II 
THE NOMADIC LIFE 
39 
scriptive names, such as “ Dagaha Todoballa ” (rock of the seven 
robbers), showing the use to which they have been put. 
Annually, when wandering in search of rain, tribes which are 
at feud are liable to meet where their orbits overlap, and so 
there is often a fight, and a few graves on the scene of action 
are left to mark the event. The country is further rendered un- 
safe by raiding and plundering parties which surprise caravans, 
and gangs of high way robbers, who do not disdain to attack small 
parties, or single men and women in charge of a camel or two. 
In the Gu, when the coast tribes are in Ogo and Haud, and 
there are pools of surface water everywhere and green grass for 
the ponies, and the tribes, moreover, have all their numbers 
present, a great deal of petty warfare and raiding goes on. Large 
mounted bands of young men go out from the tribes and travel 
great distances in search of caravans or of grazing flocks. When 
out on raid the cavalier ties a grass water-bottle to his saddle- 
bow, together with a quantity of sun-dried meat, and thus pro- 
vided he will often cross seventy miles of thorn forest to surprise 
his neighbour’s flocks and herds. The attack, made at dawn or 
in the afternoon, is arranged to take place suddenly, and it is 
timed when the male owners are scattered far and wide, sleeping 
in zerfbas or under the shade of trees, wrapped up in their tobes, 
and the flocks are only attended by boys and girls. The looted 
animals are hastily driven off, urged by gentle spear-pricks, and 
the raiders return to their tribe to the musical strains of lowing 
cattle, bleating sheep, and screaming camels. If the enterprising 
horsemen are pursued in force the captured flocks are relin- 
quished, but the camels, travelling faster, are clung to as long 
as possible, at the risk of a human life or two. A looted horse 
is a great prize, and the happy gainer will boast long and loudly 
of his deed. 
In my several expeditions we were constantly crossing the 
tracks of these looting parties, which muster from thirty to 
four hundred mounted men. We actually fell in with a 
Dolbahanta troop returning from an unsuccessful raid on the 
Habr Toljaala herds, having covered a journey of one hundred 
and forty miles. 
Sometimes when resting at night the men sleep in line on 
the ground, the bridle of each pony being passed round the 
man’s wrist and the pony standing over him. In fighting order 
the troops are in single or double line, extended at an interval 
equal to the breadth of one pony. 
