CHAPTER IV 
GOVERNMENT EXPLORATIONS 
Early trips to the coast — Disturbed state of Bulhar — Stopping a fight — Two 
skirmishes — First exploring trips — Hostility of the natives — An 
unlucky trip — Start with my brother to explore the Habr Toljaala and 
Dolbahanta countries on duty — Camp on Golis Range — Theodolite station 
at 6800 feet — Enter the waterless plains — Advance to the Tug Der 
— News of raiders ahead, and of Colonel A. Paget’s party — Dolbahanta 
horsemen — Advance to the Nogal Valley — Constantly annoyed by the 
Dolbahanta — Prehistoric tank and buildings at Badwein — Advance to 
Gosaweina — More horsemen — Insecure border, and scene of a raid — 
Explore Bur Dab Range — Robbers’ Caves — Exploration by my brother 
on Wagar Mountain — Lovely scenery — Return to Berbera — Start on a 
second expedition to the Jibril Abokr country — The top of Gan Libah 
— A new hartebeest — Death of a leopard — Hargeisa — Natives clamouring 
for British protection against Abyssinia — Bold behaviour of a leopard — 
Advance to the Marar Prairie — Camp at Ujawaji — Extraordinary scene 
on the prairie — -Quantities of game — Gadabursi raid — Jibril Abokr 
welcome of the English — A shooting trip on the plains — News of three 
lions — Vedettes posted over lions — Advance to the attack — Savage charge ; 
unconscious and in the clutches of a lioness — My brother’s account 
of the accident — His own narrow escape, and death of a fine lion— 
Civility of the Jibril Abokr — Abyssinian news — Return to the coast — 
Recovery from wounds — Third expedition ; to the Gadabursi country— 
Great raid by the Jibril Abokr on the Bahgoba — Curious adventure with 
robbers — Betrayed by vultures — Raiding tactics — First meeting with 
the Gadabursi — Meeting with Ugaz Nur — The rival sultans — Construction 
of an Abyssinian fort at Biyo-Kaboba — Esa in a ferment — Speech of 
Mudun Golab — My brother bags a large bull elephant — March to Zeila. 
In order to show the state of Somaliland when the British 
Protectorate 1 was first established after the departure of the 
Egyptians, I propose to give a short account of my trips into 
the interior prior to 1887. 
1 The first treaty between the British Government and the Somalis was 
signed in 1827 after the plundering of an English ship by the Habr Awal. 
In 1840 another was signed with the chiefs of Zeila and Tajurra. In 1865 
