16 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



which was, I need hardly tell you, " a most unmitigated 

 misstatement." 



Aden was reached at last — " The coal hole of the 

 East." As a health resort, I cannot conscientiously 

 recommend it. The heat was overwhelming, and the 

 local Hotel Ritz sadly wanting in some things and 

 overdone in others. We found it necessary to spend 

 some days there and many sleepless nights, pursuing 

 during the latter the big game in our bedrooms. 

 " Keatings" was of no use. I believe the local insects 

 were case-hardened veterans, and rather liked the 

 powder than otherwise. What nights we had ! But 

 every one was in like case, for from all over the house 

 came the sound of slippers banging and much scuffling, 

 and from the room opposite to mine language con- 

 signing all insects, the Aden variety in particular, to 

 some even warmer place. 



In some ways the hotel was more than up to date. 

 Nothing so ordinary as a mere common or garden 

 bell in one's room. Instead, a sort of dial, like the 

 face of a clock, with every conceivable want written 

 round it, from a great desire to meet the manager to 

 a wish to call out the local Fire Brigade. You turned 

 on a small steel ringer to point at your particular 

 requirement, rang a bell — ct voild ! It seems mere 

 carping to state that the matter ended with voild. The 

 dials were there, you might ring if you liked — what 

 more do you want ? Some day some one will answer. 

 Meanwhile, one can always shout. 



We met two other shooting parties at our auberge. 

 The first comprised a man and his elderly wife who 



