After
Five Years' Intrigue The Son Was Proclaimed, And Carried On The Wars
Caused By His Father, Declaring An Intention To Fight To The Last.
He has,
however, been successfully opposed by Mahmud Ali, the rightful chief of
the Dulbahanta family; the southern clans of Haud and beyond the Nogal
being more numerous and more powerful than the northern divisions.
No
merchant, Arab or other, thinks of penetrating into this country,
principally on account of the expense. Lieutenant Speke is of opinion that
his cloth and rice would easily have stopped the war for a time: the
Dulbahantas threatened and blustered, but allowed themselves easily to be
pacified.
It is illustrative of the customs of this people that, when the
Dulbahantas had their hands engaged, and left their rear unprotected,
under the impression that no enemies were behind, the Warsingali instantly
remembered that one of their number had been murdered by the other race
many years ago. The blood-money had been paid, and peace had been
concluded, but the opportunity was too tempting to be resisted.
The Yubbay Tug watercourse begins abruptly, being as broad and deep at the
head as it is in the trunk. When Lieutenant Speke visited it, it was dry;
there was but a thin growth of trees in it, showing that water does not
long remain there. Immediately north of it lies a woody belt, running up
to the foot of the mountains, and there bifurcating along the base.
Southwards, the Yubbay is said to extend to a considerable distance, but
Somali ideas of distance are peculiar, and absorption is a powerful agent
in these latitudes.
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