SOMALI BRIGANDS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 324, 27 November 1860, Page 4

SOMALI BRIGANDS.

The song and march were no sooner at an end than the whole ground became a scene of busy active life. Every man, save the one who was holding my string, rushed in a regular scramble upon the property, and, like a legion of devils, began tearing and pulling at everything in promiscuous confusion, to see who could carry most away. Some darted at tbe camels and began pulling them along, others seized the ponies and began decamping; again, others caught up the cloths, or dates, or rice, or anything they could lay hands on, and endeavored to carry them off. But this was not so easy; there were too many men to be all satisfied, and those who had least began wrangling with their more fortunate competitors, who, on their part, not wishing to relinquish anything they had obtained, forcibly contested for their rights, A more complete and ferocious melee I never witnessed. The whole ground was a scene of pull devil, pull baker, and victory to the stronger. As one man, hurrying along, was trailing his cloth behind, another rushed at it and pulled him back ; clubs were unsparingly used, and destruction threatened with spears; what would not easily succumb to pulling, was separated with stabs of tbe spears or cuts of their knives. The camels and ponies were not more easily disposed of; by snatching from one hand and snatching from another, they were constantly in different people's bands. It was a scene very like that of an Indian poultry-yard, when some entrails are thrown amongst the chickens, and every fowl tries to rob the other.

Whilst all were intent with deep earnestness in this scramble, an alarm was suddenly given that another party were coming down the hills to fighc and rob them of their spoils. The disordered band were instantly panic-striken ; for a moment or two there was the deadest silence ; and then, everybody save some forty or fifty men, who were probably more experienced hands, burst across the plain, flying in long jumps, aud hurrying with all their might towards the hills. I heard afterwards it was not an unusual practice in this land of robbers for one party to get up an attack upon a caravan, and then another one, getting wind of their design, to project a p'au of despoiling them as soon as they shall be in such a disconcerted melee that they would not be able to act in concert to support one another. Wbilst they were away, three finelooking men came, with some of our soldiers' sabres; and one, standing over me, threatened, with ferocious determination in his countenance, to cut me in two. Twice he lifted his sword above his head, and brought it down with violence to within an inch or two of my side, and each time withdrew it, as if suddenly repenting of his purpose. I stared him earnestly in the face, but neither flinched nor uttered any noise. They then left me and went to join the other forty thieves. I conceive this demonstration was made with a view of testing my pluck, and had I cried or implored for mercy, I should inevitably have been killed upon the spot.

The last and worst scene in this tragedy was now to be performed. My jailer, who was still holding the string, stepped up close to me, and coolly stabbed me with his spear. I then raised my body a little in defence, when he knocked me down by jibbing his spear violently on my shoulder, almost cutting the jugular arteries. I rose again as he poised his spear, and caught the next prod, which was intended for my heart, on the back of one of my shackled hands; this gouged my flesh up to the bone. The cruel villain now stepped back a pace or two, to get me off my guard, aud dashed his spear down to the bone of my left thigh. I seized it violently with both my hands, and would not relinquish the gripe until he drew a shillelah from his girdle, aud gave me such a violent blow on my left arm, I thought the bone was broken, and the spear fell helplessly from my hands. Finding his spear too blunt for running me through by a simple jib when standing still, he now dropped the rope-end, walk back a dozen paces, and, rushing ou me with savage fury, plunged his spear through the thick part of my right thigh in the ground, passing it between tbe thigh bone and large sinew below. With the action of lightning, seeing that death was inevitable if I remained lying there a moment longer, I spruDg to my legs, and gave the miscreant such a. sharp back-bander in the face with my doublebound fists that he lost his presence of mind, and gave me a moment's opportunity to run away; whicb, by the Lord, I lost no time in doing, taking very good care, by holding my hands one side, not to allow the dangling rope to trip me up. I was almost naked, and quite bare upon the feet, but I ran over the shingly beach towards the sea, like wildfire. The man followed me a little way, but, finding I had the foot of him, threw his spear like a javelin, but did not strike me, for I bobbed, aud allowed it to pass safely over my head; he then gave up the chase; still I had at least forty more men to pass through, who were scattered all about the place, looking for what property they could pick up, before I could get safe away. These men, seeing the chase, all tried to cut off my retreat. However, I dodged them all by turns, runuiug fast across them, and bobbing as they threw their spears after me, until I reached the shore, when I saw tbe last man give up the pursuit.— Blackwood.

Education of the Athenian Citizens.— Books, however, were the least part of the education of an Athenian citizen. Let us for a moment transport ourselves, in thought, to that glorious cily. - Let us imagine that we are entering its gates, in the time of its power and glory. A crowd is assembled round a portico. All are gazing with delight at the entablature ;

for Phiddias is puttiag up the frieze. We turn into another street; a rhapsodist is reciting there : men, women, and children are thronging round

him : the rears are running down their cheeks

their eyes are fixed : their breath is still; for he is telling how Priam fell at the feet of Achilles, and kissed those baud's—the terrible—the murderous—whioh had slain so many of his sons.

