28 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
a tyro like myself could see the immense difference 
between the round, full hump of a camel in fine condi- 
tion and that of the poor overworked creature. As I 
knew we were paying far too much for the beasts any- 
way I saw no reason why we should be content to take 
the lowest for the highest. 
Finally I stood possessed of forty-nine camels, try as 
I would I could not find a fiftieth. I was told this 
number was amply sufficient to carry our entire outfit, 
but how they were to do so I really could not conceive. 
Viewed casually, our possessions now assumed the 
dimensions of a mountain, and we had to pitch tents in 
the Square in order to store the goods safely. This 
necessitated a constant guard. 
Everything we brought with us was in apple-pie 
order owing to the lists so carefully placed in the lid 
of each box, and gave us no trouble in the dividing up 
into the usual camel loads. It was our myriad pur- 
chases in Berbera that caused the chaos. They were 
here, there and everywhere, and all concerning them 
was at six and seven. I detailed some camels to carry 
our personal kit, food supplies, &c., exclusively ; the 
same men to be always responsible for their safety, 
and that there should be no mistake about it I took 
down the branding marks on a piece of paper. Camels 
seem to be branded on the neck, and most of the marks 
are different, for I suppose every tribe has its own hall- 
mark. 
Some of the camels brought into Berbera for sale 
are not intended to be draught animals, being merely 
for food, and with so much care and extra attention 
