1844.] Note on the Mijjertheyn Somalees. 325 



To Othman was allotted the Northern portion, extending from Bunder 

 Ghassim to Ras Hafoon. To Esa, the part between the country of 

 Othman and the Wadi Nogal ; and to Oman, the belt of country 

 from Wadi Nogal to the province of Murreyhan. 



From Esa and Omar sprung the Bedouin chiefs, whose influence I 

 have just mentioned, whilst the posterity of Othman enjoyed the 

 Bunders and the trade with the opposite coast. From Othman we 

 pass through four generations, which brings us to another, Sultan 

 Mohamed, who died 25 years ago. 



The chief had had six wives and 17 sons, of whom 12 are now 

 living. Prior to his death, he portioned out his territory amongst his 

 children, allotting a separate village to the sons by each wife, but 

 enjoining them to pay obedience to the authority of his eldest son, 

 who would be his successor. Bunder Murayah became the residence 

 of the Sultan Othman on the death of his father, and the villages of 

 Aloolla, Feeluk, Geyseli, Gursah and Wurbah were divided between 

 his brothers. Sultan Othman, in conjunction with a Somah merchant 

 named Fatha Abdi, built seven or eight fortified houses at Murayah, 

 and considerably increased the trade of the port. 



He died at about the age of 50, and was succeeded by his eldest 

 son Yusuf, who after a turbulent reign of two years, was treacherously 

 slain by an individual of the Ali Seliman branch of the Mijjertheyn, 

 inhabiting Bunder Khor. His only son, a boy of four or five years of age, 

 being too young to be considered of much importance, was dignified 

 with the name of Sultan, which, when he attains to manhood, his great 

 uncles probably will not permit him to enjoy. He is under the 

 guardianship of Noor Othman, his uncle, who has also married his 

 mother, and who in striving to maintain the importance due to the 

 Sultan, has succeeded in causing a bitter and irreconcileable feud with 

 the other branches of the house of Othman. 



To account for the large number of children that are frequently 

 found in one family, it must be borne in mind, that polygamy, which 

 to the extent of four wives is tolerated by the Mahomedan law, is here 

 in a powerful chief considered indispensable. Four wives are there- 

 fore married as soon as possible after he arrives at manhood ; any wife 

 proving barren, or who has given over bearing, is at once divorced, 



