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SEVENTEEN TRIPS THROUGH SOMÁLILAND
SEVENTEEN TRIPS THROUGH SOMÁLILAND
The Author and his Escort. From a Photograph taken at the noon bivouac, Ambal River, Habr Toljaala country, March 1891. The exposure of the plate was carried out by a Somáli. SEVENTEEN TRIPS THROUGH SOMÁLILAND A RECORD OF EXPLORATION & BIG GAME SHOOTING, 1885 to 1893 BEING THE NARRATIVE OF SEVERAL JOURNEYS IN THE HINTERLAND OF THE SOMÁLI COAST PROTECTORATE, DATING FROM THE BEGINNING OF ITS ADMINISTRATION BY GREAT BRITAIN UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME WITH DESCRIPTIVE NOTES ON THE WILD FAUNA OF
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PREFACE
PREFACE
Somáliland, the new British Protectorate, is in some respects one of the most interesting regions of the African Continent. In the present daily life of its natives we have represented to us something of the wandering patriarchal existence of Biblical times. The country contains ruins which probably date back to a period of very ancient civilisation. It is, moreover, the threshold to the mysterious nomad Gálla tribes who inhabit the land between the Gulf of Aden and the Great African Lakes. Somá
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CHAPTER I ETHNOLOGY
CHAPTER I ETHNOLOGY
Division of classes in Somáliland—The trading caravans from Ogádén and Harar—Habits of the nomad tribes—The Somáli brokers—The outcaste races and their characteristics—The settlements of the mullahs—The Somáli, his character—Religion—Costume and weapons—Condition of women—Marriage laws—Industries of women—Blood money—Feuds-Native councils—Respect for the English—Somáli vanity—The dibáltig ceremony—Influence of religion—Influence of civilisation—Religious observances—Superstitions—Carelessness—Th
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CHAPTER II THE NOMADIC LIFE
CHAPTER II THE NOMADIC LIFE
Varieties of camels—Somáli camel willing and gentle—Method of loading camels—On the march—Weight of loads—Marching hours—Scourges, gadflies, ticks, and leeches—Firing camels—Sore back—Camel food—Grazing customs—Breeding habits of Somáli camels—The milk-supply of she-camels—Description of Somáli ponies—Fodder—Ticks—Donkeys—Their usefulness in Somáliland—Cattle—Cow’s milk—Ghee—Hides exported to America—Sheep and goats—Powers of subsisting without water—Camel-meat and mutton the favourite meal of S
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CHAPTER III BIG GAME SHOOTING, 1887
CHAPTER III BIG GAME SHOOTING, 1887
Start from Berbera—The first koodoo—First herd of elephants seen; elephant bagged with a single shot—Fresh start with another caravan—Waller’s gazelle bagged—Mandeira; delightful headquarters—The Issutugan river—Herd of elephants found—Elephant hunt at Jalélo, and death of a large bull—Our night camp—Camp at Sobát—Elephants heard trumpeting at night—Interesting scene; a herd of sixty elephants—Two elephants bagged—Camp at Hembeweina; lions round camp—A herd of elephants in the Jalélo reeds—Long
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CHAPTER IV GOVERNMENT EXPLORATIONS
CHAPTER IV GOVERNMENT EXPLORATIONS
Early trips to the coast—Disturbed state of Bulhár—Stopping a fight—Two skirmishes—First exploring trips—Hostility of the natives—An unlucky trip—Start with my brother to explore the Habr Toljaala and Dolbahanta countries on duty—Camp on Gólis Range—Theodolite station at 6800 feet—Enter the waterless plains—Advance to the Tug Dér—News of raiders ahead, and of Col. A. Paget’s party—Dolbahanta horsemen—Advance to the Nogal Valley—Constantly annoyed by the Dolbahanta—Prehistoric tank and buildings
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CHAPTER V A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ABYSSINIAN BORDER, 1892
CHAPTER V A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ABYSSINIAN BORDER, 1892
First news of Abyssinian aggression—Start for Milmil—Unfortunate Bulhár—Across the “Haud” waterless plateau—Extraordinary landscape—Sudden meeting with the Rer Ali—Their consternation and pleasant greeting—News of a raid—Water-supply statistics—Great display at Milmil in honour of Au Mahomed Sufi—Agitation against Abyssinia—Unsuccessful lion hunt—Display in honour of the English—Interesting scene—The vulture-like elders—Success of an Arab pony—Our camp at Túli—The “Valley of Rhinoceroses”—Two rh
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CHAPTER VI A VISIT TO RÁS MAKUNAN OF HARAR, 1893
