192 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



away, gnawing a lump of meat, a " speed the parting 

 guest " present. 



This particular part of the world was overdone with 

 snakes, of a deadly variety, black and horrible looking. 

 I went warily now, I can tell you, and there was no 

 more tracking for a few days in anything but my stout 

 boots. 



We next filled up every available thing that held 

 water, and launched ourselves fairly on to the Marehan 

 Desert. Never was the word more apt. The place 

 was deserted by man and beast. There was no life nor 

 thing stirring. We marched the first day from dawn 

 to about 10 a.m., when the fierce sun forced us to take 

 shelter in hastily erected tents. Even the men, accus- 

 tomed to the glare, made shift to primitive shelters 

 from the Jicrios. The ponies stood up well, and the 

 camels were calm as ever. Oh, the heat of that 

 frightful noon-day ! We did not wish to eat, and put 

 off meals until the evening. The men were now on 

 dates and rice, as we had no dried meat, and fresh 

 meat, even if we had been able to get it, would not have 

 kept an hour. 



In the evening we doled out the water, and the 

 ponies got their insufficient share. Afterwards we 

 marched on, travelling until very late, or rather early. 

 It was nearly full moon again, and the hideous parched- 

 up desert looked quite pretty, and was busy trying to 

 pass itself off as a delectable country. After too little 

 of bed we rose and toiled on until 9.30, when we caved 

 in, this time very thoroughly, as Cecily had a bad 

 touch of the sun and was in rather a bad way. But 



