Springing Into The Saddle (If He Has One), With The Aid Of His
Spear, The Somali Cavalier First Endeavours To Infuse A Little Spirit Into
His Half-Starved Hack, By Persuading Him To Accomplish A Few Plunges And
Capers:
Then, his heels raining a hurricane of blows against the animal's
ribs, and occasionally using his spear-point as
A spur, away he gallops,
and after a short circuit, in which he endeavours to show himself to the
best advantage, returns to his starting point at full speed, when the
heavy Arab bit brings up the blown horse with a shock that half breaks his
jaw and fills his mouth with blood. The affection of the true Arab for his
horse is proverbial: the cruelty of the Somal to his, may, I think, be
considered equally so." The Bedouins practise horse-racing, and run for
bets, which are contested with ardor: on solemn occasions, they have rude
equestrian games, in which they display themselves and their animals. The
Gudabirsi, and indeed most of the Somal, sit loosely upon their horses.
Their saddle is a demi-pique, a high-backed wooden frame, like the
Egyptian fellah's: two light splinters leave a clear space for the spine,
and the tree is tightly bound with wet thongs: a sheepskin shabracque is
loosely spread over it, and the dwarf iron stirrup admits only the big
toe, as these people fear a stirrup which, if the horse fall, would
entangle the foot. Their bits are cruelly severe; a solid iron ring, as in
the Arab bridle, embracing the lower jaw, takes the place of a curb chain.
Some of the head-stalls, made at Berberah, are prettily made of cut
leather and bright steel ornaments like diminutive quoits. The whip is a
hard hide handle, plated with zinc, and armed with a single short broad
thong.
With the two sons of White Ali and the End of Time, at 8 A.M., on the 12th
December, I rode forward, leaving the jaded camels in charge of my
companions and the women. We crossed the plain in a south-westerly
direction, and after traversing rolling ground, we came to a ridge, which
commanded an extensive view. Behind lay the Wanauli Hills, already purple
in the distance. On our left was a mass of cones, each dignified by its
own name; no one, it is said, can ascend them, which probably means that
it would be a fatiguing walk. Here are the visitation-places of three
celebrated saints, Amud, Sau and Shaykh Sharlagamadi, or the "Hidden from
Evil," To the north-west I was shown some blue peaks tenanted by the Eesa
Somal. In front, backed by the dark hills of Harar, lay the Harawwah
valley. The breadth is about fifteen miles: it runs from south-west to
north-east, between the Highlands of the Girhi and the rolling ground of
the Gudabirsi Somal, as far, it is said, as the Dankali country. Of old
this luxuriant waste belonged to the former tribe; about twelve years ago
it was taken from them by the Gudabirsi, who carried off at the same time
thirty cows, forty camels, and between three and four hundred sheep and
goats.
Large herds tended by spearmen and grazing about the bush, warned us that
we were approaching the kraal in which the sons of White Ali were camped;
at half-past 10 A.M., after riding eight miles, we reached the place which
occupies the lower slope of the Northern Hills that enclose the Harawwah
valley. We spread our hides under a tree, and were soon surrounded by
Bedouins, who brought milk, sun-dried beef, ghee and honey in one of the
painted wooden bowls exported from Cutch. After breakfast, at which the
End of Time distinguished himself by dipping his meat into honey, we went
out gun in hand towards the bush. It swarmed with sand-antelope and
Gurnuk: the ground-squirrels haunted every ant-hill, hoopoos and spur-
fowls paced among the thickets, in the trees we heard the frequent cry of
the Gobiyan and the bird facetiously termed from its cry "Dobo-dogon-
guswen," and the bright-coloured hawk, the Abodi or Bakiyyah [29], lay on
wing high in the cloudless air.
When tired of killing we returned to our cow-hides, and sat in
conversation with the Bedouins. They boasted of the skill with which they
used the shield, and seemed not to understand the efficiency of a sword-
parry: to illustrate the novel idea I gave a stick to the best man,
provided myself in the same way, and allowed him to cut at me. After
repeated failures he received a sounding blow upon the least bony portion
of his person: the crowd laughed long and loud, and the pretending
"knight-at-arms" retired in confusion.
Darkness fell, but no caravan appeared: it had been delayed by a runaway
mule,--perhaps by the desire to restrain my vagrant propensities,--and did
not arrive till midnight. My hosts cleared a Gurgi for our reception,
brought us milk, and extended their hospitality to the full limits of even
savage complaisance.
Expecting to march on the 13th December soon after dawn, I summoned Beuh
and his brethren to the hut, reminding him that the Hajj had promised me
an escort without delay to the village of the Gerad Adan. To my instances
they replied that, although they were most anxious to oblige, the arrival
of Mudeh the eldest son rendered a consultation necessary; and retiring to
the woods, sat in palaver from 8 A.M. to past noon. At last they came to a
resolution which could not be shaken. They would not trust one of their
number in the Gerad's country; a horseman, however, should carry a letter
inviting the Girhi chief to visit his brothers-in-law. I was assured that
Adan would not drink water before mounting to meet us: but, fear is
reciprocal, there was evidently bad blood between them, and already a
knowledge of Somali customs caused me to suspect the result of our
mission.
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