CHAPTER V 
A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ABYSSINIAN BORDER, 1892 
First news of Abyssinian aggression — Start for Milmil — Unfortunate Bulhar 
— Across the “Haud” waterless plateau — Extraordinary landscape — 
Sudden meeting with the Rer Ali — Their consternation and pleasant 
greeting — News of a raid — Water-supply statistics— Great display at 
Milmil in honour of Au Mahomed Sufi — Agitation against Abyssinia — 
Unsuccessful lion-hunt — Display in honour of the English — Interesting 
scene — The vulture-like elders — Success of an Arab pony — Our camp 
at Tuli — The “Valley of Rhinoceroses” — Two rhinoceros-hunts — Four 
bagged — Death of a bull rhinoceros — The Waror w r ells — Abbasgiil 
complaints against Abyssinia — First meeting with Abyssinians — Dis- 
turbed country — English sportsmen met at Hargeisa — Fresh start from 
Hargeisa — Incessant rains — Thousands of hartebeests near Gumbur Dug 
— Scouting for the Abyssinians — Visit to the Abyssinian fort at Jig-Jiga 
— We approach Gildessa — The caravan imprisoned by the Abyssinians — • 
Embarrassing situation — A letter to Ras Makunan of Harar — Exciting 
time at Gildessa — We retire by night — The answer of the Ras — March 
to Zeila. 
The capture of Harar by the Abyssinians in January 1887 was 
an important event to the Somdlis, because, under the Emir 
Abdillahi, Harar had hitherto been a very effective little “ buffer 
state ” against Abyssinian encroachments. When the British 
Government first took over the Somdli coast in 1884 there was 
no Abyssinian question, and the authorities had only to deal 
with the Somdli tribes, which, although turbulent, were in fair 
equilibrium as regards power. Of late years, however, the 
Abyssinian question has risen into some importance, as will be 
seen by the narrative of later trips. The Abyssinians import 
large quantities of breech-loading small-arms from ports west of 
Zeila and outside the British Protectorate, while the Somdli 
tribes are only armed with spears or bows and arrows, and are 
not allowed to import firearms, of any sort whatever, from their 
own coast, which is administered by the British. Hence the 
