PLAUSIBLE PROMLSES. 219 been nearly careful enough in making our arrangements with Sheik Achmed Ageer before starting. The fact was, that, as he had done what we wanted him to do for us on our first expedition, we had had no reason to doubt that he would be equally sincere and truthful in his statements about the Settite. We should have told him in the first instance, that we would only pay for his guides on condition that they took us to some definite place, such as Toansar or Beergayla ; and, had we done so, I am pretty confident that we should have got there.

The sheik declared that the people in those places would have been glad to . see us, that the shooting there was very good, and that the previous year some of his own people had been there in pursuit of game. I have no doubt that our expedition up the Mareb opened up the country there very much for his hunters. He said that in a month's time Bayrumphy, with some of his hunters, intended going to Sheik Kudul, who would make an arrangement for them with the chief of Addy Abou in Abyssinian territory, enabling them to shoot elephants between that part and Gebel Bokutan. He was most anxious that we should come out to his country another winter ; and promised, if we would write to him in advance, or telegraph even to Cassala, from whence the message would be forwarded, to make arrangements for us both with the Base and Abyssinians. I should not, however, care to trust him again ; and if we decide on visiting that part of the country another time, we should prefer to try it from the Abyssinian side, going in from Massawa.

We half accepted his apologies, and consented to his accompanying us on our journey to Toadelook. It was long after dark before we arrived, owing to a late start ; and we pitched our tents on the old spot above the river's bed.