CHAPTER VI A VISIT TO RÁS MAKUNAN OF HARAR, 1893
Project to explore Gállaland—News of Colonel Carrington’s party—A Bulhár feud—Start from Bulhár—Gadabursi dance to the English—Esa raid—A rival sportsman—Awálé Yasin breaks his leg—Native surgery—Adventures with leopards—Following a wounded leopard by moonlight—A plucky home charge—Exciting encounter—An oryx hunt—On the Marar Prairie again—Quantities of game—Arrival at Jig-Jiga, and visit from Abyssinians—Attempted arrest of the caravan by an Abyssinian general—Exciting adventure—Arrival of Gabr
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CHAPTER VII FIRST JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER, 1893
CHAPTER VII FIRST JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER, 1893
Form an ambush over the pool at Kuredelli—A rhinoceros wounded—Unsuccessful hunt after the rhinoceros—Two lions seen—Another rhinoceros wounded at the pool; three lionesses arrive; interesting moonlight scene—A lioness drinks, and is wounded—Death of the lioness—Follow and bag the rhinoceros—Exciting hyæna hunt with pistol and knife—Abbasgúl fight—Unsuccessful rhinoceros hunt—We march into the monsoon—Walleri buck wounded by me and pulled down by a leopard—Death of the leopard—Camp again at Túli
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CHAPTER VIII FIRST JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER (continued)
CHAPTER VIII FIRST JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER (continued)
Our camp at Enleh—Success of the Lee-Metford rifle—An oryx hunt—Abundance of game—A night alarm—Attempt to catch a zebra foal—Strange voices in the bush—News of the Rer Amáden—Jáma Deria—Advance into the Amáden country—Meeting with Sheikh Abdul Káder at Dambaswerer—Friendly reception by the Rer Amáden—Decide to make a dash for Imé—Fine view of the Webbe Valley—Difficulty and expense of a Somáli outfit—Close to Imé; doubtful as to our welcome—Cordiality of the Adone or Webbe negroes—Council of th
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CHAPTER IX THREE WEEKS’ KOODOO STALKING ON GOLIS RANGE, 1893
CHAPTER IX THREE WEEKS’ KOODOO STALKING ON GOLIS RANGE, 1893
Our hunting camp in the mountains—The “Rock of the Seven Robbers”—Exciting koodoo hunt; death of a splendid koodoo—My shooting costume—Triumphant return to camp—Unsuccessful koodoo hunt—March to Henweina—Unsuccessful hunt after four bull koodoos—Bag a fine bull—A charming spot—Dog-faced baboons—Alarm note of the koodoo cow—Picturesque bivouac—Cedar-trees in Mirso—A leopard caught with a piece of rope and speared by the Somális—March to Armáleh Garbadir—The great Massleh Wein bull—Exciting hunt;
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CHAPTER X SECOND JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER, 1893
CHAPTER X SECOND JOURNEY TO THE WEBBE SHABÉLEH RIVER, 1893
The new caravan—Pass Lord Delamere’s party—Captain Abud in camp at Hargeisa—Sheikh Mattar—Cross the Haud, and arrive at Seyyid Mahomed’s town in Ogádén—Holy reputation—Why the Somális have no Mahdi—Scene at the Seyyid’s town—Native impression of some European travellers—Every European a doctor—Malingúr mission to Harar—Ruspoli’s men seized—Jáma Deria’s Englishman—Reach the Webbe and bag a waterbuck—Friendly Gilimiss Somális—First news of the Webbe bushbuck—Shooting a crocodile—Great beauty of ou
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The Lion (Felis leo)
The Lion (Felis leo)
Native name, Libah Lion-shooting involves long halts of several days among the Somáli karias, with crowds of natives continually standing round camp, the dust from the countless camels and sheep filling the air and covering the bushes. Under these circumstances it may well be understood that other game is scarce, and that sitting unoccupied in camp waiting for news of a lion is not always interesting. Frequently the news which is brought in of lions having visited karias two or three miles away,
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The Elephant (Elephas africanus)
The Elephant (Elephas africanus)
Native name, Maródi The Somáli elephant has within the last five years been much persecuted by sportsmen, and I am afraid that if this destruction goes on, in the near future there will be none left in Northern Somáliland, for they have entirely left their old haunts. In 1884, when Egypt evacuated Somáliland, elephants were plentiful on Wagar and Gólis, coming down to the southern edge of the Maritime mountains. Driven in December by the cold from the high interior, they wandered down the sand-r
