32 
SOMALILAND 
My cartridges for the ‘450 Express were 3^ inch solid 
drawn brass with a solid bullet, with gun-metal plug 
weighing 270 grains, having a black powder charge of 
120 grains behind it. Before I left the village the head- 
man again appeared, and asked to be given a chit (a piece 
of paper) signed by me, and setting forth how kind and 
good he had been to me, and what handsome presents he 
had given me. I drew it as mild as I could, considering he 
had received from me thrice the value of his trumpery 
presents, and had kept me on a wild-goose chase after a 
lioness, the tracks of which we certainly found, but which 
were at least three days old. But their game was to keep 
us, in order that we might go on buying water. 
On leaving, they confessed that the whole village had 
turned out three days before, and driven the lioness, which 
had killed a camel, right out of the country, and that she 
had not since reappeared. We found, however, the fresh 
tracks of a leopard, and spent the whole of a hot afternoon 
looking for him, with no result. My liver was now giving 
me a great deal of trouble, probably owing to the uninter- 
rupted meat diet, no vegetables being procurable in the 
country. Just as we had bought some more water and 
were about to start from this extremely dull place, which 
was devoid of all game, down came the rain in torrents, 
wetting all the camels’ mats through and through, and 
preventing our marching. The sun at length appearing, 
and the camel-mats being dried, we set off, only to halt 
again after going eight miles, on the news of another lion. 
We made an extra-strong zareba, tied up a donkey outside 
at night, and awaited results ; but not the ghost of a lion 
did we see, probably owing to the noise my men made after 
supper, shouting ‘ Tablo libah tablo !’ (Lion, lion, come and 
be killed 1). 
