very stony, it is almost barren. The Somali keep cattle here, but with
much apparent difficulty, being, from the scarcity of springs and want
of water, obliged to march about, following the last falls of rain, to
obtain fresh herbage for their cattle. My first and greater journey
gave me an insight into this portion of the interior of the country
south of Bunder Gori. It was very interesting, though not profitable,
from its never having been visited by any Europeans before. I observed
here two distinct leading features in its physical geography. The
first is a narrow hill-range, about 180 miles long and 20 or more
broad, which is occupied by two large tribes--the Warsingali on the
east, and a branch of the Habr Gerhajis on the west. It is situated at
an average distance of from 200 yards to three or four miles from the
sea-shore, separated from it by a sandy flat or maritime plain, and,
like the line of coast, extends from east to west. Immediately due
south of Bunder Gori, the sea-face, or northern slopes of this range,
are very steep and irregular, being trenched down by deep ravines,
which, during the rainy season, shed their water across the maritime
plain into the Gulf of Aden.

The lower folds on this side of the range are composed of brown rocks
and earth, having little or no vegetation upon them, and are just as
uninviting in appearance as the light-brown hills which fringe the
coast of Arabia, as seen by voyagers on the Red Sea. Further up the
hill, in the central folds of the range, this great sterility changes
for a warm rich clothing of bush-jungle and a little grass. Gum-trees,
myrrh, and some varieties of the frankincense are found in great
profusion, as well as a variety of the aloe plant, from which the
Somali manufacture good strong cordage. The upper part of the range is
very steep and precipitous, and on this face is well clad with trees
and bush-jungle. The southern side of the range is exactly the