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The Black Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros bicornis)
The Black Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros bicornis)
Native name, Wiyil Somáli Rhinoceros ( Rhinoceros bicornis ). For many years the black rhinoceros has been known to exist in the interior of Somáliland; and going farther in every year, I have constantly been expecting to come into its ground. The first Somáli rhinoceroses were shot by my brother and myself in our Abyssinian border trip in August 1892, and since then only a few have been bagged by Europeans. They come far north of the range of the zebras, sometimes wandering as far towards the c
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Antelopes[53]—The Oryx (Oryx beisa)
Antelopes[53]—The Oryx (Oryx beisa)
Native name, Beit The oryx is a very stoutly-built, bovine antelope, standing as high as a donkey, and inhabits open, stony ground, or barren hills, or open grass plains. It is fairly common and very widely distributed over the Somáli country, and it may be found in all kinds of country except the thick jungle with aloe undergrowth which is so much liked by the lesser koodoo, and the cedar forests on the higher ranges. The best oryx ground is in the Haud and in Ogádén. The Oryx ( Oryx beisa ). L
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The Koodoo (Strepsiceros Koodoo)
The Koodoo (Strepsiceros Koodoo)
Native name, Gódir or Goriáleh Gódir (male); Adér-yu (female); Adér-yu (collective name for herd animals of both sexes and all ages) Koodoos are found in mountainous or very broken ground where there is plenty of bush and good grass and water. The best koodoo grounds in Somáliland are Gólis Range and the Gadabursi Hills. The large koodoos scarcely exist in the parts of Ogádén which I have visited. Either they never existed there, or, as my followers declared, they died of the great epidemic of c
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The Lesser Koodoo (Strepsiceros imberbis)
The Lesser Koodoo (Strepsiceros imberbis)
Native name, Gódir or Arreh Gódir (male); Adér-yu (female); Adér-yu (collective) This is, to my mind, quite the most beautiful of all the Somáli antelopes, and the skin is more brilliantly marked and the body more gracefully shaped than that of the greater koodoo. The lesser koodoo is rather smaller than the oryx. The lesser koodoo is found in thick jungles of the larger kind of thorn-tree, especially where there is an undergrowth of the hig or slender pointed aloe, which is of a light green col
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The Somáli Hartebeest (Bubalis swaynei)
The Somáli Hartebeest (Bubalis swaynei)
Native name, Síg The Síg or hartebeest was described by Dr. Sclater as Bubalis swaynei ; his description and notes (P. Z. S., Feb. 1892) were taken from specimens shot and sent home by me. I was not the first to shoot the Síg , but mine were the first specimens submitted to scientific investigation. The Somáli Hartebeest ( Bubalis swaynei ). Length of horns on curve, 20¼ inches. South of Gólis Range, and at a distance of about one hundred and twenty miles from the coast, are open plains from fou
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Waterbuck (Cobus ellipsiprymnus)
Waterbuck (Cobus ellipsiprymnus)
Native name, Balanka , among the Adone (Webbe negroes); corrupted to Balango by the Somális I believe there are no waterbuck to be found in Somáliland except on the banks of the Webbe Shabéleh, and perhaps the Lower Nogal, near the east coast. There are none on the Tug Fáfan, at any of the points where I have crossed it. They are said to be numerous all along the Webbe Ganána (Juba), the course of which lies chiefly through Gállaland. The first important collections of the waterbuck were, I thin
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Bushbuck (Tragelaphus decula)
Bushbuck (Tragelaphus decula)
Native name, Dól The bushbuck is somewhat larger than a fallow deer, and is common in the dense forest on the Webbe banks; and it is the most wary and difficult to shoot of all the game animals I have ever encountered. I never heard of its existence till my second expedition to the Webbe last autumn. At Karanleh I obtained from the natives several skins and horns of Dól which had been caught by means of disguised pits, with a stake in the bottom of each. These pits are made by the Adone, and are
