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.
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