It is evident from the perusal of these pages that though the traveller
suffered from the system of black-mail to which the inhospitable Somal of
Makhar subject all strangers, though he was delayed, persecuted by his
"protector," and threatened with war, danger, and destruction, his life
was never in real peril. Some allowance must also be made for the people
of the country. Lieutenant Speke was of course recognised as a servant of
Government; and savages cannot believe that a man wastes his rice and
cloth to collect dead beasts and to ascertain the direction of streams. He
was known to be a Christian; he is ignorant of the Moslem faith; and, most
fatal to his enterprise, he was limited in time. Not knowing either the
Arabic or the Somali tongue, he was forced to communicate with the people
through the medium of his dishonest interpreter and Abban.
I have permitted myself to comment upon the system of interference pursued
by the former authorities of Aden towards the inhabitants of the Somali
coast. A partial intermeddling with the quarrels of these people is
unwise. We have the whole line completely in our power. An armed cruiser,
by a complete blockade, would compel the inhabitants to comply with any
requisitions. But either our intervention should be complete,--either we
should constitute ourselves sole judges of all disputes, or we should
sedulously turn a deaf ear to their complaints. The former I not only
understand to be deprecated by our rulers, but I also hold it to be
imprudent. Nothing is more dangerous than to influence in any way the
savage balance of power between these tribes: by throwing our weight on
one side we may do them incalculable mischief. The Somal, like the Arab
Bedouins, live in a highly artificial though an apparently artless state
of political relations; and the imperfect attempt of strangers to
interfere would be turned to the worst account by the designing adventurer
and the turbulent spirit who expects to rise by means of anarchy and
confusion. Hitherto our partial intervention between the Habr Awal of
Berberah and the Habr Gerhajis of Zayla has been fraught with evils to
them, and consequently to us.
But it is a rapidly prevailing custom for merchants and travellers to
engage an Abban or Protector, not on the African coast, as was formerly
case, but at Aden. It is clearly advantageous to encourage this practice,
since it gives us a right in case of fraud or violence to punish the Abban
as he deserves.
Lastly, we cannot expect great things without some establishment at
Berberah. Were a British agent settled there, he could easily select the
most influential and respectable men, to be provided with a certificate
entitling them to the honor and emolument of protecting strangers. Nothing
would tend more surely than this measure to open up the new country to
commerce and civilisation. And it must not be inferred, from a perusal of
the foregoing pages, that the land is valueless. Lieutenant Speke saw but
a small portion of it, and that, too, during the dead season. Its exports
speak for themselves: guano, valuable gums, hides, peltries, mats,
clarified butter, honey, and Dumbah sheep. From the ruins and the
traditions of the country, it is clear that a more civilised race once
held these now savage shores, and the disposition of the people does not
discourage the hope entertained by every Englishman--that of raising his
fellow man in the scale of civilisation.
Camp, Aden, March, 1855.