Sun, Sand and Somals

S A N D SO M A L S LEAV ES FRO M THE N OTE-B O O K O F A DISTR I CT CO MMI SSI O N ER IN B R I T I S H S O M A L I L A N D BY M A A E M C R R N . J O H . Y , WITH 13 PLA TE S FR OM PHOTOGRAPHS LO N DO N F 85 T G . WI HE B . R Y HIG H H B R ‘ O L O N , W . C . 192 1 IN TRO DU CTIO N AFRICA is gradually becoming so civilise d that there are few places left where the adventurer ( the man who holds a human life as cheaply as the sportsm an holds that o f a wild pheasant) may hope to flourish . But for such an individual there remains o n the E a iffi to astern Abyssini n border a territory , d cult ar penetrate , inhabited by wild w like tribes , through whom can be carried o u t a policy of murder and rapine agai nst the peaceful native tribes under n British protection . An d o the Abyssinian borders r you may find him , ever ready to o ganise a wild raid South o r E ast (or West for that matter) into d the administere territories of the British , whose sentinel-outposts are ever watching and waiting to O f turn him from his prey . the tribes inhabiting this wild border-land I have selected from many but one — to speak o i 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 e a complicated tribal code o f his own . H knows of much , and practises what he knows , the old Jewish 5 6 INTR ODUCTION and Biblical hygienic laws . H e recognises the right — o ne of man to slay , providing he pays hundred fo r a . camels a man , fifty for a wom n The Somali n respects a woma , and reverences chastity . l The Somali wanders af ar . You wi l find him as o r o n working deck hand , fireman , steward , all the great liners trading to the E ast . I know of a a f Som li tobacconist in Cardif , a Somali mechanic in al New York , and a Som i trader in Bombay , the latter o f a E whom spe ks French , nglish , and Italian fluently . The Somali considers that British magis trates are appointed to his country solely to relieve o f an d the monotony his life , he pesters theirs with and . all kinds of cases , both petty intricate The Somal i in his own country is conservative . of He has little time for men not his own race , o f excepting perhaps the Arab Mullahs , a few whom wander amongst his people teaching the great m ” Mah o e dan truths . He is never internally at - . su b rest His tribe is divided into sections , sections for and clans , and the clans are ever disagreeing b- amongst themselves . The su sections then inter so fere , and it may happen that quarrels extend to n o t l the sections . If these are sett ed the result al may be much bloodshed . But it is ways 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 . INTR ODUCTION 7 In 19 2 0 I was privileged to take part in the successful operations carried out against that great l adventurer , Hassan Abdullah the M ad Mu lah , and with him these pages end . They portray o nly the n on huma side of life a wild African outpost, and describe the men and incidents recorded exactly as e as . I hav seen them , and they have occurred For fuller information I refer the reader to the official reports and the works o f more conventional writers . H . R . CO N TEN TS CHAPTER I Z EILA — - — S a Early history Slave trade Gen . Gordon om li tribes CHAPTER I I ’ ALL m THE Dn s wo rm — — “ ” The staff O ffice work The Poor Fund and its distribution — — — A D C. r t tale of woe The . on inspection ounds Pe i tions CHAPTER I I I PERSONAGES — — M ahomed the Interpreter M ahomed as magistrate M ahomed — ’ — as author M ah o m e d s rea son for Ra mathan M ahomed as fi m an— B