CHOOSING THE SYCES 



nearly sunset that they were all safely across. They 

 were then led away to feed slowly through the night 

 under the supervision of Farar Ali, and arrived at 

 Kismayu early the following day. 



I had in the meantime engaged six more syces. 

 I took care to select those who had had but little ex- 

 perience of civilisation and were thus unspoiled, and I 

 was much helped by my headman, who was a wonder- 

 ful judge of character. They were each provided 

 with a crimson shirt, so that in case of a night attack 

 in the interior it would be possible to quickly distin- 

 guish friend from foe ; and in addition they were 

 given a pair of shorts, sandals and a blanket. 



I also purchased four more camels from 

 Mohammed Aden, chief of the Herti Somali. He 

 receives a monthly salary of Rs. 75 from the Govern- 

 ment, in return for which he is supposed to help the 

 officials in every way. The Herti have now realised 

 the value of trade, and, though despising in their 

 hearts the "Ferinji" (the white man, literally, "the 

 proud one "), are quite willing to submit to his rule 

 in order to obtain the benefits which this submis- 

 sion gains for them. But a more contemptible old 

 scoundrel than Mohammed Aden it has seldom been 

 my lot to encounter. Not only does he impose on 

 the good-nature of the officials, but he is suspected, 

 on one occasion at least, of plotting the murder of a 

 white man when camping in the interior, by sending 

 to the native chiefs of the districts inland letters 

 calculated to arouse all their worst passions against 

 the perfectly innocent and friendly traveller. The 

 paramount chief of the Herti is really Mohammed 

 Shirwa, a handsome boy of some eighteen years of 

 age, and Mohammed Aden is only acting as regent 



64 



