THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 8i 



''Ramadan can be postponed," he told us, ''so that 

 it can be kept any other month." 



"How do you do that?" 



"By killing a camel," says Ali. 



"Are all the men keeping Ramadan? " we asked. 



"Only me." 



We haven't noted any defunct camels, so don't 

 know how they work it. Perhaps they consider their 

 credit good for one camel; or perhaps, like white men, 

 they leave their religion outside a wild country. 



Four hours; lo^ miles; elevation, 3,900; morning, 68; 

 noon, 74; night, 68. 



August 7. — About two o'clock last night a tremen- 

 dous burst of talking broke out. This was strictly 

 against all discipline. When the light in hwana^s tent 

 goes out all conversation is supposed to cease. This is 

 a necessary regulation, as otherwise somebody would 

 be talking all night long. It would not be the same 

 somebody; he would have finished and gone to sleep. 

 But by that time another fellow, who had been peace- 

 fully slumbering, would wake up, feel sociable, punch 

 the fire and his dearest chum, and start in for a good 

 comfortable shauri. The native has no regular hours 

 for eating and sleeping as we have. He goes on the 

 dog's system. 



Therefore, at breakfast, we started an inquiry. 

 M 'ganga was very apologetic and deprecatory. 



*M am very sorry," said M'ganga apologetically. 



