CHAPTER VII 



SOMALI 



THE first week of April I was busy at Bombay 

 collecting stores for my next hunting- trip, full of 

 eager expectations as to what my first expedition 

 to Africa might produce. Everything was done 

 up in wooden boxes: two one to be slung on 

 each side making up a camel-load. I put in 

 each box a bit of everything in the way of neces- 

 saries biscuits, tea, sugar, salt, etc. so that I 

 should only have to open one box at a time ; the 

 few luxuries I divided indiscriminately, so that 

 they should come as surprise packets. Shortly 

 before sailing I was joined by Captain now 

 Major Eustace, of my regiment, who had 

 elected to throw in his lot with me in Somali. 



On April 10, 1897, we sailed from Bombay 

 on the P. & 0. Ganges. My collar-bone was still 

 stiff and painful from my fall in the Kardir 

 country ; but, luckily, it was on the left side, so 

 that it didn't interfere much with my using a 

 rifle. After an uneventful voyage we reached 

 Aden on the 15th ; here we had to undergo five 



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