436 PURCHASING MILK. 



was a pool of dirty water, not made any cleaner by 

 a number of camels getting into and rolling them- 

 selves over in it. 



Soon after we were settled for the day, and I was 

 putting off as long as possible, the unpleasant 

 necessity of drinking a large draught of the yellow 

 solution contained in my little kid-skin bag, some 

 Assa-hemerah women came in with loads of 

 "nature's" particularly delicious "beverage," milk. 

 " Oh ! what lovely damsels ! only a handful of 

 tobacco for all that!" and how they patted their 

 fingers against their thin lips in mute astonishment, 

 as I transferred their burdens into a skin of my 

 own, which, by the accidents and incidents of my 

 journey, had become not much fairer than their own. 

 Two strap-buttons (nearly all those from the top of 

 my trousers had gone long previously) purchased 

 me also half a leopard's skin that had been brought 

 into camp for sale, and a head-cover of blue sood 

 was given for a fine goat, which I intended to take 

 on with me to Shoa. 



None of the male inhabitants of the neighbour- 

 ing extensive kraal ventured to come into camp, 

 but a large circle of forty or fifty were sitting in 

 council not far from us ; and between them and the 

 stores, the Tajourah people and the Hy Soumaulee 

 also held a calahm in one large body. From 

 the country being more open here than at Murroo, 

 I could see more of our consort Kafilahs, that, in 



