50 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
work. I do not think we ever did so little washing 
in our lives before ; water was too precious to juggle 
with then. 
Hand is a Somali word signifying the kind of 
country so named, and may mean jungly ground or 
prairie-like plains. We crossed a part which re- 
minded us both of the Canadian prairies, dried-up 
grass as far as the eye could reach. The waterless 
tract most crossed by travellers and trading caravans 
is arid and barren, and the paths are not discernible 
owing to the springy nature of the ground. Parts of 
the Haud are quite luxuriant, and provide grazing for 
countless thousands of camels, sheep, and goats. Our 
route lay over a flat, ugly, and uninteresting expanse. 
It was no use looking for signs of game. The new 
grass had not as yet appeared. Even the easily con- 
tented camels had to make believe a lot at meal-times. 
We were marvellously lucky in our getting over this 
daunting place. At no time were we overwhelmed 
with the heat. A quite refreshing breeze blew over us 
most days, and at night we found it too cold to be 
pleasant. I called it luck, but Clarence attributed it 
to the will of Allah. 
I got a fine bustard for the pot. A beautiful bird 
with a dark brown crest, and a coat, like Joseph’s, of 
many colours. I saved some of the feathers, they 
were so iridescent and beautiful. The bustard tribe in 
Somaliland appears to be a large one. I noticed three 
or four distinctly different species, with dissimilar 
markings. The Ogaden bustard had the prize, I think, 
in glory of plumage. Even his beak was painted 
