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 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 CAMPAIGNING 
 
 ON THE 
 
 UPPER NILE AND NIGER
 
 LIEUTENANT SEV.MOLR VANDELELR, D.S.O. 
 From a Photograph by the Stereoscopic Co.
 
 CAMPAIGNING 
 
 UPPER NILE AND NIGER 
 
 SEYMOUR VANDELEUR, D.S.O. 
 
 LIEUTENANT, SCOTS GUARDS 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 
 
 Sir GEORGE T. GOLDIE, K.C.M.G., D.C.L., LL.D. 
 
 WITH MAPS, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND PLANS 
 
 METHUEN & CO. 
 
 36 ESSEX STREET, W.C. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 1898
 
 515 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 I MUST plead as an excuse for writing this book the 
 interest now being taken in the countries about the 
 source of the Nile, to which a railway is hastening 
 from the East Coast, and in the valuable Niger terri- 
 tories which recent events have brought so prominently 
 before the public. My grateful thanks are due to 
 Sir George Goldie for having honoured me by writing 
 an Introduction. 
 
 I am much indebted to Lieutenant A. H. Festing 
 for allowing me to make use of his drawings for the 
 GrapJiic during the Niger Sudan Campaign, which, by 
 the courtesy of the Editor, I have been able to re- 
 produce. 
 
 I have also to thank the Manager of the Times for 
 kind permission to make use of letters which I wrote 
 for the Times on the Niger, and Major Pulteney, D.S.O,, 
 Mr. Edward Heawood, M.A., and Dr. Scott Keltic, for 
 their kind assistance in looking over the proofs. 
 
 I have done my best to eliminate the dull record of 
 
 latitudes and longitudes, and of the geographical work, 
 
 which is embodied in the maps at the end of the book, 
 b 
 
 191052S
 
 vi PREFACE 
 
 but which gave me an absorbing interest in these 
 countries, an interest to which I feel I owe my com- 
 parative immunity from fever. 
 
 I cannot conclude without paying a tribute to those 
 brave native troops — Sudanese and Hausas — who help 
 to keep up the prestige of the British Empire at her 
 farthest African outposts, where in East or West 
 Africa hardly a day passes without a shot being fired 
 in its defence. 
 
 SEYMOUR VANDELEUR, D.S.O., 
 Lieut. ^ Scots Guards. 
 
 Berber, Sudan, 
 
 \<^th January 1898.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 I. FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 II. UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA . 
 
 III. IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 IV. FIRST EXPEDITION TO THE VICTORIA NILE 
 V. UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 . 
 
 VI. CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION IN SOUTHERN UNYORO 
 VII. JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS AND BACK TO 
 
 UGANDA 
 
 VIII. FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 IX. PACIFICATION OF NANDI— FINAL EXPERIENCES 
 X. EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER . . . . 
 
 XI. EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 XII. PREPARATIONS AT LOKOJA 
 
 XIII. START FROM LOKOJA 
 
 XIV. FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 XV. EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 XVI. SECOND day's FIGHT AT BIDA 
 
 XVII. BIDA 
 
 XVIII. NIGER POLITICS 
 
 XIX. FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA AND BORGU . 
 
 XX. ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 XXI. ILORIN 
 
 XXII. PATANI EXPEDITION 
 
 APPENDIX I 
 
 APPENDIX II 
 
 APPENDIX III 
 
 PACE 
 
 ix 
 I 
 
 14 
 
 28 
 
 53 
 65 
 
 96 
 107 
 132 
 149 
 
 159 
 169 
 176 
 186 
 198 
 214 
 221 
 
 23s 
 245 
 26S 
 287 
 298 
 303 
 3i« 
 320
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LIEUTENANT C. F. s. VANDELEUR, D.s.O. . . . Frontispiece 
 
 CAMP AT USOGA II 
 
 SUDANESE TROOPS, NO. 5 COMPANY ; ESCORT TO A MAXIM GUN $4 
 
 WANYORO CHIEF AND FOLLOWERS 66 
 
 MURCHISON FALLS 98 
 
 CHARGE OF THE WA-NANUI II6 
 
 FULAHS ON THE MARCH 153 
 
 LANDING IN THE SURF 162 
 
 A MARKET ON THE WEST COAST 1 72 
 
 ON THE MARCH TO KABBA 183 
 
 HORSE PICKET AND CARRIERS IN CAMP AT SURA ON THE 
 
 KABBA MARCH 186 
 
 PART OF THE COMPANY'S FLOTILLA AT EGBON .... I99 
 
 THE BATTLE OF BIDA 2l6 
 
 FULAH HORSEMEN CHARGING 273 
 
 ROYAL NIGER CONSTABULARY 295 
 
 MAPS 
 
 THE NILE VALLEY 35 
 
 UGANDA, UNYORO, AND THE UPPER NILE I48 
 
 TERRITORIES OF THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY .... 266 
 
 THE NUPE COUNTRY 302
 
 INTRODUCTION^ 
 
 If, in the year of grace when Her Majesty was 
 born, a traveller had combined in a single volume 
 his experiences on the Nile and Niger, the incon- 
 gruity of the subjects would have then appeared 
 almost as great as though the rivers had been the 
 Ganges and St. Lawrence. We now knov/ that 
 the vast resrions between the Nile and the Nio-er 
 are so closely connected by unity of religious 
 faith and by internal commerce, that political 
 events on the one stream react upon the other ; 
 we recognise that the Nile and Niger questions 
 
 ^ Some months ago I promised Lieutenant Vandcleur, who has 
 since gone to the Upper Nile, to write an Introduction to his book 
 dealing with the Nupe War. I could do no less for one of the 
 thirty-four officers whose high qualities carried us successfully 
 through perhaps as hazardous an enterprise as any in which so 
 small a force has ever been engaged. It did not at that time seem 
 possible that the negotiations in Paris would not have come to a 
 close before the book appeared. I have no reason to suppose that 
 the author has inserted anything that could give offence in France 
 or prejudice the negotiations ; but in view of my quasi-official 
 position, I feel bound to take the precaution of saying that I have 
 not yet read the book, and must not be considered as endorsing 
 anything contained in it. G. T. G.
 
 X INTRODUCTION 
 
 are not disconnected, but are two sides of a single 
 question — that of the Sudan. 
 
 In treating this subject it is well to remind the 
 general reader of the geographical position of 
 the Sudan ; as, since the British occupation of 
 Egypt and the military operations in the Egyp- 
 tian Sudan, a slipshod habit has crept into some 
 English newspapers of applying to the latter 
 alone a name which belongs properly to the whole 
 of Negrroland under Mohammedan influence or 
 visited by Mohammedan trading caravans. 
 Cha7nbers s Encyclopcedia, in i860, defined the 
 Sudan as " bounded on the north by the Sahara, 
 on the west by Senegambia, on the south by 
 Upper Guinea, and on the east by Kordofan " ; 
 but it would be inconvenient to treat the Sudan 
 to-day as ending on the western frontier of Kor- 
 dofan, for the regions between it and the Red 
 Sea, north of Abyssinia, are now habitually 
 included in the term. With this amendment the 
 definition above given will serve all practical 
 purposes. The French, who during the last 
 seven years have become far more fully informed 
 than our compatriots about Africa north of the 
 Equator, are strictly correct in naming their vast 
 sphere to the east of Senegambia the French 
 Sudan. The question is not one of geographical
 
 INTRODUCTION xi 
 
 accuracy alone. It involves a recognition of the 
 essential homogeneity of this great belt of Africa, on 
 which important point I propose to touch presently. 
 
 In 1 8 19, only those interested in geographical 
 research were familiar even with the name of the 
 Niger, or knew that its upper waters, down to 
 Bussa, had been traced fourteen years before by 
 a Scotchman, Mungo Park, the father of African 
 exploration in modern times. It was only in 
 1 83 1 that the lower waters of the Niger and their 
 path from Bussa to the ocean were discovered 
 by an equally great Englishman, Richard Lander. 
 A like mystery veiled the sources and upper 
 waters of the Nile until Speke, Baker, and other 
 explorers, during the sixties, connected them geo- 
 graphically with the Nile of Nubia and Egypt. 
 
 Between these great rivers of East and West 
 Africa lie regions of the breadth of the entire 
 continent of Europe, regions which were, in 
 1 8 19, altogether unknown and believed to be 
 but sparsely inhabited. It was not until Major 
 Denham and Captain Clapperton, in 1823-25, 
 and Dr. Barth, in 1849-55, explored this vast 
 area on behalf of the British Government, that 
 the civilised world recognised that this heart of 
 Africa was no barren desert. They found that 
 it was filled with populous and organised States,
 
 xH INTRODUCTION 
 
 that it possessed a fertile soil and intelligent 
 and industrious inhabitants ; but they did not 
 sufficiently recognise — and this discovery was 
 reserved for our days — that the considerable 
 civilisation of the Sudan could make no further 
 progress, that this lost thirtieth of the human 
 race could have no adequate connection through 
 commerce with the outer world, until a sound 
 basis was substituted for that on which the social 
 system in those regions has hitherto rested. 
 
 No student of history can, indeed, assert that 
 the institution of slavery in its customary forms 
 is an absolute barrier to intellectual progress and 
 the creation of wealth. Greece, Rome, and the 
 United States of America have afforded a suffi- 
 cient answer to that extreme view. Nor can the 
 slave trade be such a barrier, if the word be con- 
 fined to its usual and proper meaning of buying 
 and selling of slaves ; for this has been the 
 natural course in all ages in all slave-holding 
 countries ; while the capture of slaves in war 
 has proved, at anyrate, preferable to the more 
 ancient practice of killing all prisoners. 
 
 The radical vice of the Sudan, the disease 
 which, until cured, must arrest all intellectual and 
 material progress, is the general, constant, and 
 intense prevalence of s\d,Y t-raidmg. It is not
 
 INTRODUCTION xiii 
 
 possible, in a brief preface, to present any- 
 adequate picture of a system under which con- 
 siderable towns disappear in a night and whole 
 tracts of country are depopulated in a single dry 
 season — not as a result of war, but as the normal 
 method of the rulers for collecting their human 
 cattle for payment of tribute to their suzerains or 
 for sale to distant parts of the continent. Much 
 has been written on this extraordinary subject. 
 It may suffice to refer the reader to Canon 
 Robinson's Hausa La^id, and to Sir Harry 
 Johnson's Azitobiography of a Slave, which, 
 though presented in the form of fiction, is an 
 understatement of the facts. But perhaps a more 
 vivid picture is given in The Life and Travels 
 of Dorugu, dictated by himself, a translation of 
 which appears in Dr. Schoen's Magana Hausa, 
 published by the Society for Promoting Christian 
 Knowledge. Dorugu was a native of the Niger 
 Sudan, who was ultimately brought to London 
 by Dr. Barth. The merit of his story lies in its 
 artlessness and brevity. His childhood is largely 
 filled with sudden flights into the forest or hills 
 to escape the slave-raiders. His family rebuild 
 their burnt farmhouses, or change their homes 
 with philosophic equanimity like that of vine 
 cultivators on the slopes of a volcano. The
 
 xiv INTRODUCTION 
 
 simplicity with which Dorugu relates the fears and 
 dangers of his boyhood shows that to him they 
 seemed as inevitable as measles and school to an 
 English boy. At last he is caught in his turn ; his 
 parents, brothers, and sisters, for whom he evi- 
 dently had a strong affection, vanish suddenly and 
 entirely out of his life, and he himself becomes 
 one of the millions of pieces of human currency 
 which pass from one Sudanese State to another. 
 
 At first sight it seems impossible to reconcile 
 this universal and continual slave-raiding in times 
 of peace with the considerable civilisation and 
 complex political organisation of the Sudanese 
 States. The system probably originated from 
 the orreat demand for nes^ro slaves that has 
 existed from time immemorial amongst the 
 lighter coloured races of mankind. The docility 
 of the negro, combined with his intelligence and 
 capacity for work, must have given him a special 
 value in the slave markets of antiquity, as in 
 those of modern days. The growth of Moham- 
 medanism, with its polygamous institutions, during 
 the eight centuries after the Hegira, gave an im- 
 mense impulse to the export slave trade of the 
 Sudan to Asia, Europe, and North Africa. At 
 the commencement of the sixteenth century the 
 philanthropic efforts of Bishop Las Casas laid the
 
 INTRODUCTION xv 
 
 foundations of the negro slave trade to the New 
 World. Three centuries of this export trade on 
 a large scale must have contributed to confirm 
 and develop the old slave-raiding habits of the 
 Sudan, though it seems unjust of certain writers 
 to lay the entire blame on Christendom for a 
 social canker which had existed in Africa for 
 many hundreds of years, before Charles v., out 
 of pure benevolence, permitted the import into 
 St. Domingo of slaves from the Portuguese 
 Guinea Coast. But although the qualities of 
 the negro and the demand for his services by 
 lighter coloured races in all ages account for the 
 inception of the remarkable system of slave- 
 raiding, the number of slaves exported has prob- 
 ably been insignificant compared with the number 
 dealt with in the internal traffic of Negroland. 
 
 To understand this question properly, it must 
 be remembered that the value of a slave is ex- 
 tremely small near his place of capture. His 
 initial price is often lower than that of a sheep, 
 which has less tendency to escape. As the slave 
 is taken farther away from his home, his value rises 
 rapidly ; so that it is commercially a sound trans- 
 action to send a hundred slaves, say, from Bornu 
 to Darfur, while bringing a hundred others from 
 Darfur to Bornu. No doubt they have also a
 
 xvi INTRODUCTION 
 
 value as transport animals, but I venture to assert 
 that this feature of the traffic has been over- 
 estimated, especially as camels are plentiful in 
 the northern regions, while horses and donkeys 
 are largely used and might be cheaply bred to 
 any extent throughout the Sudan. While, there- 
 fore, a well-planned system of Sudanese railways 
 would have a considerable indirect effect on the 
 internal slave trade, and consequently on slave- 
 raiding, it would not, as generally believed, 
 directly touch the root of the evil. This can 
 only be eradicated by the same vigorous means 
 which we employ in Europe for the prevention 
 of crime and violence. It is, I fear, useless to 
 hope that commerce with Europe will, by itself, 
 suffice to alter a social system so deeply ingrained 
 in the Sudanese mind ; for the creation of com- 
 merce on a large scale is impossible until slave- 
 raiding is abated. 
 
 Let me not be misunderstood as preaching a 
 crusade of liberty against the Sudanese States. 
 To this policy I am most strenuously opposed. 
 Force must indeed underlie all social action, 
 whether in Africa or Europe, whether in public 
 life or in the more intimate relations of parent 
 and child, schoolmaster and pupil. But there 
 is a wide difference between its necessary and
 
 INTRODUCTION xvii 
 
 constant display and its unnecessary use. The 
 policemen of our towns have not their batons 
 habitually drawn, though they do not hesitate 
 to use them on occasions. There is probably no 
 part of the world where diplomacy is more effec- 
 tive than Negroland, provided it is known that 
 behind diplomacy is military power. There is 
 certainly no part of the world where the maxim 
 Festina lente is more applicable. 
 
 It was the just perception of this principle 
 which led France, at the Berlin Conference, to 
 induce the civilised States to agree that, except 
 on the coasts of the continent, effective occupa- 
 tion — or, in other words, forcible occupation — 
 should not be a necessary condition of political 
 influence. The French Ambassador at Berlin 
 pointed out very clearly the distinction in this 
 respect between the coasts and the interior of 
 Africa, and the disadvantages of requiring early 
 effective occupation inland. The adoption of his 
 view by the fourteen States represented at Berlin 
 has consecrated this important principle as a re- 
 cognised rule of international law until otherwise 
 decided by the signatory nations. International 
 rivalry is thus reduced to reasonable limits, and 
 time is given for the gradual and natural growth 
 of European influence in those regions.
 
 xviii INTRODUCTION 
 
 When, however, the application of force be- 
 comes absolutely necessary, it ought surely to be 
 thorough and rapid. Yet last spring, after the 
 completion of the operations described by Lieu- 
 tenant Vandeleur in the latter half of this book, 
 one of the most able and respected organs of 
 public opinion in this country questioned the 
 morality of " mowing down natives with artillery 
 and Maxim guns." Now, these " natives " were 
 the fighting organisation of great regions which 
 they — though in a comparatively small minority 
 — held down with a hand of iron, treating the 
 less warlike inhabitants as cattle to be raided 
 when wanted. The death of each Fulah killed 
 at Bida secured the lives and liberty of scores 
 of peaceful and defenceless natives. If Europe 
 had no material interests to protect and develop 
 in Africa, it would still have the same right, the 
 same duty to extirpate slave-raiding that a man 
 has to knock down a ruffian whom he sees mal- 
 treating a woman or child in the street. 
 
 While, however, this consideration should 
 satisfy the consciences of persons interested in 
 the welfare of the oppressed millions of Africa, 
 the material importance of opening up the Sudan 
 cannot be overlooked by any European State 
 which subsists largely on its manufacturing and
 
 INTRODUCTION xix 
 
 shipping interests. On this point it will be well 
 for me to confine my remarks to the region lying 
 between Lake Chad and the Niger, to which my 
 studies of the last twenty years have been mainly 
 directed. This region has been known of late 
 under the name of the Niger Sudan. It com- 
 prises Bornu and the Fulah or Sokoto-Gando 
 Empire, the greater and more valuable portion of 
 which is mainly peopled by the civilised, commerce- 
 loving, and industrious Hausas, who form about 
 one-hundredth of mankind, and whose intellectual 
 capacity H. M. Stanley has aptly emphasised by 
 describing them as the " only Central African 
 people who value a book." 
 
 In dealing with the value of the markets to be 
 developed in the Niger Sudan, it is difficult to 
 decide on how much must be said and what may 
 be assumed as known. On the one hand, all 
 geographers and many publicists are familiar with 
 the fact that the region in question possesses 
 populous towns and a fertile soil, and, most im- 
 portant of all, races whose industry is untiring, 
 notwithstanding the discouraging and paralysing 
 effects of insecurity of life, liberty, and property. 
 They know that these races are possessed of 
 high intelligence and considerable artistic skill, as 
 displayed in their fine brass and leather work.
 
 XX INTRODUCTION 
 
 They know that the early marriages in those 
 latitudes, and the fecundity and vitality of the 
 negro races, have, through countless generations, 
 largely counteracted the appalling destruction of 
 life resulting from slave-raiding, and that under 
 reasonable conditions of security the existing 
 population might soon be trebled and yet live 
 in far greater material comfort than at present. 
 They know, in short, that all that is needed to 
 convert the Nio-er Sudan into an African India is 
 the strong hand of a European protector. But, 
 on the other hand, the general public and a 
 considerable section of the press seem still in- 
 clined to confuse the Niger Sudan with the very 
 different regions which border the Guinea Coast. 
 The well - clad, intelligent, and fairly civilised 
 races of the interior are constantly referred to as 
 half-naked and indolent savages ; the fine country 
 which forms three-fourths of the Niger Sudan is 
 confounded with the swamps of the Niger Delta. 
 It is not difficult to recognise how this delusion 
 originated and is maintained. The Niger Sudan 
 is separated from the civilisation of the Mediter- 
 ranean regions by a thousand miles of the Sahara, 
 which the Tuareg and other wandering tribes 
 render well-nigh impassable. It is separated 
 from the Guinea coast-line by a maritime belt.
 
 INTRODUCTION xxi 
 
 malarious in climate, and inhabited by lower races 
 who have, perhaps, been gradually pushed sea- 
 wards by the successive waves of higher races 
 coming from the North. The vast majority of 
 Englishmen — whether soldiers, officials, mission- 
 aries, or traders — who have visited West Africa 
 have seen only the coast-line or, at most, the 
 maritime belt, and their impressions of this small 
 section of the continent have very naturally been 
 accepted by uninformed readers as applicable to 
 the vast Hinterlands. The difficulty of access 
 to the Niger Sudan regions accounts amply for 
 this important and valuable portion of the earth's 
 surface having been cut off from outside inter- 
 course for all practical purposes until the last 
 quarter of the nineteenth century. The barriers 
 which from time immemorial have separated the 
 Sudanese races from the remainder of the human 
 family have at last been effectually broken down, 
 and it may be safely prophesied that within twenty 
 years the union will be complete, provided vital 
 errors of policy are avoided. The two principal 
 dangers can hardly be too often urged, and I pro- 
 pose to deal with them briefly in turn. 
 
 Central African races and tribes have, broadly 
 speaking, no sentiment of patriotism, as under- 
 stood in Europe. There is therefore little
 
 xxii INTRODUCTION 
 
 difficulty in inducing them to accept what German 
 jurisconsults term Ober-HoJieit, which corresponds 
 with one interpretation of our vague term " Protec- 
 torate." But when complete sovereignty, or Landes- 
 Hoheit, is conceded, they invariably stipulate that 
 their local customs and system of government 
 shall be respected. On this point they are, 
 perhaps, more tenacious than most subject races 
 with whom the British Empire has had to deal ; 
 while their views and ideals of life are extremely 
 difficult for an Englishman to understand. It is 
 therefore certain that even an imperfect and 
 tyrannical native African administration, if its 
 extreme excesses were controlled by European 
 supervision, would be, in the early stages, pro- 
 ductive of far less discomfort to its subjects than 
 well-intentioned but ill-directed efforts of European 
 magistrates, often young and headstrong, and not 
 invariably gifted with sympathy and introspective 
 powers. If the welfare of the native races is to 
 be considered, if dangerous revolts are to be 
 obviated, the general policy of ruling on African 
 principles through native rulers must be followed 
 for the present. Yet it is desirable that consider- 
 able districts in suitable localities should be ad- 
 ministered on European principles by European 
 officials, partly to serve as types to which the
 
 INTRODUCTION xxiii 
 
 native governments may gradually approximate, 
 but principally as cities of refuge in which indi- 
 viduals of more advanced views may find a living, 
 if native government presses unduly upon them ; 
 just as, in Europe of the Middle Ages, men whose 
 love of freedom found the iron-bound system of 
 feudalism intolerable, sought eagerly the compar- 
 ative liberty of cities. 
 
 The second danger to be apprehended — a war 
 of religions — will probably present itself to every 
 thoughtful European. Fortunately for the Niger 
 Sudan, Moslem fanaticism in this region has not 
 the intensity of that now existing farther East — 
 in Wadai, Darfur, and the Nile provinces. Yet 
 ill-advised legislation, a careless administrative 
 system, or a bad selection of officials, might well 
 create an entirely different state of things. 
 Twenty-five to thirty years ago one was able 
 to travel in the Egyptian Sudan without escort, 
 and without even keeping watch at night. With 
 what incredulity would one have then received a 
 prophecy that only ten or fifteen years later that 
 district would become a hotbed of Mohammedan 
 fanaticism, and would be absolutely closed to 
 Christendom for a long period of years ! The 
 danger In the Sudanese States is accentuated by 
 the close connection between them, due not only
 
 xxiv INTRODUCTION 
 
 to a common faith and similar modes of life, but 
 also to the constant communications kept up by 
 the Hausa trading caravans which radiate from 
 Hausa-land into distant parts of the continent. 
 Prior to the Mahdist conquests, the pilgrim 
 caravans from Central and Western Africa used 
 to pass through Darfur to the Red Sea. I 
 have travelled with no less than eight hundred 
 Hausa pilgrims in a single caravan between 
 Khartum and Suakin. The rise of Mahdism 
 has temporarily diverted these pilgrim travellers 
 northward from Lake Chad to the Mediterranean ; 
 but every part of the Sudan is still permeated by 
 trading caravans constantly passing to and fro, 
 and carrying news, almost always distorted and 
 exaggerated, from one part of this vast region to 
 another. About twelve years ago a placard 
 issued by the late Mahdi was found posted in a 
 street of Bida, no less than two thousand miles 
 distant across country from Khartum ; while one 
 of the incidents that precipitated our war last 
 year was the receipt of letters from the Khalifa 
 at Omdurman by the Sultan of Sokoto and the 
 Emirs of Nupe and other provinces of the Sokoto 
 Empire, urging them to drive the Christians out 
 of their country. 
 
