192 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
away, gnawing a lump of meat, a “ speed the parting 
guest ” present. 
This particular part of the world was overdone with 
snakes, of a deadly variety, black and horrible looking. 
I went warily now, I can tell you, and there was no 
more tracking for a few days in anything but my stout 
boots. 
We next filled up every available thing that held 
water, and launched ourselves fairly on to the Marehan 
Desert. Never was the word more apt. The place 
was deserted by man and beast. There was no life nor 
thing stirring. We marched the first day from dawn 
to about io a.m., when the fierce sun forced us to take 
shelter in hastily erected tents. Even the men, 
accustomed to the glare, made shift to primitive 
shelters from the herios. The ponies stood up well, and 
the camels were calm as ever. Oh, the heat of that 
frightful noon-day ! We did not wish to eat, and put 
off meals until the evening. The men were now on 
dates and rice, as we had no dried meat, and fresh 
meat, even if we had been able to get it, would not have 
kept an hour. 
In the evening we doled out the water, and the 
ponies got their insufficient share. Afterwards we 
marched on, travelling until very late, or rather early. 
It was nearly full moon again, and the hideous parched- 
up desert looked quite pretty, and was busy trying to 
pass itself off as a delectable country. After too little 
of bed we rose and toiled on until 9.30, when we caved 
in, this time very thoroughly, as Cecily had a bad 
touch of the sun and was in rather a bad way. But 
