sat upon the date-bags so resolutely I was fain to open them that some
business might be done. After feasting they all dispersed, under
pretence of bringing other camels, and I went into the town to inspect
the place. There were five small forts, occupied by merchants, of whom
one was a Hindi from Cutch, and a large collection of mat huts, mostly
occupied by women. Instead of finding a harbour (Bunder), as the name
of the village implied, the shore was a gradual shelving open
roadstead, in which two buggaloes were lying at anchor, waiting for
cargoes, and four small sailing-boats were preparing, with harpoon and
tackle, to go porpoise-hunting for oil.

18th.--Having made everybody as uncomfortable as I could wish, sitting
in the sandy open plain, all the men were equally desirous with myself
for a move on the journey; but still I was five camels short, and saw
no hopes of getting them. The plan then settled was to move southwards
half-way up the hill, leaving the few things still in the fort as they
were, until I arrived at the camping-place, and could send the animals
I was taking with me back to fetch them. Having now desired the
sultan, Sumunter, and Farhan to return to Goriat, and leave the rear
property in safe custody with the fort-keeper, I commenced the march
across the maritime plain with Ahmed, Imam, a number of Somali
camel-tenders armed with spear and bow, and the sultan's youngest son,
Abdullah, to direct the way until his father and the other two should
arrive, which they promised they would do by the evening. The track
first led us across the maritime plain, here about two miles broad,
and composed of sand overlying limestone, with boulders in the dry
shallow watercourses, and with no vegetable life save a few scrub
acacias and certain salsola. This traversed, we next wound along a
deep ravine called Tug (river) Tura,[15] lying between the lower spurs
of the mountain-range, and commenced a slight ascent up its cracked,