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.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Made by Lieutenant Speke, during his Experimental Tour in Eastern Africa, portions of Warsingali, Dulbahanta, &c.
Date. | 6 A.M. | Noon. | 3 P.M. | Meteorological Notices.
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1854.
Oct. 29. 70° 87° *112° Wind from the N. E. strong. (*Exposed
" 30. 70 87 85 Ditto. to sun.)
" 31. 68 88 85 Ditto.
Nov. 1. 67 88 82 Ditto. (These observations from
" 2. 62 86 85 Ditto. the 29th Oct. to the 7th
" 3. 59 86 " Nov., were taken in the
" 4. 65 86 84 Ditto. tent.)
" 5. 65 88 — Ditto.
" 6. 63 88 86 Ditto.
" 7. 74 90 88 Cloudy in the morning.
" 8. 66 83 88 Wind strong from the N. E. (In open
" 9. 64 84 82 Ditto. air, but not exposed
" 10. 69 84 82 Ditto. to the sun.)
" 11. 70 84 82 Ditto.
" 12. 68 83 82
" 13. 64 85 82
" 14. 77 82 82
" 15. 70 83 83
" 16. 72 83 82
" 17. 62 110 104 In open air exposed to sun.
" 18. 62 95 96
" 19. 62 102 95 All these observations were taken
" 20. — 98 103 during the N. E. monsoon, when the
" 21. " " " wind comes from that quarter. It
" 22. 59 74 77 generally makes its appearance
" 23. 56 81 75 about half-past 9 A.M.
" 24. 59 78 82
" 25. 58 78 79
" 26. 60 74 75
" 27. 59 82 77
" 28. 59 82 72
" 29. 59 — 80
" 30. 61 82 80
Dec. 1. 52 78 86
" 2. 50 86 89
" 3. " " "
" 4. — 69 "
" 5. 54 84 84
" 6. — 97 98
" 7. 52 — 89
" 8. 52 95 100
" 9. 38 90 94
" 10. 42 92 91
" 11. 42 " "
" 12. 45 73 "
" 13. 40 81 82
" 14. 25 76 82
" 15. 33 80 82
" 16. 47 91 89
" 17. 36 84 90
" 18. 34 82 84
" 19. 54 78 84
" 20. 52 77 83
" 31. — 89 88
1855.
Jan. 1. 40 98 98 In open air exposed to the sun.
" 2. 43 84 88 All these observations were taken
" 3. 34 84 86 during the N. E. monsoon, when
" 4. 32 86 84 the wind comes from that quarter;
" 5. 28 96 87 generally making its appearance at
" 6. 34 92 94 about half-past 9 A.M.
" 7. 39 91 80
" 8. 39 95 "
" 9. 40 81 "
" 10. 55 — 72
" 11. 50 91 90
" 12. 53 87 90
" 13. 51 94 94
" 14. 39 84 95
" 16. 40 81 87
" 17. 46 78 81
" 18. 42 86 88
" 19. 44 82 83
" 20. 40 " "
" 21. 38 87 93
" 22. 50 91 84
" 23. 52 86 98
" 24. 52 — 62 On the north or sea face of the
" 25. 51 79 66 Warsangali Hills, during 24th,
" 26. 58 65 63 25th, and 26th, had rain and heavy
" 27. 58 " " clouds daring the day: blowing
" 30. 72 82 82 off towards the evening.
" 31. 71 88 93 From the 27th to the 7th the
Feb. 1. 67 96 80 observations were taken at the sea.
" 2. 74 89 80
" 3. 68 87 88
" 4. 68 89 "
" 5. 68 84 83
" 6. 72 88 " On the 7th observations were taken
" 7. 68 83 " in tent.
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| Govern. | |
| Therm. ! Therm. | Feet.
| boiled. | |
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1854
Nov. 1st. At Las Guray 212° 88° 0000
22nd. At Adhai 204.25 81 4577
30th. At Habal Ishawalay 203 58 5052
Dec. 4th. At Yafir, top of range 200.25 69 6704
5th. At Mukur, on plateau 205.5 67 3660
7th. At Rhat Tug, on plateau 206.5 62 3077
15th. At Yubbay Tug, on plateau 204 62 4498
Government boiling therm. broke
here.
Common therm. out of bazar boiled
at sea level 209°
Thermometer 76
1855 Com. ther.
Jan. 1st. At Jid Alli, on plateau 202° 62 3884
12th. At Biyu Hablay 201. 62 4 449
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