 The similarity of the Sudan regions from east
 
 INTRODUCTION xxv 
 
 to west may be further illustrated by a striking fact 
 of no little importance to the British Empire, and 
 in which personally I take more interest than in 
 the commercial development of the Sudan. Its 
 entire northern belt, from Senegambia to the Red 
 Sea, is inhabited by races at once capable of 
 fighting and amenable to discipline. The value 
 of the Sudanese regiments of the Egyptian army 
 is widely known. Less has been heard, as yet, 
 of the splendid qualities of the Hausa as a soldier 
 when well officered. In the campaign described 
 by Lieutenant Vandeleur, these qualities were 
 fully proved. On the rapid and arduous march of 
 seventeen days from Lokoja to Kabba, and thence 
 to Egbon, and again on the march to Ilorin, with 
 serious scarcity of water, and at times shortness of 
 rations, our troops were always good-tempered and 
 cheerful ; and, although in heavy marching order, 
 would pick up and carry the seventy-pound loads 
 of the porters who fell by the way. In camp 
 their conduct was exemplary, while pillaging and 
 ill-treatment of the natives were unknown. As to 
 their fighting qualities, it is enough to say that, 
 little over 500 strong, they withstood for two 
 days 25,000 to 30,000 of the enemy ; that, former 
 slaves of the Fulahs, they defeated their dreaded 
 masters ; that, Mohammedans, they fought for
 
 xxvi INTRODUCTION 
 
 their salt against their brethren of the faith ; and 
 finally, that though they had never before faced 
 cavalry, they stood firm under charges home on to 
 the faces of their squares, maintained perfect fire- 
 discipline, and delivered their volleys as steadily 
 as if on parade. Great Britain has had to rely 
 too much of recent years on Indian troops for 
 tropical climates. This is not a healthy condition 
 of things, for many reasons. She may well find 
 an independent source of military strength in the 
 regions bordering the southern limits of the Great 
 Sahara. 
 
 I have necessarily touched very briefly on the 
 main features of the Nile and Niger question, — 
 one which must inevitably become better known 
 in the early future. When the history of the 
 Victorian age is written from a standpoint 
 sufficiently removed to allow a just perception of 
 proportion, the opening up of Tropical Africa will 
 probably stand out as a prominent feature of the 
 latter half of that era. The fifty years that 
 followed 1492 formed by no means the least 
 interesting period in the domestic and inter- 
 national history of England, France, Germany, or 
 Spain, or in the history of freedom of human 
 thought and action ; yet no events of that half 
 century appear to us now more important than the
 
 INTRODUCTION xxvii 
 
 discoveries of Columbus and the conquests of 
 Cortes and Pizarro. The results of opening up 
 Tropical Africa cannot, of course, be on a similar 
 scale ; yet it seems to me that they must be so 
 great as to dwarf many contemporaneous ques- 
 tions which now occupy the public mind in a far 
 higher degree. 
 
 The share that Great Britain may take in this 
 movement depends on the condition of the 
 national fibre. A statesman of the early Stuart 
 period would have deemed it impossible that 
 these little islands could control an empire such 
 as that of the days of Chatham ; while the Great 
 Commoner himself might have felt misgivings 
 could he have foreseen the Greater Britain of the 
 Diamond Jubilee year. Yet the growing burden 
 of empire has brought with it a more than equiva- 
 lent accession of wealth, vigour, and strength to 
 maintain it ; and although it may be that the 
 British Empire has now reached its zenith, and 
 must gradually decline to the position of a second- 
 rate power, we are not bound to accept such asser- 
 tions without the production of more valid evidence 
 than has yet been adduced in their support. 
 
 GEORGE TAUBMAN GOLDIE. 
 
 Naval and Military Club, 
 l6/A February 1898.
 
 CAMPAIGNING ON THE 
 UPPER NILE AND NIGER 
 
 I 
 
 From London to the Victoria Nyanza 
 
 I HAD only been home three months after a most 
 successful shooting expedition into Somaliland, 
 and along the high range of hills which forms the 
 Abyssinian frontier, when I received an appointment 
 under the Foreign Office in Uganda, to which country 
 they were sending out more officers. 
 
 On the loth August 1894, Mr. Jackson, — so well 
 known in East Africa, and the writer of that excellent 
 account of big-game shooting in those parts, which 
 forms one of the volumes of the Badminton Library, — 
 Captain Ashburnham of the 60th Rifles, and I, left 
 London for Marseilles, where we embarked on the 
 Messageries Maritimes steamer Iraouaddy for Zanzibar. 
 Poor " Roddy " Owen, who had just returned from 
 Uganda himself, and who afterwards died of cholera 
 in Egypt, came to see me off, and I little thought I 
 should never see him again. 
 
 On hearing of my appointment I had written at 
 once to Messrs, Cowasjee at Aden to procure me a good 
 Somali pony from Berbera, and to send it on for me to 
 I
 
 2 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 
 Zanzibar. There had been very rough weather in the 
 Indian Ocean, and the captain of the ship then sailing 
 refused to take it. On my arrival at Aden I found 
 the pony still there, and was obliged to take it with 
 me on the French steamer, of course at a much higher 
 rate. At Aden I found several Somalis who had been 
 with me before, some of whom were anxious to come 
 again, but I eventually engaged a man called Nur 
 Fabil, who had already been to East Africa, and had 
 journeyed up to and beyond Lake Victoria through 
 German territory. He was invaluable to me, as, besides 
 speaking Arabic and a little English, he knew Ki-Swahili, 
 the language of the East Coast, as well. He had 
 already had charge of ponies in German East Africa, 
 and knew well how to look after them. 
 
 After rounding Cape Guardafui the sea became very 
 rough, owing to the south-west monsoon. On our ship 
 was a French bishop, with some priests and nuns, on 
 their way to Nyasaland and Lake Tanganyika, where a 
 mission had been started. Every morning the bishop 
 held a class in the saloon to teach Swahili, and we 
 could hear his pupils repeating the words which were 
 to become so familiar to us afterwards. 
 
 We arrived at Zanzibar on the 30th August, and 
 went off to the consulate, where we found Mr. 
 Hardinge. After a very pleasant week spent at the 
 residence, we embarked on H.M.S. Spar^-ow, and were 
 taken across to Mombasa, anchoring opposite the pic- 
 turesque old Portuguese fort which commands the 
 entrance to the harbour. The porters and loads had 
 been collected a few days previously, and were 
 encamped at a place called the Banderini, about 10 
 miles up the river, which we reached in a steam-launch 
 the following day. There were just over 400 men,
 
 ACROSS THE TARU DESERT 3 
 
 and these had to be divided up into companies of 
 fifteen, each in charge of an askari. Loads had also 
 to be checked, and porters told off for them, so there 
 was little time to be lost if we wanted to start as 
 arranged on the next day, Saturday, 8th September. 
 The loads consisted principally of military stores and 
 equipment for the Sudanese force in Uganda, such as 
 Martini-Henry rifles and bayonets, ammunition, and 
 six Maxim guns, some of the loads formed by the 
 latter being very heavy. 
 
 However, at last, with Mr. Martin's help, everything 
 was arranged, and we started on our long march to 
 Uganda on the 8th, along a narrow well-beaten track. 
 A Union-Jack was carried at the head of the column, 
 and at the halts a native drum was beaten to encourage 
 the laggards and stragglers in the rear. It was now 
 the middle of the dry season, and the great difficulty 
 during the first few days' march from the coast was with 
 regard to water. There was nearly a full moon, so we 
 were fortunately able to march at night, and crossed 
 the Taru Desert (54 miles) in two and a half days, 
 carrying water with us. The only white men with 
 the caravan were Jackson, Ashburnham, and myself. 
 The first named was a great naturalist, and fired 
 Ashburnham with his own zeal, so that in the pursuit 
 of a rare butterfly he fell into a thorn bush — not such 
 as one sees in England, but an African thorn bush, 
 from which he had to be extricated, and subsequently 
 had to ride a donkey. 
 
 My pony had endured the sea-journey to Zanzibar 
 and the march to the Tsavo River very well, but had 
 now to pass through the dangerous tsetse-fly country. 
 In the hope of keeping the flies away I covered him 
 all over with a greasy concoction formed by boiling
 
 4 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 
 the fat of a sheep and mixing it with Keating's powder. 
 It certainly had the desired effect, and the pony got 
 through without being bitten. 
 
 On the 25th the caravan reached Kibwezi, the station 
 of the Scotch Industrial Mission, a delightful spot 
 3070 feet above the sea. It is here one sees what can 
 be done with a swamp in Africa. By artificial means 
 the swamp close to the station has been transformed 
 into a lovely clear stream of water, on each side of 
 which is laid out a garden growing all kinds of plants 
 and vegetables. We stayed one day to give the men 
 a rest, and on the 27th Dr. Charters, the head of the 
 mission, and Mr. Colquhoun, who was staying with 
 him, accompanied us on our way to Mikinduni — very 
 bad going for the first 2 miles, over lava rocks and 
 stones. Dr. Charters and Mr. Colquhoun had sent their 
 servants the day before to prepare a camp in what Dr. 
 Charters said was a good country for game, which lay 
 to the westward of our route, and after going 6 miles 
 with us they said good-bye and branched off in a 
 westerly direction. 
 
 Since that time they have never been seen or heard 
 of again, dead or alive, and I suppose it is the most 
 extraordinary disappearance that has ever occurred in 
 Africa or anywhere else. Numerous have been the causes 
 assigned for it — lions, want of water, and Masai. 
 
 It seems most probable that they were killed by a 
 raiding party of Masai from the German territory, but 
 even then one would think some trace of them would 
 have been left. Dr. Charters knew the country perfectly, 
 and had often been there before, so it is hardly likely 
 they could have lost themselves. They had a boy with 
 them when they left us, and, according to his story, he 
 was left to skin a hartebeest which they had killed, and
 
 ARRIVAL AT MACHAKO'S 5 
 
 then missed them. Several search-parties were after- 
 wards sent out, without success. It was on our march 
 from Kibwezi that we first viewed the deliciously cool- 
 looking snow-peaks of Kilimanjaro, peeping over the 
 wreaths of cloud and mist which concealed the base ; 
 and on the following day, at sunrise, the whole mass of 
 the mountain appeared delicately outlined against the 
 sky, the two snow-peaks, like the large and small horns 
 of a rhinoceros, being now tinged with red by the rapidly 
 rising sun. 
 
 It is wonderful, in Africa, to watch the great orb of 
 fire — which becomes so unpleasant later in the day — 
 suddenly shooting up above the horizon as it starts on its 
 long journey across the heavens. An eclipse of the 
 sun, such as occurred at sunrise on the 29th September 
 1894, had indeed a curious effect, and, though not quite 
 total, the heavens were obscured, and the birds and 
 antelopes had not realised that the night was past. It 
 was on this morning I shot my first water-buck, a 
 very fine buck, with horns just over 27 inches in 
 length, almost a record in East Africa. We reached 
 our first important point — Machako's — on 5th October, 
 meeting there Mr. Ainsworth, who was in charge of the 
 post, and through his hospitality we enjoyed all sorts 
 of luxuries again. The whole of the country, from the 
 coast to Lake Victoria, was still in the hands of the 
 East African Company, and had not yet been taken 
 over by the Government. Major Smith, Captain 
 Arthur of the Rifle Brigade, and Captain Gibbs met 
 us here on their way down to the coast. The latter 
 was being carried down in a hammock, and looked 
 very ill. As may be imagined, he did not give us an 
 inspiriting account of Uganda, and his only advice was 
 to turn back and go the other way.
 
 6 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 
 The Wa-Kamba, among whom we now were, 
 were the funniest-looking people I have ever seen, the 
 fashion being to cover themselves and the little toga 
 which they wear over the shoulders with red grease, to 
 put vermilion round the eyes, and fix between them a 
 sort of brass two-shilling-piece, which was fastened by 
 a band round the head. The " mashers " also wore 
 spats made of strings of white and red beads round 
 the ankles, and a profusion of brass wire bands round 
 their arms and legs. The whole effect was admirable, 
 especially when the men were standing together with 
 bows and arrows. Their costume was scanty, to say 
 the least of it, and the women only wore girdles of blue 
 beads. 
 
 We had already risen 5400 feet since leaving the 
 coast, and were now in the highlands of East Africa, 
 where the days were often cool and cloudy, and it was 
 a pleasure to live. 
 
 We stayed five days at Machako's, and then con- 
 tinued our march to Kikuyu across the Athi plains, 
 a great sea of gentle grass-covered undulations, inter- 
 sected by watercourses, and in places teeming with 
 game — a perfect sportsman's paradise. After my ex- 
 pedition in Somaliland, at the beginning of the year, I 
 was naturally very keen about the shooting, and was 
 fortunate to get a good deal during the next few days. 
 Captain Montgomerie, R.N., and Mr. Charrington, were 
 encamped on the Athi River, having come to East Africa 
 on a shooting-trip two months before. They were 
 kind enough to ask Ashburnham and myself to go 
 with them for two days to the westward, a little away 
 from the caravan road, where there was more chance 
 of finding game. On the very first day I was lucky 
 enough to shoot a big male lion soon after leaving
 
 A LION-DRIVE 7 
 
 camp. He came out towards me from some bushes in 
 which he was lying, and received a shot from my 
 lo-bore close to the eye, which stopped him; but it 
 required two more shots to finish him. 
 
 One day three lions were marked down in some 
 grass in the morning, and a lion-drive was organised 
 after lunch. After the guns had taken up their position 
 the grass was fired, and the beaters advanced behind 
 the line of flame and smoke, mingling their shouts and 
 yells with the crackling of the burning grass and dried- 
 up wood, and the dull roar of the fire. It was an 
 exciting moment as they drew near. Now and then a 
 frightened antelope would dash past, but, sad to relate, 
 the lions had already moved away, and a male lion was 
 seen at the same time just out of shot on the other side 
 of the Athi River, near to which the left gun was posted. 
 
 Ashburnham and I had to strike across country to 
 reach the caravan road to Kikuyu, and on our way 
 passed a valley where the fresh green grass was just 
 sprouting. This was literally covered with game of 
 all sorts ; thousands of zebra were placidly feeding with 
 innumerable herds of antelope of different species — 
 wildebeest, hartebeest, a few mpala, and many gazelles 
 {G. thomsonii and G. grantii), whilst away in the 
 distance there were a few stately giraffe. Secure in 
 their numbers, they seemed to scorn the presence of 
 three lions which were eagerly watching them from 
 one flank, whilst in the middle of the moving mass 
 stood two great unwieldy rhinoceros, which contrasted 
 strangely with the diminutive gazelles. 
 
 As the caravan went along, the zebra, followed by 
 the rhinoceros, galloped off in a cloud of dust, and, as 
 they so often do, swung past the head of the caravan. 
 One of the rhinoceros took up a position almost
 
 8 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 
 directly in front of us, and, crawling to within 60 yards 
 of him, I had an easy shot, but unfortunately only 
 wounded him. 
 
 We rejoined Mr. Jackson at Kikuyu on the 15th, 
 and found that fifteen askaris (soldiers) had been sent 
 to reinforce us for the march through the forest, owing to 
 the still uncertain temper of the natives. Here arrange- 
 ments had to be made for a twenty-four days' march 
 across a foodless district, and the loads were curtailed 
 as much as possible so that more food could be carried. 
 The boxes of Martini-Henry rifles were opened, and 
 seven rifles were packed together in sacking so as to 
 form one load, instead of three in a case as before. 
 Some extra porters and donkeys were engaged, and 
 each man had to carry twelve days' food besides his 
 load. 
 
 Making our way through what is known as the 
 meridional trough or rift, which has been so thoroughly 
 described by previous travellers, — a series of valleys 
 with three lakes, Naivasha, Elmenteita, and Nakuro, 
 bounded by high ranges on each side, — we reached the 
 Eldoma Ravine on 27th October, and the next day 
 commenced the ascent of the Mau escarpment. One 
 unfortunate porter who had lagged behind, and had 
 hidden himself away in the grass at the side of the 
 road, was devoured by hyaenas during the night. These 
 animals were voracious and daring ; and the camp was 
 aroused by a fearful commotion one night — a hyaena 
 having seized a porter by the foot as he was lying 
 asleep near the fire ; another got inside the circle of 
 fires, and went off with a man's food and part of his 
 tent. 
 
 It rained usually every day now, commencing 
 about 2 p.m., and the road was in consequence in very
 
 THE MAIN WATERSHED OF AFRICA 9 
 
 bad condition. The crossing of the Eldoma Ravine 
 took a long time, as, after the first few men had passed, 
 the path down to the stream became frightfully slippery 
 owing to the mud, and porters and loads frequently 
 tumbled down the steep slope. The track beyond 
 through the Subugo Forest had become a sort of torrent 
 in places, and it was with a sense of relief that we 
 emerged from the blackness of the forest and the sea 
 of mud under foot to find ourselves on the top of the 
 mountains at a height of 8700 feet above the sea. 
 This may be said to be a part of the main watershed 
 of Africa, as, after leaving the Mau escarpment all the 
 rivers and streams flow into the Victoria Nyanza, thus 
 helping to form the source of the Nile. 
 
 A great charm in the march to Uganda is the 
 variety and utter dissimilarity of country through 
 which one passes. Here, at the top of the escarpment, 
 the ground was not flat as one would imagine, but the 
 path led over one hill after another, covered with long 
 grass and studded with bamboo thickets, the home of 
 a few buffalo which have survived the rinderpest, and 
 whose tracks can sometimes be seen. We were glad, 
 however, to leave this cold and cheerless place and to 
 descend into warmer climes. 
 
 Game was not so numerous on the north side of 
 the mountains ; the ungainly looking Jackson's harte- 
 beest had replaced Cooke's hartebeest, and besides these 
 only a few zebra, with some giraffe and small antelope, 
 were seen. When out shooting I used often to wish 
 that I could have some of the Somalis with me again. 
 The natives of the East Coast, including one's own gun- 
 bearers, are, with very few exceptions, the most utter 
 idiots as regards sport of any kind, and only think of 
 one thing, namely, ugama (in Ki-Swahili = meat), a word
 
 10 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYAN2A 
 
 which in their language applies to every kind of animal 
 without distinction. Many a time was my chance of a 
 shot spoilt by the behaviour of the men with me. 
 
 An unpleasant incident, common in African travel, 
 was the attack on the caravan by a swarm of bees. 
 Luckily their sting is not so venomous as that of an 
 English bee. 
 
 At last, on the 6th November, we came to Kabras 
 and Kavirondo, an inhabited country again, though 
 not exactly a civilised one, to judge from the appear- 
 ance of the natives, who dispense with clothing alto- 
 gether. On the 9th inst. we reached Mumia's, which 
 had just been taken over by Colonel Colvile under the 
 Uganda administration, and where a station was then 
 being established, though there was still some dispute 
 about it with the East African Company. Dr. Moffat 
 was here on his way down to the coast, and we also 
 met the German naturalist, Herr Neumann, who was 
 on his way home after two years' travelling in East 
 Africa. 
 
 The caravan road made a great detour to the 
 northward, and it had taken us thirteen days, including 
 one day's halt, to reach Mumia's from the Eldoma 
 Ravine. It had become much warmer as we descended 
 towards Lake Victoria. Owing to the heavy rain 
 there was a great deal of water in the Nzoia River, 
 which flows close to Mumia's, and the crossing had to 
 be effected in native canoes, which took only three 
 men and their loads across at a time, so that it was a 
 lengthy process. The march being continued across 
 the Samia Hills and down to Sio Bay, on the first day 
 after leaving the Nzoia River,our guide, Mwanga, mistook 
 the way, and led us across two very bad swamps. He 
 was a well-known character in East Africa, where he held
 
 THE VICTORIA NYANZA II 
 
 the position of strongest porter, having been known to 
 carry a tusk of ivory weighing 140 lb. down to the 
 coast from Uganda with the greatest ease. He had 
 been made a headman in our caravan, but had few 
 qualifications for the post except his physical strength, 
 and was reduced to the grade of porter again soon 
 after reaching Uganda. 
 
 We saw the Victoria Nyanza for the first time on 
 the 15th November, — the day we crossed the Sio 
 River, — and it was a great joy to me to view the blue 
 waters of this great inland sea, which it had long been 
 my ambition some day to reach. From here we 
 marched a distance of 1 2 miles to an old market- 
 place, a sudden transition from Kavirondo to Usoga 
 occurring during the latter part of the march, which 
 was through banana plantations. Here the people 
 were all clothed in bark cloth ; they were much more 
 intelligent-looking, and very different from the naked 
 savages of Kavirondo. 
 
 It was a delightful change to march through Usoga 
 after the barren and deserted country we had passed 
 through on the way to Kavirondo. Sometimes the 
 track led through shady banana plantations, sometimes 
 through woods with lovely trees, and the whole country 
 seemed like a great garden. Overhead flew innumer- 
 able grey parrots, large numbers of which are caught 
 and offered for sale. The rains had only just ceased, 
 and in the hollows between the hills there were nasty 
 swampy streams which delayed us very much. There 
 were occasionally heavy thunderstorms in the after- 
 noon, and to a new-comer in the region of the Equa- 
 torial Lakes the thunder is indeed a revelation. Whilst 
 the lightning seemed to come down almost between 
 our tents, the claps of thunder shook the very ground,
 
 I 2 FROM LONDON TO THE VICTORIA NYANZA 
 
 and sounded just like a battery of artillery firing from 
 the camp itself. 
 
 The villages, composed of houses like enormous bee- 
 hives, are surrounded by a high wall of reeds neatly 
 plaited together, and outside the gateway there is 
 usually a large open space, which we often used as a 
 camping-place. Instead of crossing the Victoria Nile 
 just above the Ripon Falls we went to Lubvva's, so 
 called after the chief of that name, and thence crossed 
 Berkeley Bay. After a stuffy march through woods 
 and banana plantations we reached a line of hills, and 
 after ascending this ridge were well repaid by a most 
 lovely view of the lake, or at least of a large bay of a 
 turquoise colour, studded with little picturesque islets, 
 and reminding one much of the Italian lakes. A large 
 station had been established at Lubwa's under Mr. 
 Grant, whom we met here, and settled round about 
 were 1 200 Sudanese, formerly on the Nile with Emin 
 Pasha. 
 
 All our caravan crossed to the Uganda side of the 
 bay, a distance of 7 miles, on Thursday, November 20th, 
 and camped close to the lake. We were taken over 
 by a fleet of the picturesque-looking canoes, with long 
 prows ornamented by antelope horns, which are used 
 by the Wasoga and the Waganda on the Victoria Ny- 
 anza, the paddlers making a great noise and singing 
 all the time. My pony could not be induced to enter 
 a canoe, and had to be sent round via Jinja, where 
 animals are able to swim across above the Ripon Falls, 
 and consequently did not arrive at Kampala till some 
 days later. 
 
 Although I have lingered for a while over the 
 beauties of Usoga, there is no necessity for me to 
 continue to describe a journey which has already
 
 PORT ALICE REACHED 1 3 
 
 become so familiar, and about which so much has been 
 written. 
 
 Our first impression of travelling in Uganda was 
 that it was like going along a switchback railway with 
 immensely high grass threatening to overwhelm us on 
 each side, and we were at once struck by the luxuriance 
 of the tropical vegetation. 
 
 Our journey of 800 miles came to an end on the 
 28th November, when we reached Port Alice, the 
 headquarters of the Uganda administration, after a 
 most successful march under the leadership of Mr. 
 Jackson, and all the loads were safely deposited at 
 their destination. We reported ourselves that after- 
 noon to Colonel Colvile, the Commissioner, who had 
 built a charming house on a cliff overhanging the lake. 
 Our arrival was unfortunately signalised by the destruc- 
 tion of his kitchen by fire, and the rest of the house 
 narrowly escaped the same fate. 
 
 I had been suffering for some time from a sore 
 throat — a common complaint in Uganda — and, as it 
 had now become worse, it was fortunate for me that I 
 found Dr. Ansorge at Kampala, into which place I 
 managed to struggle the next day. I was laid up 
 there for several days.
 
 II 
 
 Uganda to the Albert Nyanza 
 
 EVENTS move with such rapidity in Central 
 Africa that it is difficult to keep pace with 
 them, and although so much has been written about 
 Uganda it may be as well to give a brief account of 
 the various transformation scenes through which this 
 distressful country has passed. Until the arrival of 
 Speke and Grant in 1862, Uganda was an unknown 
 country, except to a few Arab traders who had 
 penetrated thither from the East Coast, but after that 
 time European visitors became more frequent, both 
 from the East Coast and from Egypt. 
 
 In 1884 King Mtesa died, and was succeeded by 
 his son, Mwanga, who outvied him in cruelty and 
 bloodshed, until in 1888 he was driven out of the 
 country. A year later, however, he was reinstated on 
 the throne. Commencing as a pagan, he has tried 
 every religion in turn. After attempting to raise 
 a rebellion against the English in the present year 
 (1897), his forces have been defeated, and he has fled 
 from the country to take refuge in German territory. 
 
 To anyone who has visited Uganda lately, it seems 
 
 almost incredible that only ten years ago a horrible 
 
 massacre of Christian converts took place, and that the 
 
 country was given over to such complete barbarism. 
 
 u
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF UGANDA 15 
 
 It is true, one still sometimes meets horrible objects in 
 the streets without hands, noses, ears, or lips — awful 
 proofs of the old barbarities. 
 
