Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 22.djvu/272

 256 S M S M the Gallas also they are still in the tribal state, broken up into an endless number of clans and septs, variously grouped by different writers. According to Captain Guillain 1 there are three main divisions the Aji on the north and north- east coast, the Hawiya on the south-east coast, and the Rahhanwin in the interior. But these are reduced by James to two, Isak and Darode (apparently the Edur and Darrud of older observers), with several main branches as under : (Habr Gerhaji, south from Berberah, beyond the coast range. Habr Tjaleh, east from Berberah, north of the coast range. Habr Awal, Berberah district. fMejertain, east coast from Guardafui to 4 north. Dolbohanti, Nogal River. Darode -| Warsangueli, north coast, west from Guardafui. I Marehan, between the Mejertain and Ogadain. t Ogadain, Webbe basin, and widespread in interior. To these, however, must be added the powerful Gadabirsi west from Berberah and the Isa (Issa) of the Hawash basin, besides the three low-caste tribes dispersed amongst the others, Tomal (ironworkers), Ebir (dealers in charms), and Midgan (ostrich breeders). The Somali, who are mainly Mohammedans of a somewhat fanatical type, are a fierce lawless people, impatient of control, and yielding a reluctant obedience even to their own rulers. Hence the tribal chiefs enjoy little more than a nominal authority, although some of the more powerful amongst them affect the title of sultan. At present the great Habr Gerhaji nation appears to be split into two sections, each under a chief claiming this rank. All go armed with spear, shield, and short sword, the latter exactly like that of the ancient Egyptians, whom the Somali are otherwise said to resemble more than any other African people. The weapons are freely used in their disputes, although the tribal laws against homicide are severe, heavy fines of camels or other property being imposed, which must be paid either by the criminal or the community. They are great talkers, keenly sensitive to ridicule, and quick-tempered, although amenable to reason if they can be induced to argue the point. According to the character of the soil and climate they live a settled or nomad life, in some places breeding numerous herds of camels, goats, and fat-tailed sheep, in others growing large crops especially of durrah, or collect- ing the gums frankincense and myrrh for which the land has always been famous. The Marehan (properly Murreyhan) tribe is said to have given its name to the myrrh, which is obtained in the greatest perfection in their district, although the term seems too old to admit of this derivation, and is more probably connected with a Semitic root mar, war bitter. Through the ports of Ber- berah. and Zeyla, a considerable export trade to Arabia, Egypt, and India is carried on with these articles and the other natural pro- ducts of the country, such as hides, horns, ostrich feathers, coffee of a very fine quality, indigo, salt. But the natives take little part in this movement, which from remote times lias been in the hands of the Indian banians settled at various points on the coast. In 1879-80 the total value of the exports was estimated at about 140,000. Like many other Mohammedan peoples, the Somali claim Arab descent, their progenitor having been a certain Sherif Ishak b. Ahmad, who crossed over from Hadramaut with forty followers about five hundred years ago. Other traditions go farther back, tracing their origin to the Himyaritic chiefs Sanhaj and Samamah, said to have been coeval with a King Afrikus, who is supposed to have conquered Africa about 400 A.D. These legends should perhaps be interpreted as pointing at a series of Arab immigra- tions, the last two of which are referred to the 13th and 15th centuries. But these intruders seem to have been successively absorbed in the Somal stock ; and it is remarkable that the Arabs never succeeded in establishing permanent settled or nomad com- munities in this region, as they have done in so many other parts of the continent. Their influence has been very slight even on the Somal language, whose structure and vocabulary are essentially Harnitic, with marked affinities to the Galla on the one hand and to the Dankali (Afar) on the other. Captain Hunter's Grammar, with exercises and vocabularies (Bombay, 1880), utilizing the materials published by General Rigby in the Proceedings of the Bombay Geographical Society (1849), is the only comprehensive treatise on the language, which appears to be spoken with great uniformity throughout the whole of Somali Land. Hunter mentions an eastern and a western dialect, differing, however, but little from one another, which is the more remarkable that there is no written standard and little oral literature, beyond some proverbial sayings, short stories inculcating certain moral teachings, and some simple love-songs. Although the rhythm is defective, these chants are 1 Documents sur Vhistoire, <fcc., de FAfrique Orientale, 1856-59. not lacking in poetical ideas, and often betray an unexpected refinement of feeling not inferior to that of similar compositions amongst more civilized peoples. (A. H. K.) SOMERS, JOHN (1652-1716), was born on March 4, 1652, at Worcester, the eldest son of John Somers, an attorney in large practice in that town who had formerly fought on the side of the Parliament, and of Catherine Ceaverne of Shropshire. After being at school at Wor- cester he was entered as a gentleman commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, and afterwards studied law under Sir Francis Winnington, who became solicitor-general, and joined the Middle Temple. He appears, in addition to his legal studies, to have written several poems and pamphlets. He soon became intimate with the leaders of the country party, especially with Essex, Russell, and Algernon Sidney, but never entered into their plans so far as to commit himself beyond recall. He was the author of the History of the Succession of the Crown of England, collected out of Records, &c., and was reputed to have written the Just and Modest Vindication of the Tivo Last Parliaments, which was put forward as the answer to Charles II. 's famous declaration of his reasons for dis- solving them. This, however, was by Sidney, though probably Somers was responsible for the final draft. When the grand jury of Middlesex threw out the bill against Shaftesbury, and were vehemently attacked for so doing, Somers wrote in defence of the rights of grand juries. In 1683 he was counsel for the sheriffs Pilkington and Shute before the Court of King's Bench, and secured a reputation which continually increased until the trial of the seven bishops, in which he was junior counsel. "Somers rose last. He spoke little more than five minutes, but every word was full of weighty matter ; and when he sat down his reputation as an orator and a constitutional lawyer was established." In the secret councils of those who were planning the revolution Somers took a leading part, and in the Convention Parliament was elected a member for his native town. He was immediately appointed one of the managers for the Commons in the conferences between the Houses, and in arguing the questions whether James II. had left the throne vacant by abdication and whether the Acts of the Convention Parliament were legal that parliament having been summoned without the usual writs he displayed great learning and legal subtlety. He was further distinguished by being made chairman of the committee which drew up the celebrated Declaration of Right. On May 9, 1689, Somers was made solicitor-general. He now became William III.'s most confidential adviser. In the controversy which arose between the Houses on the question of the legality of the decision of the Court 'of King's Bench regarding Titus Oates, and of the action of the Lords in sustaining this decision, Somers was again the leading manager for the Commons, and has left a clear and interesting account of the debates. He was next employed in January 1690 as chairman of the select committee of the House of Commons on the Corporation Bill, by which those corporations which had surrendered their charters to the crown during the last two reigns were restored to their rights ; but he refused to associate him- self with the violent measures of retaliation which the Whigs on that occasion endeavoured to include in the bill. In April a speech by him carried through the Lower House, without opposition, the bill which declared all the laws passed by the Convention Parliament to be valid. As solicitor-general he had to conduct the prose- cution of Preston and Ash ton in 1691, and did so with a moderation and humanity which were in marked contrast to the customs of the former reigns. He was shortly appointed attorney-general, and in that capacity strongly