254 MY SOMALI BOOK 



prestige we would suffer throughout East Africa by 

 reason of our withdrawal to the coast. Some loss 

 of prestige we have suffered no doubt, but I do not 

 believe to any very appreciable extent. It was urged 

 that an unfortunate impression would be made on 

 the Indian and East African troops who had served 

 in Somaliland; but on the contrary, according to an 

 officer who has served with them, their view was 

 rather one of amazement that we should ever have 

 expended so much trouble and money on such an 

 unprofitable country. 



The fact is — with all deference — the noble lord in 

 question was making of their Somali policy a stick 

 with wdiich to belabour the Government. That cause 

 for castigation may have existed on other grounds is 

 not for me to deny, but I fear this particular stick was 

 only part stick — part straw ! 



A good deal has been made of the defenceless 

 position of the little band of Europeans left in the 

 Protectorate, in the event of a " rising." But the 

 possibility of such an event is of the remotest, and now 

 that wireless communication has been established with 

 Aden, distant only a few hours by steam, assistance 

 could be obtained in a very short time. The little 

 community in Berbera, with their garrison of only two 

 hundred men, sleep soundty enough, and I venture to 

 think would still have done so even without the fifteen 

 foot wall that has been built round the Shaab (the 

 European quarter) ! 



On the other hand, it is impossible to view the 

 situation with any satisfaction, when one considers 

 that the nominal boundaries of the Protectorate remain 