 It was not until the 24th December 1 890 that 
 Captain Lugard made a treaty with Mwanga, establish- 
 ing the East African Company's Protectorate over 
 Uganda. Little thanks have the Company received for 
 thus securing for the British Empire this fertile land 
 with its great lakes, the sources of the Nile, and with 
 it the key to Central Africa. 
 
 From henceforth starts a new era, and how Captain 
 Lugard maintained his position here, in spite of strife 
 and religious wars by which the country was torn and 
 rent, has been set forth in his admirable book. The 
 Rise of Our East African Empire. The strain on the 
 Company's resources was too much, and at the end of 
 1892 it intimated to the Government that it would 
 be obliged to withdraw from the country owing to 
 financial difficulties. The Government demurred to 
 taking it over, and for some time the fate of Uganda 
 hung in the balance, until at last it was decided to send 
 out, as Her Majesty's Commissioner, Sir Gerald Portal, 
 K.C.B., who left the coast with a staff of officers 
 and an escort of Zanzibari troops on ist January 
 
 1893. 
 
 The date of the Company's final evacuation of 
 Uganda had been fixed for the 3 1 st March, so there 
 was little time to be lost. 
 
 However, Sir Gerald Portal arrived at Kampala on 
 the 1 7th, and the retention of Uganda was ultimately 
 decided on. On his departure. Major Macdonald was 
 left as Assistant Commissioner, and in the summer of 
 that year a war again broke out between the Protestants 
 and the Mohammedans, who had arranged to drive the
 
 i6 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 Christians out of the country and establish their own 
 government. They were defeated on 17th June, some 
 of the Sudanese soldiers who were thought to be im- 
 plicated having been disarmed ; their leader, Selim Bey, 
 was afterwards sentenced to transportation to the coast. 
 
 Major Owen, who was at this time in Southern 
 Unyoro enlisting soldiers from the Sudanese left by 
 Captain Lugard (it being now intended to evacuate the 
 forts in which he had settled them), fought an action 
 with another body of Mohammedans, completely 
 routing them. 
 
 It was not until August 1894 that a British 
 Protectorate was formally established, and then only 
 over Uganda proper, bounded by the countries of 
 Unyoro and Toru to the west and Usoga to the east. 
 
 In November 1893 Colonel Colvile, C.B., arrived to 
 take over the duties of Commissioner, bringing with him 
 two officers. Captains Gibbs and Thruston, to reinforce 
 the small staff then serving with the Sudanese troops. 
 Soon after his arrival he declared war against Kabarega, 
 king of Unyoro, the bete noir of Uganda, who had 
 lately resumed his old practice of raiding the surround- 
 ing countries, and had sent armies into Toru on the 
 west and Usoga on the east. He is a thorough 
 scoundrel, as anyone may see by looking at Sir Samuel 
 Baker's book, Ismailia, and his life has been one 
 of continual hostility and treachery to Europeans. 
 After a successful campaign a line of forts was formed 
 commanding the road through Unyoro to Kibero on 
 the Albert Nyanza, and a steel boat was placed on the 
 lake. Thruston was left in command with 300 men, 
 and the road to the Nile was thus assured. The 
 inhabitants, however, remained hostile, and until 
 Kabarega made peace or was driven right out of his
 
 SUDANESE COLONY IN UGANDA 17 
 
 country, and his power of retaliating on them ceased, it 
 was impossible for them to be otherwise. 
 
 In a despatch from the Foreign Office, dated June 
 1894, it is stated: "Any temporary and partial 
 occupation of Unyoro must be for purely defensive 
 purposes, with the object of protecting Uganda against 
 aggression. Every effort to be made with a view to 
 establish friendly relations with Kabarega, and to pre- 
 vent him from entering into an alliance with adherents 
 of the Mahdi." 
 
 Unyoro is a large and important country which 
 extends along the eastern shore of Lake Albert from 
 the Victoria Nile to the Ruwenzori Mountains, and is 
 inhabited by a race closely allied to that of Uganda, 
 though lower in the scale of civilisation. There is no 
 doubt that Kabarega, and his father Kamrasi before 
 him, possessed immense power and influence over dis- 
 tant tribes west of Lake Albert and down the Nile, 
 mainly owing to his mercenaries — the Warasura, and 
 the supplies of guns and gunpowder which he obtained 
 from the Arabs. 
 
 The history of the Sudanese colony in Uganda, ex- 
 patriated from their own country, is indeed a romantic 
 one. Driven step by step up the Nile by the der- 
 vishes, the army under Emin Pasha was the only 
 Egyptian force to hold out after the rise of Mahdiism. 
 Cut off from all civilisation, they were finally obliged 
 to retire to VVadelai, where, it will be remembered, Mr. 
 H. M. Stanley relieved Emin Pasha in 1888. The 
 discipline of the troops had become very lax, and, 
 owing to the dissension caused among them by envoys 
 from Omar Saleh, general of the Mahdi's forces, a 
 mutiny broke out, and a large section of mutineers 
 established themselves under the leadership of Fadi
 
 1 8 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 Mula at Wadelai, whilst Emin Pasha and Mr. Stanley 
 were waiting at Kavalli's. After the departure of the 
 latter we hear no more of them until, in August 1891, 
 Captain Lugard found Selim Bey, and a number of the 
 loyal Sudanese who had been left behind, on the west 
 side of Lake Albert. Wisely foreseeing the use that 
 might be made of them as an armed force to garrison 
 the Protectorate, he enlisted a small number as soldiers, 
 and, taking the rest back with him from Lake Albert, 
 he placed them in forts through Southern Unyoro to 
 act as a buffer against Kabarega's Warasura, and to 
 ward off raids on Toru, King Kasagama's country. 
 
 It is from the old officers and men of this remnant of 
 Emin Pasha's army, and their sons and followers, that 
 the present force of over 1 000 men, now known as the 
 " Uganda Rifles," has been recruited and organised by 
 English officers. They belong to many different tribes 
 in the Sudan, and many come from the Makraka tribe 
 west of Dufile, a fact which supplies an incentive to 
 push on to this place, where we can find a recruiting 
 ground, as, of course, the supply of Sudanese in Uganda 
 is very limited. Some of the soldiers serving now are 
 very old, and many of them are scarred with wounds 
 received in old days when fighting the dervishes. 
 
 It was with great delight that I heard that Colonel 
 Colvile had arranged for me to go with Major Cunning- 
 ham, D.S.O., to Unyoro, and to accompany him on a 
 reconnaisance down the Nile from Lake Albert. 
 
 It had been Colvile's intention to go to Unyoro 
 again himself, but malarial fever decided otherwise, and 
 he became so ill soon after our departure from Port 
 Alice that he was invalided home, and was carried all the 
 way to the coast in charge of Dr. Ansorge. Mr. Jackson
 
 JOURNEY TO UNYORO 19 
 
 became Acting Commissioner in his place, and held this 
 post until the arrival of Mr. Berkeley in August 1895. 
 
 There was a good deal of fever among the 
 Europeans at this time, and Major Cunningham was 
 ill also, so that I began to think I should have to start 
 for Unyoro by myself; however, he pluckily determined 
 to march on the appointed day, 19th December, 
 although ill at the time, and, in spite of wading through 
 swamps under a tropical sun, became better and 
 stronger each day. At the start a broad creek had to 
 be crossed in canoes. The road then used led by 
 Singo, and across the river Kafu at Baranwa, and was 
 a very bad one, crossing many large and deep swamps. 
 Cunningham and I both determined to try and get 
 our ponies through to Unyoro, though none had ever 
 reached the country from the East Coast, His was an 
 Arab pony purchased at Zanzibar, and had, like mine, 
 reached Uganda in good condition. The bottoms of 
 some of the swamps were very bad, and full of roots 
 of trees and holes, in which the ponies ran great danger 
 of spraining their legs. There was great difficulty 
 in leading them across these, and they very often col- 
 lapsed into the papyrus at the side of the passage, 
 and had to be put on their legs again by the Sudanese 
 soldiers with us. My pony was the worse of the two, 
 and when passing through a river swamp would lose 
 his head, and plunge madly into the reeds, soon sinking 
 up to his neck in the water before we could stop him. 
 
 The Kola River was the worst obstacle we had to 
 pass, and although the breadth was not much more 
 than 400 yards it took us over two hours to get across, 
 hampered as we were by the Sudanese women and 
 followers in front of us. All our sheep and goats for 
 the journey were drowned, which was a great misfortune.
 
 20 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 The worst of moving about with the Sudanese soldiers 
 is the crowd of women and followers who accompany 
 them, and in our case the number was augmented by a 
 number of women and children belonging to the soldiers 
 stationed in Unyoro, and going out to rejoin them. 
 
 Passing through one of these swamps is a most 
 tiring experience. Now clutching hold of the papyrus 
 at the side, now stepping from one bit of floating 
 vegetation to another, one tries in vain to save oneself 
 from sinking deeper than necessary, until at last a 
 treacherous root gives way, and down one goes into a 
 quagmire of evil-smelling mud and water, only to 
 recommence the whole process again. Except where 
 the papyrus and weeds have been beaten down in form- 
 ing a passage across them, there is no water to be seen, 
 and from a distance one of these sluggish river swamps 
 appears like a beautiful green lawn of varying shades. 
 This appearance is in reality caused by the great heads 
 of the papyrus with their innumerable little delicate 
 spikes, supported 4 or 5 feet above the level of the marsh 
 by the long thin stems growing out of the tangled 
 mass of floating vegetation. In three days we reached 
 Fort Raymond, so named after poor Raymond Portal, 
 who died in Uganda in 1893. ^t consists of a large 
 palisaded enclosure, situated on a hill, round which lie 
 the houses of the Sudanese colony. Near to the fort 
 is Muquenda's, the capital of the province of Singo, 
 where there is a mission station. Two roads branch 
 off here, one leading to the fort in southern Unyoro, 
 called Nakabimba, and then on to our fort at Kasagama's 
 in Toru, under the Ruwenzori Mountains, and the other 
 to Kibero on Lake Albert. 
 
 Captain Dunning, D.S.O., who had only arrived in 
 Uganda a short time before us, was then in command
 
 CHRISTMAS DAY IN NSALI 21 
 
 of this station. One would think that, near an important 
 place like this, the inhabitants would have bridged the 
 swamps over which the main roads passed, but this was 
 not the case, and only an hour after our start on the 
 following day we had to plunge into another dismal 
 morass, which delayed us very much. 
 
 After leaving Muquenda's the country altered entirely, 
 and on Christmas Day we marched for eight hours along 
 a ridge over an open grass country, the road at one 
 point attaining a height of 4900 feet above the sea ; 
 hence we looked down upon an enormous plain, which 
 stretched away to the east towards the Victoria Nile. 
 We camped close to the village of Nsali, a curious place 
 in which to spend Christmas Day, and, after our long 
 march, were glad of a good dinner to celebrate the 
 occasion. An old Sudanese soldier had accompanied us 
 from Fort Raymond as far as this, and was going to 
 try to shoot some elephant. He was, curiously enough, 
 armed with an old 4-bore gun, which originally belonged 
 to Sir Samuel Baker, and is now held together by 
 pieces of hide sewn round it. It must require some 
 nerve to shoot with it in its present condition, but the 
 man had already successfully killed several elephants. 
 
 For the next three days we passed through a fertile 
 and inhabited country, until, on reaching the village of 
 Ntuti, we approached the barren and deserted plain 
 drained by the Kafu River, which forms the boundary 
 between Uganda and Unyoro, and, like most frontiers 
 in savage lands, has been the scene of much strife and 
 bloodshed. The descent of 640 feet to the plain is 
 made through a steep and picturesque gorge, from which 
 the track, winding in all directions, leads through some 
 very thick jungle, and across some swampy ground 
 to the frontier post. Fort Kaduma, garrisoned by a
 
 22 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 Sudanese officer and twenty-five men. We met with 
 the first Wanyoro at Kaduma, and there was a marked 
 difference between them and the Waganda, the former 
 having much sharper features, and being of a slighter 
 build than the Waganda. Between this and the Kafu 
 River there is dense tropical vegetation, and there are 
 belts of thick forest, many of the trees being covered 
 with a curious kind of growth like enormous cabbages 
 with yellow and green leaves. 
 
 This was evidently a playground for elephants, and 
 the track was scored by great holes made by them as 
 they had floundered about in the mud during the rainy 
 season. 
 
 We took the loads across the Kafu at Baranwa by 
 means of a berthon boat and small canoe, the Sudanese 
 followers and men crossing by a ford lower down the 
 river, which was very swampy on either side. An old 
 crocodile tried to make a meal off some of the Sudanese 
 who were having a bathe, and soon cleared them out of 
 the water. At Baranwa there was another fort on some 
 rising ground overlooking the crossing, garrisoned by a 
 small force of soldiers, but this has now been with- 
 drawn, as the road is no longer used. A good road 
 leads from here to the lake connecting the forts. There 
 are high ranges of hills to the north-east, and between 
 the road and Misriandura lie some curious steep and 
 high hills, the biggest of which is Msaga Nkuro, an 
 old stronghold of the Wanyoro, which had been recently 
 stormed by Captain Thruston. 
 
 The country is covered for the most part with 
 grass and bush about lo feet high, through which 
 it is impossible to penetrate except by the native 
 tracks, although in the dry season, when fires are to 
 be seen all over the country, a great deal of the
 
 CAPTAIN THRUSTON ATTACKS MACHUDI 23 
 
 grass is burnt down. The country, therefore, is well 
 adapted for ambushes, a method of fighting which the 
 natives prefer above all others, and only in September 
 last, on this same road, Mr. Forster, a civilian official, 
 was suddenly attacked by the Wanyoro, losing five or 
 six men killed and wounded, including his cook, who 
 was close beside him. 
 
 On the 1st January 1895 ^^^ arrived at the head- 
 quarters, Fort Hoima, which had, with the other forts 
 on the road to the Albert Nyanza, been established 
 by Colonel Colvile at the close of his expedition in 
 February 1894. It was a pretty place, facing a valley 
 which led to the north through lofty and broken ranges 
 of hills. Protected on two sides by river swamps, which 
 joined together about 200 yards from the fort, and 
 flowed to the eastward in a sluggish stream bordered 
 with papyrus, the post was surrounded by fields of 
 cultivation — sweet potatoes, Indian corn, and rice, so 
 necessary for the support of the garrison. 
 
 Captain Thruston was awaiting our arrival here 
 with interest, as on Major Cunningham taking over 
 the command in Unyoro from him he was to return 
 home at once. 
 
 After a year of strife and unrest in Unyoro, affairs 
 seemed to have assumed a more peaceful aspect. In 
 consequence of the attacks on convoys and detach- 
 ments marching along the road between the forts, 
 Captain Thruston had, in the beginning of November, 
 made a forced march to Machudi, where Kabarega 
 was living, and, covering the distance in a very short 
 space of time, had effected a most successful surprise, 
 rushing the town at night, whereupon in an instant all 
 was confusion. His hopes of capturing the king him- 
 self were, however, dashed to the ground, as on the
 
 24 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 first alarm the latter fled into the darkness and suc- 
 ceeded in evading the soldiers who were surrounding 
 the enclosure. A severe blow had, however, been 
 dealt, and much of the king's property and cattle was 
 captured. After the return of the expedition to Fort 
 Hoima two emissaries had arrived from Kabarega to 
 treat for peace, and an armistice had been agreed 
 upon. A message had been sent to Kabarega, and 
 one of the envoys was still waiting at the fort. 
 
 Thruston looked very thin and worn after his hard 
 work, and was ill whilst we were at Hoima. He left 
 for Uganda on 5th January. The garrison, increased 
 by the reinforcements brought by us, now consisted of 
 three companies, — No. 3 commanded by Yuzbashi 
 Abdullah ; No. 4, by Yuzbashi Mabruk ; No. 9, by 
 Yuzbashi Bilal. The last named had been formerly 
 in the Egyptian army. 
 
 Mabruk, the senior of the black officers here, was 
 an excellent man, and besides being chief staff-officer 
 was also the great authority on agriculture and archi- 
 tecture. The Sudanese method of building a house 
 was of the simplest kind, and consisted in making the 
 roof first, which was then hoisted on to a number of 
 poles, forked at the top, and planted in the ground 
 in the shape required. Long thin laths of wood were 
 then lashed on each side of the poles parallel to the 
 ground, and the space between was tightly filled with 
 dry grass, the whole being then plastered over with 
 mud, forming an excellent wall. Room had, of course, 
 to be left for the door and the windows, and a verandah 
 could be made by prolonging the roof to another series 
 of poles placed about 3 feet from the wall of the house. 
 It is essential that the roof should be made slanting 
 enough to carry off the heavy tropical rain.
 
 POLO IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA 25 
 
 My house was constructed in this fashion, and more 
 than a year after my return home I heard that the 
 house was still in good order, though rather draughty ; 
 that the poles of the verandah were sprouting and were 
 covered with little branches and green leaves, so that 
 the house may be said to have been actually growing, 
 such is the extraordinary power of vegetation in this 
 country. 
 
 Stables had also to be constructed for our two 
 ponies, which had safely surmounted all the obstacles 
 en route, and had arrived in the country fit and well, a 
 great triumph, as they were the first animals of their 
 kind to reach Unyoro from the east coast of Africa. 
 It was ludicrous to see the way in which the natives 
 used to run away from them at first, and, if suddenly 
 confronted round a corner by this strange unknown 
 quadruped they would drop whatever they were carry- 
 ing in the pathway and dive into the high grass at the 
 side. 
 
 Sir Samuel Baker took horses with him in his 
 expedition up the Nile from Egypt to Unyoro in 
 1872, but of these only two reached Unyoro, and 
 one died and another was speared in the disastrous 
 return march from Masindi to the Victoria Nile, when 
 Kabarega behaved with such treachery. 
 
 On my return afterwards from the Nile I made 
 some polo sticks and balls, and we used to amuse 
 ourselves of an evening practising on the parade- 
 ground round the fort, rather a dangerous pastime 
 owing to the deep holes made in the ground by the 
 red ants, into which one used occasionally to subside. 
 Polo may thus be said to have found its way even to 
 Equatorial Africa. 
 
 The men of the three companies forming the garri-
 
 26 UGANDA TO THE ALBERT NYANZA 
 
 son were now all armed with the Martini- Henry rifles 
 which we had brought up from the coast, and were 
 especially pleased with their new sword-bayonets. It 
 is surprising how well a black soldier will look after 
 his rifle and accoutrements, and after the hardest 
 marching and rough work I used to find these clean 
 and in good order. 
 
 Our stay at Hoima was as short as possible, as 
 Cunningham was anxious to start off for the Nile, and 
 on the 7th January we set out for Kibero, leaving 
 Mr. Forster in charge of the post. 
 
 The country becomes more open on nearing the 
 Albert Nyanza, and is rocky in places, until all of a 
 sudden one reaches the edge of an enormous escarp- 
 ment, 1200 feet below which the great sheet of water, 
 bordered by a strip of yellow sand, unfolds itself to the 
 traveller's astonished gaze. The Sudanese fort, and 
 the few wretched huts comprising the village of Kibero, 
 down to which a steep and stony path leads from the 
 edge of the plateau, appear mere specks close to the 
 water's edge, and in the distance the calm clear waters 
 vanish in the white haze which obscures the western 
 shore and seems to continually overhang this great rift 
 in the earth's surface. 
 
 Sometimes, even from Fort Hoima, we could, after 
 rain, distinctly see the blue peaks of the mountains on 
 the western shore, below which a dense white cloud 
 revealed the line of the water. 
 
 We pitched our tents on the sandy shore of the 
 lake, and soon realised the wretchedness of the place. 
 All the burning rays of the sun seemed concentrated 
 on this depression, and there was not a particle of 
 shade. 
 
 The natives live by the salt which they make and
 
 KIBERO 27 
 
 sell for food ; and the few other articles which repre- 
 sent their scanty wants, and everything, including fire- 
 wood, has to be brought down from the plateau above. 
 A few dug-out canoes were lying on the shore, and I 
 have seen the largest of these returning from a voyage 
 to the opposite shore laden with fish, chickens, and 
 eggs. It is rather a dangerous voyage for them, and 
 takes about twelve hours. There are several varieties 
 of fish, which run up to a very large size.
 
 Ill 
 
 In the Steel Boat to Dufile 
 
 OUR home for the next three weeks was to be a 
 steel boat about 20 feet long, which had been 
 brought in sections from Lake Victoria by Colonel 
 Colvile, and had been put together by Mr. Purkiss, 
 who unfortunately died at Kibwezi, on his way home, 
 from haematuric fever. After several trials a crew of 
 sixteen was selected, consisting of eight Sudanese — most 
 of whom had been on Emin Pasha's old steamers — and 
 eight Zanzibaris, including our own servants. Two or 
 three of the latter had learnt to row at Zanzibar, but 
 the remainder were the worst rowers I have ever seen, 
 and it required continual curses and exhortations to 
 keep them in time. They had little idea where they 
 were going to, and, imagining it was only for a pleasant 
 cruise across the lake, several men clambered into the 
 boat, in addition to the appointed crew, but these were 
 promptly deposited in the water by Cunningham. 
 With us also came a friendly Wanyoro chief, called 
 Keyser, who spoke the Lure language. He had been 
 at Wadelai in Emin Pasha's time, his father having 
 been killed by Kabarega. We were packed pretty 
 tightly, what with men, luggage, two goats, chickens, 
 etc., and Cunningham and I sat on our tents and bags 
 in the stern, with the Maxim gun between us. There 
 
 28
 
 THE NILE IN ALBERT NYANZA 29 
 
 were two reliefs of eight men, who rowed for an hour 
 at a time, and we took it in turn to steer. We sailed 
 all the first day with a good breeze, and camped on the 
 western shore at Mahagi after dark. It was quite 
 rough in the middle of the lake, and several of the 
 crew succumbed to the unaccustomed motion. There 
 was difficulty in finding a landing-place, owing to the 
 reeds and swampy nature of the shore, and we coasted 
 along in the darkness until a welcome strip of sand 
 glimmered in the dim moonlight, and we were able to 
 pitch our tents on terra firma. There happened to be 
 a village near at hand, the inhabitants of which brought 
 down torches and assisted us in landing our loads in 
 the darkness. When daylight came we could see that 
 the high mountains were close to us, and that the lofty 
 peak of Nelia dominated its companions. 
 
 The next day we coasted along the west shore. Here 
 the mountains gradually recede from the coast and 
 become a lowrange of hills, whilst some villages inhabited 
 by the Lure, or Alure, tribe are scattered along the 
 shore. The lake gradually narrows to the point where 
 the Nile starts on its long journey to Egypt, and 
 almost imperceptibly one finds oneself on the great 
 river, the left bank being thickly wooded and covered 
 with magnificent trees, whose luxuriant foliage is the 
 home of many monkeys and baboons. There are a 
 few clearings close to the water's edge, where some 
 wretched huts have been erected by the native fisher- 
 men, whose primitive - looking dug - out canoes lie 
 fastened to the bank. At the village of Amat, where 
 we camped, the river is about 600 yards broad, but on 
 leaving this, and until reaching the bend, the river is 
 only 150 yards broad in places, and the country on 
 both sides appeared very barren and dried-up after the
 
 30 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 green verdure and lovely banana groves of Uganda and 
 Unyoro. 
 
 In the early morning we stopped to speak to Aiyara, 
 an important chief on the left bank ; he was a very 
 fine-looking man, clothed in skins, and wearing some 
 ivory ornaments, and his people all seemed very 
 friendly. Soon after this the river opened out into a 
 small lake, papyrus and floating vegetation on either 
 side making it difficult to judge the size of it. On 
 nearing VVadelai the river narrows considerably, and 
 there is a very strong stream, against which it was as 
 much as we could do to make way on our return 
 journey. 
 
 We passed Fachora, a very large village on the right 
 bank, situated on some rising ground overlooking the 
 rapid, and camped a mile farther on at Emin Pasha's 
 old fort of Wadelai, which was then completely over- 
 grown. We set fire to all the grass round, just as 
 much to diminish, in a measure, the myriads of mos- 
 quitoes as to give us a clear field of fire in case of 
 surprise, the natives appearing very hostile, and having 
 evidently thrown in their lot with Kabarega. Just 
 under a year before, " Roddy " Owen had reached the 
 same place, where he made a treaty with AH, Sheikh 
 of Wadelai, and hoisted the British flag on both sides 
 of the Nile. There were no villages near the old fort, 
 and Cunningham went up to Fachora in the afternoon 
 to buy some food, which he did with difficulty. The 
 mosquitoes here, and afterwards throughout the journey, 
 were dreadful both at night and in the early morning, 
 and it was only by using a mosquito head-net, water- 
 proof coat, and gloves that I was able to take observa- 
 tions for latitude and longitude at night. Even the 
 blacks themselves could not sleep, and it used to be a
 
 OUR TROOPS FEAR DERVISH ADVANCE 31 
 
 relief to push out into the middle of the river in the 
 lovely cool mornings and watch the sun gradually- 
 rising over the green banks of papyrus. 
 
