2-4 
SOMALILAND 
crowded under the outer roof of' my tent, got drenched to 
the skin, and stood huddled together surrounded by the 
camels, shivering, chattering, and shaking for an hour 
or so. There is nothing a Somali hates so much as rain, 
excepting, perhaps, hard work. No fire could be lighted, 
so I had to be content with a cold supper. Before I went 
to bed the rain ceased, and beetles and ^ bugs ’ of every 
description swarmed into my tent, so that I used my killing 
bottle with great effect. 
Next morning everyone was coughing and sneezing with 
the effects of the drenching the night before. Guns, rifles, 
camera, ‘ bug ’-boxes, food, blankets, and everything 
perishable, had been stored overnight in my tent out of 
the wet, and the collection of articles next morning almost 
prevented me from standing upright inside the tent. A 
pretty light-coloured snake was brought to me on the end 
of a long stick, which I skinned, much to the astonishment 
of the natives, who would tiot touch it with their hands to 
save their lives. They reported that it was a very deadly 
creature, many men and camels being killed by it every 
year. Just as everything was beginning to dry nicely, 
down came the rain again worse than ever. In the midst of 
it one of my men arrived from Berbera with the good news 
that the rest of my followers and camels were now within 
two marches of us. The dried-up river-bed now altered its 
appearance. What appeared to be a low wall of water 
slowly advanced along the bed, and flowed noiselessly past, 
forming a very curious spectacle. That evening I bought 
a beautiful donkey for seven and sixpence, English money. 
Next morning I went out to hunt for meat, and stalked 
in vain oryx, ‘ owl,’ and gerenook. We then lost the pony, 
syce, and two gunbearers, and after shouting and whistling 
for over half an hour, we retraced our steps homewards after 
a very disappointing morning. 
On the way home my shikari pointed out what appeared 
to be a tiny piece of red velvet, which on closer examina- 
tion proved to be a spider. The natives called it ‘ robleh 
