TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 297 
indeed a charming trophy, and we were intensely 
happy at having procured one of this species. Our 
excursion had about put the finishing touch to our 
garments, which were already on their last legs. We 
were literally in rags, and had come down to our last 
suit. Time had indeed made us slovenly. 
If the ascent of the Upper Sheik had been a big 
matter, what shall we say about the descent ? It was 
a very serious matter, but Cecily and I laughed and 
laughed, and hugely enjoyed ourselves. The pro- 
ceedings of a barrow load of stones tipped over the 
edge would have been graceful to us. I tried the 
going down for a short way on my pony, but speedily 
resolved that if I must die I would at least do it with 
some degree of dignity, and not be hurled into space 
in company with a wretched, if well meaning, Somali 
tat. The camels, one by one, went on before us ; it 
would have been vastly unpleasant to go before. 
Westinghouse brakes are what they wanted, Somali 
camel men are what they got. Clinging on to the 
already overbalanced creatures, backing, pushing, 
shouting, rarely have I seen a more amusing sight. 
The ponies practically tobogganed down, and the 
accidents were many. One box full of provisions fell 
off a heaving camel, burst open, and all the provisions 
spread themselves as far and as widely as ever they 
possibly could. I scooped up all the coffee I could 
find, as it was the last we had. We drank it as 
44 Turkish ” afterwards, grits and all, and thus got it 
down with more liking. 
At the bottom of the pass we called a halt for a 
