MEET SOME ISSAH SOUMAULEE. 321 



the camels, I mounted my mule, and travelled at a 

 pace that suited her exactly, being about seven hours 

 marching fourteen miles. We soon ascended 

 from the valley of Hasanderah, and passing over the 

 ridge, emerged into a very extensive treeless plain, 

 where were numerous denuded bases of small 

 volcanic cones, the remains of which consisted of 

 stratified concentric circles of black lava, just 

 appearing above the surface of the ground. The 

 diameters of the numerous instances of this peculiar 

 geological structure, I passed during the day, varied 

 from fifteen to thirty yards. Grass was everywhere 

 abundant. Numerous sand-pillars moved along 

 before and behind us ; sometimes, as many as 

 twenty, or even thirty, appearing in sight at once. 

 They varied considerably in form, from that of an 

 upright exact column to that of an inverted 

 trumpet, sustained at an angle of 50° from the 

 horizon. 



On our march we were overtaken by four men, 

 whom, Ohmed Medina, on seeing, instantly pointed 

 out to me as being Issah Soumaulee. That they 

 differed in some respects from the Dankalli, was 

 obvious, at first sight ; but this was most strikingly 

 apparent in the character of their arms. In the 

 first place, they carried neither spears nor shields, 

 instead of these, having light bows and rather 

 bulky quivers, which hung under the left arm, 

 from the shoulder of the same side, by broad 



VOL. I. Y 



