VI 
A VISIT TO RAS MAKUNAN OF HARAR , 1893 157 
Abyssinian mare, with a message to the effect that the great 
man was “ at home ;; in the zeriba, and that he had sent for 
me. Remembering what had been told me of Banaguse’s 
intention to arrest me, I sent back- Abadigal to say I would 
meet Banaguse half-way if he would go into the valley with a 
few men only • and I pointed out a conspicuous red ant-hill 
where we might meet. Abadigal soon returned, saying his 
master expected me to go to the zeriba, and that he would 
wait for me there. 
Mounting my Arabian trotting camel, and followed by all my 
nineteen men, leaving only one sentry in camp, I rode out to the 
ant-hill, and sat there for ten minutes ; but Banaguse not 
arriving, being tired of the hot sun, I trotted back again ; and 
on Abadigal coming on one of his frequent errands across the 
valley, I sent him to tell Banaguse that he might go back to 
Harar if he liked, but that I should stop where I was, and unless 
he behaved civilly I should prefer not seeing him at all. 
Moreover, I w 7 arned him that my men were few, and that if he 
brought his crowd with him to my camp I should take it as a 
hostile act, but that if he came with only a small party I should 
be glad to welcome him, and give him a reception befitting a 
man of such rank. 
I waited another half-hour, and then I saw through the 
telescope that the people squatting round the zeriba began to 
stir, and Banaguse and his chiefs came out and formed the 
whole force into a long line facing my camp. The chief mounted, 
and the line began to cross the valley in my direction ; and very 
picturesque they looked. I longed for a shot at them with my 
“ Ideal ” hand camera, but not anticipating such a subject I had 
put in no plates the night before. As they got nearer I could 
see the silver-mounted shields and black sheepskin capes of the 
men, and the rich trappings of the horses, some of the bridles 
being hung w r ith rows of silver discs, glittering in the sun. 
Banaguse rode in the centre on a w 7 hite horse, and the line 
w 7 as an irregular formation about two or three deep. On my 
right a large crowd of Bertiri Somdli horsemen had assembled 
to watch the expected disturbance, and the whole picture was 
one of the brightest and most exciting I have ever seen in 
Somaliland. 
I was determined that if Banaguse wanted to arrest me he 
would have to use force ; and I knew he could not do this, 
because, after the attempted arrest of my brother and myself at 