uralli Roble h e a and a ghting , polic m n gentlem n ' B uralli s af a —M a Auw it domestic f irs oh med , petition writer CHAPTER IV COURT W O R K - — - The Court opens Sultan M ahomed Ha! ! Dideh Petitions A “ ! — - case of being found out Gambling M r G andhi CHAPTER V THE TW O W I V ES a x — a a N o r— r Indelic te e pressions The n rr tive of . Inte ruptions a a N o 2—B uralli a the u The n rr tive of . spe ks epilog e C HAPTER V I CONCERNING SOM A LS — T a l ca E p a P t a - Cha ac —Th rib l o t—ion uro e n ro ector tes r teristics e old A kil A tale of treachery 9 10 CONTE NTS CHAPTER V II MAHOMED PAR A PA G E — — ' A s body servant Safari troubles M ahomed of the lion s he art — — — M ahomed to the rescue The duel M ahomed on field — service The p art ing CHAPTER V I I I CO M M E RC E — — Trade sources and comm odities A typica l m anifest The old J ew goldsmith CHAPTER IX SOMETH ING A B OUT DHOW S Timber N avigation The dhow and the slave trade Dhow c aptains CHAPTER X SOMETH ING A B OUT THE SLAV E T RADE — — British and French pressure The general q uestion A naval narrative CHAPTER XI RAM ATHAN — — ’ The Kh arif The month of Ramathan The Sahib s gift and others CHAPTER XI I A NAUGHT Y STORY — ’ - ' A remedy for loneliness Moh amed s Story Buralli s finished ” story CHAPTER X I I I THE Y IB IR — — ir H is characteristics G ulaid Ab okr and his Y ibir The first Yib — “ ” and his talents A makran CONTE NTS 11 CHAPTER x rv THE ISLAND PAG E a — - and C a The trip to the isl nd Fishing Frenchmen , Greeks hin — — men Sharks and beche-de-mer El Kori CHAPTER XV PEARL S — Pearl dhows and finance Methods and m aterials God alone a — A a — a B a a a knows Pe rl divers pe rl story J um n , pe rl merchant CHAPTER XV I A P EARL DI V ER AT HOME — A dan Abdallah and his story A nother story in which I play a part CHAPTER XV I I MANY TRI B ES “ ! ’ Ha o un ew A H —Ha ou n s a —H y the J t ome y l rgesse indus, — ’ Parsees and vaccination B uralh s knowledge of legs 155 CHAPTER X V I I I SCANDAL — Mrs Kar Krishna and Saleha Mrs Ibrahim and a few reasons — - ' Whisperings and conseq uences Sale ha s statement CH APTER XIX O N TRE K O H a a—Sa a and —A a a rders for rgeis lv ge propositions c mel, girl — — and my policem an B e lch and water The sin of water — — ! ! wangling Camel-packing The White Running Water — ’ — — M ah G aile h s h p u Sahib A S a d a c — omed s ee Fo r s om l n e H argeisa and fl owers CHAPTER XX THE B RE A K ING O F THE M AD MULLAH ’ M a — and —A a 2 The ull h s deeds Supply transport rriv l of N o . U at B a—D a and a a nit , erber et ils rr ngements — — M ullah miracles Ae m planc scouting Friendlies — — — ’ reports Post-bag bombing To Medishe The Mullah s — — birds A M ullah victim Tali and the last of the Mullah LIST O F ILLU STR ATIO N S B U RALLE H R O B LE H AND H IS E XCELLENCY ’ GENERAL GORDON S HOUSE AT Z EILA A STREET IN Z EILA SCENE OUTSIDE Z EILA COURT HOUSE A DHOW CA PTAIN AND H IS F A MILY A GOV E RNMENT-CHARTERED DHOW SY YED K HUDAR THROW IN G THE CI RCULAR NET A SOMAL HOUSEHOLD ON THE MOV E A SOMAL D A NCE B E RB ERA T OW N “ ' re m no u ns B ST G N M r T A r . o , UR IN ALI J IDALI FORT F ROM T HE GROUND SU N SAN D AN D , SO M ALS CHAP T E R I ZEILA E r — — — a o S a tra Ge n . n S a ly hist ry l ve de Gordo om li tribes . Z ILA is on E a port the British Somaliland coast . It lies so me twenty-eight miles South o f the French port of Djibouti , and is one hundred and seventy -E o f A of a miles North ast the byssinian town H rrar .

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