It Is The Most Wooded
Lowland Seen By Lieutenant Speke.
Already the Nomads are here changing
their habits; two small enclosures have been cultivated by an old
Dulbahanta, who had studied agriculture during a pilgrimage to Meccah.
The
Jowari grows luxuriantly, with stalks 8 and 9 feet high, and this first
effort had well rewarded the enterpriser. Lieutenant Speke lent 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:
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