ABDULLA SOMALI 



They are very different from the real nomads of 

 the interior, and from personal experience I did not 

 form a very favourable opinion of those I met in 

 Jubaland. They are avaricious and money-loving, a 

 fault I am afraid common to all Somali, but in their 

 case intensified to an almost incredible extent ; they 

 have been spoiled by too frequent contact with 

 European influences, and seem to possess the vices 

 of two civilisations without the redeeming qualities 

 of either. 



Very different to the Herti are the true Somali of 

 the bush, of which the Ogaden tribe is chiefly com- 

 posed. The most important sub-tribes of the latter 

 are the Mohammed Zubheir, the Aulehan, the Abdulla, 

 the Abd Wak and the Maghabul, while the Rer 

 Mohammed and the Habr Suliman are two minor 

 subdivisions. 



The Abdulla inhabit the country to the south- 

 west of Biskayia as far as the Tana River. West- 

 wards aofain from them are the Abd Wak and the 

 Rer Mohammed, known collectively as Talamuga. 

 The latter occasionally wander into the hills north of 

 Lorian, but there is a constant feud between them 

 and the Mohammed Zubheir, whose headquarters are 

 at W^ajheir, and many are the fierce fights waged 

 between them. Shortly before I reached Melka 

 Waja, the Mohammed Zubheir, led by their chief, 

 Ahmed Mugan, had inflicted a terrible defeat on the 

 Talamuga, after a fight lasting thirty-six hours, in 

 which, according to native reports, there was great 

 loss of life on both sides. The victors then returned 

 northwards, taking with them some four hundred head 

 of cattle. I am unable to say in what way the spoils 

 are divided amongst the victorious army, since the 



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