A SATISFACTORY INTERVIEW 



said I should be able to reach the Lak Dera and 

 follow that up to the Lorian. I had never imagined 

 for a moment that I should be able to go that way, 

 for not only is the country absolutely unknown, but 

 its inhabitants are reputed to be the least friendly 

 and most truculent of all the Ogaden Somali. 



I had anticipated a complete refusal on the part 

 of the natives to allow me to do so, and had intended 

 to go by way of the Tana Valley. But as the latter 

 had been explored previously, it would not have been 

 nearly so interesting, although game would have been 

 much more plentiful. Abdi Aden told me that he 

 believed the Lorian to be thirty marches by this new 

 route through bush the whole way, but with water to 

 be found, as rains were reported to have been plentiful. 

 The question of water, game and roads was thrashed 

 out over and over again in all its bearings, and he 

 assured me of a warm welcome in his country, so the 

 interview was on the whole very satisfactory ; but I 

 decided that I would stay in this vicinity for another 

 week in order to obtain more specimens of arrola and 

 other animals that I might find. 



For the next few days I hunted with varying 

 success. The country I traversed was in parts ex- 

 ceedingly fertile, consisting of rich meadow-lands 

 with long green grass and shady trees. These were 

 separated from each other by dense belts of the more 

 familiar acacia scrub, and it was thither that the 

 animals retired to rest during the heat of the day, 

 only coming out to feed in the little plains in the early 

 morning and towards sundown. One afternoon a 

 syce, who had been on guard while the camels 

 grazed, reported having seen five arrola in the bush, 

 so off I started in a broiling sun and began hunting 



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