Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-09

The Somalis use ladders and pass
IS reached. Each chief has O we'll call
ed by his name at which he waters his
live stock Others are portioned out to
the various clans. The disadvantage
Of the British forces in the field Is that
they are nearly three hundred miles
from the coast Of the Gulf of Alden,
whence they derive all their supplies;
they are in country Of which they
know very little, which for several
months to come will be almost desti
tute Of water. 1t will not be surpris-
ing If they do little more than hold
their own, keeping close to the wells
they have seized until the return Of the
rainy season.
The massacre Of Col. Plunkett's g
party Is the greatest success the Mad
Mullah has yet achieved. The fame Of
it will spread widely through eastern
Africa This success may have the ef-
feet Of inducing the large number Of
Somalis living in the Italian and Abys-
sinian districts to join the hostile fac
ton.
The Mad Mullah Is one of the twelve
or fifteen Mullahs in Somaliland, also
called Sheiks or Widads, who are the
religious leaders Of the Somalis. It is
fortunate for the British that a num-
ber of the Mullahs are their friends,
for they are helping to keep open the
line Of communication with the sea
and to direct the British to sources Of
water in this dry season.
In all inner Somaliland there is not
single prominent settlement except
those occupied by these MohammedaIl
leaders. The centres Of population are,
on an average, at least seventy miles
apart. They were built at the princl-
pal sources Of water.
If all the Mullahs were against the
British it would be practically impos-
sible for the latter to conduct cam
paign in the interior during the dry
months; for in that case the Mullahs
might easily destroy many wells so
that they could not be made available
for months and flee beyond pursuit 10
the south or west. Penetration into
the country would then be a very peril
Gus matter.
The Hail Mohammed Bui Abduliall,
the Mad Mullah, was one Of the less
important Of these religious chiefs
until a little. before the time in 1901
that he suddenly assumed an attitude
OF hostility to the white race. For two
years previous, however he had been
constantly augmenting his religious in
fiuence, which was intensified by the
fact that he had recently returned
from the pilgrimage to Mecca and by
his almost frenzied zeal in preaching
the faith Of Islam.
He is religious fanatic Of great
magnetic and persuasive qualities
Before the British heard Of him he
called around him a large following
and imbued all his people with his
own rabid ideas.
Having acquired a large influence
he began to preach the church mill
tant. We first heard Of him as the
Mad Mullah when the British gave him
this title because he was advocating
with all his powers a war Of extermi-
nation against the whites. He Is an
able and jealous fanatic and has been
doing, on a small scale in Somaliland
what Peter the Hermit did when he
preached the holy duty of wrestling
Palestine from the power Of the in
fields.
The Mad Mullah not only preached
the sacred duty Of the Somalis to drive
the hated unbelievers out Of their
country but also took the field himself
with large number Of fairly armed
followers. There is no telling how LONG
he may be source Of trouble to the
British.
On the part of the Somalis 1t Is q
| war, pure and simple, for the defence
of their religious faith and the glory
of Islam. The British are employing a
contingent Of Indian troops, but it is
only reasonable to suppose that there
have been no details from the Moham-
medan regiments Of India to fight the
battles Of the unbelievers against their
coreligionists in Africa.-New York
Tribune.