OF MAHOMED ALLEE. 221 



sitting in two adjoining circles, whilst Lohitu sat 

 apart with a stranger who had joined us from a 

 direction exactly opposite to that in which the new 

 arrivals had come. As they sat within a few yards of 

 me, I perceived that he bore on his breast the 

 " Arriah," or incised figure of the Debenee tribe ; 

 and I concluded, therefore, he was some member of 

 the family of the Chief; Zaido, however, who had 

 a very acute eye to perceive any threatened or 

 rather suspected danger, whispered to me, as he 

 pushed my breakfast of rice into my hut, that an 

 Issah Soumaulee was talking to Lohitu. As I 

 could not understand how it happened that one of 

 this hated tribe dare venture alone among the 

 Debenee, I set the man down to be a half blood, 

 which would also account for his being marked 

 with the peculiar symbol of that tribe. 



These two were soon joined by a third, another 

 stranger to me, who came from the calahm circle 

 of the Shoa Kafilah, and brought with him a small 

 coil of brass wire, weighing, perhaps, one ounce or 

 so, which Lohitu received in his usual silent 

 manner, and deposited beneath his tobe. I had 

 promised Mr. Cruttenden to write to Aden by every 

 opportunity, and as I considered this an admirable 

 one, from the previous connexion of Mahomed 

 All'ee with the English, I sent to Ohmed Mahomed 

 to request that he would bring him to me, that 

 besides the letter I intended to send, I might also 

 give him some verbal message to Capt. Haines or 



