FESTIVITIES AT MURROO. 405 



In the evening Ohmed Medina left us, going with 

 Garahmee and Moosa, nearly all the way back 

 again to Herhowlee, as they heard that an elephant 

 had been recently killed at Dowaleekah ; and with 

 the hope of being able to purchase the ivory from 

 the hunters, this party started intending to travel 

 the whole night. 



Plenty of women thronged the camp, and the 

 men of the tribe, were particularly friendly and 

 quiet. I soon found that family connexions between 

 several of the principal Tajourah people and the 

 elders of the Sidee Ahbreu occasioned the good 

 feeling that existed between us. During our stay 

 at Murroo, a regular fair was held, and at night, 

 singing, dancing, and clapping hands, kept us up 

 until a very late hour. Every day we were 

 receiving fresh accounts of the inroads of the Alia 

 and Hittoo Gallas from the south, who were driving 

 off cattle, and carrying away the younger Avomen 

 of the Dankalli tribes in their immediate neigh- 

 bourhood. This, however, did not interfere with 

 the festivity of the camp, for other Kahlahs came 

 in to join us from every side, and by the third day 

 of our stay, we had in company more than one 

 thousand camels, and could muster above five 

 hundred fighting men. The different Kafilahs 

 kept to themselves, each taking up such a position 

 as was most convenient, but never at a greater 

 distance from each other than two hundred yards. 

 The next day after we arrived, much to my 



