Page:First Footsteps in East Africa, 1894 - Volume 2.djvu/158

 the slave Farhan, to show the art of digging; for this he received the present of a goat. I may here remark that everywhere in the Somali country the people are prepared to cultivate grain, and only want some one to take the initiative. As yet they have nothing but their hands to dig with. A few scattered huts were observed near Jid Ali, the grass not being yet sufficiently abundant to support collected herds. Lieutenant Speke was delayed nineteen days at Jid Ali by various pretexts. The roads were reported closed. The cloth and provisions were exhausted. Five horses must be bought from the Abban for thirty dollars a head (they were worth one fourth that sum), as presents. The first European that visited the Western Country had stopped rain for six months, and the Somal feared for the next monsoon. All the people would flock in, demanding at least what the Warsingali had received; otherwise they threatened the traveller's life. On the 26th of December Lieutenant Speke moved three miles up the valley to some distance from water, the crowd being troublesome, and preventing his servants eating. On the 31st of December all the baggage was brought up from near Abi: one of the camels, being upon the point of death, was killed and devoured. It was impossible to keep the Abban from his home, which was distant about four miles: numerous messages were sent in vain, but Lieutenant Speke drew him from his hut by "sitting in Dhurna," or dunning him into compliance. At last arose a violent altercation. All the Warsingali and Dulbahanta servants were taken away, water was stopped, the cattle were cast loose, and the traveller was told to arm and defend himself and his two men:--they would all be slain that night and the Abban would abandon them to the consequences of their obstinacy. They were not killed, however, and about an hour afterwards the Somal reappeared, declaring that they had no intention of deserting. _11th January_,