1835.] Report on the Island of Socotra. 149 



he succeeded at Colesseah in procuring about fifty dollars worth of ghee, 

 with which, after sending on directions to Tamarida, forbidding our being 

 furnished with either camels or guides, he again sailed for Kisbeen, and 

 openly boasted of what he had done. During the present year, no other 

 member of the family is expected on the island, and as the sum collected 

 annually, at other seasons, rarely exceeds in value 200 dollars, the autho- 

 rity of the Sultan may be considered as more nominal than real. 



Abdullah in his visits has been known to inflict chastisement with his 

 own hand on the Bedouins, who have neglected to bring him the full quan- 

 tity of ghee, to which he has considered himself entitled, and even to im- 

 prison them for a few days ; but I could not learn that he possessed suffi- 

 cient power to inflict punishment of any kind on the Arabs, the greater 

 number of whom are indeed exempted from contributing to any part of 

 his revenue. It is from those who collect the ghee at Tamarida, Colesseah 

 and Codhaop that he procures the greater part of the only article which 

 he now draws from the island. The attention of Abdullah during his vi- 

 sits appears solely directed towards this object, and though complaints from 

 former usage are occasionally brought before him, yet the instances are 

 rare, and his decisions are not much cared for. 



At Tamarida, an old Arab, who was formerly a sipahi in India in the 

 service of Baji Rao, by virtue of his age, and long residence in the town, 

 possesses some influence. Another at Colesseah named Salem, is also quali- 

 fied by the townsmen with the title of Shekh, in order mainly it would 

 appear that he might secure presents from the vessels visiting the port, 

 but nothing is more certain than that they do not possess throughout the 

 island a constituted authority, either civil or military, or of any description 

 whatsoever. Notwithstanding the singular anomaly of so great a number 

 of people residing together without any chiefs or law, offences against the 

 good order of society appear infinitely less frequent than amidst more 

 civilized nations ; theft, murder, and other heinous crimes are almost un- 

 known. No stronger instance can be given of the absence of the former 

 than the fact of my wandering for two months on the island, without hav- 

 ing during that period missed the most trifling article. Some intelligent 

 Arabs, who had resided there some fifteen years, assured me that the only 

 disturbances known were occasional quarrels among the Bedouins, respect- 

 ing their pasture grounds, and these were as usual settled either by the 

 individuals fighting the matter out with sticks, or by the interference of 

 their friends. It is no doubt this security of person and property, which 

 has brought from the shores of the continent on either side so many set- 

 tlers to the island. 



Inhabitants. 



The inhabitants of this island may be divided into two distinct classes, 

 those who inhabit the mountains and high lands on the western extremity 

 of the island, and which there is every reason to believe are its aborigines, 

 and those who reside in Tamarida, Colesseah, and Codhaop, as well as seve- 

 ral tribes who occupy the eastern portion of the island : the latter are a 



