1897] The Blame Laid on Hassuna 271 



were on horseback. I am certain, too, that the gold stolen from the 

 red bag was taken, not in the general plunder, but afterwards — this 

 uecause the bag, though not locked, was shut with a spring, and if the 

 plunderers had got it open they would not have left the silver or the 

 pistol, both of which were inside. I suspect it was Othman took it. 

 Beseys says that the arms are in his hands and in those of the Akhwan. 

 The name of the man who first protected me is Abu Bekr Mohammed 

 Daoud, and another was Mohammed Mansur, Hassan Mansur's 

 brother, on whom they now lay all the blame. Mohammed Kuli was 

 among the advanced riders. I consider Abdallah Homeydeh among the 

 most responsible of the second division. The three commanders of the 

 advanced party are then — Othman Habbun, the worst, Hassuna, and 

 Mohammed Kuli. It was Mohammed Kuli, I think, who pointed the 

 pistol at my head. They lay all the blame on Hassuna now, who they 

 say is asi (in rebellion) against the Government, and has possession of 

 my sword and guns. 



" Othman has been to see me and has brought back the money, or 

 rather its equivalent of ten sovereigns and twenty-five bintos. The 

 Sheykhs of the Gharbieh have all been with me, talking, and are now 

 polite enough and anxious their quarrel with me should be settled ; and 

 I have used a little siasa with them, acquiescing in their view of Has- 

 suna's sole guilt. They have asked me to get him removed by the 

 Government as a mischief maker. It was Abdallah Homeydeh who 

 made the remark in the mejliss ' We know nothing of Effendina. We 

 have a government of our own.' " [N.B. I am sorry not to have 

 noted more in my journal of these Sheykhs' conversation, for much of 

 it was interesting as connected with the affairs of the Senussia. I 

 found Othman Habbun by far the most able man among them, a strong, 

 capable rogue. The rest were very poor creatures, some of them of 

 the most degraded physical type I have ever come across, and appar- 

 ently without those sentiments of honour most Arabs pretend to even 

 if they are without them. The Siwahi are, however, no real Arabs, but 

 men of very mixed origin with much negro blood, and apparently some 

 northern blood too, for there were individuals with yellow faces, pale 

 eyes, and tow-coloured hair. They are probably descended from the 

 criminals formerly sent here in Roman and later times, for Siwah was 

 a convict settlement.] 



" 3-3°- — I have had a last talk with Huseyn Effendi, the Maown, and 

 have learned several things from him. Othman Habbun is no other, 

 he tells me, than the Wakil of the Akhwan at Siwah. This explains the 

 whole affair, and it is on him and the Akhwan that the whole responsibil- 

 ity of the attack rests. He is now anxious not to compromise the 

 Senussia with the Government, and represents Hassuna as the danger- 

 ous man, making him scapegoat in his place. Hassuna is Sidi el Mahdi's 



