A DISAPPOINTMENT 



for two days, so I decided to march on as fast as 

 possible till we came to a native track, and then to 

 follow it. As a matter of fact I found one within 

 three miles, and shortly afterwards reached a deserted 

 Somali boma with a little rainpool in the bush near 

 by. I camped there, but the camels did not arrive 

 till late in the afternoon, for they had had great 

 trouble with the loads in the thick bush, as I had fore- 

 seen. One of the collecting boxes had been broken 

 by a branch, and most of the contents ruined. The 

 heat had been excessive all day and tried both camels 

 and men severely, but, in spite of an attack of fever, I 

 was compelled to go out in the afternoon in search of 

 game, as I had no fresh food. 



After a little while I saw a few topi grazing in the 

 open, and I managed to get within lOO yards of 

 them, but being far from fit, and my hand being 

 rather shaky, I made a disgraceful shot ; I saw the 

 dust fly to the right of the animal I was aiming at ; 

 off they went at a lumbering gallop, and we saw them 

 no more. Although I was very disappointed, I could 

 not help laughing at the guide, for he, in the anguish 

 caused by seeing himself deprived of the meat for 

 which he had been lono^ino:", let out a strinof of Somali 

 oaths, and then distinctly said "damn ! " As he did 

 not even know "yes" and " no" in English, and had 

 probably only heard the word for the first time that 

 mornincr when I was talking^ to him about losino- the 



o o o 



way, it struck me as particularly humorous. The 

 wearisome return to camp, however, was not so funny, 

 although I managed to obtain a couple of doves, 

 which made an excellent meal. 



Two clays later I reached a Somali boma called 

 Golosh^ Ward, and found a small settlement of Herti 



87 



