ORDER OF MARCH. 325 



my escort, all of whom in a very short time were 

 decorated, with one stnck at the back of their 

 coarse, black, frizzly hair, over which curled the 

 light, white, dancing feather, with very good effect, 

 and in excellent keeping with the rest of the 

 picture of savage life, our road presented. 



One was given to me, but as I could not 

 conveniently carry it in my hat, I secured it for the 

 present, in the head-stall of my mule's bridle ; and 

 the toilet of the whole party being finished, and 

 our introduction to the Soumaulee concluded, we 

 parted, and proceeded on our different ways ; we, 

 in the direction that the Kafilah had taken, whilst 

 the strangers continued on their way in the direc- 

 tion of Owssa. 



"We were moving on, Ohmed Medina, by the 

 side of my mule, talking all the way about the 

 wars of the several tribes of the Dankalli, between 

 themselves, and the Galla living on the banks of 

 the Hawash. The Hy Soumaulee, in lines of six or 

 seven, kept pacing away after us; each extended 

 party listening to one of their number who was 

 giving a very energetic relation of some late 

 personal rencontres, in which he had been engaged. 

 So occupied, were all, with the conversations of 

 each other, that none but myself heard a distant 

 shout from the rear, and turning, on my mule, I 

 made out the running figure of a man, whose 

 spear-head, even at the distance he was, glanced 

 brightly in the sun's light, and enabled me to 



