File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎208r] (411/508)

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unpunished, nor was their nartieuh ^"h m ^ f ^ ao ^ on Sule ik escaped
content to punish the tribe wh i ' r entere ^ by our troops. We were
the only feasible policy We m °1 e M nC | at 1 iat i time this was P erha P s
the “ A1 Akram ’* family to wh' l i! ^ Iu , liammad Saleh responsible and he and
ram tami V to whlc b ^e belongs were the chief sufferers.
imoer-itivo^f P 0 i n t> however, should not be oyerlooked, and reparation is
T^r people of slan^ 111 ^ 011 ^ 1 ^ 11 Cal ] in ^ sai1 honourable Government.
^oman surrendered unconditionally to Captain Warneford
nf 7 T ms ’ ;la ™ bias ’ and s P e ™ were confiscated. The total amount
mouth ( ,fMiL aCC0rd !7 ; in0le ,’" ft l,y m y pi'fdeoessor and verified from the
”2 A rah matehTl S ,7 h hlmSelf ’ J WaS as follo » 8 : -15 ^ Gras carbines,
fhof naatch-locks, 50 spears, and some 80 jambias. It will he remembered
nstare 0 Mn e hr h 77, t n 7L - M - rifleS ’ and * hese - at « ie rohtieaToffleer’s
mav ho’,W- ? ad if a ehr0OOVeredafterthe fi S ht ' with what difficulty it
y ^ imagined when we remember the then divisions in the tribe These
Se °n red 7 the 01liefs pr0mises to his mea tbat the restoration
T Ul ^ m ^ le Same v wa 7 be affe cted from the British Government,
r r nothing has been done, and this has ever been a great obstacle in the wav
of a frank discussion with the Chief in view to a full return to our friendship.
Further, the Amir of Dthala is to this day believed by the Kotaibis to
nave been the fons et origo of the chastisement meted to them, and unless
therelore some settlement is made this sore will remain open and will effectively
militate against the better relations between the Kotaibis and the Amir of
Dthala; in other words, there will be no security on the roads, and the Kotaibis
will be tempted, after our departure, to return to their former reprisals on
travellers and caravans.
7. Another^ aim kept constantly before me has been the adjustment of
differences betwixt the Kotaibis and the Alawi tribe. On this I shall expatiate
below. Suffice it to say, at this juncture, that the equal share in our benefits,
qua camels in camp and the supply of kirby, enjoyed by Alawi and Kotaibi'
have served to keep alive the idea that both parties had, in our belief, equal
pretensions to the ownership of Suleik. This in spite of repeated assurance to
the parties that the place was ours so long as we remained there, and that the
juxtaposition of the two tribes in close proximity to the fort had induced to ask
each to supply a moiety of our requirements.
It is in the neighbouring villages of Ath Thumair and A1 Mileh—both
originally and principally populated by an offshoot of the Radfan “ Ahl
Abdallah, by name Ahl Labjar, that contention has been rife. In return
for immunity from taxation at his Customs, the Alawi has been able to exercise
certain rights over these villages, e.g., * Timtara, ” which is a certain payment
of revenue in kind by the villagers at harvest time, and also “ Dthimd i.e^
the grant of a yoke of oxen to plough the Alawi lands in that vicinity. The
Kotaibi Customs —we abolished, hence the feeling which led to the fight; but
the Kotaibis are thereby unable to offer corresponding terms to the villagers,
who are naturally less inclined to approach them in matters of jurisdiction.
In both these villages, there live, besides the original Ahl Labjar, both
Alawis and Kotaibis. A Kotaibi aggrieved on any point will throw himself
on the Kotaibis 1 conscience and ask redress, and vice versa. Hence the perpetual
searchings of heart and bad blood now prevailing around Fort Suleik.
I drew up a rough proposal in the presence of both the Sheikhs; and the
Amir of Dthala, who was present together with the Radfan Saiyd, took a
solemn oath from both sides to adhere in the main to the proposals I had
suggested. Naturally I did not go to any great lengths, and studiously avoided
any interference which would affect the relative jurisdictions each exercised.
I merely asked that existing rights might be recognised ; that differences in
the interpretation of these rights might be referred to the Amir and to two local
and respected Saiyds; that a wrong committed by a Kotaibi against an
Alawi and vice versa should not be met by reprisals hut be referred by the