ADAL COMFORTERS. 19 



compelled to leave their shields and spears when they 

 go farther into the interior of the country. T had 

 to send for any of these to come to me, but either 

 it was too late in the day, being after sunset, or 

 orders had been issued to the contrary, for I could 

 induce no one to take a message from me either to 

 Ohmed Medina or Carmel Ibrahim. I was obliged, 

 therefore, to remain quiet for the night, being deter- 

 mined, however, on the morrow to escape into the 

 Adal country, and carry the news back, which 

 otherwise might be a long time in reaching Aden, 

 of the actual condition of things in Shoa ; where, 

 instead of the English being courted and caressed, 

 as was believed to be the case when I was in 

 Tajourah, they were, in fact, the objects of the 

 most jealous suspicion, and subjected to the most 

 tyrannical surveillance, if not actually in prison. 



The early part of the morning of the 26th of 

 May was occupied in projecting the plan of my 

 escape with Carmel Ibrahim and Adam Burrah, 

 the latter of whom having assisted Lieut. Barker 

 in getting through the Adal country after that 

 gentleman had left the Hurrah Kafllah, I could the 

 more confidently rely upon, although I had not the 

 least doubt of the fidelity or trustworthiness of the 

 former. These two had come with Allee the First 

 to laugh with me at my attempt of getting to 

 Ankobar the day before, and endeavoured to soothe 

 and interest me, as they thought, by showing how 

 they would disembowel the old fat Wallasmah 

 c2 