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Clarke’s Gazelle (Ammodorcas clarkei)
Clarke’s Gazelle (Ammodorcas clarkei)
Native name, Dibatag or Diptag The Dibatag was first shot by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1891 during his exploring trip to the Dolbahanta and Marehán countries, far to the south-east of Berbera. Just a week after his specimens had been sent to England, I bought in Berbera two pairs of horns with the face skins attached, and sent them to Dr. Sclater, of the Zoological Society, believing them to belong to a new antelope; but by this time Mr. Clarke’s specimens had been examined by Mr. Rowland Ward and
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Waller’s Gazelle (Lithocranius walleri)
Waller’s Gazelle (Lithocranius walleri)
Native name, Gerenúk The Gerenúk is the commonest and most widely distributed of the Somáli antelopes except the little Sakáro , which springs like a hare from every thicket. The long neck of the Gerenúk , large giraffe-like eyes, and long muzzle, are peculiar to it and the Dibatag ( Ammodorcas clarkei ). The Gerenúk is more of a browser of bushes than a grass-feeder, and I have twice shot it in the act of standing on the hind legs, neck extended, and fore-feet against the trunk of a tree, reach
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Sœmmering’s Gazelle (Gazella sœmmeringi)
Sœmmering’s Gazelle (Gazella sœmmeringi)
Native name, Aoul Five years ago, when I was staying in the quarters at Bulhár, the Aoul could be seen from the bungalow grazing out on the plain. The Bulhár Maritime Plain used to be full of them, but they have been so persecuted by sportsmen that they have now retired to some distance. The bush in the Bulhár Plain is delightful for sport when not overrun by the Somáli flocks and herds. In the Haga , or summer, Bulhár is nearly empty. The walking under-foot is very thorny, owing to a practice i
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The Guban or Lowland Gazelle (Gazella pelzelni). The Ogo or Plateau Gazelle (Gazella spekei).
The Guban or Lowland Gazelle (Gazella pelzelni). The Ogo or Plateau Gazelle (Gazella spekei).
Native name for either variety, Déro The Plateau gazelle, which has the ridges of loose skin over the nose well developed, inhabits the elevated country, commencing about thirty-five miles inland. It is found south of Gólis, in Ogo and in the Haud, as well as in Ogo-Gudan, the country near Hargeisa where Guban rises gradually into Ogo. I have shot large numbers of gazelles for food at various times, and have always noticed that the Plateau variety has a much thicker and longer coat than the othe
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The Klipspringer (Oreotragus saltator)
The Klipspringer (Oreotragus saltator)
Somáli name, Alakud These small antelopes live in the most rugged mountains, poising themselves on large boulders and leaping from rock to rock. They are neither shy nor hard to shoot. Gólis and Assa Ranges, and the hills near Gebili, are the best ground in which to look for them. Alakud go in twos and threes. The longest horns I saw in Somáliland were about three and a half inches in length. The females are hornless. The coat is very coarse, resembling that of no other Somáli antelope, the hair
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The “Dik-Dik” Antelopes
The “Dik-Dik” Antelopes
General native name, Sakáro These little antelopes weigh less than an English hare, and I think Guyu must be among the smallest of the antelope tribe. In all three the horns are well corrugated at the base, sharply pointed, and from one inch to three inches long. The eyes are enormously large in proportion to the size of the head. The Gol Ass ( i.e. “red belly”) is the ordinary “Dik-Dik,” which is shot all over Guban and Ogo and in parts of the Haud and Ogádén. The Guyu differs from it in being
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The “Baira” Antelope (Oreotragus megalotis)
The “Baira” Antelope (Oreotragus megalotis)
Native name, Baira The Baira antelope, which my brother and I believed to be new, was described by Herr Menges ( Zool. Anz. xvii. 1894), and called Oreotragus megalotis . Specimens had been submitted by me to Mr. Oldfield Thomas, and he had pronounced it to be new a few days before Herr Menges brought his specimens forward in Germany for the purposes of description. I first heard of it near Ali-Maan, in the Gadabursi country, among very rugged hills, in the autumn of 1891, when my brother saw tw
