20 
THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSINIA chap. 
the bearers of the name Gedi, ‘a march/ were born while the rer 
or kraal was shifting to another pasture. Gadid denotes a man 
born at noon, and Robleh, from ro6, rain, a man born in wet 
weather. Descriptive nicknames are suggested by some personal 
peculiarities, as Afhakam, Afweina, ‘big mouth/ Daga-yera, 
‘small ears/ Even Europeans do not escape, and such names as 
Gadweina, ‘big beard/ Gudani, ‘small stomach/ Madah weina, 
‘ big head/ have been bestowed on English officers without any 
disrespect being intended ; and the bearers of these nicknames 
are known by them, especially when Somfilis are speaking among 
themselves. 
“The usual divisions among Somalis are the tribe, the sub- 
tribe, the clan, and the jilib or family. Thus the chief of the 
Eidegalla, Sult&n Deria, would describe himself as Habr Gerhajis 
(tribe), Eidegalla (sub-tribe), Rer Mattan (clan), Rer Guled 
(family). If further asked he would describe himself as one of 
the Ba Ambaro, or sons of Ambaro. In the event of a man 
having a large number of sons, he is entitled to call himself a 
separate family ; for instance, Shirmaki Adan, a man still living 
and still procreating, has already twenty-three sons and twenty- 
nine daughters, and these are now called the Rer Shirmaki 
Adan. A weak clan is likely to be looted and absorbed by a 
stronger, and thus the weaker clans join together for protection. 
When whole families so unite the members combine under the 
name ‘ Gashhnbur/ or ‘brothers of the shield/ Somalis have 
no surnames in the English sense, and when a distinction is to 
be made, the name of the man’s father is added to his own. 
Thus the son of Shire Shirmaki is Deria Shire, and he again 
might have a son called Hussein Deria.” 
Without myself having gone so deeply as Major Abud into 
historical questions, I have been led, while fully accepting his 
deductions, from a long intercourse with the natives at the camp- 
fire and on the march, to add my own conclusions on certain 
points. From ruins, cairns, and graves which have been pointed 
out to me as of Galla origin, I have been led to believe that before 
the Arab immigrations Somaliland, even to the northern coast, 
was owned by the GMlas. The immigrant Arabs and their 
followers with “friendlies” on the spot, becoming strong, began 
to seize the coast, driving the Gallas inland towards the parts 
of their country which lie round Harar and beyond the Webbe. 
On the frontier between the Som41is and GMlas there are 
periodical raids still in active progress from one side or the other. 
