WARLIKE TRIBES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 286, 16 September 1935, Page 8

WARLIKE TRIBES

INLAND ABYSSINIAN PEOPLE.

SOArE STILL SAVAGE. Abyssinia lias its internal frontiers defining the territory of little “sultanates,” the subjects of Avhich may be “Avards of the outer marches” yet live the life of practically independent tribes. Important knoAvledge of some of theso peoples and their territories Avas acquired last year by Air Wilfred Thesiger, avlio made an expedition through Bahdu into Aussa partly to find out Avhy the HaAvash River never reaches the sea and partly to collect specimens of birds, mammals and plants. These districts lie Avest and south-AA'est of French Somaliland. Aussa comes fairly close to the border, hut never before had a Avhite man penetrated into it. Authority to make the expedition Avas obtained at the capital, and because of the risks the Abyssinian Government supplied an escort of 15 soldiers to supplement the 14 rifles in the explorers’ oavh party of 23. This force Avas considered too strong to prove a temptation to irresponsible voung men out for trophies Avithout being sufficiently numerous to ■ alarm the Dankalis avlio inhabit the region. The Dankalis are divided into tAvo main sections, hostile to each other but sometimes united against their traditional foes, the Essa Somali, the raiding AVagarat of Tigre and the Itou and Ivarayou Gallas. In the circumstances it is not surprising that most men have opportunity to acquire honour by personal killings.

Place for Ambushes. Starting at HaAvash on the railway, Air Thesiger Avith his camel caravan pushed north-east across the plain 2500 feet above sea-level, that is broken by dry Avater courses and loav, rocky escarpments. The wait of the great Abyssinian tableland Avas visible in the AAest. The expedition entered the fertile plains of Bhdlm by a track betAveen a high ridge and a lake, a place notorious for ambushes. The land is densely populated and great herds of cattle and sheep coyer it.

Air Thesiger was receiA'cd by a large gathering of Avarriors, beautifully-built men armed Avith rifles and the long curved Dankali knife which is strapped across the front of the body. They Avere not cordial and might have made trouble had they not suspected that a rifle case contained a machine-gun.

Here the explorer received a letter conveyed by runners from the Government ordering his return as the country was considered' too dangerous. At the same time the Dankalis AA'oro informed that the Government took no further responsibility for the expedition. Air Thesiger had perforce to march hack across the desert to tlio raihvay, passing en route a Aillage where two months previously G 1 people had been killed! by the opposing section of their tribe. The trouble had started in a deputation of seA'en old men coming to negotiate the settlement of an ancient pasturage dispute. They had been feasted and then murdered in the night. Little Wars That Rage. Such are the little wars that rage between sections of the people living, in this case, not very far from the railway. It is perhaps not surprising that recent concessionaires have secured the right to arrange for their oavii “police.” The explorer gained authority to resume his journey upon undertaking that if anything happened to him the GoA-ernment could not be held responsible, and once more entered Badhu. One custom of these people is that a man must marry his father’s sister’s daughter if possible. If the hoy is too young the girl is given temporarily to someone else, and if she has children they are handed to the new husband when ho is old enough to maiiy. The belief that a man may not marry until he has killed is incorrect, hut every hoy after being initiated into the tribe endeavours to kill and mutilate a man as soon as chance offers. AY hen he has ten of these “trophies” lie may wear, the coveted iron bracelet. Having accomplished two “kills” he may split his ears. “It is difficult to exaggerate the importance attached to the killing of a man, and many raids are undertaken with no other object in view, says Air Thesiger. - - “The Dankalis are Aloslems, hut, in Badhu, Islam sits hut lightly upon them. The peoplo are untouched in any Avay by Abyssinian influence.” Towering Unmapped Mountains. By ravine, forest and) desert the expedition pushed on through ail exceptionally hnvless land into the plain of Karnyou, and Air Thesiger behold toAvering mountains that had ncAei boon marked on a map.

Across a frontier of “overwhelming desolation with black precipices falling sheer to the river’s edge” the expedition entered the “sultanate” of Aussa firmly ruled by Alahomct Kaio, ulio gave Air Thesiger a silver baton as a passport, after being convinced that the expedition had no concern about a recent murder by the Essa. He mistrusts all Europeans and has no desire that his country should taste their civilisation.

This chiefs domain is a plain measuring 30 square miles, that is almost completely shut in by cliffs. It becomes water-logged! in the Avet season ancl the cattle, sheep and goats are taken to the mountains and the people live in caves. Atony of the heights are fortified, more particularly against the Wagarat, intrepid raiders, half Afoslem and"half Christian. Of them alone the Dankalis stand in awe.

Lake Adobaba, according to the natives, Avas the end of the Hawash River, as it had no outlet, hut Mr Thesiger found that it did have an outlet and that beyond lay tAvo more lakes. Alter great effort the last of these avas found to be the end of the river. It is salt and around its edges are numerous hot springs. One small geyser Avas noticed. AVntermarks showed that high flood raised the lake 60ft. above its then level.

The Dankalis in this region are

known as the TJluetfco tribe and, being far removed from the Sultan’s influence, are nearly as savage as the Aladima of Badhu. Air Thesiger noticed that nearly every groivn man was decorated lor “kills.”

Continuing east toward French Somaliland the explorer climbed mountains and marched through appalling ravines, one of Avhich Avas a mere crack in the rock. It Avas scarcely 12yds. Avide, with red precipices toAvering 1000 feet on either hand.

The country is difficult in the extreme and so are many of its tribes, AA r ho are in a position almost to defy the Emperor’s edicts.