144 WINE-BIBBERS. 



Kafilah of the British Mission, viewed the present 

 patronage of the people of Tajourah ; and what 

 with the same spirit engendered also in the Debenee 

 tribe, and the avowed hostility of the Mnditu, I 

 saw little chance of any but the most disastrous 

 results occurring to the Kafilah and myself. 



During my stay at Allulee, an affaletah (kid-skin 

 bag), full of palm wine, was brought me by Zaido every 

 morning, he having suspended it below an orifice 

 made near the top of the tree each preceding evening. 

 Before sunrise he again ascended the tree, and 

 taking the bag down, conveyed it beneath his robe, 

 with a deal of caution, to my hut. His religion 

 (Islamism) rendered this proceeding illegal, and he 

 wished to enhance the favour by the great appear- 

 ance of difficulty in procuring it; but a circum- 

 stance that happened one day proved to me that 

 there were other wine-drinkers besides myself in 

 the camp. I was busy writing, when, all at once, 

 I heard loud sounds of merriment raised at no 

 great distance from my hut, and removed one of 

 the side boxes, so that, without exposing myself to 

 the sun, I could see all that was going on. A poor 

 fellow, evidently too tipsy to walk, was standing 

 stark naked, with his hands tied behind his back 

 by a long cord, the other end of which was fastened 

 to a large stone ; whilst two or three men kept dis- 

 charging skins of water over him, that all the boys 

 of the camp, in great glee, were busy supplying 

 from the neighbouring pools, raising a loud shout 