We enter the public place; there is a rir,g of youths, all leaning forward, with sparkling eyes, and gestures of expectation. Socrates is pitted against tbe famous Atheist, from lonia, and has just brought him to a contradiction in terms. But we are interrupted. The herald is crying,

"B,ootti for the Prytanes,*' The general "assembly is to meet. The people are swarming in on every side. Proclamation is made-- " Who wishes to speak?" There is a shout, and clapping of hands: Pericles is mounting the stand. Then for a play of Sophocles; and away to sup with Aspasia. I know of no modern university which has so excellent a system of education.— Macaulay. A Learned Witness.—Witnesses are often exceedingly stupid, but we don't know whether this witness ought to called stupid or not. He was before Baron Martin, in the west country. It was desired to get from, him an exact account of a certain conversation, with the " says I" and " says he," but the counsel could not make him comprehend the form in which he was wanted to make his statement. So the Court took him in hand. "Now, my man, tell us exactly what passed." "Yes, my lord, certainly. I said that I would not have the pig." " Well, and what was his answer ?" "Hesaid that he had been keeping the pig for me, and that he—." "No, no; he did not say that —he could have said it. He spoke in theffirst person." " No, I wa3 the first that spoke, my lord." "I mean this, don't bring in the third person; repeat his exact words." "There was no third person, my lord only him and me." " Look here, my good fellow, he did not say he had been keeping the pig; he said ■' I have been keeping it.'" " I assure you, my lord, there was no mention of your lordship at all. We are on two different stories, my lord, that's clear. There was no third person, and if anything had been said about your lordship, I must have beard it." So the Court had to give it up, though the witness was only too ready to tell all he knew.

The Moon and the Weather.—Relative to this subject the Rev. Thomas Milner in his work, «The Heavens and the Earth,' says :— "The belief has long prevailed, and is still very general, that changes of the moon's phase, or her passage through the different quarters influence the terrestrial atmosphere, and produce certain changes of tho weather. This opinion was held iv ancient times, for, according to Theophrastus, the new moon brings bad weather, and the full moon fine. Submitted to the test of accurate observation, the idea is found to be completely groundless; nor is there any correspondence whatever between the changes of the moon, and the vicissitudes of the weather. To account for an error so long accredited, Arago refers to the lack of impartial observations, and the involuntary tendency of the human mind to dwell upon facts favorable to its preconceived opinions, without any regard to those which aro hostile to them. If a desired or obnoxious change of weather is coincident with a certain lunar change, and especially if this occurs more than once, the mind is sttuck by the coincidence, and leaves unnoticed, when the state of the weather has little personal importance, other similar changes of the moon whioh had not the same accompaniment. An* other error of long standing, and still prevalent, attributes to the moon an influence upon the felling of timber. It is held that trees should not be cut down while the moon is increasing in phase, but when she is on the wane, otherwise the wood will not be found to be of good or durable quality. In the forest countries of Europe this practice is generally observed; and of so much importance was it once deemed in France, that the old forest laws interdicted the felling of trees, except duriug the wane of the moon. In the extensive catalogue of popular fallacies, there is scarcely one more extraordinary than the supposition that a body at the distance of nearly 240,000 miles should exercise au influence propitious to woodcutting during one half of the month, and unfavorable duriug the other. It has been tested, and shown to have no foundation.

Marriage on .£3OO a-Year. —Ifc may well be true that the habits of English gentlemen are more expensive and luxurious than they were thirty years ago ; but I would ask in all humility, has not the desire for social distinction increased in a corresponding way amongst English ladies ? If Romeo longs for a cotellette ala Soubise tossed off in a fashion somewhat superior to the usual style of English domestic cookery, does not Juliet insist upon her brougham and her little house in Tyburnia as indispensable conditions before she endows her lover with all the rich treasures of her virgin heart ? Are not both too eager to begiu life at the very point which their parents had attained just when they were on the very eve of quitting it ? How often do you meet with a young lady in society who is honestly ready to accept the risks of human life with a husband who has little to recommend his suit in the way of worldly endowments ? And is it much to be wandered at, if men have been left to bear the beat and burden of the day alone should, when the struggle has been decided in their favor, be somewhat of opinion that they can manage without assistance to spend the produce of their labor in their own way.— Once a Week.

The Talent of Success.—Every man must patiently abide bis time. He must wait. Not in listless idleness, not in useless pastime, not in querulous defection, but in constant, steady, cheerful endeavor, always willing, fulfilling and accomplishing his task, " that when the sccasion comes he may be equal to the occasion." The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, without a thought of fame. If it comes at all, it .will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after. It is a very indiscreet and troublesome ambition which cares so much about fame, about what the world says of us, as to be always looking in the face of others for approval, to be always anxious about the effect of what we say or do, to be always shouting to hear the echoes of our , own voices.—Longfellow.

Inscription on a Turkish Street Fountain.—"Rest, 0 traveller, for this is the fountain of enjoyment—rest here, as under the shadow of the plane tree, for this roof casts a shade as deep as that of the cypress, but with more of joy. Ask one day of the angels in Eden if this water is not as delicious as the rivers of that garden, or as the stream of Zemzem. Sultan Achmed, the second Alexander— he whose glory is as the sun, and his generosity perpetually increasing, like the tree of life—has reared this kiosk and stamped it with his signet ring. This water flows unceasingly, like his benevolence, as well for the king as the beggar, wise man, and tbe fool. The first of all the blessings of Allah is water."— All the Year Round.