January 20, 1870.
Geleidi Sultanate, Mogadishu.
Mogadishu was what the East African government called it. The name came from ancient Persian; the locals called it Hama, while the Ming Dynasty in the East had called it Mughadishu. The three names bore witness to the city's long history and flourishing cultural exchange.
Now, this ancient city had been utterly destroyed by the East Africans. Svit had bombarded the place with more than thirty artillery pieces, and under the final assault of over three thousand East African soldiers, the Geleidi Sultanate's strongest fortress had been reduced completely to a heap of ruins.
With the Battle of Mogadishu concluded, the Geleidi Sultanate had essentially declared its downfall. This had been the most populous region of the Geleidi Sultanate.
From ancient times to the present, the Geleidi Sultanate had never been able to support much of a population. Even Mogadishu had relied mainly on animal husbandry, with agriculture difficult to develop.
Mogadishu lay on the eastern bank of the Shebelle River. Although the Shebelle was Somalia's largest river, its water volume was extremely low.
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From February to March, the entire river would dry up completely. If it had not originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, its water volume in other seasons would likely not have been much greater either, leaving the whole river with virtually no value for navigation or hydropower.
The rivers on the East African mainland might not have held much value for navigation, but they possessed abundant hydropower resources. The Shebelle River had neither, and like the Yellow River, it was highly prone to changing course. Even in the twenty-first century, its lower reaches would display the strange sight of a riverbed higher than both banks. No wonder Ernst had said the Geleidi Sultanate held little important value.
"Report, Chief of