TRIUMPH OF THE VICTORS. 6 



they had halted for the night ; the greater part of 

 the Tajourah camels alone coming on after us to 

 Dinnomalee the same day. 



On our arrival, preparations were heing hastily 

 made by the Kafilah to proceed on the march to 

 Dinnomalee ; all seemed conscious they had stayed 

 in this place a night too long, and anxious to get 

 away before any other mishap should happen. Some 

 busy talkers surrounded Ohmed Mahomed and Ebin 

 Izaak, who had come in a few minutes before us, 

 and were listening to details of the deeds of blood, 

 the evidences of which were five still bleeding 

 bodies, that lay naked in different places upon the 

 little green sloping bank that rose from the stream, 

 and upon which the encampment stood. 



Carmel Ibrahim and another of my escort were 

 busy paring the skin of a goat, just killed, into the 

 little twisted " symbil," or ornaments, with which it 

 is usual to adorn the head, wrists, ankles, and also the 

 weapons of warriors who have slain a foe. Whilst 

 thus employed, they sung in a sharp falsetto voice 

 some song of triumph, their voices being elevated 

 considerably, as every fresh comer from Dinnomalee 

 arrived. Above us, to the left, the inhabitants of the 

 little town were making sad lamentations, and loud 

 sobbing cries over the dead body of one of their 

 people who had been killed in the engagement. 



From what we were now told, it appeared that a 

 little before sunrise, several women of the Kafilah 

 had gone down to a place at some distance from 

 b 2 



