POLICY OF OHMED MAHOMED. 329 



arrived the day before, having been to the south 

 of Errur with an expedition against the Alia Galla, 

 who occupy the country between the Wahama and 

 Hurrah. They had heard nothing about the 

 quarrel at Herhowlee, and were very well disposed 

 to be on good terms with us. One of our new 

 friends displayed above his hair a white ostrich 

 feather, and around his neck, wrist, and ankles, were 

 small twisted strips of goat skin, he having killed 

 a Galla during the expedition. The boss of his 

 shield, the handle of his knife, and the head of 

 his spear, were also bound round with knots of 

 the same twisted skin. 



Ohmed Mahomed, anxious to secure friends 

 among the Wahama, paid every attention to those 

 we met in this place, and on one of the two women 

 who accompanied them bestowed a piece of blue 

 sood, or half a dollar, whilst I was called upon to 

 make some present to the Galla slayer, which I 

 did by giving him a handful of tobacco and some 

 paper. The woman, by the bye, was an old lady- 

 love of Ohmed Mahomed, and the sister of Lohitu. 

 She had now become the helpmate of an influential 

 man among the Wahama. Altogether our meeting 

 with this party was most fortunate, as they 

 proved grateful for the little presents they all 

 received from us, and advocated our cause with 

 good effect in the subsequent calamus of their 

 tribe. This was the object which made Ohmed 

 Mahomed so assiduously to cultivate their friend- 