 Nothing was known at this time of the river beyond 
 Wadelai, and the Maxim gun was got ready for even- 
 tualities when we continued our journey down stream 
 on the 1 2th. There was a very strong current in 
 places, and we glided rapidly past narrow channels 
 formed by the floating vegetation, stopping sometimes 
 near the villages on the banks to ask for news. At all 
 of these they informed us that the dervishes were 
 advancing from Dufile by both banks. Though we 
 doubted the truth of their statements, it was exciting 
 work as we proceeded, and we had no wish to fall into 
 the arms of the dervishes and be transported to Khar- 
 tum. Our guide did not at all like coming on, and 
 relapsed into silence ; crouching down in the bows of 
 the boat with his chin resting on his knees, he 
 frequently, after this, invoked Allah, and comforted 
 himself with a long pipe. Our soldiers also were 
 alarmed at the idea of meeting their old opponents ; 
 and the corporal, a rather faint-hearted Egyptian, de- 
 clared on one occasion that he could hear the dervish 
 noggara beating. 
 
 The first Madi village was met with at Towara ; it 
 differed from the Lure villages in being surrounded by 
 a thorn zariba. 
 
 The farther we went from Wadelai the more 
 friendly the natives seemed to become. They are 
 continually fighting among themselves, and lead a 
 precarious existence. Several poor wretches came to 
 us to have their wounds dressed, and at Mgerenin, a 
 village on the left bank, the chief had lately been 
 raided at night by some people on the opposite bank,
 
 32 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 and had lost all his women and possessions, besides 
 receiving a bad spear wound in a place which showed 
 he was ignominiously flying from the enemy. The 
 fame of our medicine spread rapidly, and on our return 
 journey a canoe suddenly shot out from the bank 
 bringing another chief suffering from several old spear 
 wounds, and evidently in the last stages of decay. 
 His head was supported by his wife, who was fanning 
 him with a bunch of green leaves to keep the flies off, 
 and it was altogether quite a touching scene, but, alas ! 
 w^e could do little for him. 
 
 We camped on the high bank overhanging the 
 river near Mgerenin, and I was reading in my tent in 
 the evening when my servant suddenly rushed up to 
 say a big animal had emerged from some swampy 
 ground near the river and could be seen from the 
 camp. Taking my lo-bore rifle, I started out after 
 him, and soon made out it was a huge rhinoceros. 
 When about 200 yards from him a shot rang out from 
 the opposite side, and I made the unpleasant discovery 
 that I was exactly in the line of fire, so, thinking prudence 
 the better part of valour, I retired on all-fours as I had 
 come. Cunningham had seen the rhinoceros as he 
 was returning to camp from shooting, and was, curiously 
 enough, stalking the animal at the same time from the 
 other side, but unfortunately did not kill him. 
 
 An enormous amount of floating vegetation passes 
 down the Nile in this part of its course. It is gradually 
 broken off from the sides of the river by the force of the 
 current, and floats down until it attaches itself to the 
 sides again, or reaches the cataracts below Dufile, where 
 it is broken up into little pieces. The size of the 
 floating islands or rafts, principally composed of 
 papyrus rushes, and little green plants {Pistia Stratiotes),
 
 AN OPTICAL ILLUSION 33 
 
 is quite extraordinary, and I have seen one fully 100 
 yards long with a small hut ensconced in the papyrus. 
 
 Care has to be taken in a strong stream not to be 
 carried away by one of these islands, or to be jammed 
 between two of them. They are to be met with in 
 the middle of the Albert Nyanza making their way 
 towards the Nile, having, I suppose, drifted from the 
 sudd at the mouth of the Semliki. 
 
 There is a great deal of floating vegetation also on 
 the Victoria Nile between Lake Kioja and the Karuma 
 Falls. During one expedition a Waganda chief 
 informed us that Kabarega was having a march-past 
 of his army on the opposite bank, about 1 1 00 yards 
 off. One could apparently see the soldiers, or Wara- 
 sura, as they are called, passing through the trees in 
 their white cloths ; and the deception was perfect until, 
 on looking through the glasses, it was discovered that 
 they were really a flock of white birds sitting on the 
 top of a large papyrus raft floating rapidly past under 
 the far bank. 
 
 After passing Bora, an old Egyptian fort on the 
 right bank, the river is very broad — about i \ 
 miles — though the actual channel through the sudd 
 is only about 500 yards in breadth. A place was 
 pointed out to us close to Bora where the last of Emin 
 Pasha's steamers had sunk, simply from old age and 
 want of repair. 
 
 A Sudanese soldier had been pilot on board one of 
 the steamers, and it was to him we trusted for direc- 
 tions as to the right channel, and it was wonderful how 
 seldom he was at fault. He was able to talk the Madi 
 language, and was consequently of the greatest value 
 to us. When passing a village he used to stand up in 
 the bov/s and shout out, ana Murgan — I am Murgan ; 
 3
 
 34 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 and to our astonishment the natives all seemed to 
 know him, and were delighted to see him again. The 
 line of hills which runs from Wadelai down the right 
 bank of the river, and about 2 miles distant from it, 
 ends about 1 2 miles before Unigwe, and the country 
 to the east becomes open and flat. 
 
 There is such a quantity of sudd about this reach 
 that it is for miles and miles impossible to land, and 
 not until late in the afternoon of the i 3th did we find 
 a passage to the bank, where there was a landing-place 
 used by hippopotami. From the noise made by them 
 after dark they were evidently indignant at the 
 presence of trespassers, and at being disturbed in their 
 evening walk. We named this place Mosquito Camp, 
 on account of the clouds of mosquitoes which assailed 
 us during the night, and we were only too glad to 
 leave early the next morning. We stopped at the 
 village of Unigwe about 8 a.m., and obtained grain and 
 some chickens. The chiefs name is Abu Suma, and 
 his people complained much of being raided by a chief 
 from the interior called Abu Kra. 
 
 The banks between this and Dufile seemed well 
 populated, though the country did not look very 
 inviting. A few trees were scattered about, and 
 villages were hidden away among high rocks and 
 boulders on small hills close to the river. There was 
 a certain amount of mtama and dhurra cultivated, but 
 very few sheep and goats, and we had to subsist 
 entirely on very skinny chickens, when we were lucky 
 enough to buy them. It was impossible to obtain 
 any accurate information, but everything pointed to 
 the dervishes not being at Dufile itself, and about 
 5 p.m. on the 14th January we reached the old fort 
 situated close to the water's edge on the left bank at a
 
 THE NILE VALLEY 
 
 Sola or U>l»
 
 ARRIVAL AT DUFILE 35 
 
 bend of the river. As at Wadelai, we had to burn 
 down all the grass and reeds, which rose up here to 
 a height of 10 feet. The parapet and ditch were very 
 distinct, and the mud-brick walls of the houses still 
 remained, whilst behind these, in what had evidently- 
 been the garden, were some lemon and cotton trees, 
 the only signs remaining of the Egyptian occupation. 
 
 It was a relief to get on shore after sitting cramped 
 up in the stern on one's tent and luggage, together with 
 a Maxim gun, for no less than ten or eleven hours. 
 We also felt the heat very much after the climate of 
 the lake districts. 
 
 I believe we were the first white men to reach 
 Dufile since the abandonment of the place in 
 November 1888. 
 
 There was then very severe fighting here for three 
 days, and Casati says in his book that — 
 
 "During the night of the 27th the Mahdists 
 succeeded in penetrating into the station and attack- 
 ing the steamers, killed the captain of the Nyanza, 
 the engineer, the pilot, and the stoker ; all these died 
 on the Khedive. The fight lasted till 8 a.m., when 
 the enemy shortly afterwards retreated. Owing, how- 
 ever, to the almost complete exhaustion of ammunition, 
 the abandonment of Dufile and the mustering of the 
 troops at Wadelai was decided upon. Fear lends 
 wings, therefore the evacuation of Dufile was speedily 
 effected, quite an unknown thing with the people of 
 the province." 
 
 We were shown the site of the old dervish camp 
 on the high ground about i \ miles off, and behind 
 this again there are some high rugged peaks. 
 
 Major Cunningham concluded a treaty with the 
 chief, Wador, at Dufile, who received us in a friendly
 
 36 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 manner, and the British flag was duly hoisted on both 
 banks. The chief told us that the dervishes were 
 then at Rejaf, at the low-er end of the rapids. 
 
 On the following day we rowed down to the head 
 of the rapids, above which there appeared to be a 
 number of black rocks projecting out of the water, and 
 seemingly immovable. As we approached, however, 
 all the rocks began to move, and were soon trans- 
 formed into a school of hippos, snorting and splashing 
 in the water. The riv^er Unyama joins the Nile at 
 this point. 
 
 We walked across from a village called Karas to 
 a bend of the river below the head of the rapids. 
 Here the Nile was a seething torrent, only about 50 
 yards wide, and the banks were strewn with enormous 
 boulders of rock. 
 
 Coming from the south, navigation ends at the 
 mouth of the river Unyama, and between Dufile and 
 Lahore foaming rapids succeed each other at short 
 intervals ; and the Fola cataracts (enclosed within the 
 walls of a narrow gorge), at the confluence of the 
 Nile with the Asua, make navigation quite impossible. 
 About 2 1 miles south of Fola the river is, however, 
 free from obstacles, and between Kiri and Bedden 
 navigation is easy. At Bedden transhipment has again 
 to take place, owing to the rapids. 
 
 Forty miles farther on, and 120 miles from Dufile, 
 is Lado, whence steamers can journey to Khartum, a 
 distance of 900 miles, in sixteen days or less, and can 
 ascend even to Bedden, except in the dry season. 
 
 Below Lado, as far as Fashoda, is an unpleasant, 
 swampy, malarious region, where during part of its 
 course the Nile splits up into two channels, and is 
 sometimes so choked with the sudd, or vegetable debris,
 
 THE NILE UNNAVIGABLE 37 
 
 that navigation is impossible until the obstruction 
 has been cut through. Other causes also combine to 
 render navigation on this stretch of the Nile difficult. 
 
 In 1870 Sir Samuel Baker found the White 
 Nile entirely blocked by an immense number of 
 floating islands, which had converted the river-bed 
 into a solid marsh, so that he was obliged to try 
 another route, via the second channel, called the Bahr 
 Giraffe. Here, however, his crews found themselves 
 entrapped in a sea of apparently boundless marsh 
 and water-grass, from which, in spite of all their 
 labour, they did not emerge for forty-six days. 
 Making another attempt on 12th January 1871, he 
 succeeded in cutting a way through, and arrived in 
 open water again on 1 9th March. 
 
 In 1875 Colonel Gordon wrote: "Navigation from 
 Lado to Khartum is almost impossible ; firewood is 
 scarce and becomes more so every year ; there are 
 numerous sand-banks." 
 
 Again, in 1878, an unusual rise of the Nile bore off 
 so much debris from the flooded banks that it was not 
 until 1880 that communication between the upper and 
 lower reaches of the river was re-established. 
 
 Near the 9th parallel of latitude — here, as in West 
 Africa, a line of much importance at the present 
 time — the Nile makes a bend to the eastward for 
 about 100 miles, and is joined first by the Bahr-el- 
 Ghazal from the west, and farther on by the Sobat 
 River from the east ; from the latter down to Khartum 
 navigation is fairly easy. 
 
 Baker tells us that the Bahr-el-Ghazal, though 
 navigable for 200 miles, and the receiver of a 
 multitude of rivers some 3 to 400 miles long, is in 
 the dry season nearly empty of water, being at that
 
 38 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 period only a line of stagnant pools and marshes. It 
 seems probable, however, that by cutting through the 
 obstructions with great labour navigation is feasible 
 even in some dry seasons, as Junker one year ascended 
 to Meshra-er-Rek in February, or about the middle of 
 the dry season. A lake called the Magren-el-Bahur, 
 or Meeting of the Waters, is formed during the rainy 
 season by the junction of the Bahr-el-Jebel (White 
 Nile) and Bahr-el-Ghazal, but at low water it is 
 divided into two sections, which communicate through 
 a channel a little over half a mile long. On leaving 
 the lake and ascending the Bahr-el-Ghazal the channel 
 narrows to about 50 yards, and Junker describes how 
 " on both sides extensive tracts of country are per- 
 manently flooded, and only an occasional fishing 
 hamlet is visible on a dry patch of ground in this 
 submerged region." 
 
 This account reminds one very much of the Delta 
 of the Niger, except that here the mangrove swamps 
 are replaced by miles and miles of floating grass and 
 vegetation. 
 
 Junker took eight days to ascend the river to 
 Meshra-er-Rek in a steamer, and on the afternoon of 
 the first day met with the first real grass barrier, 
 which was surmounted in twenty minutes. Later 
 followed other loose accumulations, which though easily 
 removed still caused much delay, one obstacle taking 
 an hour to cut away. On the second day a few 
 scattered trees denoted the presence of dry ground, 
 but the same difficulties were met with, although once 
 or twice the river opened out into a good broad water- 
 way. On the third day, after getting through some 
 smaller masses, the steamer was blocked for several 
 hours by a huge barrier of a felt-like consistency, and
 
 THE BAHR-EL-ARAB 39 
 
 nearly a third of a mile in extent ; whilst the whole of 
 the fourth day was occupied in forcing a way through 
 sudd \\ miles in length. On the fifth day the main 
 stream — shortly before it is joined by the Bahr-el- 
 Arab, 90 miles from its mouth — was found to be 350 
 yards wide and 20 to 30 feet deep, with the banks 
 wooded on either side. 
 
 The Bahr-el-Arab, rising on the borders of Wadai 
 and Darfur, is a fine river over 400 miles in length, 
 and is joined by numerous streams from the south. 
 Little is known of the country lying immediately to 
 the north of it, and on the left bank. 
 
 After passing the junction of the two rivers. Junker 
 says, " there was another expanse of stagnant water, 
 beyond which the open channel contracts at first to 
 fifty, then a little over twenty yards. Here the woods 
 become thinner, and at last again give place to bound- 
 less flooded grass plains, with patches here and there 
 of tall ambatch. Beyond the mouth of the Jur, coming 
 from the south-west, there was little to suggest a river, 
 — there being apparently a boundless sea of grass and 
 sedge, with an open expanse winding away to the head 
 of the steam navigation at Meshra-er-Rek." 
 
 After struggling through more obstacles he reached 
 this place, a journey of i 30 miles, in eight days, and 
 cast anchor off the little island dignified by the name 
 of Meshra-er-Rek, on which there were only a few 
 Government huts, and which is surrounded by a dreary 
 marsh through which carriers have to wade waist- 
 deep to reach terra firma 3 or 4 miles to the south- 
 ward. This, then, is the way of reaching the harbour 
 of the rich and fertile Bahr-el-Ghazal province from 
 the Nile, and a precarious way too, judging from the 
 disaster which occurred to Gessi Pasha when leaving
 
 40 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 the province with 400 Arabs and officials after the 
 war with Soliman. Hopelessly hemmed in by stidd, 
 all their efforts to get disentangled were in vain, and 
 half of them died of starvation and typhus before a 
 steamer appeared from Khartum and rescued the sur- 
 vivors. Amongst these was Gessi Pasha, who, how- 
 ever, never recovered from the horrible experience, and 
 died shortly afterwards. 
 
 It will be seen what an immense difficulty the sudd 
 offers to navigation on the reaches of the middle Nile 
 and Bahr-el-Ghazal. Steamers are being built with a 
 special view to their ability to cut through it, the screw 
 working in a jacket to protect it from the weeds, and 
 it will be interesting to see how these succeed. 
 
 All accounts agree as to the value and abund- 
 ance of natural resources of the Bahr - el - Ghazal 
 province, which Slatin Pasha describes as a most 
 fertile district, extending over an enormous area, 
 watered by a labyrinth of streams and covered with 
 mountains and forests, the soil being exceptionally 
 good and producing quantities of cotton and india- 
 rubber. About 60 miles south of Meshra-er-Rek, 
 and connected with it by water navigable for flat- 
 bottomed boats, is a place called Wau, which Gessi 
 Pasha had intended to make the chief station of 
 the province, with a view to sending down thence to 
 Khartum many products which could not bear the 
 cost of transport by carriers all the way to Meshra- 
 er-Rek, The other great tributary which joins the 
 White Nile near the 9th parallel, and 60 miles above 
 Fashoda, is the Sobat, which is known to be navigable 
 for 1 80 miles, and from its numerous sources near 
 Lake Rudolf and in the highlands of Abyssinia to the 
 eastward brings down an immense volume of muddy
 
 UNEXPLORED COUNTRY 41 
 
 water. In 1874 Gordon established a post called 
 Nasser on its banks at the head of the navigable 
 portion, and there was also an Egyptian post at the 
 mouth of the river. 
 
 In a straight line east of Dufile, and about 220 
 miles off, lies Lake Rudolf. By drawing lines from 
 these two places to the north for 450 miles — at which 
 distance the line from Dufile will strike Fashoda — we 
 enclose a tract of country entirely unexplored, with the 
 exception of a small area east of Lado and Dufile 
 traversed and occupied by Emin Pasha's troops, and 
 another to the west traversed by Captain Bottego's 
 route ; it is, in fact, the only large portion of Africa left 
 whose mysteries still remain to be revealed. To the 
 south of this line for 100 miles the country inhabited 
 by the Langos is also almost unknown. There are 
 reports as to the richness and importance of the tracts 
 lying to the north-east, which are probably watered by 
 tributaries of the Sobat, and it may be from here the 
 Egyptians obtained gold in old days. 
 
 To the east of Fashoda a great plain, inhabited by 
 the warlike tribe of the Shilluks, stretches away until 
 it reaches the mountain spurs of the Abyssinian high- 
 lands. Captain Bottego, who, like so many other brave 
 Italian officers, has given his life in the cause of geo- 
 graphy, has by his recent wonderful journey explored 
 a portion of the country lying north-west of Lake 
 Rudolf, and discovered the principal source of the 
 Sobat. Leaving Brava on the east coast in October 
 1895 with four white companions, 250 soldiers, 121 
 camels, etc., he reached Lake Rudolf and explored the 
 western shore. A few days' march in a north-westerly 
 direction from that lake, and slightly to the north of 
 the 6th degree of latitude, he found a great valley
 
 42 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 running from east to west which he at once con- 
 jectured to contain one of the affluents of the Nile ; 
 this proved to be the Juba, a name given to the 
 principal upper branch of the Sobat. 
 
 It is curious that in 1872 Baker alludes to this river 
 rising in the Lobbohr country, beyond the Langgos, east 
 of Dufile, and confuses it with the other Juba River 
 which flows into the Indian Ocean. 
 
 Bottego followed the course of the river for several 
 days, at first through a sparsely inhabited country, 
 until he arrived among the Jambos. On his way 
 he came across two affluents on the right bank, the 
 Ghelo and the Upeno, and altering his direction made 
 his way along the latter river, nearly 300 yards broad 
 in the dry season, towards the lofty plateau of Abys- 
 sinia. 
 
 At Saio he came into contact with the Abyssinians, 
 and was killed by them, his companions Vanutelli and 
 Citerni being captured, and the whole expedition 
 broken up. 
 
 In view of the recent ridiculous claims of the 
 Emperor Menelik to all the country extending from 
 his dominions to the banks of the Nile, it is worthy of 
 note that no Abyssinian was met with until approach- 
 ing Saio or Lega in longitude 35° 10' east of Green- 
 wich. 
 
 It is towards Fashoda that French expeditions are 
 now hurrying, both from the French Congo on the 
 west, a journey of nearly 2000 miles via the Ubangi 
 and Mbomu Rivers, and from Abyssinia on the 
 east. Two years ago Semio, an advanced post on the 
 Mbomu River, was occupied ; and latterly a further 
 advance has been made across the watershed between 
 the Congo and the Nile, to Dem Zibehr or Dem
 
 THE FRENCH ARE ON THE NILE 43 
 
 SuHman, a distance of 1 80 miles, and a small post 
 established at Tambura, on the Sue River, 170 miles 
 to the east, without opposition on the part of the 
 natives. The post is, of course, isolated, and necessary 
 supplies have to be transported all this long distance 
 from the base, but the fact remains that the French 
 are now on the watershed of the Nile, and they need 
 find no difficulty — except in the matter of transport 
 and food — in establishing themselves at Meshra-er- 
 Rek, even if they have not reached that place already. 
 Junker journeyed from the latter place to Dem Suliman 
 by Jur Ghattas in nineteen days, through the country 
 inhabited by the Dinkas. It is reported that a large and 
 well-armed expedition, composed of men of the Foreign 
 Legion, tirailleurs S^nt^galais, all starting from Semio 
 under Captain Marchand, — supported by four other 
 officers, — is to co-operate with that under M. Liotard at 
 Dem Zibehr, and is carrying a small steel gunboat with it. 
 The difficulties in the way of transporting such a vessel 
 a distance of over 300 miles are very great, as we 
 have seen in trying to transport a steamer in sections 
 to the Victoria Nyanza from the East Coast. Although 
 the Bahr-el-Ghazal province is peopled by some of the 
 most warlike races in the Sudan, and supplies the 
 best recruits for the Sudanese battalions, there is no 
 cohesion among them, and they recognise no single 
 ruler or head. This fact will make the French advance 
 easier, as no organised opposition on a large scale will 
 be met with. The majority of the natives are also 
 pagans, and not fanatical Mohammedans (see Fire and 
 Sword in the Sudan, by Slatin Pasha). 
 
 The other expedition from the east, under the 
 Marquis de Bonchamps, who is taking with him an 
 escort of armed Abyssinians, had, in July 1897,
 
 44 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 reached Gore, close to the place where Captain Bottego 
 was killed four months before, joining here an expedi- 
 tion under another Frenchman, Captain Clochette, who 
 has since died. They went on from here to the 
 Didessa River, which flows into the Blue Nile. Besides 
 experiencing transport difficulties they were beginning 
 to suffer from desertions on the part of their men. 
 
 Whether the Abyssinians will care to descend from 
 their homes in the highlands to the swampy plains 
 and heated wastes near Fashoda, with the probability 
 of fighting the Shilluks, is a matter of opinion. The 
 unhealthy nature of the country below the Ethiopian 
 highlands induced Captain Bottego to make for the 
 mountains, where he was to meet his death at the 
 hands of the Abyssinians. 
 
 One can but admire the enterprise of these French 
 officers in leading their perilous expeditions ; but what 
 does it all mean, and why should the French be 
 pushing on with such speed into what is clearly 
 regarded as the Anglo-Egyptian sphere of influence in 
 the Nile valley, remote as it is from their own terri- 
 tories in Africa? 
 
 Speaking on this subject in the House of Commons 
 in 1895, Sir Edward Grey stated that " any advance 
 into the Nile valley on the part of the French would 
 be an unfriendly act, and it was well known to the 
 French Government that we should so regard it." 
 
 In April i 897, in answer to a question relating to 
 M. Liotard's expedition, Mr. Curzon stated : " The 
 Egyptian Government has not relinquished any of its 
 claims to territory in the basin of the Upper Nile." 
 
 The Bahr-el-Ghazal province must be surely looked 
 upon as the most important of its old possessions, and 
 it seems ridiculous, and contrary to all geographical
 
 DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS 45 
 
 conditions, that this region lying in the Nile valley 
 should be developed and opened up by way of the 
 Congo. 
 
 By the agreement of the 12th May 1894, between 
 Great Britain and King Leopold as sovereign of the 
 Congo Free State, all the territory between the 30th 
 meridian east of Greenwich and the Nile up to the 
 1 0th parallel of latitude was leased to King Leopold 
 for his lifetime, and the situation is summed up in a 
 form easily understood in the following telegram sent 
 at the time by Lord Kimberley to Mr. Cracknall at 
 Zanzibar {Uganda Blue Book, April i 895) : — 
 
 " Write to Colonel Colvile that we have made a 
 friendly arrangement under which Belgians will hold 
 left bank of Nile from Lake Albert to Fashoda as 
 leaseholders under Great Britain. If he comes into 
 contact with them, he should maintain perfectly amicable 
 relations. They will eventually fly a slightly altered 
 British flag." 
 
