File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎183v] (362/508)

used for Patrol duties (not in the Town), the protection of the Frontier
and pursuit of thieves and other offenders. They will be under their
own Jamedar, who should be an active and intelligent officer. It is to be
understood that their patrol duties will chiefly be outside^ the Frontier and
especially in the very early mornings. They may, as occasion requires, patrol
towards Khor Maksar and from there towards Abyan. 1 *
53. I observe with interest that
SHEIKH OTHMAN DIVISION DETAILS.
in a Memorandum dated the 15th August
1891 Colonel Stace re
marked that the abolition
Mounted Police.
The Mounted Police are a separate body under the exclusive control
of the Officer in charge sheikh Othman and are used for Patrol duties,
the protection of the frontier, and pnrsuit of thieres and other offenders.
They are under their own Jainedar. Their pitrol duties are chiefly
outside the frontier and, as occasion requires, towards Khor Maksar
and A by an.
They are detailed for work as follows
Mounted Police.
of the Arab Levy rendered
this patrolling more ne
cessary than ever. The
correction to Aden Police
Hand Book,dated the Srd
September 189L, shows
the distribution of this
small body of 15 men,
and one cannot hut be
struck by the fact that the
net result of this corres
pondence was to impose-
upon 15th indiscipliued,
badly trained and badly
armed Arabs, the very
duties for which the Aden
Troop had been originally
raised and to relegate the
Aden Troop to the position
of a mere fighting unit
of the Aden garrison in
which terms I observe that
General Maitland also referred to it in 1901. He added in the same note,
however, that it was at the disposal of 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. and that all orders
regarding movements should be sent to the Officer Commanding Troop by the
First Assistant Resident as theretofore.
Jame-
H avil-
Con-
dar.
dar.
stables.
PhIm! duties
1
1
7
Orderly to First Assistant Resident
Orderly to the Assistant Resident
i/c
• ••
• ••
1
Sheikh Othman ...
• ••
1
Postal Orderly ... ...
1
Imaad ...
•••
1
1
Hiswa ... ...
•••
•••
1
Total
••
1
2
12
54. The general position may thus be said to have changed as follows:—
The patrolling duties for which the Aden Troop was originally raised have
devolved upon a small and an insufficient body of Arab Camelmen. The Aden
r! 15 b ecome a unit of the garrison at the special control of 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. . It occasionally furnishes escorts to celebrities in Aden.
It furnishes an escort to the Political Officer at Dtbala and to the Political Resi
dent and his Assistants when on tour in the Hinterland. It is available for
military operations in the Hinterland.
■\ir ^ interesting to here recall the actual words of Lieutenant Colonel
j erevve er :-— l hey would not be suddenly sent here and there harassing
en ?^ e . ves disordering the country, but a regular quiet system of patrolling
would be established and plunderers at once captured or punished on the spot.
Besides which an orderly body of men carrying with them unmistakable
s reng i^ moving about the country would instil confidence into the people.”
^nd again, I mentioned patrolling to show that it was not intended that the
orse should be kept idle and only rush forth when plunderers were said to be
a .°? ' ? s a 80 ln t6resting to recall his words concerning “ the heartburnings
w nc putting clan against clan must inevitably create ** and in doing so to
reflect upon the present relations subsisting between Abdali and Subehi and
also the relations for some time past subsisting between Abdali and Haushabi.
x ? e ? r ^ ma y k ere be observed that General Maitland sug
gested t ie entertainment of a special Arab Levy of 40 men to watch the
recently demarcated border to give notice of encroachment and to enable us to
ge a better hold of the tribes. His proposal has not been given effect to, and
ere again it is of interest to notice that his proposals gave rise to very similar
tears on the part of Government to those produced by Colonel Merewether’s
proposals 40 years before. .
12