'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎195] (304/496)

195
sprung the venerable saint “ Aber Khudli,” whose tomb, S. W. from Ber-
bera two days’ journey, is yet the rendezvous when any grave question
arises affecting the interests of the Edoor tribes in general. On a paper
yet carefully preserved in the tomb, and bearing the sign manual of Be-
lal, the slave of one of the early Khaleefehs, fresh oaths of lasting friend
ship, and alliances, are made,—to be broken again, as usual, without a sha
dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. of provocation. In the season of 1846, this holy relic was brought
to Berbera in charge of the Haber Gerhajis, and on it the rival tribes of
Aial Ahmed and Aial Yunus swore to bury all animosity, and live as
brethren in future—with how mpch sincerity, the events of the two suc
ceeding seasons amply shew, some scores of lives having been lost on
both sides.
In the country of the Haber Gerhajis, the principal articles of trade
or produce are ghee principally, myrrh in small quantities, and of qua
lity inferior to that produced in Agahdur and Murreyhan, luban of
the first quality, ivory, ostrich-feathers, and gum arabic, with a small
quantity of “ shenna” or orchilla weed, and a still smaller supply of
u war us”—a kind of saffron, used by the natives in Yemen to rub over
their bodies.
The kafilas from the banks of the Webbi Shebeyli, from the small
province of Gunana to the south of the above river, and from Agahdur,
pass through the country of Haber Gerhajis on their way to Berbera,
excepting the slave kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. from Abyssinia. These are the most valuable
caravans of the season, bringing ivory from the Galla tribes of Sidama,
south of the Webbi Gunana, ostrich-feathers, musk, myrrh, and frankin
cense. They frequently exceed 2000 camels in number, and are well
guarded by the men of Agahdur, who may always be recognized amidst
the crowd at Berbera by the red colour of their robes, produced, as they
all declare, by the fine red dust peculiar to their country.
From Gunana to Berbera is twenty-four days for a kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. ; from the
Webbi Shebeyli nineteen days; and from Agahdur nine days. I consi-
dei the journey fully practicable for an European, if at all known to the
Somali tribes on the coast; and in the more distant province of Agahdur
his icception would be kind, and his person and property safe. In the
small map of N. E. Africa appended to this memoir will be seen the po
sition of the different tribes north of the Webbi Shebeyli, and my idea
of the course of that river from Zeyla down to below Mukdesha. My
information has been obtained from many natives of different tribes, and