2 [ No. 97 GEOGRAPHY : SOMALILAND to Loyi Ada on the Gulf of Aden. The seasonal migra tions of the nomadic tribes compel some of them to cross and recross the south and south -west frontiers at least once a year, but in practice this custom occasions little trouble.

(2 ) SURFACE, COAST, AND RIVER SYSTEM Surface The southern part of the Protectorate consists of an elevated interior plateau, which rises gradually towards the north from an altitude of about 2,000 ft. to as much as 7,000 ft. This zone has an average width of about 35 miles in the west, 120 miles in the centre, and nearly 200 miles in the east. The northern scarp of the plateau descends, precipitously in most places, to the maritime zone, a strip of territory varying in width from about 60-30 miles in the west to about 2 miles or under in the east. The drainage of the maritime zone is towards the Gulf of Aden : that of the plateau zone is towards the Webi Shebeli in the west, and towards the Nogal and Darror rivers in the south east and east, all of which drain to the Indian Ocean .

Maritime Zone. — The maritime zone consists in its northern part of the coastal plain , a sandy tract with some patches of alluvial soil, which are traversed by watercourses, generally dry, running from south to north. The plain slopes gradually upwards from the sea, rising to altitudes of 300–400 ft. at the foot of the mountains. It is bare in places, but for the most part is covered with coarse grasses and a sparse growth of stunted acacias and of kidthi, which furnish excellent browsing for camels and goats. In the alluvial patches there is as a rule a fairly dense growth of bushes and trees and also much land covered by the finer grasses, valuable for grazing. The width of the plain