8 MY SOMALI BOOK 



caravans. Permanent settlements are few and far 

 between ; the Somali's length of stay in any one 

 place being regulated by considerations of pasturage 

 and watering. His temporary huts are made of his 

 camel mats hung on bent poles, the haria (encamp- 

 ment) being surrounded by a thorn zariba, thorn 

 partitions inside making separate pens for the animals. 



These animals consist of camels, sheep, goats and, 

 in Western Somaliland, cattle, besides a few ponies, 

 but the war has greatly decreased the numbers of the 

 latter. A Somali reckons his principal wealth in 

 camels. At times he lives almost entirely upon camel's 

 milk, and thinks there is nothing to be compared to 

 camel meat, but camels are too valuable to be eaten 

 very frequently. 



The Somali camel as a baggage animal is invaluable. 

 Like every other camel, he is delicate in some ways, 

 and therefore at times needs looking after. But he 

 is no trouble to feed, like his often spoilt brother of 

 Arabia, and can extract sustenance from the driest 

 of thorns. He grumbles little, is more gentle, and. is 

 altogether a more amiable character, if less aristo- 

 cratic, than the Asiatic breeds. I have never seen a 

 Somali camel try to bite a man as a vicious brute 

 will often do in India or Arabia — and no animal 

 can give a more ghastly bite than the " hairy scary 

 oonty 



The sheep are of a fat-tailed variety, small, with 

 black heads, and no wool. They are exported in 

 large numbers to Aden, providing indeed practical!}^ 

 the only meat supply for that place. 



Regarding the Somali himself one may hear many 



