10 
THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSINIA chap. 
ance, so that practically the white tobe or hhaili , shield, and 
spears is a uniform that seldom varies much in the whole 
country. There is very little distinction in the dress of different 
tribes. The Esa seldom wear the tobe, having only a small 
cloth hung round the loins. The Dolbahanta, Og^den, Esa, 
and the Ish4k 1 tribes differ from one another in the shape of 
their spear - blades ; and the Midg&ns carry bow and quiver 
instead of spear and shield. The hildwa or sword is a long 
two-edged, sharp-pointed knife with soft wrought -iron blade, 
about two feet long and an inch broad at the broadest part ; 
the weight is well forward for hacking. The hilt, too small for 
a European hand, is made of horn, ornamented with zinc or 
pewter, and the scabbard is of white leather, sewn crossways to 
a long white thong which goes round the waist. The gdshdn 
or shield is a round disc of white leather, of rhinoceros, bullock, 
or preferably beisa hide, from fifteen to eighteen inches in 
diameter, with a boss in the centre and a handle behind. It 
is easily pierced by a pistol bullet. Two kinds of spears are 
used throughout the country, each man among the Ishdk tribes, 
near Berbera, carrying one of each kind. The small spear, 
plain or barbed like a fish-hook, is for throwing at a distance of 
from twenty-five to thirty yards, but the aim is not accurate 
much over thirty yards, though I have seen it thrown as far as 
seventy -five yards on foot in competitions at Bulhar. The 
Som&li grasps his spear firmly in the fingers, and gives it one 
or two quick jerks against the palm of the hand before casting, 
the vibration being supposed to keep the point straight when 
in flight. The best spear-shafts come from Eilo, a mountain 
in the Gadabursi country near Zeila, and round the butt is 
twisted a bit of soft iron to balance the spear -head. The 
ponderous laurel -leaf -shaped spear, bound with brass wire, is 
used for close quarters, being especially useful against horses. 
The men of the Esa tribe generally carry one of these and no 
throwing spear. They fight on foot and charge home, stabbing 
at close quarters, but most Som&lis prefer light skirmishing. 
Some spears are scraped bright, others blackened and polished. 
The Somali is often a great dandy in these matters, and keeps 
his shield in a white calico cover. 
The water-bottle (Jcarura) is a wonderfully neat affair, plaited 
by the women from the fibres of a root, or from grass, and 
made watertight by applying fat or other substances to the 
1 The Habr Awal, Habr Gerhajis, and Habr Toljaala. 
