File 600/1905 Pt 1 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Dthala' [‎418v] (98/174)

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r T pntirely a^ree with the proposals in the memorandum, which are on
„ . „■ V n f pmnlovmst men of each clan in the neighbourhood, about half
iSiatfly on the border. The strength of the levy has
been placed as low as possible, and I hope that 40 men for a generally hd y
TZdZt 00 miles will not be considered excessive. They will be fairly
hard worked! as half of them will be continually on the move The rates of
nav are the smallest that will he accepted by respectable tribesmen. Less
uav if taken at all, would only procure slaves and riff-raff who would be
untrustworthy, and who, from their inferior position, would be likely to get
into trouble with the people through whom the line runs.
7 The memorandum states most of the conditions of service in the
levy The entertainment of the men would be in the hands of the officer iu
chuV-e but dismissal would require the approval of the Resident. The men
would be taught to shoot, for which purpose an allowance of practice ammum-
tion would be necessary, but no drill would be required. They would not wear
uniform, except that a distinctive pugree would he served out. This would
have to be given free. A statement embodying the conditions of service m
the Dthala levy also a proposition statement, are herewith submitted, and
I trust that Government will favourably consider the proposals I have ventured
to put forward.
8 Those proposals heing for a levy for the Amiri and Shaibi borders
alone no mention is made in the memorandum of a British officer to superin-
tend but if the levy is increased by entertaining men to watch the demarcated
Hau’shahi and Subaihi borders, or even the Haushabi border alone, it yjuld be
necessary to have an officer to take charge of the whole. The length of the
Haushabi frontier, following its curves, is nearly, if not quite, 30 miles. The
whole length of the Subaihi border to the sea at Thurba must he fully 100
miles. A good deal of the latter would not, I hope, require to he often visited,
but I think the lowest number of men required for the Haushahi and Suham 1
frontier together would he about 70, say, 20 for the Haushabi border, and the
remainder for the Subaihi. A considerable _ proportion of the whole, perhaps a
third or a half, would he camel sowars. N either the Political Officer at Dthaia,
nor either of the Assistant Residents at Aden, could look after these men, and,
in the event of any additional levies being raised, I would propose to put Mr
Bury in charge of the whole, and that he should he an ex officio Assistant
Resident, with special supervision over the Haushabi and Suhaihi frontier, n
this case the Political Officer at Dthala would be relieved of the charge of the
levy employed on his part of the border, so far as their pay, discipline, an
instruction were concerned, though they would heat his disposal as regards
their employment in his district.
Formation of an Arab levy for frontier patrol duties, with Head
QUARTERS AT DTHALA.
The portion of the frontier to he superintended from Dthala as a centre
would extend from the Fiver Bana on the north-east to Jehal TVarwa on e
Baushabi border on the south-west. The length of the boundary line between
these two places is about 60 miles, allowing for the curves and irregularities
of the line. No portion of it is, however, more than 30 miles distant by too
road from Dthala. The greater portion, say, four-fifths, of the boundary line
is in country only fit for men on foot to work in, that is, on the high moun ams
of the Shaibi, or in the narrow valleys and gorges on and near the Fiver Ii an.
Bxpert hillmen, such as nearly all the tribesmen round Dthala are, can Jnove
about in such a country with far greater freedom and celerity than cou
mounted men. The only piece of flat country near the boundary, sul ‘ ;a "^. or
the work of mounted men, is that between Lakmat-ash-Shub and the B an,
forming about one-fifth of the total distance mentioned. I would,
propose that the Arab levy at Dthala should consist of one-fifth mounted men