144 THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSINIA CHAP. 
tribes ; they seldom or never use light throwing-spears, but run 
up and stab at close quarters with the large, heavy, broad-bladed 
spear. On a certain punitive expedition which occurred in 
1890, they managed to get into a zeriba full of regular troops, 
and, although beaten off, to leave their mark inside; and as 
fighting men they are by no means to be despised. But having 
no guns they are obliged in Gildessa to give in to the well-armed 
and numerous Abyssinians. My brother and I watched by turns 
at this camp during the whole night, and with the transit theo- 
dolite took several pairs of stars for latitude. 
Sending three men half a mile back along the road to Gil- 
dessa, to keep a look-out, we loaded by moonlight and marched 
at 4 a.m., and by dawn had gone five miles along a good track 
through thick jungle. At daylight we came to Arrto, where 
Count Porro’s scientific expedition, including nine Italian 
travellers, was destroyed in 1886. We crossed a wide nala to 
the foot of a small hill, which was the last camping-place of 
Porro’s party. Half a mile farther we came to the Garasleh 
stream. The banks were beautifully wooded on both sides by 
large thorn-trees covered with creepers, with an undergrowth of 
aloes. 
At dawn next day, at our camp at Warrji, where we had put 
twenty-five miles between our caravan and Gildessa, a number 
of Abyssinians came after us on mules, bringing letters from 
Ras Makunan of Harar. The letters were written in Amharic, 
and couched in the most polite terms. The Ras expressed him- 
self glad to hear of the nearness to Harar of British officers, 
and invited us to come to see him. The bearer of the letter, 
who was the commander of the guard at Gildessa, further said 
that one Gobau Desta had been sent to Gildessa to arrange for 
the journey, and that by Gobau Desta the Rds had courteously 
sent his own riding mule, with embroidered state saddlery, for 
my use on the way. The Ras thanked me also for the rhino 
horns. Alluding to our affair with the Gildessa soldiers, the 
Ras significantly wrote, “If they have been discourteous to you 
they shall reap their reward.” 
I sent an answer to this, saying our time was not our own, 
but that I hoped at some future opportunity, when on leave, to 
pay him a visit. I said that the soldiers had naturally rather 
lost their heads at our sudden arrival, but had treated us with 
great hospitality. 
On 20th September we arrived at Biyo-Kabdéba fort, the 
