[1] The Fair-season of 1864-56 began on the 16th November, and may be said
to have broken up on the 15th April.
The principal caravans which visit Berberah are from Harar the Western,
and Ogadayn, the Southern region: they collect the produce of the numerous
intermediate tribes of the Somal. The former has been described in the
preceding pages. The following remarks upon the subject of the Ogadayn
caravan are the result of Lieuts. Stroyan and Herne's observations at
Berberah.
"Large caravans from Ogadayn descend to the coast at the beginning and the
end of the Fair-season. They bring slaves from the Arusa country, cattle
in great quantities, gums of sorts, clarified butter, ivory, ostrich
feathers, and rhinoceros horns to be made into handles for weapons. These
are bartered for coarse cotton cloth of three kinds, for English and
American sheeting in pieces of seventy-five, sixty-six, sixty-two, and
forty-eight yards, black and indigo-dyed calicos in lengths of sixteen
yards, nets or fillets worn by the married women, iron and steel in small
bars, lead and zinc, beads of various kinds, especially white porcelain
and speckled glass, dates and rice."
The Ayyal Ahmed and Ayyal Yunis classes of the Habr Awal Somal have
constituted themselves Abbans or brokers to the Ogadayn Caravans, and the
rapacity of the patron has produced a due development of roguery in the
client. The principal trader of this coast is the Banyan from Aden find
Cutch, facetiously termed by the Somal their "Milch-cows." The African
cheats by mismeasuring the bad cotton cloth, and the Indian by falsely
weighing the coffee, ivory, ostrich feathers and other valuable articles
which he receives in return. Dollars and even rupees are now preferred to
the double breadth of eight cubits which constitutes the well known
"Tobe."
[2] A Sepoy's tent, pent-house shaped, supported by a single transverse
and two upright poles and open at one of the long ends.
[3] Since returning I have been informed, however, by the celebrated
Abyssinian traveller M. Antoine d'Abbadie, that in no part of the wild
countries which he visited was his life so much perilled as at Berberah.
[4] Lieut. Speke had landed at Karam harbour on the 24th of March, in
company with the Ras, in order to purchase camels. For the Ayyun or best
description he paid seven dollars and a half; the Gel Ad (white camels)
cost on an average four. In five days he had collected twenty-six, the
number required, and he then marched overland from Karam to Berberah.
I had taken the precaution of detaching Lieut. Speke to Karam in lively
remembrance of my detention for want of carriage at Zayla, and in
consequence of a report raised by the Somal of Aden that a sufficient
number of camels was not procurable at Berberah. This proved false.
Lieuts. Stroyan and Herne found no difficulty whatever in purchasing
animals at the moderate price of five dollars and three quarters a head:
for the same sum they could have bought any reasonable number. Future
travellers, however, would do well not to rely solely upon Berberah for a
supply of this necessary, especially at seasons when the place is not
crowded with caravans.
[5] The Elders of the Habr Awal, I have since been informed, falsely
asserted that they repeatedly urged us, with warnings of danger, to leave
Berberah at the end of the fair, but that we positively refused
compliance, for other reasons. The facts of the case are those stated in
the text.
[6] They prefer travelling during the monsoon, on account of the abundance
of water.
[7] The framework is allowed to remain for use next Fair-season.
[8] The attacking party, it appears, was 350 strong; 12 of the Mikahil, 15
of the Habr Gerhajis, and the rest Eesa Musa. One Ao Ali wore, it is said,
the ostrich feather for the murder of Lieut. Stroyan.
[9] Mohammed, his Indian servant, stated that rising at my summons he had
rushed to his tent, armed himself with a revolver, and fired six times
upon his assassins. Unhappily, however, Mohammed did not see his master
fall, and as he was foremost amongst the fugitives, scant importance
attaches to his evidence.
[10] At this season native craft quitting Berberah make for the Spit late
in the evening, cast anchor there, and set sail with the land breeze
before dawn. Our lives hung upon a thread. Had the vessel departed, as she
intended, the night before the attack, nothing could have saved us from
destruction.
[11] The Somal place dates in the hands of the fallen to ascertain the
extent of injury: he who cannot eat that delicacy is justly decided to be
_in articulo_.
[12] In less than a month after receiving such injuries, Lieut. Speke was
on his way to England: he has never felt the least inconvenience from the
wounds, which closed up like cuts in Indian-rubber.
[13] They had despised the heavy sacks of grain, the books, broken boxes,
injured instruments, and a variety of articles which they did not
understand. We spent that day at Berberah, bringing off our property, and
firing guns to recall six servants who were missing. They did not appear,
having lost no time in starting for Karam and Aynterad, whence they made
their way in safety to Aden. On the evening of the 19th of April, unable
to remove the heavier effects, and anxious to return with the least
possible delay, I ordered them to be set on fire.