The two Somal tribes coming directly under the Zeila agency were the Gadabursi and the Issa, both with "unenviable reputations" for treachery. As is the Somal custom each tribe is divided into sections; each section into sub-sections and the sub-sections are subdivided into _rers_ or families. The Somal is proud of his pedigree, the average man being able to rattle off his family tree without drawing breath, right back to his presumed Arab ancestors. As a family of four or five brothers may marry four wives each, as they often do, it follows, if they band together and have many children, that quite a new _rer_ or Jilib may be formed. In this way new and powerful _rers_ spring into existence, whilst old ones are often wiped out. But the sections, and in a lesser degree the sub-sections, rarely change. For this reason the British found it convenient to continue the Egyptian system of employing representatives of the various clans, or families, to act as agents or go-betweens for the government among their own people. These men are called Akils, and as, to-day, we have thirty-six Issa and thirty-seven Gadabursi Akils on the district books, some idea of the number of clans and families into which these tribes are divided may be gathered. The government utilises the system roughly thus: In Somaliland instead of giving a man's address you state (_a_) his tribe, (_b_) his tribal section, (_c_) his sub-section, (_d_) his _rer_ if necessary. If he is wanted at court a biladier is sent to fetch him; with the above information concerning his tribal history no difficulty will be experienced in finding him, although the Somals are the most nomadic of people, and continually on the move. He is as well placed as Private Brown, of No. 1 Company, 1st Battalion, fortieth Regiment of General Green's army in the X Y Z campaign. Sometimes instead of sending a biladier to call him a wanted man's Akil may be ordered to produce him. He may, or may not, refuse to accompany the biladier. The Akil may, or may not, produce him, but that does not affect the idea of the system, which is quite sound in theory and as satisfactory in practice as may be expected in a wild country like Somaliland. A biladier is a man employed as a special constable on any odd job. When sent into the district to call a man he is given a red ticket, stamped with the court seal as a badge of authority, and the meaning of this all Somals know. A man refusing to accompany him is nearly always caught in the long run; often when visiting the town in the belief that the affair has been forgotten and that he is safe; and, in addition to the matter he was originally wanted for, he has to answer the serious charge of refusing a biladier. * * * * *