106 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



was to be believed, was full of Mullahs, not one 

 Mullah. We concluded that all the wise and religious- 

 minded men must have banded together to live as 

 monks do, save that celibacy was not the fashion. 



The Mullah lost no time in sending us return offer- 

 ings in the shape of three sheep, and hams and hams 

 of milk. He also asked us to go and see him in his 

 karia, as owing to some infirmity he could not wait on 

 us. All this was very correct and nice. I should think 

 this Mullah had been trained in the way he should go. 



We put in an appearance that same afternoon, 

 hardly able to push through the crowds that lined up 

 in readiness for our advent. The Mullah received us 

 at the door of his hut, a smiling, urbane personage. I 

 saw no sign of infirmity, but of course I couldn't ask 

 what it was. The Mullah would be about fifty years 

 old, so far as I can judge, and he had the tiniest hands 

 and feet. His face was full of intelligence, his eyes 

 deep set and alert. In colour he was of the Arab 

 shade, and some Somalis are almost black. He was 

 exceedingly gracious, and received our credentials, or 

 passport so to speak, with serene smiles. He barely 

 read them. I suppose he could. All the Mullahs can 

 read Arabic. 



Myriads of children — our hosts we concluded — sat 

 and squatted and lay about the earth-floor, two circles 

 of them. Cecily says they went three times round, 

 but no, two large circles. 



The Mullah asked a great many questions about 

 England — who we were when we were at home ? how 

 it was two women could come so far to shoot lion, 



