trees behind us, and rose by a well-beaten foot-track to the primary
level of the country, where stone and bare ground prevailed. Each of
these elevations and depressions was a mere reflection of the other,
only varying more or less according to their size; and as my line was
directed due west, I always had the mountain-range at even distance on
the north, whilst every feature on the south remained the same. It was
monotonous in the extreme. At the fifth mile we came upon some springs
of bitter water, sunk in deep cavities in the earth, from which we
filled our water-skins, and travelled on till night; when, dark
overtaking us, we slipped into a hollow in the ground, called Ali,
cooked a little rice with the water we had brought, and slept it out
till morning. Distance, thirteen miles.

22d.--As soon as the morning was well aired with the sun, and the
black men had recovered from the torpor which the cold seemed to
produce on them as it does on lizards and snakes, I struck out for Jid
Ali, hoping to surprise the Abban, and thereby counteract, if
possible, his various machinations. But this was not to be done. At
the thirteenth mile, as we were descending in full view of Jid Ali, at
a place called Birhamir, I was met by the Akil Husayn Hadji himself,
who, instead of showing any disposition to hinder my approach, was
very affable and kind in manner. He politely begged me to remain where
I was and rest the day, and on the morrow he would take me to the Tug
(river) below. He had never felt indisposed towards me; but one Galed
Ali, an Akil superior to himself, was averse to my proceeding further.
Unfortunately for the Somali, their lies are very transparent, and
they were too fond of uttering falsehoods ever to be trusted. I
neither believed in the existence of Galed Ali, nor in his own kind
intentions towards me, and therefore begged him to prove it by
allowing me to pass. This began a long discussion. The wars were