File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎182r] (359/508)

9
C415FD
riders carefully selected, weluLed and equ^ned a d 1,C l’; sem0n ' but camel
commanded by a select officer of the 4 ,T PP a + w P v d m , onthl y b y U8
r ders, in preference to horsemen cothThe d lf 8U ^ 1 a bod5r oE oamel
object in contemplation, it would seem to he ! n fdn?l ted a ?/' vb ? re to sec u r e the
at Aden. Butin doin? so he refewed s P eolal! y suited for such service
^Merewether and General Sir WiZm rA„*i i! ° V T^ ® x P ressed b ? Colonel
•interests for manv vrars at Aden t^i Co S h,aa , wbo b a d represented British
tion,of force adopted 7 to the r m2 ! t CameI cor P 8 was “ ot a descrip,
required from it and that nlini fir P er ^ orr J ianGe the particular service
*4 o-ScS# .tf-K1.tr ‘Ci's *»
sss &Ksa*th' ou ”'’ s “ “•* ,ff '“A t »r
i ri “ „ f t i h - Cava 7 ^ogiments might be snared for this duty if there were
n, uperable objections to one being specially raised for the purpose.”
39. In regard to this the Secretary of State remarkpft • « if ij
appear that a Camel Corps whether manned by Hindu tan^ or Amb" would
effectually answer the object in view. And to employ again at Aden a delaehl
mam*W™c he establlshm ? nt ln Ind ia would be an arrangement attended with
manifest inconveniences, inasmuch as the necessity of periodical reliefs and the
hnm'™! reSt !f S r e88 and uncertaint y ot Native soldiers at a distance from their
homes beyond the seas would very much detract from their efficiency/ 5
+i Q a5‘ kp 6 final outco L me °. f tllG correspondence abstracted above was that
he Aden Troop was entertained in accordance with Colonel Merewether’s pro
posals and the following extract from one of his letters summarises the obiects
which it was intended that they should secure :— ^
Their scope is to afford protection to convoys coming into Aden with
provisions and stores for the garrison and town through a track of country
where hitherto traders have been subjected to incessant molestation and
; Joss or life and property, to perform police functions in a country where
the inhabitants have been bred up in a state of ignorance of all the
principles of orderly Government, to give confidence to the well-disposed
7 ky tdie ever active presence of a small disciplined, well-equipped body, to
prove to the evil-doers that there is a paramount Power ready and pre
pared to punish where punishment is necessary and finally by maintain-
ing peace and security to bring about the production of those necessaries
of life which the country is so capable of giving in abundance and for the
supply of which the garrison and inhabitants of Aden are entirely depen
dent on that country.”
41. The Aden Troop continued on the lines originally proposed by Colonel
Merewether for over 20 years. In 1867 the Resident was asked to report
whether the retention of the Arab Levy attached to them was necessary—the
brief correspondence on the subject is of sufficient interest to merit mention.
In his letter No. 62—325, dated the 15th February 1869, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
wrote :—“ I consider that the use of the Aden Troop would be neutralized un
less a portion of the Arab Levy be retained. They act as guides and assist in
following up the perpetrators of deeds of plunder. They know the country
and the people and with their assistance I consider that the Officer Command
ing the Patrol should never be led into any acts that might embroil us with
the Natives. We only wish to prevent the attacks on and plunder by thieves of
the Katllas, and these Arabs of the Levy should be able to give the Officer
Commanding the Patrol such information as to guide him to act against
plunderers only. I would also add that the employment of men of the district
in the vicinity of Aden is of the greatest value politically. 55
42. Captain Goodfellow, the Officer then Commanding the Troop, wrote
in his No. 16, dated the 23rd February 1869, of the Arab Levy:—“ Parties
from these bodies are continually on the move in their respective territories
(Abdali and Fadthli) in both of which the Aden Troop patrols. Their duty is to