characteristic ardour which has marked him through life, he at once
said he would not only withhold his influence, but would prohibit my
going there at all, as the countries opposite to Aden were so
extremely dangerous for any foreigners to travel in, that he
considered it his duty as a Christian to prevent, as far as he was
able, anybody from hazarding his life there. This opposition,
fortunately, only lasted for a time. After repeated supplications on
my part, the generous kind nature of the Colonel overcame him, and he
thought of a pretext by which, should anything serious happen to me,
there would not remain any onus on his conscience.

The Bombay Government at that time had been induced to order an
expedition to be organised for the purpose of investigating the Somali
country--a large tract of land lying due south of Aden, and separated
only from the Arabian coast by the Gulf of Aden--and had appointed
three officers, Lieutenant Burton to command, and Lieutenants Stroyan
and Herne to assist in its conduct. To this project Colonel Outram had
ever been adverse, and he had remonstrated with the Government about
it, declaring, as his opinion, the scheme to be quite unfeasible. The
Somali, he said, were the most savage of all African savages, and were
of such a wild and inhospitable nature that no stranger could possibly
live amongst them. The Government, however, relying on the ability of
one who made the pilgrimage of Mecca, were bent at least on giving the
Lieutenant a chance of showing what he could do in this even darker
land, and he was then occupied in Aden maturing his plans of
procedure.[2]

This, then, was the opportunity the Colonel took advantage of,
advising me to ask Lieutenant Burton to incorporate me in his
expedition, at the same time saying that, if it was found to be