146 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
does not understand at all. The rest of the day the 
men spent in gorging. 
When we went out late in the afternoon by the place 
of the catastrophe, where the vultures were feasting on 
dragged-away bits of camel bones, we caught some 
exquisite butterflies who sat on the now putrid carcase, 
gorged into quiescence. It seems an odd juxtaposition, 
butterflies and bad flesh, but there they were in unison. 
Cecily is an ardent entomologist, and collected. I let 
her do the securing the specimens because she under- 
stands how to kill them neatly, pressing the thorax 
without damaging the glory of the wings. I never 
could gain the knowledge. My fingers seemed all 
thumbs at it. 
We purchased two new camels from the neighbour- 
ing karia , needing a full complement on account of 
the water-carrying nuisance. I gave the head-man an 
order on our banker at Berbera, with which he was as 
pleased as though it were cash, but the next trading 
trip would take him to the coast -town. These jungle 
Somalis have some delightfully pre-historic traits. 
Belief is one of them. An Englishman’s bond is as 
good as his word, and that is something ; it isn’t 
always in civilisation. 
