49 MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 



of Berbera seven miles away, disappeared into the sand 

 soon after it emerged from the rocks. To-day these 

 springs, owing to the water being collected in tanks 

 and passed on in pipes, supply the entire town of Berbera 

 with its European population and its 30,000 native 

 inhabitants, not to mention the numerous gardens in the 

 residential quarter or Shaab. 



In the same manner the springs at Bihendula, Armaleh, 

 Daraas, Shamahaleh, Upper Sheikh and Harawa in the 

 Gudabirsi country, only to mention a few of those that 

 recur to the writer, might easily be dealt with and at no 

 very great cost. 



In localities less favoured, dams as in South Africa 

 could be made. This particularly refers to the stock- 

 raising areas such as the Arori and Toyo plains and the 

 great plains in the west and the Nogal Valley. 



Wells could be sunk and water doubtless obtained in 

 places where the existence of water to-day is unknown. 



With a careful conservation and regulation of the 

 existing water-supply a great deal could be done in the 

 way of agricultural production which to-day is unheard of. 



Livestock. 



Cam*els. Somali camels have never been exported 

 probably owing to the fact that they have never been 

 trained for riding purposes. The Somalis seem to have 

 some rooted objection to using their camels in this 

 way. These animals are used locally for three pur- 

 poses only. Firstly, there are beasts of burden for 

 transporting their huts from one grazing ground to 

 another; secondly, a few are castrated and fattened for 

 slaughter; and, thirdly, the females are kept for milk. 

 Somalis prefer camel's milk in any stage to that of cows 

 or goats chiefly owing to its antiscorbutic properties. 



There appears to be no valid reason why the Somali 

 camel should not, like his Arab congener, be trained 

 to the saddle. Even if there was no outside demand 

 for them there would be a sufficient sale for them in 

 the country. Camel skins are used locally in the manu- 

 facture of sandals or Somali shoes. A Somali's wealth 

 is reckoned by the number of camels he owns. 



