The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-28
ENGLANDS FOE IN AFRICA.
The Mad Mullah and His People. Who Are
Nov Defytng the British.

dlt hIiONI u the INHABITANTS a. Mulldtih,
They arc Also called sheiks or widads
They are the religious leaders of the Somalis.
all followers of Islam. Comparatively
few Of the Sonalis have been regarded As
fanatcal Mohammcdan-; small European
hunting parties have repeatedly travelled
through their country ia safety: and most
Of the white visitors have had good word
for the people, aud also for the Mu!!ahS.
who have bcei' represented 10 b. very
quiet and respectable persons, generally
ON the sid" Of order and peace and civil
in their treatment of travellers
In all inner Somalilatd there are Ia
permanent, settlements except those occu-
pied by these Mohammcdan leaders Each
Mullah has a settlemcut around ii, hons.
These centres Of populations are Oh a..
average at least seventy mics apart. The
largest OF them is the town of The Mullah
Seyid Mohammed. in Ogaden. Tho next
most important settlement il supposed -
be that Of the Mullah Hargeisa in British
Sonaliland' besides these two religious
leaders there are about "A dozen other
Mullahs OF less importance scattered over
several degrees Of latitude and longi'udc
The Mullahs have been enabled to settle
down, form permanent, villages al d cult
waite the land around them because all tn.
people hold them in the greatest respect
The Somalis are great looters and one
tribe does not hesitate TO send an armed
party to rob another tribe of it's horses,
donkeys, camels or grain; but footing
party would be driven to the last extremity
OF hunger before il would attack the village
Of Mullah, ard even then 1t would take
Il. =
food for a few days. 1t is thus seen that
the Mullahs have great influence; and as
rule they have not used the power they
WELD over the people TO turn them against
the whites
One Of the less important Mullahs, how
ever, man who was never known outside
his country until he began TO be heard of
as The Mad Mullah," suddenly assumed,
in 1901 an attitude of hostility To the white
race. He is known as Hail Mohammed
Bui Abdullah. He is a religious fanatic,
one of the leaders in Islam whose religion
has become a frenzy. and he has exhibited
magnetic and persuasive qualities sufficient
to Undue those around him with his own
rabid ideas. He Is called by Europeans
the Mad Mullah. simply because he has been
preaching a war Of determination against
the whites. He has rallied around him
thousands Of fairly well-armed natives
who are devoted To his cause. The reports
from Somaliland have been very meagre
and it is not known how many Of the other
Mullahs, If any, have joined his standard
but the Mad Mullah has been exceedingly
active since he began to attract attention.
Within the past year he has met the forces
sent against him in British Somaliland.
In Italian Somaliland further south and in tho
Abyssinan territory to the west. He has
generally been rcpulsed and has fed to a
considerable distance only to recruit his
forces and take the field again, At latest
accounts the British who had had hard
fight with him near the border between
British and Italian Somaliland, found it
necessary TO retreat north TO the centre of
their territory.
This war is going on only 100 TO 300 miles
south of the Gulf of Alden where steamers
are constantly passing on their way to the
Suez Canal. The scene of disturbance is
thus quite near one of the greatest trade
routes Of the world.
Most of the trouble has occurred in British
Somallland. which fronts on the Gulf of Alden
and has an area of about 6s 900 square miles
Along its coast are the considerable ports
of Berbera, Bulhar and leila, which have
had important trade with the Somali. though
the commerce of Berbera and Bulhar has
been nearly ruined by the present troubles.
The larger part Of British Somaliland is
an elevated plateau crossed by barren noun
tain ranges. For a part of the year the
country is very dry and water can be OBJ
tanned only along the few rivers and In the
wells; but in the fall and winter seasons a
great deal OF rain falls over most of the
country. This il the time when the live
stock has most food and the people are
most active. Somalland is now In the midst
OF the rainy season. and this is one of the
REASONS why the Mad Mullah has resumed
hostilities, for there is now plenty Of grass
to sustain the horses of his cavalry.
1t is believed that not more than
$50 600 natives are living in British Somali-
land. The revolt has been confined
almost entirely to these Somalis who
live under the so-called rule of the
British Government, with the Consul-Gen-
eral at Berbera as the chief official of
the protectorate; but, though the hostile
Somalis are nearly all residents of British
they have carried on their
campaign OF thc past year TO some extent
into the Italian and Abyssinian parts of
the land. The fear is now expressed that
the recent successes of the Mad Mullah
may have the effect to induce the large
number Of Somalis living in the Italian
and Abyssinan districts to Join the hostile
faction; in this case the European Powers
interested are likely to have a very ugly
war on their hands.
Most Of the Somalis are nomads, keep
ing sheep, goats. cattle, camels and ponies
and following the rains in search of grass
for their animals. The settled Somais |
are only those who live at the villages
of the Mullahs and in or near the coast
towns. The people are a mixture Of Arab |
and negro stock and are very proud
indeed Of the fact that they come partly
from the race to which the Prophet be-
longed. To the west of them live another
large people. the Gallas, who are regarded
by the Somalis as very inferior, for they
have no Arab blood in their veins. No
Somali would think Of taking wife from
among the Calais. They have pride of
birth and on the whole are an intelligent
and active race. Being splendid horse
men and greatly addicted ~ looting forays