WOMEN MAKING GHEE. 305 



as if in a long-extended Smithfield market, for 

 at least five miles. I had not imagined such 

 vast herds to have been in the possession of the 

 Dankalli Bedouins. The number of men required 

 to attend them was very great, and afforded me 

 an explanation, why I had met with so few upon 

 the journey ; their chief employment being to 

 protect their cattle, with whom they constantly 

 remain. The elders only indulge in the domestic 

 comforts found in the kraal, and are supported 

 chiefly by the produce of the flocks of sheep and 

 goats, which during the day are placed under the 

 care of the children. 



The young men and women follow the herds ; 

 the former lie idly under the trees during the heat 

 of the day, whilst the latter perform the duties of 

 milking and of making the ghee or fluid butter. 

 Churning is performed by the milk being placed 

 in large skin bags, suspended upon the hips by a 

 leathern thong passed over the shoulders and 

 across the breasts. A quick semi-rotary movement 

 of the trunk continually agitates the contents, until 

 the butter is formed in soft white lumps ; it is 

 then taken out with the hand as it collects upon 

 the surface of the milk, and is placed into lesser 

 skins, where in a few hours it assumes the appear- 

 ance of a light yellow oily fluid, the ghee of the 

 Berberah market, from whence it is exported in 

 great quantities to India and the Persian Gulf. 



The cattle of Adal are nearly all of one colour, 



vol. i. x 



