'FRENCH POSSESSIONS IN THE GULF OF ADEN. COMPILED BY CAPTAIN E.J.E SWAYNE, 16TH BENGAL INFANTRY.' [‎15v] (35/76)

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generally recognized. Blood demands blood, but murders and rads commit
ted a-ainst another family, sub-tribe, or tribe, concern only the mjured part.es
Ind do not concern the tribe at large. The aggressors and aggrieved can
fi dit it out amongst themselves. Where the parties are inclined to compromise
a mu der 1 certam sum of money, or number of camels is fixed as the pace o
be paid foreach man killed, but when this price has been paid, the immediate
relatives of the deceased are in no way debarred from squaring accounts by a stab
in the dark should a fitting opportunity offer.
Religion —The Danakil are all Mussulmen, but their religion sits very light
ly upon them. Some of the inland tribes are so > indifferent to the actual forms
of their religion, as to copy the Abyssinian Christians in many of their rites.
Men occasionally make pilgrimages to Mecca and becomes Hajis, but this
is not often done, and the journey is only prompted by the wish to obtain influence
over their fellows. For on return to their country, Hajis assume an important
position in tribal councils. On the coast they assist the local Chiefs in the
administration of justice and are called Kazis.
Appearance.—^ Dankali’s figure is tall, well set up and hardy, and there
is notan ounce of extra flesh.
The skin is generally darker than is the case with Somalis. The features
are regular, but hard and savage.
The eyes are deeply sunk, and the brows are contracted from the habit
of looking out upon a glaring waste.
1 he hair is frizzled or waving, and although it sometimes approaches the
wooly hair of the negro, it never can be mistaken for it.
It seldom reaches below the nape of the neck, and Is worn like a mop, being
made to stand out at the sides and at the back of the head by means of a liberal
application of clarified butter.
Clothwg .—Rich men wear the Somali-tobe, a length of 4 yards of strong
white cloth (American drill) draped round their heads and limbs, and confined
by a raw hide belt at the waist.
Usually, however, men content themselves with the half tobe, the chest
and shoulders being left bare, and the cloth simply wound round and round the
waist and falling to the knee. The inland tribes wear tanned skins or adopt the
Abyssinian blue striped half-tobe.
Cow’s hide sandals are worn, but are usually carried in the hand, unless
the ground be very rocky.
The chiefs on the coast generally wear the Arab dress as a mark of
superiority.
JFVn'/w/s.—The warlike weapons consist of a heavy iron weighted-spear*
from 6 to 7 feet long, a curved soft-iron dagger in a raw hide scabbard, and a
thick cow-hide shield. The usual plan of attack on a caravan, is to follow it day
and night at a safe distance, until a favorable opportunity is found, then, generally
on a dark night, to crawl up to within 40 yards and rush through the camp yell
ing, and scabbing right and left.
Women .—The women do all the hard work. They fetch wood, draw water
and cook the food. They make mats and baskets, and load up the camels for
journeys. The men on the other hand lounge about amongst the flocks, hunt,
raid, or waste their time in interminable and unprofitable debates.
The women wear either a kind of blue shirt, or the usual tobe hitched over
the arms at the shoulder, and tucked around the waist in a number of pleats.
Arms, ankles and ears are adorned with heavy copper ornaments, the neck being
encircled by a necklace of colored glass beads.
Unmarried girls wear the hair separated into a multitude of small pig-tails,
the ends of which are adorned by glass beads and plentifully besmeared with clari
fied butter. Married women confine the hair in a leather or blue cotton bag
which falls on the back of the neck, and is renewed only when it falls off through
long use. The practice known as infibulation is prevalent.
These are forged in baked clay receptacles, the iron being derived from old hoops, Egyptian swords, &c.