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Grévy’s Zebra (Equus grévyi)
Grévy’s Zebra (Equus grévyi)
Somáli name, Fer’o Grévy’s zebra was, I believe, described by the French from a zoological garden specimen, but first shot in Somáliland by Colonel Paget and myself on our simultaneous expeditions early in 1893. I found them at Durhi, in Central Ogádén, between the Tug Fáfan and the Webbe, and about three hundred miles inland from Berbera, and shot seven specimens, all of which were eaten by myself and my thirty followers; in fact, for many days we had no other food, although this was no hardshi
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Wild Ass (Equus nubianus somálicus)
Wild Ass (Equus nubianus somálicus)
Native name, Gumburi The wild ass is common in sterile parts of Guban, especially to the east of Berbera. In Ogádén its place is taken by the zebra. It is a fine animal and has striped legs. It can scarcely be considered as fair game to the sportsman. Leopards ( Shabél ) are very abundant in Somáliland, and are the great scourge of the shepherds. They spring into karias at night without the slightest fear, and nearly all the losses among sheep and goats are caused either by leopards or hyænas. O
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Example I
Example I
We will first suppose that a single European proposes to spend six weeks travelling, purely for sport, in the explored parts of the British Protectorate, political conditions being favourable. We will assume that he does not wish to extend his wanderings far into the Haud waterless plateau. The above trip would be suitable for a sportsman from Aden having very limited leave, as those from London or Bombay would probably go farther and try unexplored ground. The minimum number of personal servant
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Example II
Example II
We will assume that one European is going to travel for two months, purely for sport, in the Haud and the most accessible parts of Ogádén. The distance across the Haud by the usual road from Hargeisa to Milmil is covered in five and a half days, going two marches a day, and for all journeys going far into the Haud, or crossing to Ogádén, arrangements should be made for carrying at least seven days’ water. To the east of Milmil the Haud becomes much wider. From the experience of eight journeys ac
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Example III
Example III
A trip of four months to distant parts of Ogádén, and to the Webbe Shabéleh river. In this case we will add a pony or mule and two fast Arab camels, luxuries which it may be worth while taking on a long trip. [61] Unlike the Somáli ones, the Arab camels each require about 7 lbs. jowári grain per diem. It can be bought in Aden or Berbera, and costs rather less than rice. There will in this case be six personal servants instead of five, as the two Arab camels will require one man, and the pony wil
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Glossary of Geographical Names
Glossary of Geographical Names
The names have been spelt in accordance with the Royal Geographical Society’s system, vowels having an Italian pronunciation, ei being pronounced as in the English word “weight,” and so forth. The following will occur often in geographical names, some being modern terms, others having fallen into disuse in ordinary conversation:— Ad , Ado , white. Ass , red. Ban , an open plain; as Ban-yéro , little plain. Biyo , Biya , water; as Biyo-foga , distant water; Biya-ha-gódleh , water of the place of
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APPENDIX III Notes on Somáli Trade
APPENDIX III Notes on Somáli Trade
The manufactured goods which the African wants, and the raw material which he can export, are much the same all over the countries of tropical Africa. But Somáliland has one great advantage as a trading country over many other African regions. Trade caravans depend for their transport upon camels, not upon human beings; and these camels, although comparatively weak, are vastly superior to those of many other camel countries, in that they cost only about £2 each and pick up all their food by the
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