 France, claiming her right of preemption over the 
 Congo Free State, objected strongly to this arrange- 
 ment, and any attempt to annex the Bahr-el-Ghazal 
 province ; and only three months afterwards an agree- 
 ment was signed at Paris, 14th August 1894, between 
 France and the Congo Free State, which rendered the 
 previous one virtually nugatory. In this the Congo 
 Free State renounced all occupation or political influence 
 in the future in the territory leased to it by Great 
 Britain north of 5° 30' north latitude. In return for 
 this renunciation, France agreed to move the boundary 
 of the Congo Free State considerably to the north of 
 the 4th parallel north, which had been laid down as 
 a limit according to the Berlin Act ; and the boundary 
 between France and the Congo Free State is now
 
 46 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 formed by the Ubangi and Mbomu Rivers, and the 
 northern boundary of the latter is continued eastward 
 from the source of the Mbomu, eventually touching 
 the Nile a short distance north of Lado. 
 
 After Gordon was appointed Governor of Equatoria 
 in 1874, he established his headquarters at Lado, 
 with a series of military stations for the protection of 
 the Nile route, and placed steamers on the Upper Nile. 
 Rejaf and Bedden at first, then Kirri, Muggi, Lahore, 
 Dufile, and Magungo secured the way to the Albert 
 Nyanza. The road to Unyoro and Uganda was 
 opened up later by the stations Paniatoli, Foweira, 
 Kerota, and Mruli. 
 
 It is sad to think how, in consequence of the rise of 
 Mahdiism, the whole of the Upper Sudan has relapsed 
 into savagery, and that, where steamers were regularly 
 running, now our only means of communication is a 
 small steel boat. The forces of the Congo Free State 
 have made numerous attempts to push on to the Nile, 
 which met with little success, owing to reverses sustained 
 in fights with the dervishes and mutinies amongst 
 their own troops, until, towards the middle of February 
 1897, Commandant Chaltin, marching from the Upper 
 Welle, occupied Rejaf. 
 
 His force consisted of 700 soldiers and 500 lancers 
 under A-Zandeh chiefs, and after two days' hard 
 fighting defeated the so-called dervishes, who were 
 driven towards Bor, 100 miles north of Rejaf. A 
 Belgian officer was killed during the engagement. In 
 the report of the affair it is stated that the enemy's 
 killed included several Egyptians, Abyssinians, and 
 people of Darfur. Although some of the leaders were 
 dervishes of note, it may be assumed that these were 
 banished from Omdurman for some reason or other,
 
 RECRUITING AMONG THE LANGO 47 
 
 and there could have been little connection between 
 the riff-raff at Lado and the Khalifa in the north. 
 
 Two brass cannons, 700 rifles, two magazines filled 
 with arms and ammunition, drums and other musical 
 instruments, were found at Rejaf, On pushing forward 
 to the old site of Lado the place was found quite 
 deserted, and surrounded by swamps. The Belgians 
 have now established a small post at Muggi farther 
 south. 
 
 The Madi tribe extend to a distance of about three 
 days' journey to the east of Dufile ; then come the 
 Umiro, a tribe of the Lango ; then the real light- 
 coloured Lango (Galla), who breed donkeys and camels 
 {Eniin Pasha in Central Africa, edited by Felkin and 
 Schweinfurth). The natives are a fine strong-looking 
 race, and we tried to persuade two of them to enlist, 
 but they were afraid of leaving their homes for the 
 unknown. They were very friendly, and helped to 
 take our loads out of the boat. They wear little or no 
 clothes, and have no wants except beads and iron wire. 
 
 At Umia's village at the bend of the river we met 
 a representative of Abu Sulla, an important chief living 
 one day's march below Dufile on the right bank. He 
 wore a fez, and was dressed in white cloth, probably 
 obtained from the Arabs or Mahdists to the north. 
 Most of the villages are reached by narrow channels 
 cut through the sudd, and almost impossible to find. 
 We attempted to pay the chief of the village at Dufile 
 a visit in the boat, and he had the channel enlarged for 
 us, but after hard work for half an hour we found we had 
 only advanced a few yards, and gave it up as hopeless. 
 
 Our return journey to the Albert Nyanza was rather 
 tedious owing to the strong stream, and the wind was
 
 48 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 often against us. If there was time I used to go out 
 shooting in the evening, and saw plenty of game, 
 though the dried-up grass with which the country was 
 covered to a height of 4 or 5 feet made shooting 
 difficult. One day I killed two water-buck, which 
 came in very useful, as provisions were running short. 
 A species of hartebeest and a smaller antelope with 
 short curved horns were seen, but to my great regret 
 
 1 never succeeded in killing any. 
 
 Curiously enough, on our return to Mgerenin, where 
 Cunningham had a bad attack of fever, I walked about 
 
 2 miles inland, and suddenly came upon what I am con- 
 vinced was the very same rhinoceros which had emerged 
 from the marsh the last time we camped at Mgerenin. 
 He seemed to bear a charmed life, and again got away 
 wounded into the bush, where it was impossible to 
 follow him. 
 
 Just before reaching Wadelai the body of a wretched 
 woman floated past us, with her hands tied above her 
 head and a spear wound in her abdomen. 
 
 On inquiry afterwards it appeared that the chief, 
 Wadelai, had charged her with witchcraft and poison- 
 ing his daughter, who had died a few days before, and 
 she was then speared and thrown into the river. As 
 the chief knew we were returning at that time, it may 
 also have been meant as a defiance to us. 
 
 The people of these countries, as also the Sudanese 
 soldiers, have the most implicit belief in witchcraft, 
 and it was a common occurrence for a soldier to be 
 put under arrest by the black officers and brought up 
 on a charge of bewitching and causing the death of 
 others. They do not seem to be able to take in the 
 idea of a natural death. 
 
 We met with a hostile demonstration at Wadelai
 
 ADVENTURE WITH ELEPHANTS 49 
 
 on our return, the natives assembling along the banks 
 armed with spears, bows and arrows, and a few guns. 
 They seemed great cowards, and dared not do anything 
 except shout. We were obliged to camp on the right 
 bank, and our guide, Keyser, tried to parley with them 
 here, but in vain. They kept a respectful 300 yards 
 away, but held their positions round us during the 
 remainder of the afternoon. It would have been easy 
 to rush us during the night, but they did not attempt to 
 do so. We slept close to the boat, and the Maxim gun 
 was placed ready for action. 
 
 The friendly chief lyara told us the next day that 
 Wadelai had sent messengers to incite him also against 
 us. 
 
 On reaching Lake Albert we coasted along the east 
 shore, which was swampy and bordered with sudd, 
 but beyond this we could see a fine open grass plain 
 with scattered bushes in the distance, over which some 
 stately giraffe were walking along, also some Senegal 
 hartebeest and other antelope. To our great disap- 
 pointment, it was impossible to find a landing-place 
 through the sudd, and at a late hour we had to sail 
 across to the other side of the lake, camping a little 
 north of Boki. 
 
 It was a very dark night, and a large herd of elephants 
 came down to drink on both sides of our small camp. 
 Cunningham and I were sitting together after dinner 
 listening to the trumpeting which resounded from all 
 sides, but we had not realised that they were so close 
 until two of our servants came up trembling with 
 excitement, saying, " Tembo karibu sana bwana " — an 
 elephant is quite close. 
 
 Taking our guns we went to the fire round which 
 the men had been sitting, but could see nothing in the 
 4
 
 50 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 impenetrable darkness until, on putting some dry 
 grass on the fire and creating a blaze, the brute 
 trumpeted quite close, and we could just distinguish a 
 great mass moving off. 
 
 The Zanzibari askari in charge of the gun detach- 
 ment took up a safe position at once in the boat 20 
 yards from the shore, and loaded the Maxim gun, 
 a most dangerous proceeding, for which he was duly 
 punished, as next morning the gun was found aimed 
 directly on the camp. 
 
 What with hippos in the water and elephants all 
 round us, it was just like sleeping in the Zoological 
 Gardens, except that there were no bars to keep the 
 animals within proper bounds, and one went to bed 
 expecting to see an elephant's foot appearing through 
 the side of the tent. 
 
 However, when morning came there were no ele- 
 phants to be seen, and we resumed our journey to 
 Kibero. The many floating islands of sudd made it 
 difficult to distinguish the mouth of the Victoria Nile, 
 and there is always a mirage on the horizon. 
 
 The east shore continued very swampy until at 
 Lukwai's we effected a landing. Here there is a 
 long stretch of low-lying ground covered with bush, 
 aloes, and euphorbia trees, which lies between the lake 
 and the high hills about 3 miles away. It is unin- 
 habited, and is consequently the home of many animals, 
 such as water-buck, kobus kob, a few buffalo and ele- 
 phant. One evening in July, when I was camped in 
 the same spot, we distinctly heard the roar of a lion, 
 which had evidently secured a very fine goat presented 
 to us by Tukenda, a chief at Mahagi ; tired of our 
 company, it had rushed off" into the bush the moment 
 we landed.
 
 DARK-HUED NATIVES 5 1 
 
 The Wanyoro have many villages and much cultiva- 
 tion on the high ground. Several good-sized rivers 
 make their way down the escarpment and across the 
 low ground into the lake. 
 
 On a second journey on Lake Albert in July I 
 visited the Sudanese post at Mswa, and the west coast 
 up to Mahagi. At Mswa there is still a village of 
 Lendus, who remained there when the Sudanese were 
 taken away. These Lendus, of whom there are a good 
 many employed in the Protectorate, are of the greatest 
 value. They carry the same loads as the Zanzibar! 
 porters, and receive four rupees a month instead of ten. 
 They are usually very willing and cheerful. 
 
 A river called Kakoi flows down from the hills into 
 the lake close to Mswa, and there are banana groves 
 and fields of sweet potatoes along it. The natives 
 living there are very primitive, and do not require 
 cloth ; they are of a darker hue than any natives I 
 have yet seen in Central Africa. 
 
 From here along the coast the mountains, streaked 
 with silver by numerous rivulets, come sheer down to 
 the water's edge, until at Mahagi the hills are not so 
 steep, and some low-lying ground juts out into the 
 lake. This ground, as well as the hills behind under 
 the Nelia peak, is covered with villages and cultivation. 
 The chief of the place, Tukenda, and his people are 
 all very friendly, and seem to possess an unlimited 
 supply of chickens, the average price of which is from 
 one to two strings of beads. Our journey came to an 
 end on the 25 th, when we got back to Kibero, and we 
 returned to Fort Hoima the next day. 
 
 The lake seems certainly unhealthy to people coming 
 from the high ground, and on returning to Hoima the 
 whole of the escort of ten men who had been left at
 
 52 IN THE STEEL BOAT TO DUFILE 
 
 Kibero on the second journey (quite a short one) were 
 very ill with fever, and one died. They had been in- 
 dulging in sulphur baths and probably caught a chill. 
 I was also ill with fever on returning. Baker describes 
 how, on reaching Vacovia on the lake, not one of his 
 party could rise from the ground, and says : " No one 
 could live at Vacovia without repeated attacks of 
 fever."
 
 IV 
 
 First Expedition to the Victoria Nile 
 
 ON our return to Hoima we found that Kabarega's 
 envoys had run away. This looked suspicious, 
 and the reign of peace was not destined to last long in 
 Unyoro, as on the 9th of February a letter arrived from 
 Kampala to say that 1 200 Wanyoro were reported to 
 have raided the country near Toru, under our protec- 
 tion, and killed two friendly chiefs. Kabarega had 
 taken advantage of the truce, and the fact of the patrols 
 being relaxed, to send this force down to the south, 
 across the road between the forts, in order to meet a 
 large caravan of arms and ammunition which was 
 being brought up by the Arabs from the East Coast. 
 
 Captain Dunning, D.S.O., and Captain Ashburnham, 
 with a force of Sudanese from Uganda, were marching 
 on Fort Kaduma, and a force of Waganda was at that 
 time being mobilised to follow them. 
 
 From information received through natives it was 
 
 found that a number of Wanyoro, under an important 
 
 chief called Rabadongo, were at Misriandura, a place 
 
 not far off on the old Arab trade route. Cunningham 
 
 decided to attack them at once, and two companies 
 
 with a Maxim-gun detachment paraded at 5 p.m. on 
 
 the lOth to make a night march. 
 
 This was my first experience of the black soldiers 
 
 53
 
 54 FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 on the war-path, and they certainly presented an extra- 
 ordinary appearance as they fell in on the parade- 
 ground outside the fort that afternoon. The men were 
 sized indiscriminately, some being very tall and others 
 very small. Their best uniform — consisting of a blue 
 jersey, a pair of white breeches, an occasional pair of 
 putties, and a much-worn fez, originally red — was never 
 very grand, but to describe their campaigning clothes 
 as ragged is to use a mild epithet. Their jerseys were 
 covered and held together by patches of the ordinary 
 white trade cloth, of every conceivable shape and size, 
 and in some instances they were replaced by a torn 
 and tattered shirt reaching down to the knees. Round 
 their waists were fastened native-made leather belts, 
 with an upper flap to protect the cartridges from the 
 rain ; these were really very well made, and served 
 excellently for the purpose. Suspended from the belt 
 hung numerous charms and amulets, made up of 
 cowries, bits of bone, leather cases containing Arabic 
 writing, and other weird articles. Their breeches were 
 of much the same colour as the ground, and were 
 patched in the same manner as the jerseys. A fez, a 
 piece of cloth wound round the head as a turban, or a 
 straw hat, such as they make themselves, fastened 
 under the chin by a piece of leather, completed their 
 attire. 
 
 The black officers usually wore a khaki jacket with 
 brass buttons, breeches and putties, or a pair of trousers, 
 a red fez, or more often a straw hat. Like the men, 
 they were also armed with rifles, but on the march were 
 most often to be seen with an umbrella, followed by a 
 boy carrying their rifle.^ 
 
 ^ Owing to difficulties of transport, barely enough cloth arrived all this 
 way to pay the men, so there was little left to serve out as clothing.
 
 BLACK TROOPS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS 55 
 
 Close at hand, and waiting for them to start, stood 
 a number of their women, with loads on their heads 
 containing their cooking utensils — all manner of kinds 
 of pots and pans — together with perhaps a tente d'abris 
 and a blanket and some food. It is a hard life for 
 them, and they age prematurely, so that one seldom 
 sees a good-looking woman. Forced to carry loads on 
 their heads from childhood, they are well set up and 
 have good figures, and march along with the heavy 
 loads in a wonderful way. They are disfigured with 
 lines and either tribal or slave marks on the face and 
 the upper part of the body. Some of these marks are 
 supposed to enhance their personal charms, and are 
 made by cutting the flesh with a knife and by burning. 
 They are a light-hearted and good-natured people, and 
 always cheery under difficulties. Marching in single 
 file is the only means of progression in this country, 
 and we started off along the main road to Baranwa in 
 this formation, with about forty irregulars — friendly 
 Wanyoro and Waganda — under the chief Omara, and 
 half No. 4 Company forming the advance-guard, and 
 half No. 3 Company as rear-guard. It soon became 
 dark, and when we turned off along the Arab trade route 
 in a south-westerly direction we had to force our way 
 through the dense grass overhanging the path, stumbling 
 over roots of trees and obstructions on the ground, and 
 in vain trying to avoid hitting our faces against branches 
 and twigs which the moonlight, filtering through the 
 thick foliage overhead, failed to light up. 
 
 The heavy rain during the night before and on the 
 morning of the loth had made the path muddy and 
 slippery, and, to add to the discomfort, about midnight, 
 when we halted for rest and to allow the rear of the 
 column to close up, a cold drizzling rain commenced,
 
 56 FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 and lasted until dawn, when our ardour was still further 
 damped by having to wade through a slimy, cold, 
 papyrus swamp. 
 
 As we approached the high conical hill called 
 Msaga Nkasi we were astonished at seeing fires in 
 all directions, and at once concluded that our column 
 had been detected and that these were watch-fires to 
 announce our approach. This illumination, which in 
 flickering and fitful flames extended round the steep 
 sides of the high hill in front of us, was caused, how- 
 ever, by the fires lit for the purpose of capturing the 
 white ants at the period of their transformation into 
 winged insects. These are eagerly sought after as 
 food, and little straw conical sheds are raised over the 
 small hillocks in which they swarm for the purpose of 
 capturing them. 
 
 As we advanced the country became thickly popu- 
 lated, and was covered with fields of cultivation and 
 groves of plantains. There were many villages about, 
 and we were soon discovered ; the alarm was given, 
 and we were fired upon after crossing the swamp. We 
 did not arrive at Rabadongo's village till 7.30 a.m., 
 after fourteen hours' marching, so that the surprise was 
 a failure, and the Wanyoro had had time to drive off 
 their cattle and flocks, and the Arabs who were with 
 them to escape with their goods. Patrols were sent 
 out later on in the day in different directions, but, 
 after the long march, everyone was glad of a rest and 
 some food. It was pleasant also to lie and bask in the 
 sun, and to get dry again. Amongst other curious 
 articles found here was a hock bottle, the last thing 
 one expected to find in Central Africa. We camped 
 at Rabadongo's that night, and next morning marched 
 back a short way to Msaga Nkasi, The natives
 
 A START MADE FOR MRULI 57 
 
 collected on the top of the hill which commanded the 
 road, and had to be dislodged by the Maxim, whilst 
 a desultory attack was made on the rear-guard as it 
 crossed the swamp. 
 
 From the top of this hill, Msaga Nkasi, 500 feet 
 above the camp, which I ascended afterwards, there 
 was a magnificent view of the country, and to the 
 northward there extended a great marsh forming the 
 source of the Kafu River. 
 
 We returned to Hoima by a different track, which, 
 though much shorter, had the disadvantage of crossing 
 many streams and swamps. At the fort we found a 
 deserter from Emin Pasha's old army who had come 
 in from Kabarega. He proved very useful in giving 
 information as to the road to the Victoria Nile, and 
 also regarding Kabarega's movements. 
 
 The start was fixed for the 20th, and on that day 
 two columns marched for the Nile by different routes 
 to meet north of Mruli. Our column from Hoima 
 consisted of two and a half companies Sudanese, the 
 irregulars, and one Maxim-gun detachment — about 
 400 men altogether ; Dunning's force from Baranwa 
 consisted of two companies Sudanese, one Maxim, and 
 2000 Waganda, and was to march along the Kafu 
 River. 
 
 I was ill with fever for three days before the start, a 
 result of the night march to Rabadongo's, and my 
 condition was not improved by the constant fear that I 
 should be unable to accompany the expedition and be 
 left behind in the fort. However, I succeeded in com- 
 ing to the fort on the 20th, and with the aid of a 
 donkey got through the first march. Luckily, we left 
 our ponies behind, as it would have been almost im- 
 possible to take them with us by the road the guide
 
 5 8 FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 led us ; he seemed to take especial care to cross all the 
 deep swamps in the country. We reached a place 
 called Kivari's on the 22nd, marching along the slope 
 of some hills over a fine open grass country, where the 
 irregulars looted, amongst other things, a French 
 musical-box playing four tunes, which was, wonderful 
 to relate, in excellent order. There was a well-posted 
 ambush of twenty-five Wanyoro on the following day 
 at the crossing of the Katagurakwa River, and as we 
 came down to the bank in single file it was funny to 
 see all the men in front suddenly bend down as the 
 line of white smoke appeared from the papyrus rushes 
 in front and the slugs and leaden missiles flew past 
 overhead. Only one man was wounded by the fire, 
 which was very erratic. One volley was enough for 
 the Wanyoro, and away they all ran, followed by the 
 Sudanese, who captured one of them. We camped 
 early not far from the river, as the guide informed us 
 that there was no water in front for some distance. 
 From here we crossed the waterless plain, passing 
 round Kaduku Hill to the Nile, which we reached near 
 Kunguru Island. The country here is very flat and 
 open, and dotted about with lovely Borassus palms. It 
 was hard to believe that the Nile was really in front of 
 us — it looked far more like a great papyrus swamp ; 
 and, indeed, it was not till reaching Magia Hill farther 
 north that we were able to see the water and get a 
 view of this magnificent river, over 1000 yards broad, 
 and truly, to use Baker's expression, "a giant at its birth." 
 
 The other column had travelled by a good road 
 along the Kafu River to Mruli, and joined us at Kun- 
 guru on the 25 th. 
 
 Kabarega had moved to Kajumbura Island farther 
 north, so on the 27th the whole force marched north-
 
 KABAREGA SIGHTED 59 
 
 east along the Nile. Two canoes captured from the 
 Wanyoro, and a berthon boat, were manned by some 
 soldiers, and were ordered to move down the river, 
 keeping parallel with the force marching along the 
 bank. We reached Magia Hill about 1 1 a.m., and 
 from here numbers of Wanyoro were seen on the 
 opposite bank, and an attempt was made to capture 
 some of their canoes, which were escaping down stream. 
 The Maxim opened fire from the hill to support our 
 men coming down the river, but the Wanyoro were 
 too quick for them, and only one canoe was 
 taken. 
 
 We marched on again, reaching Kajumbura Island 
 at 4 p.m., and had to wade through the water for 100 
 yards to get to it. This island had evidently been 
 occupied by Kabarega, and was covered with straw 
 huts and enclosures. 
 
 The Nile banks were bordered by masses of 
 sudd, the total breadth of the river being 1 1 00 
 yards. From mounds or ant heaps near the side we 
 could see plainly across to the right bank, where 
 Kabarega with his followers had taken up his position, 
 and the white-robed Warasura (soldiers) could be seen 
 moving about among the trees. Continual drumming 
 went on, and even our bugle-calls were imitated by 
 men who must have been deserters from Emin Pasha's 
 army. The river bank was thoroughly reconnoitred, 
 and it was found that stockades and entrenchments 
 had been made along the opposite bank for some 
 miles to defend openings in the sudd, and that one 
 crossing was as bad as another. The attack was 
 therefore ordered to take place opposite Kajumbura 
 Island at dawn on 2nd March. A raised platform 
 was constructed at the edge of the water, on which
 
 6o FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 the Maxim guns were placed, to cover the force 
 crossing the river. 
 
 The Waganda were employed on the ist enlarging 
 the narrow channel through the sudd to the open water 
 in the middle of the river. It was rather a cold misty 
 morning when the little fleet of five canoes, and a 
 berthon boat with Cunningham, Dunning, and Ash- 
 burnham, and the Sudanese chosen to man them, pushed 
 out from the bank to wait at the edge of the sudd till 
 there was sufficient daylight to cross. 
 
 I was left on the left bank in charge of the Maxims 
 to cover the attack. It seemed that the mist hanging 
 over the floating vegetation would never lift, and one 
 strained one's eyes in vain trying to get a glimpse of 
 the opposite shore, until at last the air became clearer 
 and the canoes paddled across the open stream. The 
 Wanyoro were well on their guard, and soon opened 
 a heavy fire on the advancing canoes, and, to make 
 matters worse, two of these upset. The Maxim was 
 able to come into action on the Wanyoro to the right, 
 but not on those in the immediate front. The affair 
 had a disastrous ending, as Cunningham and Dunning 
 were both severely wounded ; some men were killed 
 and wounded, and Ashburnham had a narrow escape, 
 receiving a bullet through his helmet. 
 
 It was now we felt the want of a doctor. There 
 had been no doctor in Unyoro for certainly four 
 months, and even at this time the only one in Uganda, 
 Dr. Ansorge, had left to take Colonel Colvile to the 
 coast. 
 
 Ashburnham and I, who were now the only white 
 officers not hors de combat, had to attend to the 
 wounded, besides performing our other duties, and it 
 was anxious work looking after our own brother-officers.
 
 DEATH OF CAPTAIN DUNNING 6 1 
 
 However, Dr. Mackinnon was known to have left 
 the coast in November, and was to be sent on to 
 Unyoro as soon as he arrived in Uganda, No further 
 attack was feasible at present owing to the insufficiency 
 of canoes, and it was decided to transport the wounded 
 back to Fort Hoima, where it was hoped Dr. Mac- 
 kinnon would meet them. Dunning had been shot in 
 the chest and was in a critical state. The Maxim gun 
 was regularly fired from the raised platform near the 
 water's edge at any parties or groups of the enemy 
 collected together along the opposite bank, and 
 harassed them considerably. 
 
