The Mad Mullah.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11980, 31 January 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Mad Mullah.

(" Daily Express.") ■' The Mad Mullah is without doubt the most interesting personage in Africa to-day. Cruel, cunning, and full of fanaticism, he constitutes the greatest menace to trade and civilisation throughout the north-east of the Dark Continent. Many men familier with the North African problem, regard the Mad Mullah as equal in importance to the Khalifa, wdio taxed Great Britain's energies in the Soudan for so many years. The Mad Mullah has gained steadily in power during recent years. As recently as 1899 the Mad Mullah was merely Muhammed bin Abdullah, a peace* able citizen of Berbera, in Somaliland. He owned several houses and camels, and the Somalis looked up to him as a man of singular piety, who had performed the pilgrimage io Mecca several, times. Until three years ago he was e\;en in favour with the British authorities, having often exercised his influence to settle small disputes and pacify small discontents. Early in 1899, however, his influence had grown dangerous, and it was found necessary to check his practice of interfering with matters outside his tribe. Then Muhammed grew restive, and incited the to rc?ict- the zareba tax, a toll which the head of a tribe tad been allowed to collect since the establishment of the protectorate. Being given to understand that this would not be tolerated, he started a rebellion, appealing to the natives chiefly on religious grounds. His fanaticism grew with giant strides, and he gathered around him large mobs of turbulent people. It was even rumoured that he intended to attack Berbera. But he disappeared further and further away into the interior, until everyone imagined he must be lost. Instead, however, he retreated to the Ogaden country, where the rule of the Emperor Menelik of .Abyssinia has never been more than nominal. Not long ago the Negus sent an army against the discontented ones there, but 30.000 savages, armed only with spears, succeeded in annihilating it. Meanwhile the Mullah proceeded to organise these savages and inflate their fanaticism. It has been feared that he might enlist the Ga-las, a tribe wdiom the Abyssinians have only kept in subjection so long by withholding firearms. Together Gallas and Ogadenese, ''if provided with rifles," said a military expert, " could sweep Abyssinia from south to north."

Somaliland, where the Mad Mullah and the British forces are at present engaged in, battle, is an interesting but mysterious and little-known country. The* Somalia have not the gross, bestial appearance of the ordinary negro, with his thick lips and woolly hair. Save for the deep darkness c-f their skins and the scantiness of their raiment, they might pass for Europeans of some refinement. The Somalis occupy the north - east corner of Africa, say, from Bab -ei - Mandeb, the gate of the Red Sea, to the vague regions below Cape Guardafui. No •me knows where they came from, the best guess giving them an Arab stock, : hough the Somali language differs essentially from the Arabic. Somalis go to Aden, but only to acquire wealth and wives and experience. Directly they have found all they want they return to their own gray land. The Somalis have been described by Mr Herbert Vivian, who made a- tour through Somaliland several years ago, as "the Irish of Africa." "They arc always on the grin," writes Mr Vivian in his book on Abyssinia ; " they possess an enormous sense of humour and a very iively imagination ; they are extraordinarily considerate and 'obliging; in fact, they will never stick at any lie provided it will please you for the moment. Ask :hem a distance when youi are tired, and they will halve it; find them out, and .jrow cruss presently, and they '-are sure io be ready with a merry quip or soothing sympathy. No one can help liking die Somalis, yet no one can close bc-in 3yes to their shortcomings. They are garrulous humbugs and windbags. They nave no manners, they make rude noises with their mouths, they laugh in a way chat makes you long to kick them, yet-you can never be angry with them long. Gratitude is unknown to them; the word ' thanks ' does not exist in their language. j Ihey are insatiably greedy of money, yet |at the same time reckless spenders. They possess the unusual combination of vanity and pride. A coloured blazer with bright buttons makes a peacock of the best, yet he never loses his dignity. Nowhere have I met any human beings so sensitive to blame or sneer. Theirs is a very high-strung nature. They are hope!ess cowards about facing a remote danger. Yet on sudden emergency they will display plenty of spirit. Like the Irish, they are always spoiling for a fight; in

lieu of shillelagh they always carry their spears. The worst point *about them is their tendency to regard murder as a sport."

Somaliland, and indeed all Northern Africa, is full of strange fanatical persons, who occasionally develop into very dangerous and -trying individuals. Mr Vivian lescribes his experience with one of them at Gildessa, a miserable little mud village in Somaliland, xis he journeyed through to Abyssinia. " I exercised nvy lungs," he says. " and kept a watchful eye upon the numerous loafers who congregated to

gape at me. Most officious among them was a- very old madman, who strutted about brandishing a huge scimitar. I had hardly crossed the torrent bed,, and was still in the midst of an altercation about the camping place, when he advanced towards me, saluted me pompously, and held out his hand. Imagining he was some official, I

shook hands and inquired what he wanted. My interpreter replied that the fellow was a mad beggar, but that travellers generally :jave him something, as madmen are considered more or less saintly by Mahommedans This is the kind of stuff which produces the various Madhis, Mullahs, and other fanatics who stir up sedition in Africa. I remember a similar individual

in the public square at Tangier, who spat :it eveiy European or Jew who passed."