TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 197 



Marching until about eleven, we settled down once 

 more, only to be immediately disturbed by a messenger 

 from the head-man of the tribe just so gladly parted 

 from, who was followed hard on his tracks by a number 

 of horsemen, streaming across the plain, threading in 

 and out between the clumps of durr grass, the sun 

 glinting on their shining spears. 



They very kindly wished to entertain us with a 

 species of circus performance, known as the dibaltig, 

 a great equestrian feat, carried out in this case by 

 some fifty Somahs on typical native ponies got up for 

 the occasion — a veritable attempt to make silk purses 

 out of sow's ears — in trappings of red, and many tassels. 

 Their riders were dressed in brilliantly dyed tobes of 

 green and scarlet and blue, and each man carried a 

 complete warrior's kit of shield, spear, and short sword. 

 It was nice that the performance did not wait for us 

 to go to it, but placed itself right in our way like this 

 — a great improvement on the system of amusements 

 at home. Our men gave up all idea of doing any 

 camp work for the time, and stood in an admiring 

 throng in a half-circle behind Cecily and myself, 

 who were allowed a box each to sit on. 



On a prairie-like waste of sand the Somalis formed in 

 an even line, and with the usual " Salaam aleikum," 

 the show began. One of the horsemen advanced 

 slightly, and still sitting in his peaked saddle, began 

 to sing a long chant. I do not know if he was chosen 

 as chorister because of some hereditary right in his 

 family, or by favour, or because of the fancied ex- 

 cellence of his voice. With every singer not all are 