 On 4th March I left this feverish camp on the 
 island, across which a canoe was dragged to help us 
 in transporting the wounded across the creek. As, 
 hampered with stretchers, we were only able to move 
 slowly, Ashburnham, who was now in command, 
 remained on the island with the rear-guard that day, 
 and rejoined me at the village of Kalianongo on the 
 5th. We returned by a different route north of the 
 one previously taken. It was a dismal march back, 
 and I do not think Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, in 
 their retirement from Masindi, could have execrated 
 the foetid swamps and dense overgrowth more than we 
 did whilst striving to get the stretchers over and across 
 these obstacles. On 9th March a black came up in 
 haste to the front of the column to fetch me, and 
 on going back a short way I found poor Dunning 
 quite unconscious. His litter had been placed on the 
 ground, and the bearers were standing round in a help- 
 less manner. I made every effort to restore him, alas ! 
 in vain, and at length the sad conviction stole over me 
 that he was dead. I had striven hard not to believe 
 that this was the case, and must confess to giving way
 
 62 FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 altogether, in grief at the loss of a brave and gallant 
 comrade, and realising the utter sadness of such a 
 death in this far-off savage country, where there was 
 none of the pomp and panoply of war as a compensa- 
 tion. It was a sad blow to Ashburnham and myself, 
 as our comrade had seemed so much better in the 
 morning, and had spoken to me quite cheerfully only 
 a short time before. Ashburnham, who was indefatig- 
 able in looking after him, had stayed in his tent the 
 night before, and said he had had a much better 
 night. There were so few officers in the country 
 at this time that one could ill be spared. 
 
 We were anxious about Cunningham, and he was 
 not informed of Dunning's death till, on reaching Fort 
 Hoima, the fact could no longer be concealed. Here, 
 to our dismay, there was still no doctor, and Dr. 
 Mackinnon did not arrive till 30th March. However, 
 Cunningham, with rest and care, improved gradually, 
 and was soon able to get about on crutches. 
 
 On the 14th instant Ashburnham went away to 
 Uganda with the two companies of Sudanese which 
 had been brought from there at the outset of the 
 expedition. The Waganda had already departed. 
 
 For the next four weeks 1 led a peaceful and 
 uneventful existence at Hoima, where my time was 
 principally occupied in drilling soldiers and farming. 
 The rainy season was due, and the ground had to be 
 got into order for sowing the crops — potatoes, Indian 
 corn, and rice. The garrison now consisted of 350 
 men, and they paraded from 6 to 8 a.m. every 
 morning, when an endeavour was made to improve 
 their shooting by unlimited firing exercise and aiming 
 drill. There was hardly any ammunition to spare 
 for target practice.
 
 SICKNESS AMONG THE TROOPS 63 
 
 Many men were daily reported sick and unable to 
 attend parade. Having strong suspicions that some 
 of these were malingerers, I was looking forward to 
 the arrival of a medical officer, as, not being a doctor 
 myself, it was difficult to make certain whether a 
 man was ill or not. I had almost begun to fancy 
 myself one, as I had been obliged to attend to all 
 the sick for some time. The principal complaint from 
 which the Sudanese suffered here was pneumonia, and 
 they seem to be a very weak-chested people. 
 
 A great deal of lameness was caused by jiggers, 
 little animals about the size of a flea, which burrow 
 into the feet, usually under the toe-nails, and then 
 lay their eggs there. If extracted at once there is 
 little harm done, but if allowed to remain in for any 
 time great irritation ensues, and a sore is caused 
 which extends until toes and even feet are entirely 
 eaten away. One of the Wanyoro here was in a 
 terrible condition, and used to crawl across the parade- 
 ground on hands and knees to have his wounds 
 dressed. These jiggers are a frightful plague, and 
 have come across Africa from the West Coast. They 
 had only got as far as Kavirondo on the east of Lake 
 Victoria at this time, but there is little doubt that 
 they will eventually reach the East Coast. 
 
 One great method of keeping them out of the 
 houses is to have the floors well brushed out, and 
 then sprinkled with water, as they cannot stand the 
 damp. 
 
 There was a good deal of fever among the blacks 
 at Hoima, and the mortality here was greater than 
 at any other station in the Uganda Protectorate. 
 After parade the soldiers were employed on fatigue 
 work till 5 p.m., with a rest of two hours in the
 
 64 FIRST EXPEDITION TO VICTORIA NILE 
 
 middle of the day. There was plenty of work to be 
 done in making roads, building houses, and cultivation. 
 
 Besides dispensing justice in military offences, I was 
 often called upon to adjudicate in cases of private 
 dispute amongst the Sudanese, even so far as to settle 
 the damages in divorce cases. I remember in one 
 case the outraged husband was made happy by being 
 awarded 9 yards of cloth, which the co-respondent 
 in a mean manner attempted to avoid paying, and 
 severe measures had to be finally taken to enforce 
 payment. 
 
 We were rather confined to the precincts of the 
 fort owing to the hostility of the natives, and it was 
 dangerous to go far without an escort. On 22nd 
 March two women who had gone out to collect 
 potatoes were murdered only a short distance away.
 
 V 
 
 Unyoro Expedition, April-June 1895 
 
 THE fiat had gone forth, " Kabarega delendus est." 
 With this object, in spite of the rainy season, a 
 large force was ordered to concentrate at Mruli on the 
 I 5th April, Owing to the great numbers of Waganda 
 taking part in the expedition, the force from Uganda 
 was delayed and did not arrive till the 20th. 
 
 Cunningham, who was now nearly well again, and I, 
 both took our ponies, as we were to proceed by a higher 
 and much better route than that previously followed, 
 vid Katonesi and Kisoga, avoiding the bad swamps, 
 and we ultimately reached our destination in six days. 
 
 Mruli used to be the capital in King Kamrasi's time 
 (1864), and has always had a certain importance from 
 its position on the main road to Uganda. This was 
 the most southern post occupied by General Gordon, 
 and I saw the site of the old fort on the right bank of 
 the Kafu River, which flows into the Nile at this point. 
 It is low and unhealthy, and there is a great deal of 
 sudd along the banks of the Nile here, which is also 
 continually blocking up the mouth of the Kafu River, 
 only about 30 yards broad. A few miles up this 
 river there is a fine grass plain on both sides, where 
 are to be found elephant, kobus kob, Jackson's harte- 
 beest, and also smaller antelope. The river there is a 
 
 5
 
 66 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 nice running stream between steep banks, and several 
 villages and banana plantations are scattered about in 
 the distance. Whilst waiting for the Uganda column 
 to arrive, I went out twice to shoot in this direction, 
 with half a company as escort, and killed four kobus 
 kob, two of which had good heads. It is rather a 
 disadvantage in stalking game to be followed by half a 
 company of soldiers, but one had to make the best of 
 it, and the Sudanese took a keen interest in the sport, 
 and were very useful in carrying back the meat. 
 
 The Nile at Mruli is 900 yards broad, and had dis- 
 tinctly risen since I was there in February, and it was 
 possible to see the water over the papyrus. We heard 
 afterwards that Lake Victoria had risen considerably, 
 which would account for it ; in fact, the pier built by 
 Colonel Colvile at Port Alice was completely covered 
 with water. The Wanyoro were in large numbers along 
 the opposite bank, and great preparations were being 
 made to oppose the crossing. The Nile makes a great 
 bend here, forming a right angle and sweeping round a 
 wooded cliff which rises to a height of 30 feet above 
 the water. At first sight the high ground contained in 
 the right angle appears to be an island, and has been 
 marked so in many of the old maps. 
 
 Along the cliff, lines of entrenchments had been dug 
 by the Wanyoro, and we could hear continual hammer- 
 ing as stockades were erected. A Maxim gun was 
 placed on a raised platform at the edge of the sudd, 
 and fired when working parties could be seen ; this 
 caused the work to cease by day, but it was resumed 
 again at nightfall. 
 
 About 60 yards of sudd which encircled the promon- 
 tory had been cut down to the water's edge to give the 
 defenders a clear field of fire, and formed a nasty
 
 ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WANYORO 67 
 
 obstacle. Ashburnham reconnoitred down the river 
 for some distance and found all the crossings guarded 
 and Kabarega in his old position opposite Kajumbura 
 Island. 
 
 On 20th April, Captain Ternan, D.S.O., and Lieut. 
 Madocks arrived on the east bank of the Kafu with the 
 Uganda column, consisting of one company Sudanese 
 and about 15,000 Waganda. 
 
 The latter had brought with them overland a great 
 number of canoes in pieces, which had now to be sewn 
 together by the native canoemen. With this force also 
 came two Hotchkiss guns, which had recently been 
 sent up from the coast. They were wonderfully 
 accurate and proved of great value, though the labour 
 of dragging them through the swamps was enormous. 
 A hundred Waganda were told off each day for the 
 purpose. 
 
 Mr. Grant was expected daily with a fleet of canoes 
 which he was bringing down the Nile from Namiongwa 
 through Lake Kioja, and, at about noon on the 22nd, 
 sharp firing commencing from the opposite bank denoted 
 his approach. He took shelter under the left bank 
 till 1.30 p.m., when, supported by the Katikiro (General 
 of the Waganda forces) with ten big canoes which had 
 been sewn together and launched, he advanced to the 
 attack, covered by a heavy fire from the Hotchkiss 
 guns and the Maxims. It was an extremely pretty 
 sight to see the canoes suddenly advance across the 
 river in line, and the cliff opposite was wreathed in 
 smoke where the Wanyoro were firing from their 
 entrenchments. It was a strong position, and in places 
 there were two or even three tiers of fire. 
 
 As the canoes reached the barrier of the sudd, and 
 could get no farther, the occupants had to get out and
 
 68 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 wade through the floating vegetation to the shore, and 
 it is marvellous that not more men were hit. 
 
 It was an exciting scene, as the white-robed 
 Waganda, and the Sudanese soldiers in Grant's canoes 
 rushed forward to the attack, and stormed the central 
 stockade. As soon as this was won, the enemy quickly 
 retired from the other defences, and could be seen 
 flying over the hill pursued by the Waganda. Three 
 men were killed and twelve wounded on our side, and 
 the Katikiro received a spear wound in the arm. The 
 defenders had remained at their posts till the last, and 
 forty-one killed were counted lying in the trenches. 
 
 As soon as the position fell, Ashburnham was ordered 
 off to prevent Kabarega recrossing the Victoria Nile 
 into Unyoro, and marched that evening for Kajumbura 
 Island with two companies and a Hotchkiss gun. The 
 crossing to the right bank commenced at once, and 
 continued for three days, being much delayed by the 
 sudd which was always blocking up the mouth of the 
 Kafu, where the embarkation in canoes took place. 
 
 The noise and confusion were tremendous, and the 
 Waganda boatmen were constantly running into each 
 other, so that numbers of canoes were smashed. It 
 was useless to expostulate, and they could not be pre- 
 vailed upon to pass each other on any particular side, 
 i.e. to the right or left. All day the canoes went to 
 and fro, many of them leaking, and almost filling with 
 water before they landed their freights on the opposite 
 bank. 
 
 A stockaded post was built near the site of our old 
 camp at Mruli, and in the middle of it there was a big 
 tree, from the top of which a sentry could have a good 
 view of the river and the surrounding country. A 
 small garrison was left here under the command of a
 
 THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 69 
 
 native officer. Cunningham and I left our ponies at 
 Mruli until our return. 
 
 The total strength of the expedition was as 
 follows : — 
 
 Major G. Cunningham — Derbyshire Regiment (in 
 command). 
 
 Captain T.B. Ternan, D.S.O. — Manchester Regiment. 
 
 Captain Ashburnham — 60th Rifles. 
 
 Lieutenant R. J. Madocks — Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 
 
 Lieutenant S. Vandeleur — Scots Guards. 
 
 Mr. Grant. 
 
 Dr. Mackinnon. 
 
 6 companies Sudanese (500 men). 
 
 20,000 Waganda irregulars. 
 
 2 Hotchkiss guns. 
 
 3 Maxim guns. 
 
 Lying as it did close to the scene of the action, the 
 camp was in a most unsanitary condition, and we were 
 all longing to be off, but a start could not be made 
 until the canoes had been repaired, and the river 
 column under Mr. Grant was ready to go. We were 
 to march along the right bank, whilst Grant moved 
 down the Nile with the naval forces. One of his 
 canoes called the flagship was hewn out of a single 
 tree, and held easily fifty men, with a Maxim gun in 
 the bows. 
 
 Everything was ready by the 27th of April, and on 
 that day we marched off at 6.30 a.m., along a good 
 road made by the Wanyoro near the river bank. The 
 country was thickly wooded with very fine trees, and 
 ten miles to the east lay some high hills between 
 Kalengari Hill and the high Mahorsi ridge. I noticed 
 several traps for hippo formed by upright poles sup- 
 porting a weighted spear point which was arranged so
 
 70 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 as to drop on the animal when he passed underneath. 
 The spear point was of course poisoned. 
 
 There was a lovely bit of country at Kitao, opposite 
 Kajumbura Island, covered with tall Borassus palms, 
 feathery date palms, and shady trees, with a green 
 lawn stretching down to the water's edge. 
 
 Kabarega had very wisely retired on hearing of the 
 crossing having been successfully effected at MruH, as 
 the ground on the same bank was open and quite 
 indefensible, but the remains of his residence, the site 
 of which had been well chosen, were still to be seen, 
 and on the rising ground among the trees about a mile 
 off were some Wakedi villages. Ashburnham's column 
 was encamped opposite on the left bank of the Nile, 
 and he came across in the afternoon to see us, just 
 recovering from a severe attack of fever. We halted a 
 day at Kitao, and I went down the river with Grant 
 and the canoes on a reconnaissance. The river was 
 very winding, and there was a strong stream. A party 
 of Waganda went out on the same day across towards 
 Lake Kioja, and captured 220 cows and 300 sheep 
 and goats, after a fight with some Wanyoro. 
 
 We continued our march on ist May, and our 
 troubles were now to begin ; between here and Foweira 
 we had to cross deep swamps and rivers running into 
 the Nile, I was in charge of the Hotchkiss gun this 
 day. Two hours after the start we came to a 
 broad and deep swamp reported to run for 6 miles 
 inland. It took an hour to convey the gun across, 
 and the barrel had to be lifted off the carriage and 
 carried across by men resting poles on their shoulders. 
 
 The carriage was dragged through the swamp under 
 water most of the time. One or more crocodiles were 
 lying in the passage through the papyrus, and two
 
 A CROCODILE SCARE 71 
 
 men were bitten about 100 yards behind me. When 
 the whole force had got across, it was discovered 
 that, altogether, six men had been seized, and three 
 of these were frightfully lacerated above the knee, and 
 ultimately succumbed to their wounds from blood 
 poisoning. 
 
 Luckily most people remained in ignorance of their 
 danger until they were across the swamp, for the 
 passage being narrow, everyone crowded into it from 
 the bank, so that there was no means of retreat. 
 
 A crocodile scare occurred very easily after this, 
 and it was alarming to see the great mass of people 
 swaying from side to side in the deep water in their 
 endeavours to get out of the way of the supposed 
 crocodile. On one of these occasions a certain white 
 officer, who was being carried through the swamp on 
 the shoulders of a stalwart Mganda, found himself left 
 close to the dreaded spot, and expected momentarily 
 to be deposited by his bearer into the jaws of a croco- 
 dile, the man not being able to dash away with the 
 others, owing to the weight on his shoulders. 
 
 Our next camp, Kosoka, was situated between the 
 river and a curious hill called Kibuzi, on the top of 
 which are strewn large blocks of granite. 
 
 It was reported here that a river in front was im- 
 passable, and that the enemy were holding the far side 
 of it. I was sent in the afternoon with a company to 
 find out the truth of this, and after going 2^ miles 
 came to a broad sheet of water covered with papyrus 
 rushes. 
 
 The only means of finding out whether it was ford- 
 able was to wade into it, and my feelings were far from 
 pleasant, as I remembered the crocodiles in the morn- 
 ing. At every movement of the reeds one could fancy
 
 72 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 that one of these brutes was advancing to the attack. 
 The water got deeper and deeper, until it reached the 
 armpits ; but the worst portion was over, and after 
 going about 250 yards, we reached an island, on the 
 farther side of which the channel was narrower, and 
 not so deep. The enemy on the opposite bank proved 
 to be some Wakedi with some spears and bows and 
 arrows, with whom we did not interfere. 
 
 Having taken good care to carry my coat contain- 
 ing my chronometer, watch, and pocket-compass on 
 my head, I was very angry to find that my Somali 
 interpreter had walked through the river with my 
 precious prismatic compass and aneroid slung round 
 him, well underneath the water. 
 
 There was little difficulty in forcing the passage the 
 next day. The Wakedi were soon dispersed by the 
 Maxim, and the Waganda crossed and extended very 
 rapidly on the other side, and their white dresses could 
 be seen far off to the right and left. They are particu- 
 larly good at executing this movement, and it is a 
 pretty sight to see. 
 
 I was with the rear-guard this day, 2nd May, and it 
 was hard work forcing one's way through the dense 
 masses of Waganda, who blocked up the road. Many 
 of the chiefs had their wives with them, and it was 
 amusing to see these fine ladies in white dresses pick- 
 ing their way through the mud. After crossing the 
 Kola River, we passed through a large Wakedi village, 
 and then over some swampy ground, which delayed the 
 gun very much, camping eventually at a village called 
 Niambari. 
 
 The Waganda went on scouting far to the front, and 
 messengers returned in the afternoon, who reported 
 having fallen in with a force of Wanyoro 8 miles off. A
 
 ON KABAREGA'S TRACK 73 
 
 prisoner whom they brought back stated that Kabarega 
 was with them himself, and that he was retreating into 
 the Wakedi country with a quantity of cattle. 
 
 Cunningham ordered Madocks to start with a flying 
 column in pursuit at once. At 6 p.m., Madocks and I 
 left with two companies Sudanese, one Maxim gun 
 detachment, and 7000 Waganda. We marched in a 
 north-easterly direction till about 1 1 p.m., mostly 
 through swampy ground, where we were assailed by 
 swarms of mosquitoes. We then halted near a deserted 
 village for the remainder of the night, and started again 
 at dawn the next morning. The tracks of cattle 
 became very distinct as we went on, along a most 
 abominable road, skirting a large river, and passing in 
 and out of swamps. The pace became faster and 
 faster, and the Waganda in front were just like hounds 
 in full cry. It was impossible to keep up, and at 
 twelve o'clock we halted for an hour, to give the men 
 carrying loads a necessary rest. The Zanzibaris carry- 
 ing the Maxim gun and the ammunition were quite 
 exhausted with struggling through the swamps at this 
 pace. There were several Wakedi natives hovering 
 about the column, and we had to keep a good look-out 
 not to be rushed by them. 
 
 On marching again, the cattle tracks were seen to 
 be quite fresh, and there were marks showing where 
 beasts unable to go any farther had been hastily killed 
 and cut up. 
 
 At length, about 3 p.m., we came up with an 
 immense quantity of cattle, which were captured very 
 easily, and the Wanyoro offered little resistance, only 
 ten men being killed and wounded on our side. 
 Kabarega was unfortunately not with them, and, 
 according to a deserter, had left the road with some
 
 74 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 of his followers, and gone in a south-easterly direction. 
 It was a great disappointment, as we had hoped to 
 come up with him. Everyone was far too tired to 
 move any further for the day, and it was a relief to lie 
 down. Strict orders had been issued for the villages 
 of the Wakedi people, with whom we had no quarrel, 
 to be left alone ; but owing to their determined hos- 
 tility, and the fact of several men having being speared 
 by them from the high grass at the side of the road, 
 it became impossible to restrain the Waganda any 
 longer. 
 
 The people, as can be gleaned from their name, Wa 
 Kedi, which means naked people, wear absolutely no 
 clothes. They are a small race ; the men have the 
 centre teeth of the lower jaw taken out, and some have 
 beads sewn on to a tuft of hair at the back of the head. 
 They are a formidable race, armed with spears and 
 poisoned arrows, and are fond of attacking at night. 
 The Waganda have a great dread of them, and have 
 invariably suffered reverses in their attempts to enter 
 the country further to the south. 
 
 In 1877 a force of 200 Sudanese soldiers from 
 the Egyptian post at Mruli was surprised and cut to 
 pieces by them, and on another occasion a force from 
 the same post was massacred by them in a night 
 attack. They were just like snakes in the grass, and 
 used to creep up close to the camp and spear men out 
 fetching water or cutting grass. It was necessary to 
 build a strong zariba every night. 
 
 The river whose course we had been following is 
 called the Lenga and, according to a Mkedi prisoner, 
 extends for a long way inland. Some days to the 
 north-east, beyond the source of the Lenga, is a 
 country said to be full of camels and donkeys and
 
 THE WAKEDI HARASS OUR LINES 75 
 
 inhabited by natives who wear gold ornaments in their 
 ears. 
 
 On our way along the Lenga we passed through 
 several large villages, which consisted of a quantity of 
 big cone-shaped huts, with a curious entrance, forming a 
 porch about 3 feet in diameter. The interior of the huts 
 was in some cases painted white and ornamented with 
 rough patterns. They had no protection in the form 
 of a fence round them, and apparently the people live 
 in peace with each other, although they do not owe 
 allegiance to any one man, and each village is quite 
 independent of the other. This fact would make it 
 rather difficult for any expedition entering the country, 
 as although some villages might be friendly, the others 
 could not be depended upon. 
 
 It seemed to be a land of plenty, and there were 
 large quantities of mtama, dhurra, sweet potatoes, 
 semsem, tobacco, beans, etc. We also found honey, 
 which was a great luxury. 
 
 There were rumours that the Wakedi intended to 
 attack us in force on our march back to the Nile with 
 the cattle, about 1000 in number, so strict precau- 
 tions were taken, and the cattle were divided up into 
 lots of about 100 each and placed under the guard 
 of a mixed escort of Sudanese and Waganda. 
 
 We marched by a shorter and straighter route than 
 before, leaving the river to our right. The Katikiro 
 with some Waganda led the way, and a force of 
 Waganda brought up the rear of the column, which 
 was a very long one. The Wakedi made no attack 
 in force, but harassed the line of march, killing and 
 wounding several men and also an unfortunate Wan- 
 yoro woman. It was impossible to see them in the 
 grass, and difficult to retaliate.
 
 ye UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 There were some very fine beasts among the cattle, 
 and the length of their horns was quite extraordinary, 
 some being fully 3 feet 6 inches long, but they were 
 sadly jaded after the way in which they had been 
 driven and hurried along ; and several had to be killed 
 on the road back to Niambari, which we reached in 
 two days. We enjoyed a well-earned rest here on the 
 6th, and continued the march along the Nile on the 
 7th. There was heavy rain and thunder, usually in 
 the afternoon and at night, but, considering that it was 
 supposed to be the middle of the rainy season, we 
 suffered very little discomfort. 
 
 At Niambari two of the Zanzibari servants woke 
 up one morning to find a great puff-adder curled up 
 and asleep in their tent — not a pleasant bed-fellow. 
 One day I also had an unpleasant adventure with a 
 snake. On coming into camp after a march, I lay 
 down on my bed to read. My servant entered the 
 tent later, and to my astonishment retreated into a 
 corner looking very frightened, and pointed to the bag 
 at the foot of my camp bed. Here to my horror, close 
 to my feet, was a great snake with part of his body 
 and its head raised, just apparently about to dart on 
 to the bed, where I was lying. It did not take me 
 long to slip cautiously over the back of the bed on to 
 the ground, and we killed the snake on the bag before 
 it had time to move. 
 
 Although I have mentioned these incidents it was 
 curious how seldom snakes were seen, as they must 
 have thrived in this damp heat and tropical vegeta- 
 tion. 
 
 We continued our march along the Nile on the 7th, 
 and on that day spent almost more time in the water 
 than we did on dry land. The native officer who had
 
 CAPTURE OF THE NAMASOLE TJ 
 
 been sent to reconnoitre the road for six hours the day 
 before, reported that it was a very good one. So it 
 was for four miles, and he had taken good care not to 
 go further. Beyond that, the Lenga joined the Nile 
 and formed a little delta, choked by masses of floating 
 vegetation. But for this and the papyrus, which so 
 soon forms a causeway, I imagine the river would have 
 been unfordable. 
 
 Our march along the right bank came to an end on 
 the 8th, when we camped opposite Foweira and again 
 met Grant with the canoes. Ternan had gone away 
 with Ashburnham and a small force to patrol the line 
 of river down to the Murchison Falls. 
 
 The latter had made the fortunate capture, on the 
 east bank, of the Namasole or Queen Mother, widow 
 of Kamrasi the former king of Unyoro, and mother of 
 Kabarega, an extraordinary-looking old woman who 
 was reported to have great influence over the people. 
 She was enormously fat and unwieldy, and was always 
 carried about on an angareb (bedstead). She had 
 escaped being thrown with the remainder of Kamrasi's 
 wives into his grave, as described by Baker. With her 
 were several members of the royal family, including 
 sons of Kabarega. My Somali interpreter used to 
 amuse me by calling them the royalties. 
 
