36 Three Months' Leave in Somali Land. 



top of his back above bush. Saw two day-old 

 pugs of two lions, one with the most enormous 

 foot, bigger than any tiger's I have seen, and 

 far bigger than any lion pug I have yet seen. 



14th, Wednesday. — Moved over to Abyssinian 

 camp in morning, some of them came galloping 

 out to meet me, was taken to their zereba and 

 received bv a guard of honour of at least 800 to 

 850 men. I walked down between two lines of 

 them almost all armed with Remingtons, some 

 with revolvers too ; about one in twenty had 

 a muzzle-loader, some had breech-loaders of 

 Vetterli pattern. Was taken to a sort of durbar 

 tent and received by the boss, and was told to 

 seat myself on rugs ; then we had a long talk 

 through interpreters, two of them, as my speech 

 had to be turned into Somali, and then to 

 Abyssinian, and the boss's into Somali, and then 

 Hindustani. The boss's name (title) is Garadbash 

 Dasali. He was very polite, and had a man 

 behind him with a shield from which hung an 

 enormous black lion's mane. After I left he sent 

 me over two bullocks and three sheep. My tent 

 was full of Abyssinians all day. They are a cheery, 

 manly, very dirty lot. I sent over a large tin of 



