68 LOCAL LIOSTILLTLES.

euphonious appellation of Bayrumphy, and was supposed to have lived for two years in the country.

Although, of course, it was essential to have some one with us who knew the language, we were well aware that four horsemen would prove a great incumbrance ; particularly as we should be obliged to feed their horses as well as themselves. We knew, however, that it was a kind of tax paid to the sheik for his help in our plans, and regarded it accordingly.

The Beni-Amer Arabs about Haikota are the only people who have any dealings with the Base, as it is only there that any are found who are conversant with the language.

The Beni-Amers farther north, living on Khor Baraka, have no dealings whatever with them, and are much afraid of them.

Although, when travelling in the country, we came across one or two sheiks, who, we were told, had jurisdiction o\er the whole country, I had not much faith in them ; for each village has its own chief, and the people of the different villages are constantly quarrelling with each other, and I do not believe that any responsible heads exist.

Only a few days before our arrival at Haikota, a number of Base had come down from one of their villages, and made an attack on some Beni-Amers. They were mostly boys, or old men, who were looking after their flocks, only two or three miles from the village itself. Twenty-seven of them they killed, and drove off about three thousand head of cattle. Sheik Achmed Ageer informed us thai he was then meditating reprisals, and gave us a most pressing invitation to unite our forces with his. When we first heard this piece of news, we thought it would entirely interfere with our going among them. We learned, however, that the people who made the attack lived at some little distance to the south of the Gash, and off our