General Survey of Somaliland Protectorate

(Final Report on "An Economic Survey and Reconnaissance of the British Somaliland Protectorate 1944-1950," Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme D.484)

To be purchased from The Chief Secretary, Hargeisa, Somaliland Protectorate and the Crown Agents for the Colonies, 4 Millbank, London, S.W.1.

A special note of thanks is due to Mr. J. J. Lawrie of Great Britain who donated his personal copy of this classic book on British Somaliland for the project of creating this online version which will be available to all Somalis.

A General Survey of a little-know part of the world is not likely to become a "best-seller," yet in this survey one may find a fascinating number of facts which will appeal not only to a small bank of colonial officials but to all who are interested in men, animals, and plant life.

The author is a scientist with long experience of the country and the people, which is very evident in this survey. He is at times challenging and provocative -- perhaps deliberately so.

A foreword is not the place to cross swords, but the author has asked for an authoritative opinion on his statement that the Protectorate is not overstocked.

The advent of British Administration and its struggles over sixty-seven years have checked the ravages of tribal raiding and droughts, both of which took a heavy toll of human and animal life. It also brought medical science. No such protection was available for the vegetation on which the livestock -- and consequently the people -- live. The author is therefore correct when he says that the country is not overstocked for the needs of the people, but his insistence on the care of the grazing seems to point to the need for the conservation of the grazing if it is to support sufficient livestock.

It is confidently hoped that this survey will become a handbook for the administrator and a textbook for the scientist: and that it will be preserved, together with the Koran and the Bible, by those who, in the author's words, "love the country and its people."

[The project of creating this on-line version is in progress. Only those chapters with a "hover-button box" and sections that are underlined are currently available. The rest will be added later.]

		Paragraph
	Summary	1
	Introduction	30
	A. Situation, Area and Position	30
	B. Purpose	35
	C. Staff	39
	D. Method	41
	E. Illustrations	43
	F. Delaying Factors	44
	G. Achievements	48
	Time Dimension	54
	Topography	59
	A. Existing Basic Topographical Maps	59
	B. Improvised Mapping	64
	C. Place Names and Gazetteer	74
	D. Mileages	79
	E. Air Photography	88
	F. Political Boundaries	94
	Meteorology	96
	A. Method of Recording	96
	B. General Climatic Scheme	107
	C. Rain, General	115
	D. Résumé of Seven Years Rainfall	144
	E. Temperatures	156
	F. Humidity	174
	G. Wind	167
	H. Evaporation	176
	J. Pressure	178
	Geology	181
	A. Introduction	181
	B. Summary of Geology of Somaliland Protectorate	189
	C. Geological Map	209
	D. Minerals	237
	E. Water Supplies	259
	F. Soils	280
VII.	Flora	288
	A. Purpose	288
	B. Gypseous and Salty Areas	293
	C. Non-Saline Areas	300
	D. Grazing	323
	E. Agriculture	336
VIII.	Fauna	352
	A. Wild Fauna	352
	B. Domestic Stock	413
	C. Diseases of Animals	422
	D. Human Diseases	424
	Tribes and Their Stock	433
	A. Introduction	433
	B. The Somali Race	445
	C. The Nomadic Stock-herder	453
	D. Résumé of Tribal Movements, 1944-50	475
	E. Tribal Movements in General	497
	F. Normal Grazing Areas	510
	G. Domestic Stock	525
	H. The Somali Family	550
X.	Recommendations	556
	A. Topography	556
	B. Meteorology	557
	C. Geology	558
	D. Flora and Fauna	559
	E. Administration	575
	F. Publications	582
XI.	Conclusions	586
XII.	Useful Notes	588
XIII.	Bibliography (Table 23)	593

