XV START FOR A SHOOT 157 



that on the day I had left Tadechamalca, one of the 

 shikaris had suddenly gone mad, but was luckily secured 

 before he had done any damage, put in charge of a 

 relative, and sent with Jama to the coast. On the way 

 round to the Hawash the caravan had visited the ruins 

 of Hallam, but I could gather no additional information 

 to what Clarke had already told me. They had seen a 

 good deal of game, but travelled too quickly to spend 

 much time in shooting. Mr. Baird had, however, 

 bagged oryx, reedbuck, klipspringer, and oribi. The 

 Gallas on the way proved friendly, and had done their 

 best to show the party sport, besides selling them 

 sheep and curios. While the caravan halted a day's 

 march below Zoquala they went up to see the monastery, 

 also the sacred lake which fills an extinct crater 

 on the top of the mountain. Although interesting, it 

 seemed hardly to have come up to their expectations. 

 The final letters and instructions, with presents for 

 different chiefs, sent down by Captain Harrington, having 

 safely reached them, Messrs. Harrison, Whitehouse, and 

 Butter had, I was informed, set out for their journey to 

 Lake Rudolf. 



On 5th February, finding it hopeless to try and 

 collect sufficient mules in the capital, I determined to 

 go off on a short shooting expedition, while I sent 

 my Abyssinian headman, Nasser, to the neighbouring 

 villages, to see what animals he could get there. It 

 took over three hours to load nine mules, for no sooner 

 were two or three loaded up than they set to work and 

 kicked the lot off again. My road lay nearly due west. 

 Leaving the palace on the left and the market-place on 



