Chapter I: Introduction

Africa is gradually becoming so civilised that there are few places left where the adventurer (the man who holds a human life as cheaply as the sportsman holds that of a wild pheasant) may hope to flourish. But for such an individual there remains on the Eastern Abyssinian border a territory, difficult to penetrate, inhabited by wild warlike tribes, through whom can be carried out a policy of murder and rapine against the peaceful native tribes under British protection. And on the Abyssinian borders you may find him, ever ready to organise a wild raid South or East (or West for that matter) into the administered territories of the British, whose sentinel-outposts are ever watching and waiting to turn him from his prey. Of the tribes inhabiting this wild border-land I have selected from many but one to speak of--the Somali of British Somaliland.

The Somali has deeply religious tendencies and is the stoutest of Mussulmans. In addition to the Mahomedan code, which he obeys implicitly, he has a complicated tribal code of his own. He knows much, and practises what he knows, of the old Jewish and Biblical hygienic laws. He recognises the right of man to slay, providing he pays--one hundred camels for a man, fifty for a woman. The Somali respects a woman, and reverences chastity.

The Somali wanders afar. You will find him working as deck hand, fireman, or steward, on all the great liners trading to the East. I know of a Somali tobacconist in Cardiff, a Somali mechanic in New York, and a Somali trader in Bombay, the latter of whom speaks French, English, and Italian fluently. The Somali considers that British magistrates are appointed to his country solely to relieve the monotony of his life, and he pesters theirs with all kinds of cases, both petty and intricate.

The Somali in his own country is conservative. He has little time for men not of his own race, excepting perhaps the Arab Mullahs, a few of whom wander amongst his people teaching the great "Mahomedan truths." He is never internally at rest. His tribe is divided into sections, sub-sections and clans, and the clans are for ever disagreeing amongst themselves. The sub-sections then interfere, and it may so happen that quarrels extend to the sections. If these are not settled the result may be much bloodshed. But it is always here that the British administration steps in, and to it nowadays the Somali turns to settle his domestic affairs when they get beyond his control.

In 1920 I was privileged to take part in the successful operations carried out against that great adventurer, Hassan Abdullah, the Mad Mullah, and with him these pages end. They portray only the human side of life on a wild African outpost, and describe the men and incidents recorded exactly as I have seen them, and as they have occurred. For fuller information I refer the reader to the official reports and the works of more conventional writers.

H. R.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

ZEILA

PAGE

Early history--Slave trade--Gen. Gordon--Somali tribes 13

CHAPTER II

"ALL IN THE DAY'S WORK"

The staff--Office work--The "Poor Fund" and its
distribution--A tale of woe--The D.C. on inspection
rounds--Petitions 23

CHAPTER III

PERSONAGES

Mahomed the Interpreter--Mahomed as magistrate--Mahomed
as author--Mahomed's reason for Ramathan--Mahomed as
fighting man--Buralli Robleh, policeman and
gentleman--Buralli's domestic affairs--Mohamed Auwit,
petition writer 32

CHAPTER IV

COURT WORK

The Court opens--Sultan Mahomed Haji Dideh--Petitions--A
case of "being found out"--Gambling--Mr Gandhi 41

CHAPTER V

THE TWO WIVES

Indelicate expressions--The narrative of No. 1--
Interruptions--The narrative of No. 2--Buralli
speaks the epilogue 49

CHAPTER VI

CONCERNING SOMALS

Tribal location--European Protectorates--Characteristics--The
old Akil--A tale of treachery 57

CHAPTER VII

MAHOMED FARA

As body servant--Safari troubles--Mahomed of the lion's
heart--Mahomed to the rescue--The duel--Mahomed on
field service--The parting 65

CHAPTER VIII

COMMERCE

Trade sources and commodities--A typical manifest--The old
Jew goldsmith 78

CHAPTER IX

SOMETHING ABOUT DHOWS

Timber--Navigation--The dhow and the slave trade--Dhow
captains 86

CHAPTER X

SOMETHING ABOUT THE SLAVE TRADE

British and French pressure--The general question--A
naval narrative 92

CHAPTER XI

RAMATHAN

The Kharif--The month of Ramathan--The Sahib's gift and
others 98

CHAPTER XII

A NAUGHTY STORY

A remedy for loneliness--Mohamed's Story--Buralli's
"unfinished" story 108

CHAPTER XIII

THE YIBIR

His characteristics--Gulaid Abokr and his Yibir--The
first Yibir and his talents--A "makran" 117

CHAPTER XIV

THE ISLAND

The trip to the island--Fishing--Frenchmen, Greeks and
Chinamen--Sharks and bêche-de-mer--El Kori 124

CHAPTER XV

PEARLS

Pearl dhows and finance--Methods and materials--"God
alone knows"--Pearl divers--A pearl story--Juma
Bana, pearl merchant 137

CHAPTER XVI

A PEARL DIVER AT HOME

Adan Abdallah and his story--Another story in which I play
a part 145

CHAPTER XVII

MANY TRIBES

Hayoun the Jew "At Home"--Hayoun's largesse--Hindus,
Parsees and vaccination--Buralli's knowledge of
legs 155

CHAPTER XVIII

SCANDAL

Mrs Kar Krishna and Saleha--Mrs Ibrahim and a few
reasons--Whisperings and consequences--Saleha's
statement 164

CHAPTER XIX

ON TREK

Orders for Hargeisa--Salvage and propositions--A camel,
a girl and my policeman--Bokh and water--The sin
of water wangling--Camel-packing--The "White Running
Water"--Mahomed Gaileh's sheep--Four Sahibs--A Somal
dance--Hargeisa and flowers 170