SONG OF TRIUMPH. O 



distance with the women, and together formed a force 

 far too great for the Hy Sonmaulee people to hope to 

 attack it with advantage. They were obliged, there- 

 fore to halt, form a semicircular squatting line, and 

 be passive spectators of their women, seven of whom 

 belonged to the Kafilah, and three to the town of 

 Dophan, being carried away into captivity. 



Three Gallas were killed by spears, the others had 

 been stabbed in the throat and chest, and probably 

 died fighting fairly enough. Carmel Ibrahim was one 

 happy man-slayer, and also the brother of Moosa, and 

 they kept up their song of triumph all the time we 

 stayed here, except when they took me to see the 

 bodies of those they had killed. I observed that the 

 Dankalli do not practise the brutal custom of dis- 

 figuring the slain, so common among the Amhara 

 at the present time, and which was also a charac- 

 teristic of Jewish warfare. The arms and shields, 

 not only of the Gallas who had been killed, but 

 also numerous others that the fugitives had thrown 

 away, fell to the lot of those who picked them up 

 in the latter case, and to the victors in the former. 

 Two of the other successful Hy Soumaulee were so 

 busy fixing in their own belts the newly-obtained 

 knives, which were much better than their own, 

 that they did not attempt to raise the song, like 

 Carmel and his friend, who, perhaps, only did it to 

 attract my attention. Ohmed Medina informed me 

 that I must give them a present, and upon my 

 asking why, he said it was the custom for masters 



