132 THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSINIA CHAP. 
were uniformly civil to him. Meanwhile I struck across the 
Haud bush, forty miles to the east of my brother’s route. 
While I was encamped on 16th August among the Ahmed 
Abdalla karias at Karigri, in open jungle, a surprise was 
attempted on them by the Rer Farah, Abbasgtl. A hue and 
cry was raised, and the plain was soon swarming with men, 
who came out of the karias with spears and shields to repulse 
the attack. The enemy upon seeing this retired. The affair 
was so sudden that the Gerad or Sultén of the Ahmed Abdalla 
was with his headmen drinking coffee in my camp at the time. 
On the first news their horses were brought up ready saddled 
from the karias, and they mounted without delay and rode 
to the south, disappearing in the clouds of red dust raised by 
the flocks and herds which were being driven in by the women. 
We again met and formed the double camp over the wells 
at Hargeisa, and during the few days we were there we had 
pleasant company ; for two sportsmen’s caravans—those of Col. 
R. Curteis of Poona, and of Captain Harrison, 8th King’s—passed 
through Hargeisa on their way to the Haud hunting-grounds. 
The first fifty miles from Hargeisa being perfectly safe 
country, we made our fresh start on 24th August in two half- 
caravans, and as the climate during this part of our wanderings 
was somewhat peculiar, showing that the Haud and Marar 
Prairie share in the great rainfall of the high Abyssinian plateau, 
I will give a short account of the first portion of the journey, 
the facts being taken from our Diary. 
24th Auyust.—We had only gone three miles when a deluge 
of rain came on, and having taken refuge under some very thin 
bushes for half an hour, we were drenched through. The storm 
showing no signs of abating we went on again, splashing through 
water up to our ankles ; and so on for another mile, till we came 
to the banks of a small watercourse, down which rushed a yellow 
torrent which we tried to cross, but were obliged to beat a 
retreat. One camel rolled over and over, and the bags of rice 
were scattered along the bed of the stream, and fished out by 
the men going breast-deep. So we looked out for a little sandy 
rise, and camped under pelting rain, which continued till 7 a.m. 
next day. By 10.30, having waited for the stream to become 
passable and for our kit to dry, we were able to march, reaching 
Dofaré at 3.30 p.m. The karias of the Rer Samanter were found 
all along the way from Haraf, and we met hundreds of cows 
