SOMALILAND 
1 6 
digging the precious fluid about 2 feet from the surface 
of the sand. Grasshoppers, beetles, and spiders ran over 
my face and bed all night, but, as Grossmith used to sing, 
‘ I am so much enjoying myself I don’t mind flies.’ 
Next morning I awoke to And all my clothes saturated 
with dew, and my men sneezing and coughing. On getting 
up at 2.45 the air was intensely cold; I shivered so 
much riding through the darkness that I was soon obliged 
to dismount and walk. About 7 I fired at a gerenook 
(Waller’s gazelle), a pretty red antelope with a very long 
neck ; but the distance was great, and I missed. I found 
it impossible to get my shikaris to crawl after game ; small 
wonder, perhaps, as their legs were bare, and they by no 
means relished the thorns and stones. On returning from 
the pursuit of the gerenook, I picked up a very pretty 
tortoise. Passing several caravans, with numerous sheep 
and goats, we reached stony ground, covered with huge 
boulders. On the top of these red rocks were to be seen 
the curious little tailless rock rabbits (Somali name, ‘ bona ’). 
These animals, which are a little smaller than an English 
rabbit, possess a pretty rat-coloured fur, and are probably 
the conies of the Bible. I brought two of them down from 
the top of a large rock with one shot. Climbing upon the 
boulder, and looking down to see where they had fallen, I 
beheld them just below me. Down I jumped on an aloe 
plant, thinking, of course, that it would be immediately 
crushed down by my weight. Not a bit of it ! The plant 
did not give in the least, and the result was anything but 
satisfactory, as I fell heavily among the rocks ‘ all of a heap. ’ 
Soon after a jackal ran across our track ; dismounting, 1 
fired my gun, which happened to be loaded with No. 8, and 
although the beast jumped high in the air, we eventually 
lost him. The same thing happened with a dik-dik soon 
after. Whenever anything large appears I always seem to 
have dust shot in my gun ; but if a beautiful little bird 
hovers over my head, I find I am loaded with buckshot. 
In the hurry of the moment the right cartridge can never 
