TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 67 
did wonders, bagging a fine oryx after an exciting 
stalk, a lesser koodoo — a most beautiful creature — and 
a jackal. It was of the black-backed variety, with silver 
hairs and flaming yellow sides, and I admired him 
immensely. He was a monster too, and measured four 
feet as he lay. 
The men were revelling in any amount of meat of 
my cousin’s providing. I think we were more generous 
in this direction than are many hunters. The caravan 
is expected to rely on the usual ration of rice and 
dates — the latter a gummed together mass of fruit, 
which is eaten by the Somalis in handfuls. They 
were quite good, for I tasted them frequently. 
We bought sheep throughout the trip, either by 
exchange or for cash ; and, as I say, there was a 
plentiful supply of venison. 
As soon as I could ride we marched, and very glad 
we were to leave the place where circumstances had 
enforced so long a stay. The camp began to take on 
the slovenly, dirty ways of the average Somali karia. 
The spirit of idleness sits ill on these natives. They 
like doing nothing, but doing nothing does not like 
them, and very speedily they get slothful. 
The procedure of our camping arrangements varied 
but little when things were normal and going smoothly. 
On selecting the right spot to halt, every man went to 
his own work, and our tents were up almost as soon as 
they were taken off the kneeling camels, who flopped 
down, joyfully obedient at the first sign of a rest, and, 
being relieved of the loads, were allowed to graze at 
once. Our butler put out everything we needed, set 
