THE SOMALI AND HIS CAMELS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 709, 3 January 1903, Page 3

THE SOMALI AND HIS CAMELS.

The second instalment of the present Somali campaign will soon begin, and the little British force, which has to be as small as is consistent with success on account of the water difficulty, will plunge into the desert to try conclusions with the Mullah. This particular Mullah, by the way, is not the Mad Mullah. The latter is a gentleman who has given England some trouble on the north-west frontier of India, and who was officially announced to be insane some time ago. The Somali Mullah is said to be no madder than most fanatical leaders, and he appears to jhave prepared for a renewal of hostilities with a good deal of forethought and skill. Some of the time that has elapsed" since Colonel Swayne’s retreat has no doubt been occupied in collecting camels for transport. There will be no difficulty in securing men to look after them, for according to Major Christie every Somali is a born camel-driver, and a specialist on the management of the Somali species especially. Camels are indeed the source of the whole trouble. “ The Somali’s ideas,” says the Major, “do not rise above camels; to him they represent wealth,” and as long as he can get them he is not at all particular as to the rights of other owners, “ Herds of she-camels for milk, breeding camels, riding camels and baggage oamels, and camel to eat, and, above all, jcatnel hump on a feast day, are his idea of earthly bliss, and he never has enough of them.” When the yearning for more camels becomes irresistible, the untutored Somali raids another tribesman’s herd, and this habit makes camels a very speculative security in Somaliland. “ All the tribes are more or less on bad terms with eaok other owing to the camel question. To engineer a successful camel raid and get clear off with the booty is the morning thought and evening dream of the average Somali.” He does not think of it as stealing; he calls it “ fetching some oamels,” but the effect is the same. If blood is shed on a camel raid, blood money has to be paid in the shape of so many camels—presumably some of the lot that were “ fetched.” If payment is made, all is well, for camels are a real “circulating medium” in Somaliland. Nobody but the bereaved owner seoms to object to the raiding habits, and he, probably, consoles himself by “ fetching ’ another Somali’s camels on the first opportunity. But if the blood money is not paid there is trouble, as in the present case, apart from which the raids of the Mullah’s supporters were on rather too large a scale to be treated as ordinary incidents of life in Somaliland.