TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 27 
What he could not cook was not worth cooking. 
Altogether we seemed in for a good time as far as meals 
were concerned. 
Meanwhile Clarence had produced from somewhere 
about forty-five camels, and I judged it about time to 
launch a little of the knowledge I was supposed to have 
gathered from my shikari uncle. I told Clarence I 
would personally see and pass every camel we bought 
for the trip, and prepared for an inspection in the 
Square. I suffered the most frightful discomfort, in 
the most appalling heat, but I did not regret it, as I 
really do think my action prevented our having any 
amount of useless camels being thrust upon us. 
Assume a virtue if you have it not. The pretence at 
knowledge took in the Somalis, and I went up some 
miles in their estimation. 
As I say, some of the camels offered were palpably 
useless, and were very antediluvian indeed. I refused 
any camel with a sore back, or with any tendency that 
way, and I watched with what looked like the most 
critical and knowing interest the manner of kneeling, 
The animal must kneel with fore and hind legs together, 
or there is something wrong. I can’t tell you what. 
My uncle merely said darkly, “ something.” Of course 
I found out age by the teeth, an operation attended with 
much snapping and Somali cuss words. The directions 
about teeth had grown very confused in my mind, and 
all I stuck to was the pith of the narrative, namely, 
that a camel at eight years old has molars and canines. 
I forget the earlier ages with attendant incisors. Then 
another condition plain to be seen was the hump. Even 
