'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎78] (95/258)

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IXXVlii PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY.
Stroyan’s on the right, ten paces to its left was the rowtee of Lieutenants Burton
and Herne, and at a similar distance was the rowtee of Lieutenant Speke, the
extreme left of the camp—the baggage was placed between the rowtees on the
left, and the cattle to the front, at the foot of the high ground or plateau on which
the camp stood. The mission consisted of forty-two souls in all, chiefly Seedees
and Somalis entertained at Aden, all were well armed, and abundantly supplied
with the materials necessary for the chase, or, if so required, for self-defence.
The Has or Superintendent of the Cafilah was one Mahmoud, a Somali of the
Majjertein tribe, better known at Aden as the Balyooz, or the Ambassador, a title
that he had probably acquired from having accompained Lieutenant Cruttenden,
on his visit to the Somali country, and having often been employed by that
gentleman in regard to Somali affairs,—he has the reputation of being one
of the shrewdest and best informed of his countrymen, being thoroughly
acquainted with the habits and customs, as well as the lands of the dif
ferent tribes of the Somal. On the 18th of April a buggalow Large trading vessel. from Aden
entered the creek of Berberra, being the sole vessel there, and on the evening
of the same day, three horsemen, two of the Essa Moosah—one of them
being a near relation of the ‘ Abban’ or protector of Lieutenant Stroyan,—and
the third of the Aryal Ahmed tribe, arrived at the encampment of the Mission.
At first they were suspected of being spies, or rather scouts, the fore-runners of
a Somali raid, but on being questioned, they swore by the most solemn oath, the
oath of divorce, that such was not the case, that on the contrary they were friends
and well-wishers to the Mission—that the elders of their tribes having heard that
a buggalovv had entered the harbour at such a late period of the season, were
apprehensive that the rumours which had for some time past been current, were
about to be realized—viz., that their enemy, the Haji Shamarkie was the third
time, about to erect a fort at Berberra, and that the buggalow Large trading vessel. was supposed to
contain the Haji himself, with followers and all necessaries for the rebuilding of
the fort, and that they had been deputed to ascertain whether such was the case.
Satisfied with this plausible account, the ordinary watches only were set, and the
Officers retired to rest, feeling perfectly secure, as much from their solitary posi
tion, as well as from the good feeling that had always been shewn to them by the
possessors of the soil, the Habarawal. About three o’clock on the morning of the
19th April, Lieutenant Burton was hastily aroused from his slumbers by the
Balyooz, who informed him that their camp was attacked ; springing from his bed.
Lieutenant Burton shouted to Lieutenant Stroyan and informed him of it, and
then awoke Lieutenant Herne. Lieutenant Stroyan acknowledged the receipt of
this intimation, and at once prepared to defend his tent and property. Lieutenant
Speke, aroused by the report of fire-arms, sought the tent of Lieutenant Burton
to ascertain the meaning of it, asking on entering, whether there ‘ was to be any
shooting•—Lieutenant Burton relieved his doubts, by his reply of ‘I should rather
think there was,’ which caused Lieutenant Speke to arm for the fray, his weapon
being a Dean and Adam’s revolver. The Somalis at first attempted to beat down
the tents, either by throwing a shower of stones on them, or by beating the
‘ devils tattoo’ on them with their short cudgels those inside are not positive as
to which of these two processes was tried—the tents once down, all within them
would have been speared, but this is an old and familiar Arab custom with which
the party were well acquainted, and were not thus to be caught- Lieutenant
Herne had already been out and fired two barrels of his Colt into the Somalis]
and then returned to report to Lieutenant Burton. Lieutenant Speke next went
out, and in so doing received a sharp blow on the knee from a stone thrown at
him 5 placing himsell under cover he saw the heads of two blacks within a few
paces of him, peeping over some ammunition boxes, but he reserved his fire, not
being certain of his aim. Two Somalis crouched down, advancing with their
shields before their bodies, their spear poised in their hands, ready either to strike,