inside, with a yellowish-green exterior. It has a highly aromatic
flavour, and is a powerful astringent. When making mussacks, the
Somali pull a sheep or goat out of his skin; tie its legs and tail,
where incisions had been made, to make it a waterproof bag, and then
fill it with bits of this bark, chopped up and mixed with water. They
then suspend it in a tree to dry, and afterwards render it soft and
pliable by a severe course of manipulation. The taste of the bark is
considered very wholesome, and a corrective to bad and fetid water.
Besides possessing this quality, the mohur is useful as a
poultice-when mashed and mixed with water; and the Somali always have
recourse to it when badly wounded.

During my peregrinations at this place, I often dropped bits of paper
about the jungle, little suspecting what would become of them; and, to
my surprise, one day the interpreter came to me in some alarm, to say
that several Dulbahantas had arrived at Bunder Gori, and were sharply
canvassing amongst themselves the probable objects of my visit. I
could not be travelling without a purpose, at so much expense; and
they thought these bits of paper, which they had carefully picked up,
conclusive evidence I was marking out some spots for future purposes.
They abused the Warsingali for being such fools as to let me travel in
their country, and said I should never cross over to them. This little
incident of dropping paper, though fully explained to them, was ever
afterwards brought up in accusation against me, and proved very
perplexing.

30th.--Camp Habal Ishawale. Altitude 5052 feet.--We were now all
together, and I thought ready to march; but the men had first to be
paid their hire in advance--a monthly stipend of five tobes each. When
that was settled, many other men, and amongst them the sultan's second