328 DEBATEABLE LAND. 



tribe, and the object of keeping me in the rear 

 with the Hy Sonmaulee escort was now obvious, 

 for we entered, it seemed, to-day, the territories of 

 these people whom we had every reason to expect 

 would receive us in an hostile manner. It was, 

 therefore, to protect the weak and straggling 

 camels, who would be most likely to be attacked, if 

 they were left behind without guard, that we had 

 remained at Hasanderah so long after the Kafilah 

 had started this morning. 



Bundurah was not, strictly speaking, Wahama 

 territory, but a kind of debateable land, which 

 extended to our next halting-place, Kuditee. The 

 Hy Soumaulee contend that this district belongs 

 to them, and on this plea the people of Tajourah 

 raised their objection to the Wahama Kafilahs 

 coming to their port, for, possessing no country upon 

 the line of road to Shoa, it was argued the proper 

 point for the Wahama to communicate with foreign 

 markets ought to be Zeilah. The Wahama, how- 

 ever, being the largest of all the Dankalli tribes, and 

 the Hy Soumaulee the least, the latter are not able 

 to contend the matter with them, and are obliged 

 to submit to the usurpation they have no means of 

 preventing ; whilst the Tajourah people dare not 

 refuse to the Wahama the convenience of their 

 town for mercantile purposes, or most assuredly 

 their road to Shoa would be closed by this powerful 

 tribe. 



Those whom we met at Bundurah had only 



