MV CAT^AVAN iSi 



and an epidemic among his mules had ruined him. 

 Adarar, who was told off as assistant to my Somali 

 cook, spoke Arabic well and was my chief Amharic 

 interpreter. Omer, an ugly but hard-working lad, 

 whose portrait may be seen holding my mule on the 

 left of the photograph on p. 264, was my syce, 

 and he and another man, told off from day to day, 

 always accompanied me on the march and when shoot- 

 ing. In addition to these eighteen men, I had my four 

 Somalis, the chief of whom was Ali Warsama, who, 

 besides acting as headman, cook, and boy, was my 

 interpreter. He spoke English, Hindustani, Arabic, 

 and a little Italian, and soon picked up a good deal of 

 Amharic. Ali Burali, my head shikari, had been with 

 me before. Hyde Hirsi, a camel-man, I had promoted 

 to second shikari, and Hussein Hadji did the skinning 

 and took care of the trophies. For arming the escort 

 I had five Snider rifles, which, with my own battery 

 of four, were all the firearms I took, except some 

 magazine-pistols as presents. Several of the men carried 

 the curved Abyssinian sword, and others spears. The 

 loads were made up as follows : — 



Tent, bedding, clothing, personal effects . 2 



Drug-box, 8-bore rifle, etc. . . i 



Galvanised tub (to boil heads) in basket cover, 



filled with tools, etc. . . .1 



Ammunition, liquor, cotton-cloth, and a pair of 



water-tanks, each made a load . . 4 



Cook's box and sack . . . . i 



Flour, rice, sugar, potatoes, onions, etc. . . 2 



Boxes of stores, presents, and photo-plates . 4 



Rice for Somalis, men's kits, and barley for mules, 



made one load each . . . .3 



