208 AMONGST THE KESHIAT AND TO LAKE STEFANIE 



division of the loads and food, and tlie making of pack-saddles 

 in the Somal fashion. Every man, whether porter, Askar, or 

 guide, received, in addition to his load, sixteen days' rations of 

 dhurra. No load weighed less than 110 lb., and the heaviest 

 weighed 148J lb. Then there were the weapons, ammunition, 

 cooking utensils, sleeping-mats, &c. ; in a word, our men were 

 expected to make such efforts as nothing but a case so desperate 

 as ours would have justified. 



On the last day the natives came into camp in greater 

 numbers than ever to watch our feverish eagerness at work. 

 The Oromaj and Leibon also visited us, and now that we were 

 really going seemed sorry to lose us. The Oromaj promised 

 us all manner of fine thino^s next time we came to see him, and 

 his last words were, ' Don't forget the Tcharra beads.' 



