He Had Consulted The Claims Of
"Dignity" By Keeping The Traveller Waiting Ten Days Whilst He Journeyed
Twenty Miles.
Before showing himself he had privily held a Durbar at Las
Kuray; it was attended by the Agils of the tribe, by Mohammed Samattar
(Lieutenant Speke's Abban), and the people generally.
Here the question
was debated whether the traveller was to be permitted to see the country.
The voice of the multitude was as usual _contra_, fearing to admit a wolf
into the fold. It was silenced however by the Sultan, who thought fit to
favour the English, and by the Abban, who settled the question, saying
that he, as the Sultan's subject, was answerable for all that might
happen, and that the chief might believe him or not;--"how could such
Jungle-folk know anything?"
On the morning of the 8th November the Sultan returned Lieutenant Speke's
visit. The traveller took the occasion of "opening his desire to visit the
Warsingali country and the lands on the road to Berberah, keeping inland
about 200 miles, more or less according to circumstances, and passing
through the Dulbahantas." To this the Sultan replied, that "as far as his
dominions extended the traveller was perfectly at liberty to go where he
liked; but as for visiting the Dulbahantas, he could not hear of or
countenance it." Mahmud Ali, Gerad or Prince of the southern Dulbahantas,
was too far away for communication, and Mohammed Ali Gerad, the nearest
chief, had only ruled seven or eight years; his power therefore was not
great. Moreover, these two were at war; the former having captured, it is
said, 2000 horses, 400 camels, and a great number of goats and sheep,
besides wounding a man. During the visit, which lasted from 8 A.M. to 2
P.M., the Sultan refused nothing but permission to cross the frontier,
fearing, he said, lest an accident should embroil him with our Government.
Lieutenant Speke gave them to understand that he visited their country,
not as a servant of the Company, but merely as a traveller wishing to see
sport. This of course raised a laugh; it was completely beyond their
comprehension. They assured him, however, that he had nothing to apprehend
in the Warsingali country, where the Sultan's order was like that of the
English. The Abban then dismissed the Sultan to Las Kuray, fearing the
appetites of his followers; and the guard, on departure, demanded a cloth
each by way of honorarium. This was duly refused, and they departed in
discontent. The people frequently alluded to two grand grievances. In the
first place they complained of an interference on the part of our
Government, in consequence of a quarrel which took place seven years ago
at Aden, between them and the Habr Tal Jailah tribe of Karam. The
Political Resident, it is said, seized three vessels belonging to the
Warsingali, who had captured one of the ships belonging to their enemies;
the former had command of the sea, but since that event they have been
reduced to a secondary rank.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 217 of 249
Words from 111773 to 112283
of 128411
