[11] The Somal place dates in the hands of the fallen to ascertain the
extent of injury: he who cannot eat that delicacy is justly decided to be
_in articulo_.
[12] In less than a month after receiving such injuries, Lieut. Speke was
on his way to England: he has never felt the least inconvenience from the
wounds, which closed up like cuts in Indian-rubber.
[13] They had despised the heavy sacks of grain, the books, broken boxes,
injured instruments, and a variety of articles which they did not
understand. We spent that day at Berberah, bringing off our property, and
firing guns to recall six servants who were missing. They did not appear,
having lost no time in starting for Karam and Aynterad, whence they made
their way in safety to Aden. On the evening of the 19th of April, unable
to remove the heavier effects, and anxious to return with the least
possible delay, I ordered them to be set on fire.
APPENDIX I.
DIARY AND OBSERVATIONS
MADE BY LIEUTENANT SPEKE, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE WADY NOGAL.
DIARY.
On the 28th October, 1854, Lieutenant Speke arrived at Kurayat, a small
village near Las Kuray (Goree Bunder), in the country called by the Somal
"Makhar," or the eastern maritime region. During the period of three
months and a half he was enabled to make a short excursion above the
coast-mountains, visiting the Warsingali, the Dulbahanta, and the Habr
Gerhajis tribes, and penetrating into a region unknown to Europeans. The
bad conduct of his Abban, and the warlike state of the country, prevented
his reaching the "Wady Nogal," which, under more favourable circumstances
and with more ample leisure than our plans allowed him, he conceives to be
a work of little difficulty and no danger. He has brought back with him
ample notices of the region visited, and has been enabled to make a
valuable collection of the Fauna, which have been forwarded to the Curator
of the Royal As. Society's Museum, Calcutta. On the 15th February, 1855,
Lieutenant Speke revisited Kurayat, and there embarked for Aden.
Before proceeding to Lieutenant Speke's Journal, it may be useful to give
a brief and general account of the region explored.
The portion of the Somali country visited by Lieutenant Speke may be
divided into a Maritime Plain, a Range of Mountains, and an elevated
Plateau.
The Maritime Plain, at the points visited by Lieutenant Speke, is a sandy
tract overlying limestone, level to the foot of the hills, and varying
from half a mile to two miles in breadth. Water is not everywhere
procurable. At the village of Las Kuray, there is an old and well built
well, about twelve feet deep, producing an abundant and excellent supply.
It appears that the people have no implements, and are too barbarous to be
capable of so simple an engineering operation as digging.
