'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎81] (98/258)

GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH IN 1854-55.
Ixxxi
interesting to the Mission. Lieut. Herne was joined at Berberra by Lieutenant
Stroyanofthe Indian Navy; the latter officer made some short excursions into
the interior, chiefly for sporting purposes, and had some elephant shooting about
the end of March of the present year. Lieutenant Speke, an officer of the°Bengal
army, having landed at some port, about 30 miles from Berberra, proceeded by
land to the latter place. Lieutenant Speke had previously been on a shooting
expedition in the Dham Boula country, and remained in Aden with Lieutenant
Burton till within a few days of his arrival at Berberra.* On the 5 th of April
the Berherra party was joined by Lieutenant Burton, chief of the Mission ’
—the party, with guards, camel men, servants, Ac. cSic., consisted of about
thirty or forty souls, all armed chiefly with fire-arms, and during the continu
ance of the great annual fair, all seemed to have proceeded smoothly. Lieutenant
Burton was so confident, that he officially wrote to the authorities at Aden
thanking them, and presenting that every thing was ready, and that the Mission
was prepared to start under the most favorable auspicies after the receipt of
Europe letters then hourly expected from Aden. On the 18th April, a buggalow Large trading vessel.
from the Zeylah direction arrived at Berberra, bringing some persons
from Aden, who wished to accompany the Mission, and on the same day,
three strange horsemen, of the Somali tribe, visited the camp. These men on be
ing closely questioned by the Has Kaffila, admitted that they belonged to an Okal,
one day’s ride from the coast, and that they had been sent to ascertain if Sha-
markie, the Zeylah Chief was^with the assistance of the^English, about building
a Fort at Zeylah, adding that a report was|also current, that three boat loads of
Shamarkie people were in a neighbouring port. On being assured that the Eng
lish were there only for the purpose of travel, they partook of food, swear
ing by the oath of divorce, that they were friends; however the Ras Kaffila Ma
homed, whom Lieutenant Burton reports to be a man of tried fidelity, was not
deceived; he told Lieutenant Burton that these men were spies of a hostile party
somewhere near, and advised that every precaution should be taken by planting
eight sentries. Unfortunately this warning from so good a source did not meet
with the attention it deserved, and Lieutenant Burton felt so secure that he
arranged for the following morning a shooting party with Lieutenant Stroyan,
and even the common precaution of loading all the fire-arms or placing them and
the ammunition where they might be readily found, was neglected. About 3 a. m.
the following morning, the Camp was suddenly attacked by a body of at least
one hundred men, when all was confusion. Lieutenants Burton and Herne slept
in the centre rowtee. Lieutenant Speke’s tent was on the right flank, and
Lieutenant Stroyan slept on a cot in front of his tent on the left flank. Lieutenant
Herne having succeeded in finding a loaded Colt's revolver went to the side from
which the attack came, and having fired two shots, he found himself deserted by
all his people,—he then retreated to the rowtee, where he saw Lieutenant Burton
with sabre, and Lieutenant Speke with a pistol, defending themselves from Soma
lis who were entering the tent. Lieutenant Herne having again fired two shots
with effect—and unable to find his powder flask or secure any weapon, the tent
in the mean time falling, it was agreed to make a rush through their assailants.
In this Lieuts. Burton and Herne succeeded, but the former in a hand to hand
fight received a terrible spear wound through his face. Lieuts. Burton and Herne
then separated. Lieut. Speke Was not so fortunate, being knocked down wounded
and taken prisoner, his hands were first tied behind his back, but one of his
* Subsequent to the preceding being put in type, information of much interest appeared in
the Journals of the Bengal Asiatic Society, Jfos. Hi & iv, for 1855, and as it is doubtful whe
ther we may now have a complete and corrected account of the Somali Expedition, it seeme
expedient to place in contiguity all we have regarding it even at the risk of altering materi
ally enlarging the report as originally received. The en tract will be found at the end of-th®
report.