TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 57 
and the effect as the good wine did its work astonished 
them still more. 
We presented the headman with a tobe, and then 
took ourselves back to camp, accompanied by a rabble 
of Somalis who infested our zareba until we struck 
tents that evening. I had as much of a bath as it was 
possible to get in a tea-cupful of water. But a visit 
to a Somali encampment makes you feel a trifle dirty. 
Our water supply was on the verge of becoming a 
worry, so we had to make a detour towards a place 
where rain was reported to have fallen and the pools 
could be counted on. Clarence knew all this part of 
the country well, and was a most reliable guide as well 
as everything else. His duties were multitudinous, and 
it was marvellous how deftly he discharged them. He 
always saw to the lading and unloading, chose the 
spot for camp, placed the watch o’ nights, gave out the 
stores, and kept his temper through it all. He was a 
born leader of men, amiable, quick, and never sulked ; 
an admirable thing. Sulkiness is rather a big trait in 
the Somali character ; it usually springs from wounded 
vanity. 
At the water holes we fell in with some more Somalis, 
who gave the Baron Munchausen news of lions in the 
vicinity. By the time our henchman had elaborated 
the story the lions were practically in our zareba, and 
we were much discouraged, feeling that, in all human 
probability, judging by previous results, we were as far 
off lions as ever. 
That night, after a somewhat longer, more tiring trek 
than usual, for the first time in my life I heard a lion 
