146 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



does not understand at all. The rest of the day the 

 men spent in gorging. 



When we went out late in the afternoon by the place 

 of the catastrophe, where the vultures were feasting on 

 dragged-away bits of camel bones, we caught some 

 exquisite butterflies who sat on the now putrid carcase, 

 gorged into quiescence. It seems an odd juxtaposition, 

 butterflies and bad flesh, but there they were in unison. 

 Cecily is an ardent entomologist, and collected. I let 

 her do the securing the specimens because she under- 

 stands how to kill them neatly, pressing the thorax 

 without damaging the glory of the wings. I never 

 could gain the knowledge. My fingers seemed all 

 thumbs at it. 



We purchased two new camels from the neighbour- 

 ing karia, needing a full complement on account of the 

 water-carrying nuisance. I gave the head-man an 

 order on our banker at Berbera with which he was as 

 pleased as though it were cash, but the next trading 

 trip would take him to the coast-town. These jungle 

 Somalis have some delightfully pre-historic traits. 

 Belief is one of them. An Englishman's bond is as 

 good as his word, and that is something ; it isn't always 

 in civilisation. 



