28 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



a tyro like myself could see the immense difference 

 between the round, full hump of a camel in fine condi- 

 tion and that of the poor over-worked creature. As I 

 knew we were paying far too much for the beasts any- 

 way I saw no reason why we should be content to take 

 the lowest for the highest. 



Finally I stood possessed of forty-nine camels, try as 

 I would I could not find a fiftieth. I was told this 

 number was amply sufficient to carry our entire outfit, 

 but how they were to do so I really could not conceive. 

 Viewed casually, our possessions now assumed the 

 dimensions of a mountain, and we had to pitch tents in 

 the Square in order to store the goods safely. This 

 necessitated a constant guard. 



Everything we brought with us was in apple-pie 

 order owing to the lists so carefully placed in the lid 

 of each box, and gave us no trouble in the dividing up 

 into the usual camel loads. It was our myriad pur- 

 chases in Berbera that caused the chaos. They were 

 here, there and everywhere, and all concerning them 

 was at six and seven. I detailed some camels to carry 

 our personal kit, food supplies, &c., exclusively; the 

 same men to be always responsible for their safety, 

 and that there should be no mistake about it I took 

 down the branding marks on a piece of paper. Camels 

 seem to be branded on the neck, and most of the marks 

 are different, for I suppose every tribe has its own hall- 

 mark. 



Some of the camels brought into Berbera for sale 

 are not intended to be draught animals, being merely 

 for food, and with so much care and extra attention 



