[39] In This Country The Jackal Attends Not Upon The Lion, But The Waraba. His Morning Cry Is Taken As An Omen Of Good Or Evil According To The Note.

[40] Of this bird, a red and long-legged plover, the Somal tell the following legend.

Originally her diet was meat, and her society birds of prey: one night, however, her companions having devoured all the provisions whilst she slept, she swore never to fly with friends, never to eat flesh, and never to rest during the hours of darkness. When she sees anything in the dark she repeat her oaths, and, according to the Somal, keeps careful watch all night. There is a larger variety of this bird, which, purblind daring daytime, rises from under the traveller's feet with loud cries. The Somal have superstitions similar to that above noticed about several kinds of birds. When the cry of the "Galu" (so called from his note Gal! Gal! come in! come in!) is heard over a kraal, the people say, "Let us leave this place, the Galu hath spoken!" At night they listen for the Fin, also an ill-omened bird: when a man declares "the Fin did not sleep last night," it is considered advisable to shift ground.

[41] Throughout this country ostriches are exceedingly wild: the Rev. Mr. Erhardt, of the Mombas Mission, informs me that they are equally so farther south. The Somal stalk them during the day with camels, and kill them with poisoned arrows. It is said that about 3 P.M. the birds leave their feeding places, and traverse long distances to roost: the people assert that they are blind at night, and rise up under the pursuer's feet.

[42] Several Acacias afford gums, which the Bedouins eat greedily to strengthen themselves. The town's people declare that the food produces nothing but flatulence.

[43] "Subhan' Allah!" an exclamation of pettishness or displeasure.

[44] The hills not abounding in camels, like the maritime regions, asses become the principal means of transport.

[45] This barbarous practice is generally carried out in cases of small- pox where contagion is feared.

[46] Fear--danger; it is a word which haunts the traveller in Somali-land.

[47] The Somali Tol or Tul corresponds with the Arabic Kabilah, a tribe: under it is the Kola or Jilib (Ar. Fakhizah), a clan. "Gob," is synonymous with the Arabic Kabail, "men of family," opposed to "Gum," the caste-less. In the following pages I shall speak of the Somali _nation_, the Eesa tribe, the Rer Musa _clan_, and the Rer Galan _sept_, though by no means sure that such verbal gradation is generally recognised.

[48] The Eesa, for instance, are divided into--

1. Rer Wardik (the royal clan). 6. Rer Hurroni. 2. Rer Abdullah. 7. Rer Urwena. 3. Rer Musa. 8. Rer Furlabah. 4. Rer Mummasan. 9. Rer Gada. 5. Rer Guleni. 10. Rer Ali Addah.

These are again subdivided: the Rer Musa (numbering half the Eesa), split up, for instance, into--

1.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 93 of 249
Words from 47702 to 48203 of 128411