 No further news could be obtained of Kabarega, 
 and Cunningham decided to cross over to the west 
 bank, and proceed to Masindi, where it was intended 
 to build a fort with a view to keeping Kabarega out of 
 Northern Unyoro. The river Dukhi flows into the 
 Nile from the north-east just north of Foweira, and is 
 swift and unfordable, so that a farther advance by land 
 would have necessitated much delay in crossing this 
 obstacle in canoes. The chief Kakunguru and a party
 
 78 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 of irregulars were sent, however, across it after a number 
 of Wanyoro, who had retreated in this direction, and 
 succeeded in capturing 500 cattle. A canoe upset 
 whilst crossing the river Dukhi, and a chief and four 
 men were unfortunately swept away by the strong 
 current, and drowned. The inhabitants north of this 
 river are called Shulis, and live in walled villages, 
 apparently having no dealings with their neighbours, 
 the Wakedi to the south. They did not show any 
 hostility but simply retired into their villages, and 
 waved flags, as the Waganda passed by in pursuit of 
 the Wanyoro. 
 
 Owing to the masses of Waganda, quite a town of 
 grass huts had grown up here, and it presented a curious 
 sight as we walked through it, though the smoke from the 
 green-wood fires was almost unbearable. I noticed 
 several men studying their Luganda prayer-books, and 
 the missionaries have certainly done wonders in teach- 
 ing the people to read and write. 
 
 We recrossed the Victoria Nile at Foweira, about 
 the spot where Sir Samuel Baker crossed in 1872, 
 and although the river is about 500 yards broad in 
 the open, and there is a strong stream, nearly all the 
 cattle captured from Kabarega, amounting now to 
 2000, swam safely over. It was a strange sight to see 
 the long line of cattle struggling across the river with 
 their heads bobbing about in the water. Many of them 
 were carried far down the stream and had to work 
 their way up under the lee of the shore to the only 
 place where the high bank was cut away sufficiently 
 to enable them to land. A very few were seized by 
 crocodiles. Navigation ends soon after Foweira has 
 been passed, when the banks of the river contract, and 
 the broad mass of water, suddenly confined to a narrow
 
 DISASTER TO A PARTY OF WAGANDA 79 
 
 space, assumes an alarming velocity. The floating 
 islands are whirled rapidly down to certain destruction 
 in the rocks and rapids below. The Nile making a 
 great bend to the west soon dashes down over the 
 Karuma Falls and onwards in a succession of cataracts 
 to Lake Albert. 
 
 By observations, I made the height of Foweira 3470 
 feet, and Lake Albert 2 1 1 3 feet above the sea, so that 
 in the distance of 53 miles along its course between 
 Foweira and the smooth water below the Murchison 
 Falls, the river drops 1360 feet. 
 
 The crossing of the whole force to the left bank 
 occupied nearly a week, and the sudd had to be cut 
 away at first to make room for the canoes. 
 
 Every day one or two men were speared by Wakedi, 
 and Mackinnon had a hard time in attending to the 
 wounded. On the iith a large party of Waganda, 
 who had gone out without orders, fell into an ambush 
 whilst crossing a swamp, and lost i 50 of their number 
 killed. They were returning back to camp in their 
 usual careless manner, when the Wakedi suddenly 
 charged down on them with spears. A sauve qui peut 
 ensued, and but few returned to tell the tale. 
 
 As the numbers of Waganda on the right bank 
 decreased, and all the soldiers except No. 4 Company 
 were withdrawn, a perfect panic seized those left 
 behind, owing to a rumour that the Wakedi were 
 coming down on them. They rushed madly into the 
 water regardless of the danger of being seized by 
 crocodiles or of drowning, and fought with each other 
 to get into the canoes. The Katikiro could do nothing 
 with them, and another company had to be sent back 
 to restore confidence. 
 
 We had a delightful camp on the left bank at
 
 80 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 Foweira, 30 feet above the river, and our ponies 
 joined us here from Mruli, whither an escort had been 
 sent to fetch them. They were looking rather thin, 
 owing to the bad grass. On 1 8th May, Cunningham 
 left with a small force on a tour through northern 
 Unyoro, and the remainder of the column started on 
 the march to Masindi. Grant returned with his column 
 to Usoga on the same day by river, with orders to 
 leave ten canoes at Mruli, in case they were wanted. 
 There was very satisfactory news from this place ; it 
 was reported that the natives were coming in to settle 
 round the post we had built there, and to cultivate the 
 plantations. 
 
 In the angle formed by the Nile at Foweira there is 
 a dense impenetrable mass of vegetation and high 
 grass which rises to a height of fourteen feet above the 
 ground, and the whole country is thickly w'ooded. For 
 the first three days we had to march through country 
 like this. The great numbers of cattle trampled down 
 the grass on each side of the track, so that there was 
 soon a capital road, and the rear-guard and the Hotch- 
 kiss gun came easily along. It was arduous work, 
 however, colliding with and helping along sick persons, 
 tired cows and refractory guns, and the rear-guard as a 
 rule did not enter camp till late in the afternoon. 
 
 As we neared Masindi the country opened out, 
 and there were many banana plantations and fields 
 of green grass affording splendid grazing ground for 
 cattle. On the 6th day we came to a halt in the 
 Busindi district, and were joined by Ternan and Ash- 
 burnham from the Murchison Falls. The former had 
 been ill, and, hampered by a Hotchkiss gun, they had 
 actually been eleven days on the march, although the 
 distance is comparatively short. We spent two days
 
 MOUNT FUMBI 8i 
 
 here looking out for a site for the proposed fort, but 
 were unable to find a suitable spot, and on the second 
 day Madocks and I ascended to the top of Mount 
 Fumbi, which lay about 3 miles north of our camp. 
 
 Although I have been unable to find this hill 
 marked on any former map, it is quite the most notable 
 landmark in Unyoro. About three-quarters of a mile 
 long, and about 150 to 80 yards in breadth at the top, 
 it has precipitous sides, covered with grass, low trees, 
 and shrubs, and is 762 feet above Masindi Fort, the 
 present headquarters, and 4640 feet above the sea. It 
 can be seen distinctly from most parts of the country, 
 even from close to the Murchison Falls. From the top 
 of it one has a magnificent view over the country, 
 which, however, looks decidedly disappointing. The 
 dull green of the swamps preponderates ; bits of yellow 
 here and there mark the mtama cultivation, intermingled 
 with banana groves, especially to the west and north- 
 west, in which directions the country is very thickly 
 populated. Close to the east side, between Mount 
 Fumbi and the Kisoga line of hills, lies a small lake 
 fringed with papyrus, from which rises the river 
 Katagurakwa ; this stream flows through the narrow 
 gorge in the hills — where the VVanyoro laid an ambush 
 for us in our first march — and then across a flat plain 
 covered with low trees to the Kafu River. Far to the 
 north-west several hills stand out, among which the 
 Gisi peak is the most noticeable. The ground slopes 
 gradually down towards the lake in gentle undulations. 
 The valleys in the immediate vicinity of Mount Fumbi 
 are very fertile, and covered with quantities of Indian 
 corn, dhurra, mtama, tobacco, semsem, and banana 
 plantations. The castor-oil tree is also often found. 
 This hill is used as a refuge in time of war, and we 
 6
 
 82 UNYORO EXPEDITION, APRIL-JUNE 1895 
 
 found some tusks of ivory hidden away on the top, one 
 of them weighing no less than 1 64 lb. Kabarega is 
 still supposed to have a quantity of ivory concealed in 
 the swamps and rivers. 
 
 It was a hard climb up to the top, but I was well 
 rewarded by being able to make some useful additions 
 to my map and gain a splendid idea of the country. 
 Some enterprising Wanyoro had the impertinence to 
 fire on us w^hen we got there. 
 
 Not being able to find a good place for the fort, 
 we marched the next day, and I led the column in 
 a south-westerly direction to a place I had noticed on 
 returning from the previous expedition. Passing round 
 the base of Mount Fumbi, we halted on a knoll 1 1 
 miles west of it, which was an excellent situation on 
 high ground, with a stream close by, and surrounded 
 by many villages and much cultivation. Ternan finally 
 decided to build the fort here. 
 
 It is exactly in the same latitude as Kibero, namely, 
 1° 41' north, whilst Mruli is in 1° 39' north. 
 
 This was then our most northern line of occupation ; 
 but since that time the whole of Unyoro has been 
 definitely declared to be in the Protectorate, and 
 advanced posts have been established near the Mur- 
 chison Falls and at Foweira. 
 
 The Victoria Nile forms such a distinct geographical 
 and strategical boundary that one wonders w'hy this 
 advance has been so long delayed. 
 
 The construction of the Masindi Fort was at once 
 proceeded with, and, the operations being now con- 
 cluded, the Waganda army left for Uganda under the 
 Katikiro, travelling via the river Kafu and Bulamwezi, 
 leaving, however, a small number behind to assist in 
 building the fort. The contingent from Buddu was
 
 KABAREGA DEFEATED 83 
 
 ordered to return there direct, with instructions to 
 attack Rabadongo, Kabarega's Katikiro, at a place 
 called Misriandura on the way. News was afterwards 
 received that this attack had been entirely successful, 
 and that Rabadongo had been driven out of the 
 country and had thrown himself on the mercy of 
 Kasagama, King of Torn. 
 
 During this campaign nearly 250 women and 
 children who had been raided from Uganda in past 
 years by the Wanyoro were rescued, and were able 
 to return to their homes. 
 
 Although Kabarega had again eluded capture the 
 expedition had been an entirely successful one, and 
 he had sustained a severe loss in the 2000 cattle 
 which had been captured from him. He had been 
 driven out of his own country across the Nile, and 
 the whole of Northern Unyoro had been traversed and 
 patrolled for the first time since the establishment of 
 a British Protectorate over Uganda. Numbers of the 
 natives were coming in to make peace, and a market- 
 place was soon formed near the site of the fort. This 
 was to be a very strong one, and consisted of a 
 parapet 4 feet 6 inches in height, with deep ditch 
 outside, forming a large square of 80 yards inside, 
 and defended at two opposite corners by strong flanks 
 with a stockade 8 feet in height. 
 
 Ashburnham returned to Uganda on the 29th, and, 
 leaving Ternan and Madocks at Masindi, Cunningham, 
 Mackinnon, and I arrived at Hoima with Nos. 3 and 
 4 Companies on 5th June, after nearly two months' 
 absence.
 
 VI 
 
 Capture of Arab Slave Station in 
 Southern Unyoro 
 
 ON our return to Hoima we found that they had 
 been having exciting times there as well, as 
 the following grave but humorous entries in the diary 
 kept day by day in the fort by Mr. Forster will 
 show : — 
 
 " April I ^th. — Lion visited camp during night and 
 carried off woman (Bunyoro). 
 
 " April 20th. — Lion came again and took another 
 woman. 
 
 " April 2 1st. — Lion carried off Bunyoro man. Seen 
 by patrols and fired at. He visited cattle-house, and 
 was wounded by guard. 
 
 '^ April 22nd. — Section went out to look for lion and 
 found him near river. Badly wounded, but very 
 fierce ! ! Was killed and brought into camp, 
 
 " April 2\th. — Another lion (probably lioness) visited 
 camp during night, and carried off Nubian child. 
 Was seen by patrols and fired at. 
 
 ^^ April 2^th. — Lioness came again, and went to 
 cattle-house, where guard fired at and wounded her. 
 One of the shots struck house at considerable distance, 
 and entered thigh of Nubian woman, where it still 
 remains. Woman apparently little the worse. 
 
 84
 
 PERILS FROM LIONS 85 
 
 " May 3;'^. — Askari Kamsur Mohamed, No. 3 Com- 
 pany, broke out of camp at night in drunken state, and 
 fired six shots at sentries. Attempts made to capture 
 him, but without success." And yet some people think 
 Hfe in Africa must be so dull ! ! 
 
 Forster told me he found the tracks of the above 
 lions passed one night 2 yards from the door of my 
 house. As the door was only made of grass, and 
 could easily have been pushed down, I congratulated 
 myself on not having been at home. Lions had never 
 been heard of here before, and it was an extraordinary 
 circumstance that they should have come here through 
 the dense grass and undergrowth. The inhabitants 
 were naturally terrified. Precisely the same thing 
 happened at Kitanwa in July, when a lion visited the 
 place three nights running, taking a child the first 
 night, a woman the next, and a child on the third 
 night, when I happened to be camping there on my 
 return from Lake Albert. 
 
 I went at once in the morning to the place where 
 it occurred and found the poor mother in a state of 
 frenzy, and her arms and breast were torn by the 
 brute's claws as it had seized the child from her. 
 The hole in the side of the native hut where it had 
 forced its way in could be plainly seen. In this 
 instance we were able to follow the tracks across some 
 fields of cultivation, but they then disappeared into 
 the long grass near a swamp and we could go no 
 farther. 
 
 I was disappointed to find that my garden at 
 Hoima, which we fondly imagined was going to supply 
 us with so many luxuries, had turned out a failure, 
 owing to the little rain there had been. 
 
 The queen-mother and suite were installed in a
 
 86 CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION 
 
 house at Hoima, and many Wanyoro came in to see 
 her and to make peace. She had been a great 
 nuisance on the march, and at one time refused to be 
 carried any farther. There were endless difficulties 
 with her also about food. She insisted on having 
 meat and milk ; it was beneath the dignity of the 
 royal family to eat potatoes and plantains. Women 
 also in Unyoro will not eat chicken or fish, so the old 
 lady was rather limited in her bill of fare. I used to 
 pay her a visit occasionally, and once showed her the 
 Christmas number of the Graphic^ in which she was 
 much interested, especially in the picture of a lion 
 devouring a white man who had just taken a thorn 
 out of its foot ; she no doubt wished the white men in 
 Unyoro could have been exterminated in the same 
 manner. She was rather cheeky at times, and one 
 day asked by what right we had come into Unyoro, 
 and why we had not sent to ask Kabarega's permission. 
 As long as she could get plenty of marissa, which is 
 the intoxicating spirit made from bananas, she was 
 quite happy. There were many reports of her cruelty 
 in former days, and it was said that she used to think 
 nothing of ordering fifty people to have their heads 
 cut off in her own district, which used to extend south 
 from Hoima to Bugoma. 
 
 I was destined to remain only ten days at Hoima, 
 during which time my energies were devoted to laying 
 out the new road to Masindi to connect the two posts. 
 This was very much wanted, as the native path, by its 
 eccentric bends and sinuosities, made the distance to 
 be traversed nearly twice as long as it need have been. 
 Starting up the centre of the densely overgrown valley 
 to the north the road was to cross the high stony ridge 
 on the east, and then, descending into another valley,
 
 THE START MADE 87 
 
 to skirt the high ground which finally juts out into a 
 point at Kibugumia. 
 
 At this time Southern Unyoro was still in a rather 
 disturbed state, and the chiefs had not come in. Mr. 
 Foaker had been sent from Uganda to establish the 
 Nakabimba post on the Msisi River, with a view to 
 intercepting the large Arab caravans which were 
 known to be bringing arms and gunpowder into the 
 country in exchange for slaves and ivory. On 15 th 
 June letters arrived — sent through with all speed from 
 Uganda — to say that one of the patrols sent out along 
 the Msisi River had been fired upon by Arabs coming 
 into Unyoro, who had killed and wounded some of the 
 Sudanese soldiers and effected a crossing. Another 
 Arab caravan was also known to be on its way, and 
 was expected daily. Cunningham had been ill for a 
 week, suffering from a severe attack of haematuric 
 fever, the most deadly of all African diseases, and it 
 was fortunate he had Mackinnon to look after him. I 
 was in consequence ordered off alone with Nos. 3 and 
 4 Companies Sudanese, one Maxim-gun detachment, 
 and the irregulars; total strength about 250, and 
 marched off on the morning of the i6th. It poured 
 with rain the whole day, and the native track to Mis- 
 riandura was in a frightful condition. We marched 
 till dark, as it was important to get on as quickly as 
 possible before notice could be given of our approach. 
 No bugle-calls were sounded, and starting early the 
 next day we made our way through the thick bush by 
 little-used tracks, avoiding habitations, and passing to 
 the left of some high hills which form the gate of 
 Bugoma. We reached the Chief Chikakule's district 
 at noon, effectually surprising the inhabitants, who 
 were holding a market. The alarm soon spread, and
 
 88 CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION 
 
 the natives collected to defend their villages, situated 
 on some rising ground in front, but were soon routed 
 by No. 3 Company and the irregulars, who extended 
 and advanced in good order up the slope. It was 
 getting late, so I halted here and sent out patrols 
 immediately to try and discover the whereabouts of 
 the Arab station, which was the raison d'etre of the 
 expedition. The country to the south was entirely 
 unmapped, and it was very difficult to obtain any 
 information. However, by good luck it was ascer- 
 tained that the Arabs were at a place called Mwenda's, 
 farther to the south. To reach this we had to cross 
 two big swamps which form the head -waters of the 
 Kafu River. After crossing some fairly open rising 
 ground beyond them, it was curious to find, 5 miles 
 farther on, a river about 30 yards broad and, at the 
 time we crossed it, 4 feet deep, flowing in the opposite 
 direction towards the Albert Nyanza. This river, ris- 
 ing in the same swamp as the Kafu, is called the 
 Ravasanja, and would be impassable during the rains. 
 A very well-kept road led from this point to the Arab 
 station at Mwenda's, which I had the good fortune to 
 surprise and capture. The high grass round it enabled 
 us to approach unperceived, and the men then charged 
 into the enclosures, which covered a space about 400 
 yards square, with bugles blowing and an appal- 
 ling noise going on. The loot proved too much for 
 the Sudanese soldiers, and, on the enemy being driven 
 out, my small army, mindful of old days, dispersed in 
 all directions, and it was a long time before I could 
 restore order. Some of them had to be severely dealt 
 with. I managed to collect scattered remnants of No. 
 4 Company to send in pursuit, and at the same time 
 opened fire with the Maxim on the Arabs, who were
 
 THE ROLL-CALL 89 
 
 retiring across the stream in the valley and up the far 
 slope. Many could be seen carrying off tusks of ivory. 
 Some of the huts were unfortunately set on fire, and 
 a good deal of loot was, I fear, destroyed ; but the 
 capture proved a valuable one, including many bales 
 of cloth, coloured silks, cowries, twenty-four tusks of 
 iv^ory, guns, percussion caps, and thirty-three kegs of 
 gunpowder. 
 
 The Arabs were completely surprised, and offered 
 little resistance. Our total casualties were, two men 
 killed, two wounded, and three severely injured by 
 an explosion of gunpowder. One of the latter had 
 all the flesh burnt off his face and hands, and pre- 
 sented a ghastly appearance, being quite unrecognis- 
 able. Most of the slaves ran into the bush on hearing 
 the firing, so that only twenty were found. Eighteen 
 prisoners were captured, but the Arab ringleaders 
 unfortunately escaped. We also secured thirty-five 
 cows, three very good donkeys, and some goats and 
 sheep. 
 
 It is curious how this station had existed so long 
 without having been discovered, and it shows the diffi- 
 culty of ascertaining what goes on in this wilderness 
 of high elephant grass and river swamps. Khalfan, 
 the leading Arab, had been in Unyoro for two years, 
 and employed a number of subordinates, who con- 
 ducted caravans to and from the coast through the 
 German territory south of Lake Victoria. It must 
 have been a lucrative trade, as the price of slaves did 
 not run high in Equatoria. One woman told me she 
 had been sold for three goats, with one extra goat 
 thrown in for her child. Another woman had been 
 sold for a load of beads, and others for guns. Appar- 
 ently there was a demand for extremely fat women, as
 
 90 CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION 
 
 there were four Waganda slaves who were of such 
 mountainous proportions that they could hardly move 
 about. 
 
 Slaves are most unsatisfactory individuals, and have 
 a dread of the unknown. I left them at Mwenda's 
 until my return from Southern Unyoro, and they all 
 seemed quite happy, and glad to be free. However, 
 on the first day's march back to Hoima, after my 
 return, several of them disappeared into the bush, only 
 to be appropriated by someone else. Needless to say, 
 the fat Waganda did not run away. 
 
 In the enclosures there v/ere a number of houses, 
 built, like the Sv/ahili houses on the East Coast, in an 
 oblong shape with thatched roofs. Khalfan lived in a 
 very nice one, and evidently led a life of ease and 
 luxury, which was rudely broken by the arrival of the 
 white man and the hated soldiery. Many documents 
 in Arabic writing were found lying about, and every- 
 thing was in confusion, showing the haste with which 
 he had taken to flight. 
 
 I had received orders to establish communication 
 with the post at Nakabimba, but it was very uncertain 
 where this was situated, so we had to struggle blindly 
 on in a southerly direction. A stockaded post was 
 built at Mwenda's, in which all the cloth, ivory, etc. 
 was collected and stored, and a small force of thirty 
 men, under Mulazim Rehan Abdullah, was left behind 
 to garrison it. 
 
 The country between Mwenda's and Kisimba is 
 very fertile, and covered with banana plantations and 
 cultivation. After crossing a deep swamp and river 
 called Embaia, which was only just fordable, the 
 country alters entirely, and one enters a line of rugged 
 hills covered with blocks of eranite in curious and
 
 A MEETING OF FRIENDS 91 
 
 fantastic shapes, two little peaks facing us as we entered 
 the line of hills, bearing a strange resemblance to a 
 native saddle. Streams rise in these hills, but rapidly 
 become papyrus swamps. Passing through a gap in 
 the hills we gradually ascended to a high mountainous 
 plateau where there is a big village called Bianja, and 
 here the inhabitants were friendly and brought us in 
 provisions. I was delighted to hear that the fort was 
 only about 9 miles off, and it was very satisfactory 
 to find that we had come by such a direct route. 
 Continuing our march the next day, 23rd June, through 
 the same barren and mountainous country, we reached 
 the Msisi River, flowing in a deep gorge below us, and 
 winding in all directions as it forced its way through 
 the high rocky hills towards Lake Albert. 
 
 We could see the Nakabimba fort, which had just 
 been built by Mr. Foaker, on a high hill south of the 
 Msisi, but it took us a long time to descend into the 
 narrow gorge and cross the river. As we ascended the 
 steep and stony path up the opposite hillside the dis- 
 cordant blasts of the Sudanese buglers re-echoed 
 through the mountain and gave notice of our approach. 
 
 It was, indeed, a surprise for the garrison of the fort, 
 but not equal to that which I experienced when, to my 
 delight and astonishment, I saw my former adjutant 
 and brother-officer. Captain Pulteney, coming down with 
 Mr. Foaker to meet me in this wild and mountainous 
 part of Central Africa, the last place in which I should 
 have expected to see him. Leaving the coast on 20th 
 March, he had, on arriving in Uganda, been sent 
 straight on to take over the command at Nakabimba, 
 where he had already been a week. Our mails and 
 news from home had been very few and far between, 
 so it will be imagined with what joy I met a brother-
 
 92 CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION 
 
 officer who had only just come out. It is said we 
 talked for two days consecutively, during which Foaker 
 learnt something about the brigade of Guards. The 
 fort is in latitude 38' 24" north, and is 4582 feet above 
 the sea, so that the climate there was naturally much 
 colder and fresher than in other parts of Unyoro. It 
 is a wild and rugged country, but there are a good 
 many Wanyoro living in the valleys among the hills. 
 Not far from here lie the far-famed Mountains of the 
 Moon, the snow-covered Ruw^enzori range, which so 
 seldom deigns to reveal its splendour to the human 
 eye. Foaker had only three times seen the snow from 
 the fort during a stay of six weeks. After a day's rest 
 at Nakabimba I started with Pulteney, who intended 
 to come with me as far as Mwenda's, on my return 
 journey by a different route for the purpose of survey- 
 ing. Marching along the river for three hours we 
 reached the crossing known as Ruantomara, which is 
 made by heaping bundles of papyrus one over the 
 other so as to form a causeway. It was in very bad 
 order, some of the papyrus having been washed away, 
 so that from only being in 2 feet of water one sud- 
 denly subsided into a hole almost up to one's neck. 
 Many loads were dropped into the water in con- 
 sequence, including my tent and bed, and some of 
 Pulteney's tin boxes. It took one and a half hours for 
 the small column to get across the river, which was 
 not more than 30 yards broad. 
 