		Paragraph
1.	Table showing first days of Somali/Arabic lunar months in Gregorian dates, 1944-52	57
2.	Somali seasonal calendar, 1944-52, with explanatory note	58
3.	Gazetteer of place names, Somaliland Protectorate and Grazing Areas, revised from Hunt & Viney's Gazetteer up to January, 1951	78
4.	Table of road mileages, Somaliland Protectorate and Grazing Areas, revised up to January, 1951	81
5.	Detailed monthly rainfall records in inches, 1944-50	139
6.	Summary of rainfall records, 1944-50	140
7.	Dates of beginning of main Gu rains (in second quarter), 1944-50	141
8.	Impression of rainfall values, 1944-50	142
9.	Table of annual rainfall in inches, 1906-50	143
10.	Detailed monthly maximum and minimum temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit, 1944-50	161
11.	Summary of maximum and minimum temperatures, 1944-50	162
12.	Detailed monthly relative humidities, 1944-50	163
13.	Detailed record of dates of change of prevailing ground winds, 1944-50	174
14.	Summary of average dates of change of prevailing ground winds, 1944-50	175
15.	Average daily rate of evaporation in shade (in mm.), at Jibuti Observatory	177
16.	Table of 1,200z pressures	180
17.	Table of water levels in Burao Survey Garden Well, and record of spates Tug Der, 1945-50	279
18.	Estimation of population of Somaliland Protectorate and Grazing Areas (British Protected Somalis only) and their stock (1951)	441
19.	Table showing various estimates of stock owned by British Protected Somalis	442
20.	Table showing recorded exports of stock, 1927-50	443
	Detailed genealogies of the tribes of the Somaliland Protectorate and the Mijertein	444
22.	Summary of tribes of Somaliland Protectorate, with notes on wells	509
23.	Bibliography (revised from Viney's Bibliography in 1951)	593

		Scale	Paragraph
1.	Situation sketch-map, Somaliland Protectorate	1:30,000,000	30
2.	Route map	1: 5,000,000	32
3.	Britain on Somaliland Protectorate	1: 10,000,000	33
4.	Contour map	1: 1,000,000	pocket
5.	Contour sketch-map 1,000, 3,000, 5,000 and 7,000 feet	1: 10,000,000	71
6.	Contour sketch-map 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 feet	1: 10,000,000	72
7.	Drainage map	1: 1.000,000	pocket
8.	Somaliland pace-names	1: 10,000,000	77
9.	Roads, sketch-map	1: 3.000,000	pocket
10.	Reduced road mileage diagram	1: 10,000,000	83
11.	Political and district boundaries, 1950	1: 10,000,000	94
12.	Somaliland vertical air photo cover	1: 10,000,000	88
13.	Meteorological stations	1: 10,000,000	98
14.	Minimum quarter's rainfalls, January-March in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	124
15.	Maximum quarter's rainfalls, January-March in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	125
16.	Average quarter's rainfall, January-March, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	126
17.	Minimum quarter's rainfalls, April-June in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	127
18.	Maximum quarter's rainfalls, April-June in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	128
19.	Average quarter's rainfall, April-June, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000	129
20.	Minimum quarter's rainfalls, July-September in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
21.	Maximum quarter's rainfalls, July-September in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
22.	Average quarter's rainfall, July-September in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
23.	Minimum quarter's rainfalls, October-December in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
24.	Maximum quarter's rainfalls, October-December in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
25.	Average quarter's rainfall, October-December in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
26.	Minimum annual rainfalls in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
27.	Maximum annual rainfalls in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
28.	Average annual rainfall in any year, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
29.	Average minimum temperatures in coldest months, usually December and January	1: 10,000,000
30.	Average maximum temperatures in hottest months, usually May-September	1: 10,000,000
31.	Geological map (1950)	1: 1,000,000	pocket
32.	Somaliland gypsum in line of Red Sea	1: 10,000,000
33.	Somaliland waterless areas	1: 10,000,000
34.	Somaliland mineral outcrops	1: 10,000,000
35.	Somaliland trees	1: 10,000,000
36.	Somaliland salt grazing	1: 10,000,000
37-40.	Somaliland game records, 1928-50	1: 10,000,000
41.	Home wells of British Protected Somalis	1: 1,000,000	pocket
42.	Recorded tribal distribution, Esa and Mijertein, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
43.	Recorded tribal distribution, Gadabürsi and Habr Toljaala, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
44.	Recorded tribal distribution, Habr Awal, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
45.	Recorded tribal distribution, Eidegalla and Arab, and Warsangeli, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
46.	Recorded tribal distribution, Habr Yunis, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
47.	Recorded tribal distribution, Dolbahanta, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
48.	Recorded tribal distribution, Ogaden, 1944-50	1: 10,000,000
49.	Typical scheme for grazing control	1: 3,000,000	pocket