which certainly showed traces of very severe exertions;
but the strong nature of the soil was too
much for them, even when armed with tools, unless
they were fortunate enough to hit upon the exact
spot, which they did not, and therefore toiled in vain
again.
The Warsingali complained to me sadly of their
decline in power since the English had interfered in
their fights with the Habr Teljala, which took place
near Aden about seven years ago, and had deprived
them of their vessels for creating a disturbance, which
interfered with the ordinary routine of traffic. They
said that on that occasion they had not only beaten
the Habr Teljala, but had seized one of their vessels;
and that prior to this rupture they had enjoyed paramount
superiority over all tbe tribes of the Somali;
but now that they were forbidden to transport soldiers
or make reprisals on the sea, every tribe was on an
equality with them.
They further spoke of the decline of their tribe’s
morals since the time when the English took possession
of Aden and brought in civilisation with them. This
they in most part attributed to our weak manner in
prosecuting crime, by requiring too accurate evidence
before inflicting punishment; saying that many a dishonest
person escaped the vengeance of law from the
simple fact of there being no eyewitnesses to his crime,
although tbere existed sucb strong presumptive evidence
as to render the accusation proved. When speaking
against our laws, and about their insufficiency to
carry out all governmental points with a strong and
spirited hand, they never forget to laud their own
sultan’s despotic powers and equity in justice.
Of course no mortal man was like their G-erad Ma-
: hamed Ali. In leading them to war he was like the
I English French,* and in settling disputes he required
no writing office, but, sitting on the woolsack, he
listened to the narration of prosecution and defence
I with his head buried in his hands, and never uttering
a word until the trial was over, when he gave his final
decision in one word only, ay or nay, without com-
|ment of any sort. In confirmation of their statements,
¡ they gave the description of a recent trial, when a boy
| was accused of having attempted to steal some rice
jfirom a granary; the lad had put his hand through a
¡chink in the door of it, and had succeeded in getting
one finger, up to the second joint, in the g ra in ; this,
■hiring the trial, he frankly acknowledged having done,
and the sultan appointed that much of his finger
Jsxactly to be cut off, and no more—punishing the
deed exactly according to its deserts. This, to Somali
notions, seemed a punctiliousness in strict equity of
judicial administration which nothing could excel, and
they bragged of it accordingly.
| Becoming dreadfully impatient at so much loss of
precious time whilst waiting here, unable to prepare in
m way ^or ^ e journey, I sent repeated messages to
I J g i talking of white men or Europeans, the Somali always say English
French, those two branches of the European community being all
they are acquainted with. ”