126 
TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
The only animal a Somali really fears is the rhino- 
ceros. His charge, though so blundering, is so terrific ; 
and though he has not the cunning of the elephant, in 
fact hardly any finesse at all, the native mind knows it 
is safer to take no chances. I learnt by after experi- 
ence that a rhinoceros is, indeed, a very big thing to 
tackle ; that his immense bulk is no deterrent to 
nimbleness, that his lumbering, bull-like charge is not 
the most he can do, for if needs be he can turn and 
double with agility. 
As soon as possible after hearing the great news we 
prepared to try our luck. The country here was of 
the densest description, and Clarence’s idea was to 
make a detour south, by way of some water-holes, 
where we might come on tracks of more rhino. He 
said the one we had heard of would probably by now 
be far away, and, as we were right in the Ogaden, there 
was every possibility of our picking up fresh rhino 
spoor for ourselves almost immediately. We got 
ready quite a little expedition, and I detailed a camel 
to carry my requirements in case we thought it better to 
stay out all night, and with Clarence, the Baron, a syce, 
and two camel men my retinue was sufficiently imposing. 
Danger from the Ogaden Somalis never presented itself 
to me as a real thing, in spite of certain lurid tales 
we had heard and read. Although we penetrated the 
country from end to end, the few tribes we met gave us 
no anxiety save that of the off-chance that we might 
catch some disease from them. They are very prone 
to small-pox, and go on walking about with it, giving it 
to all and sundry, when most people would be isolated. 
