106 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
was to be believed, was full of Mullahs, not one 
Mullah. We concluded that all the wise and religious- 
minded men must have banded together to live as 
monks do, save that celibacy was not the fashion. 
The Mullah lost no time in sending us return offer- 
ings in the shape of three sheep, and hams and hams 
of milk. He also asked us to go and see him in his 
karia , as owing to some infirmity he could not wait on 
us. All this was very correct and nice. I should think 
this Mullah had been trained in the way he should go. 
We put in an appearance that same afternoon, 
hardly able to push through the crowds that lined up 
in readiness for our advent. The Mullah received us 
at the door of his hut, a smiling, urbane personage. I 
saw no sign of infirmity, but of course I couldn’t ask 
what it was. The Mullah would be about fifty years 
old, so far as I can judge, and he had the tiniest hands 
and feet. His face was full of intelligence, his eyes 
deep set and alert. In colour he was of the Arab 
shade, and some Somalis are almost black. He was 
exceedingly gracious, and received our credentials, or 
passport so to speak, with serene smiles. He barely 
read them. I suppose he could. All the Mullahs can 
read Arabic. 
Myriads of children — our host’s we concluded — sat 
and squatted and lay about the earth-floor, two circles 
of them. Cecily says they went three times round, 
but no, two large circles. 
The Mullah asked a great many questions about 
England — who we were when we were at home ? how 
it was two women could come so far to shoot lion, 
