TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 249 
five, and we had to economise or we should clear out 
our stock before we finished up at Berbera. We had 
started out with several pieces of sheeting, but had 
done an immense amount of distributing. A tobe 
when cut has to be about twelve times over the length 
from a man’s elbow to his finger tips. That is how 
we measured. We offered half a dozen tobes, and 
suggested that the performers should toss up for 
them. 
A hurricane of stormy words ensued, most annoying, 
as six tobes at a whack is very generous indeed. The 
men could not be invited to a meal because the rice 
supplies would not bear any undue strain. The affair 
ended with the presentation of five good clasp knives. 
And then the dissatisfied warriors rode away. We 
took the opportunity of telling Clarence that if any 
more Somalis came bent on doing this dibaltig per- 
formance they must do it on their own. We had seen 
enough of it. And run on the present lines it is more 
expensive than a box at the opera. We went back 
to a second tea, and a bath to get rid of the dust that 
covered us like flour. 
In the evening Cecily and I again penetrated my 
koodoo forest by ourselves, more for the pleasure of 
wandering in the beautiful oasis than anything, and 
our search went farther than my stroll of the morning. 
We pushed and crawled our way through the densest 
thickets that we might find the reason for such flapping 
and screaming of dozens and dozens of vultures, kites 
and hawks. In a thicket of thorn where the durr 
grass grew high, and in patches left off altogether, 
