (2800 feet) was a delightful change, for after a little while 

 we dropped into the Daga Hardina Nulla at a place called 

 Elan, where there is a water-hole, surrounded by fine 

 trees of considerable size and dense underwood. Both 

 dik-dik and gerenuk were numerous. I was unsuccess- 

 ful with my gun, but the others got an aul, a wart-hog, 

 and some dik-dik. Somadu is one of the stations of 

 the camel - post Captain Harrington has established 

 between Zeila and Harrar, which does the 180 miles 

 in 3 days and 7 hours. 



The next march to Arroweina promised sport on the 

 way ; so, after starting the caravan at 4.10, we went off 

 with the shikaris, calling a halt at intervals, and at dawn 

 spread out on either side of the valley. I drew an 

 outside station and saw nothing but dik-dik, till we 

 approached the camping -place, when a female lesser 

 kudu (Strepsiceros imberbis) appeared, followed by her 

 calf We did some careful stalking in the hope of seeing 

 a bull, but were unsuccessful. When I reached camp. 