 On the second day we left the granite hills at a 
 place called Bwiaga, and descended into the plain 
 again. Now, it so happened that two Arabs named 
 Mse and Juma bin Fakir, with a large caravan, had 
 selected this very route to leave the country by, 
 thinking to avoid me by making a detour to the west,
 
 MSE AND JUMA BIN FAKIR SURPRISED 93 
 
 as they considered that I was certain to return by my 
 old road. Scouts in front reported that a caravan of 
 some sort was coming along the road (a native track 
 one foot wide, buried in elephant grass 10 feet high), 
 so we halted to allow it to approach. Strolling leisurely 
 along at its head who should walk into our very arms 
 as we lay concealed in the grass but the two Arab 
 leaders. In a moment all was confusion, — Arabs, 
 Zanzibaris, Wanyamwezi porters with food and tusks 
 of ivory on their heads, and slaves, all dived into the 
 grass as our men rushed out with a wild hurroosh. 
 Some were pulled out by the legs, others by the arms, 
 but a great many escaped, as the attempt to find them 
 in the long grass was just like looking for a needle in a 
 bundle of hay. This mattered little, however, as we 
 had secured the leaders. I do not think I ever re- 
 member seeing men so utterly flabbergasted as Messrs. 
 Mse and Juma bin Fakir, as they stood trembling in 
 the hands of the delighted Sudanese soldiers, who, with 
 their customary lightning-like leger-de-main, were appro- 
 priating any little articles of value they could lay their 
 hands on, to keep as a souvenir of the occasion. The 
 rout was complete, and the road onwards for miles 
 was strewn with the debris of gourds, bits of cloth, 
 potatoes, Indian corn, and pots and pans dropped by 
 the flying remnants of the caravan, hotly pursued by 
 the irregulars. 
 
 We reached Mwenda's on the fourth day, and found 
 all well. Here Pulteney left me to return to Naka- 
 bimba, where he became a terror to Arab slavers 
 and a good friend to the Wanyoro ; whilst I set 
 out the next day for Hoima, arriving there on July 
 the 1st burdened with the captured loot, prisoners, 
 and slaves.
 
 94 CAPTURE OF ARAB SLAVE STATION 
 
 My men were all made happy by receiving a present 
 of two months' pay as prize-money, and there was re- 
 joicing and a dance, or fantasia, in the fort that night. 
 There was at last a mail from home, with letters dated 
 up to the beginning of February. The Arabs were 
 sent with an escort to Uganda for trial at head- 
 quarters. 
 
 The territory between Hoima and the Msisi River 
 used to be under the chiefs Rabadongo, Chikakule, 
 Abaswese, and Mwenda, who had been hostile so long ; 
 they had all come in to make peace now, and were 
 making roads and cultivating their fields. 
 
 Abaswese came in to make peace on the 22nd, 
 dressed in a gorgeous costume, and was quite the best- 
 dressed man I have seen in Africa. He was tall, 
 with very good features and a pleasing expression, and 
 seemed superior to most Waganda chiefs I have seen. 
 His dress consisted of a bright red " Johore," with gold 
 embroidery such as the Arabs wear, underneath which 
 he wore a shirt made of fine soft leather. A pair of 
 tight-fitting dark blue trousers, beautifully made sandals 
 trimmed with fur, and a smart turban completed the 
 costume, which fairly eclipsed my own torn and tattered 
 garments. He looked a chief all over, and had a very 
 good manner. Events had proved, however, he was no 
 warrior, and at the approach of an enemy he was 
 always the first man to disappear into the bush and 
 the last to emerge from it. As a result of making 
 peace he was attacked by one of his former confreres, 
 and sent piteous messages to us to come and help him, 
 saying that he was living in the grass. 
 
 It appeared Kabarega had sent messengers from his 
 exile in the Shuli country to tell the people not to 
 make peace, and that he was going to drive the white
 
 KABAREGA THE STALWART 95 
 
 men out by the aid of the dervishes, and burn any he 
 could take prisoners. The natives had begun to mis- 
 trust him at last, and were tired of war, so that several 
 hundreds had re-occupied their old villages and planta- 
 tions near the main roads.
 
 VII 
 
 Journey to the Murchison Falls, and 
 BACK TO Uganda 
 
 NEWS came in August that Kabarega was trying 
 to come back into the extreme northern portion 
 of his country, and was occupying an island somewhere 
 on the Nile below the Karuma Falls ; so, on the i ith, I 
 was sent with i 50 men to reinforce Lieutenant Madocks 
 with the same number of men at Masindi, and go on 
 with him to the Nile. Cunningham at the same 
 time left for Uganda, where his presence was required 
 as commander of the Sudanese troops. I was very 
 glad to have this opportunity of surveying some more 
 of Northern Unyoro and seeing the Murchison Falls. 
 
 The new road to Masindi had made a great differ- 
 ence in the rate of travel, and we covered the distance 
 in two days. I found quite a fortress had been made, 
 with a ditch 10 feet deep all round. It seemed almost 
 a pity that there was no daring enemy to come and 
 attack it. Ternan had just returned from Lake 
 Albert, and was soon afterwards going down the 
 Nile. 
 
 On the 1 3th Madocks and I set out with a view 
 to striking Kabarega's camp on the Nile. We 
 travelled via Kerota and Paniatoli, both occupied by 
 Sudanese posts in Emin Pasha's time, passing through
 
 KIDOPO 97 
 
 dense jungle most of the way. For the first three 
 days the people were friendly, but after that the 
 sphere of influence decidedly changed, and occasional 
 shots were fired at us, three men being wounded, one 
 of whom died. 
 
 We were obliged to bear off to the east, and, on the 
 I 8th, reached the Nile at a place called Kidopo, where 
 we found Kabarega's settlement, a collection of 500 
 huts, on our side of the river, which rushed past 
 80 feet below in a foaming torrent, whilst opposite 
 there was a small island, also with straw huts on it. 
 There was a ferry lower down, but it was a dangerous 
 one for a native canoe. 
 
 The people had, of course, crossed into the Shuli 
 country, and we only had the satisfaction of burning 
 all the houses. Some shots were fired from the 
 other bank of the river, where a good many natives 
 were collected. We remained here one day, which 
 I spent in making a sketch of the rapid and island 
 opposite — a most picturesque spot. The Karuma 
 Falls higher up are rather disappointing, and are in 
 truth only a series of cataracts in which there is not 
 a great fall. 
 
 From Kidopo we followed the course of the Nile to 
 the west, and, on the 20th, reached the site of the old 
 fort Mpino overlooking the Nile (here nearly 500 yards 
 broad), which pours impetuously past numerous little 
 islands, by which its course is impeded. Junker lived 
 at this delightful place for some time, and between 
 the bottom of the steep bank and the river there are 
 traces of the old garden still left in the shape of lemon 
 trees, plantains, and papaws. One of the native officers 
 told me he had been here as a boy, and that the native 
 canoemen used to ferry people across the river to the 
 7
 
 98 JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS 
 
 right bank, where roads led to Wadelai and to 
 Fatiko. 
 
 The native tracks were always coming to an end, 
 so that we had great difficulty in finding our way in 
 this labyrinth of high grass and woods, in which we 
 rarely obtained a view of the surrounding country. 
 
 There were many elephant and hippo traps, great 
 holes in the ground covered over with a thin layer of 
 sticks and sand, into one of which I had the pleasure 
 of disappearing. It was a morning I was feeling 
 particularly unwell, and was riding a donkey, when, 
 leaving the path to avoid some thorns, I felt the earth 
 giving way under me, and in another moment fell back 
 into a hole full of cold, muddy water, with the donkey 
 on top of me; we were ignominiously extricated by 
 the Sudanese soldiers. This did not improve my state 
 of health, and I had fever for two days afterwards. 
 
 After a long march we eventually, on 24th August, 
 reached a place called Bajan, where one of the 
 irregulars was shot in the leg whilst going down to 
 get water. The next day Madocks and I went to 
 see the Murchison Falls, only 3 miles distant. They 
 are really magnificent, and quite the piece de resistance 
 of Equatoria. There are two falls about 100 yards 
 apart, the main one of these occupying a narrow gorge 
 worn away in the rock hardly 20 feet broad at the 
 top, through which the Nile, wrathful at being pent 
 up in this confined space, bursts with uncontrolled fury 
 in a mass of spray and a million particles of foam, 
 to fall 100 feet into the seething whirlpool below. 
 Black rocks on either side, covered with dark green 
 bushes and stunted trees, accentuate the dazzling 
 whiteness of the foam, and the grandeur of the 
 spectacle is enhanced by the absolute peacefulness
 
 THE NILE ABOVE MURCHISON FALLS 99 
 
 and calmness of the water a little way below the falls, 
 its mirror-like surface being only broken now and 
 again by an occasional ripple, as a monstrous crocodile 
 propels itself along. An enormous volume of water 
 was leaping over the second fall, which was much 
 broader at the top, but this, I hear, at certain sea- 
 sons of the year (December and January, as a rule) 
 ceases to flow, and can be crossed on foot, proving the 
 great rise and fall of the Victoria Nile, to which Egypt 
 is in part indebted for her summer supply of water. 
 
 A sight which almost takes one's breath away, and 
 is even more impressive than the falls themselves, is 
 obtained by walking along the river for a mile or so 
 above them. Here the Nile comes sweeping round a 
 corner 250 yards in breadth, and, with waves tumbling 
 over each other in their mad race to reach the falls, 
 thunders past precipitous cliffs over 200 feet in 
 height, through which it has worn its way in the 
 course of countless ages ; and on seeing this it is 
 difficult to imagine how the Nile ever had another 
 course, or could have flowed in the opposite direction, 
 as a well-known geologist has suggested. 
 
 We clambered down the rocks to a little patch of 
 sand below the falls, beloved of crocodiles, where stood 
 two or three little grass huts containing fishing tackle. 
 A rustling noise behind one of these made us turn 
 round, and lo and behold ! a great crocodile waddling 
 off into the water. Madocks killed him before he 
 had gone far, and we measured him, finding him 
 14 feet long. His inside was full of round stones 
 and gravel picked up from the shore. 
 
 There was a ledge of rock running out into the 
 river from here, which afforded a capital point from 
 which to photograph the falls, and I scrambled out
 
 100 JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS 
 
 along it with my apparatus, and had just got it into 
 position when a few of Kabarega's enterprising 
 followers opened fire from the bushes on the other 
 bank, about a hundred yards off. Our soldiers com- 
 menced firing also, which was attended with equal 
 danger, so that it was photography under difficulties 
 with a vengeance, and, in my first surprise, I nearly fell 
 off the slippery rocks into the water. Madocks 
 riddled the grass on the opposite bank with his .303 
 rifle, and we were not disturbed again. 
 
 About a mile below the falls the river becomes quite 
 sluggish and the stream almost ceases to run, so that, 
 but for the roar of falling water above, one would think 
 it was but some far-reaching indenture of the lake. A 
 station has now been built on a small hill near the 
 river, about 1200 yards below the falls, and forms at 
 present our farthest outpost in Equatoria. 
 
 On our march back to Masindi, all the streams 
 flowed into Lake Albert, until we reached our old camp 
 at Kimena. The inhabitants of one village amused 
 themselves by putting short spikes, about 7 inches 
 long, covered with poison, in the ground for us to tread 
 upon. One man was veiy much hurt in this way on 
 entering the village, so, having receiv^ed this warning, 
 everyone was told to look out for them. It is not a 
 custom of the Wanyoro, and was said to have been 
 done by people of the Lure tribe who were living there. 
 On our way back several women slaves of the Wanyoro 
 ran away to us, wishing to return to their homes. 
 This, in a few instances, was quite impossible, as their 
 homes were much too far away. Two women even 
 belonged to the Madi tribe near Dufile, and said they 
 had been sold for guns. Three came from the south- 
 west of Lake Albert and two from Toru, and one was
 
 EXPEDITION AGAINST THE NANDI TRIBE loi 
 
 a Sudanese woman, who originally came with her 
 husband, a deserter from Wadelai, whom the Wanyoro 
 killed. We saw many tracks of elephant and two old 
 heads of buffalo, which, however, are few and far 
 between. 
 
 Before reaching Kimena we passed by, 6 miles on 
 our right, a great peak called Gisi, which it is strange 
 not to find on any previous map. We entered the 
 friendly zone again, and the natives remained in their 
 villages and brought us in plantains and potatoes. I 
 asked a prisoner, captured near the Nile, why the 
 people to the north continued to be hostile, and he 
 answered, as was very true, that the last time they had 
 made friends with and trusted to the white men and the 
 soldiers who came from the north (namely, Gordon, 
 Emin, etc.), they had gone away and left them to the 
 tender mercies of Kabarega, whose capital was at 
 that time at Ruampara, near Hoima, and who sent his 
 Warasura to kill any of them they could lay their 
 hands on. 
 
 An old chief, called Don Joke, came in to see us at 
 Pakano, and said he remembered Sir Samuel and Lady 
 Baker coming to Unyoro in 1874. 
 
 We reached Masindi on 30th August, and thence I 
 went straight on to Hoima, arriving there on the ist 
 September. The old queen-mother had been mis- 
 behaving herself, and had sent word to Chikakule and 
 Mwenda, who had not yet surrendered, to come and 
 attack the fort, as there were very few soldiers holding 
 it. Soon after this I received orders to proceed to 
 Uganda with No. 4 Company of Sudanese, from the 
 Unyoro garrison, to take part in the expedition against 
 the Nandi tribe east of Lake Victoria, who had been 
 cutting up caravans on the main road to Uganda, and
 
 102 JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS 
 
 had also treacherously murdered a trader named West. 
 This meant a march of about 350 miles, and I said 
 good-bye to Unyoro on the lOth September, leaving a 
 native officer in charge of Hoima, which had now been 
 discarded as the headquarters in favour of Masindi. 
 
 The climate of the uplands of Unyoro is a fairly 
 good one, and is, I think, drier than that of Uganda. 
 Nearly the whole of the country, except just in the 
 north-western corner, is at a height of over 3 5 00 feet 
 above the sea. 
 
 The maximum temperature registered at Fort Hoima 
 during the time I was there was 89° in the shade, and 
 the minimum 49° ; as a rule, the thermometer did not 
 go below 60° at night. The rains are very variable. 
 In September, October, and November there is usually 
 most rain ; and July is the coolest month. 
 
 The Wanyoro are not so fine a race as the Waganda, 
 although a few of the men and women, in spite of their 
 black colour, are strikingly handsome, and more 
 resemble the Wahuma and the Somalis in North-east 
 Africa. Missionary enterprise, although commencing 
 in the south, has not yet reached these people, and 
 they are all pagans, believing in a god called Rubanga 
 and evil spirits, to whom they sacrifice goats, chickens, 
 etc., in case of severe illness or at the time of war. 
 They have the usual medicine-men, called " ubandwa," 
 who perform magic by killing animals, or using the 
 leaves of plants. 
 
 They used to try and bring disaster upon us by 
 burying a sheep with its throat cut and head just out 
 of the ground ; also, by leaving a chicken in an earthen- 
 ware pot on the pathway ; the Sudanese were always 
 chary of going near these. 
 
 Excellent pottery is made in the country, also
 
 KABAREGA'S MODE OF EXECUTION 103 
 
 earthenware pipes, both men and women being 
 inveterate smokers. 
 
 They make the same bark cloth as the Waganda, 
 and dye it black by putting it into the mud of a swamp 
 for one day, and then leaving it in the sun. This 
 bark cloth, which is stripped off in large pieces from a 
 species of fig-tree, is a curious characteristic of these 
 lake districts. It is ingeniously made by soaking the 
 bark well in water and afterwards beating it thoroughly 
 with a wooden hammer indented with little lines, which 
 form an impression on the cloth. The different pieces 
 are then neatly sewn together. Their musical instru- 
 ments consist of primitive stringed instruments, 
 drums, horns, and whistles. In former days, when 
 Kabarega held undisputed sway, executions were 
 frequent, the mode of execution being to kill people by 
 two or three blows on the head with clubs. For 
 women, the only punishment was to be placed in a big 
 hole in the ground and left to starve to death, 
 
 I travelled to Kampala by a new and most excel- 
 lent road vid Mruli and along the Victoria Nile to 
 Lake Kioja. Although the company with me was 
 not more than 106 strong, the women, children, and 
 followers who were returning to Uganda with them 
 amounted to quite 800, and were not very good at 
 getting along, as they had to carry all their goods and 
 chattels with them. After leaving Mruli, we marched 
 across a plain covered with dried-up grass and a few 
 cactus trees, which alone seemed to thrive in this 
 parched-up wilderness. As the Nile opened out into 
 Lake Kioja, a high bank, half a mile to the right, 
 showed where the old water-line had been. The 
 second day's march brought us to a long line of 
 banana plantations and villages on some rising ground,
 
 I04 JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS 
 
 overlooking Lake Kioja, over which there was a fine 
 view towards the Wakedi country. It is difficult to 
 estimate the size of it, owing to the papyrus and sudd 
 floating about. There were many VVanyoro living 
 here. 
 
 A little farther on, one reaches the Kisilizi post, 
 where the small garrison have always the excitement 
 of expecting the Wakedi natives to come over in their 
 canoes and raid the surrounding country. The road 
 leaves the Nile here, and goes in an almost straight 
 line to Kampala, crossing an uninhabited desert, which 
 formed the boundary between the Wanyoro and the 
 Waganda.i One gets a very good impression of 
 Uganda on entering it from this side, and we passed 
 through lovely shady banana groves and well-kept 
 villages, over an open and undulating country stretch- 
 ing away towards the blue hills in the distance. It is 
 a little swampy in the hollows, but the road is carried 
 across on causeways, and one can walk all the way 
 without getting one's feet wet. The hills become 
 steeper and more frequent as one approaches Kampala, 
 the road, nevertheless, passing straight over the tops of 
 the highest hills, according to the Uganda custom. 
 
 Many of the VVaganda helped to carry loads for 
 the Sudanese, on payment of a few shells or bits of 
 cloth. 
 
 On arriving in Uganda I found that Mr. Berkeley, 
 formerly with Sir Gerald Portal's mission, had become 
 Commissioner, and was then at Port Alice. Kampala, 
 under the charge of Mr. George Wilson, was in a very 
 flourishing condition ; the size of the town had in- 
 creased, and was increasing daily, all the people seem- 
 
 ^ Uganda has been recently extended, so as to comprise all the country 
 up to the Nile, as far as Mruli and the Kafu River.
 
 CAPTAIN PULTENEY JOINS OUR FORCE 105 
 
 ing very happy and contented. Owing to the orderly 
 administration of the country, the cessation of war and 
 internal strife, the population of Uganda is increasing 
 largely. As the people become more civilised their 
 wants will increase, and they will be forced to work 
 to supply themselves with the necessaries of life. 
 
 It has been said that it will be impossible to get 
 native labour, but at present in Uganda itself the 
 people have been induced to carry loads in the 
 Protectorate, and perform a certain amount of work ; 
 numbers of natives were bringing in timber at 
 Mumia's ; until the outbreak of the Masai, hundreds 
 of Wa-Kikuyu were carrying loads to Eldoma ; and at 
 Machako's, on the Uganda road, the natives had been 
 induced to work in the fields. 
 
 Mr. G. Wilson had a large garden at Kampala in 
 which all kinds of trees, fruits, and vegetables were 
 doing well. A great deal of rice has been grown of 
 late by the people themselves, and the native coffee is 
 very good. There should be a great future for coffee 
 planters in these countries. A regular post had been 
 established, which the chiefs avail themselves of to 
 write to each other. 
 
 Pulteney arrived on the 27th with forty- two men 
 from his post in Southern Unyoro, also to take part in 
 the expedition against the Nandi, who had cut up yet 
 another caravan on the road from the coast, and seized 
 many loads belonging to the missionaries. A great 
 event in Uganda was the arrival of the caravan with 
 Bishop Tucker and fourteen Europeans, of whom five 
 were ladies, — the first to accomplish this long and 
 arduous march. They had experienced a frightful 
 hailstorm on their way through Kabras, during which 
 two or three porters actually died on the road from
 
 I06 JOURNEY TO THE MURCHISON FALLS 
 
 exposure to the cold. During a hailstorm which 
 occurred at the same time at Kampala a Swahili 
 servant filled his pockets with the hailstones, to keep 
 them as a memento of the extraordinary occurrence. 
 
 As the white ladies approached Kampala there was 
 great excitement among the natives, who went in crowds 
 to meet them. Bishop Hanlon and the English Roman 
 Catholic Mission had also arrived lately, after an 
 adventurous march, and had established themselves on 
 one of the high hills, of which Mengo is composed. 
 
 On Friday the i ith, a parade of the Sudanese was 
 held, and the Commissioner presented the medals for 
 the first Unyoro Expedition in i 893, after which the 
 companies marched past
 
 VIII 
 
 First Nandi Expedition 
 
 WE started from Kampala with the troops for the 
 Nandi Expedition on the 14th October, and 
 marched round the lake, through Usoga and Kavi- 
 rondo, crossing the Victoria Nile at Jinja, where we 
 camped in a lovely spot, just above the Ripon Falls. 
 The force consisted of Nos. 1,4, 5, and 9 Companies 
 Sudanese, with one Maxim gun, about 400 men 
 altogether, including a Waganda contingent of thirty 
 men and a sergeant, who had been drilled regularly 
 at Kampala, The sergeant, called Chongo, appeared 
 in a very nearly new Coldstream Guards tunic, which 
 he had bought from a Swahili porter for seventeen 
 rupees. He was a great man in consequence, and 
 commenced the campaign by walking off with two 
 of the king's sheep. The men were rather comical- 
 looking soldiers, but behaved pluckily afterwards, as 
 I shall relate. There were a good many water-buck 
 {Cobus def asset) near Jinja, and I was fortunate 
 enough to shoot one with a very good head ; horns 
 30 inches in length, and very even. The road from 
 Jinja avoids Lubwa's, passing through Kasija and 
 Biendi to Wakoli's. Cunningham, who had gone to 
 the former place by canoe, intending to meet us on 
 the march, failed to do so, and had to lunch, dine, 
 
 107
 
 io8 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 and breakfast off bananas, until he caught us up the 
 day afterwards. 
 
 It became very hot as we entered Kavirondo and 
 approached Mumia's. On the road we met Mr. Grant 
 returning from an expedition with Captain Sitwell and 
 Mr. Hobley against the Ketosh people, a tribe living 
 near Mount Elgon, who had offered a strenuous resist- 
 ance, and in the attack on one of their villages killed 
 two native officers and several men. The length of 
 our column of over looo men astonished the natives 
 of Kavirondo a good deal, and it was the first time the 
 Sudanese had been sent in any force to this country. 
 We reached Mumia's on the 29th, and Mackinnon 
 joined us there on the ist November, having come all 
 the way from Unyoro very rapidly, and crossed Lake 
 Victoria in the steel boat. Two more caravans had 
 been attacked lately on the road between this and 
 Eldoma, so that the transport service to Uganda was 
 endangered, and it was important to move into the 
 country as soon as possible. The great obstacle to 
 transport had always been the total absence of food 
 between Kikuyu and Kabras, a distance of twenty-two 
 days for a loaded caravan going up country, except at 
 the Eldoma station, which had only been latterly 
 established, and was unable to supply caravans with 
 food. This difficulty was now further increased by 
 the Wa-Nandi proving hostile, and waylaying caravans 
 on the main route between the top of the Mau escarp- 
 ment and Kabras, in consequence of which the Guaso 
 Masa fort had been established, close to the junction 
 of the Guaso Masa and Kepdong Rivers. We could 
 get very little information about the Nandi country, 
 and had to trust principally to two Wa-Kwavi (an 
 inferior branch of the Masai), who had been in the
 
 ARRANGEMENTS FOR LINES OF MARCH 109 
 
 country years before; to a Zanzibari porter, the sole 
 survivor of West's party ; and to a Nandi woman, 
 who had fallen in love with him, and helped him to 
 escape. He had been sent into the country by West 
 for the purpose of trading, and was away at the time 
 of the massacre ; he was then taken before the " laibon," 
 or head medicine-man, and kept a prisoner, until this 
 woman left her own husband, children, and country, 
 and assisted him to escape. These Zanzibaris have a 
 wonderful way of ingratiating themselves with the 
 ladies of whatever country they find themselves in, 
 and in this instance it had saved the man's life. He 
 had learnt to speak the language in a very short time. 
 Major Cunningham decided to enter the country 
 from two sides, and concentrate at an important hill 
 called Alagabiet. The main column was to move in 
 an easterly direction to this point, whilst Captain Sit- 
 well, Mr. Foaker, and about 100 men marched south 
 from the Guaso Masa fort to Alagabiet. After a few 
 days' delay at Mumia's, to make the necessary prepara- 
 tions, we marched along the usual caravan road as far 
 as Kabras, before entering the Nandi country. There 
 was a small depot here, garrisoned by Sudanese, for 
 the purpose of supplying the Guaso Masa fort with 
 food, the latter being in an utterly sterile rocky 
 country, where nothing could be grown. As usual in 
 Kavirondo, there was a heavy thunderstorm with rain 
 either in the afternoon or night ; and at a camp on the 
 Lusumo River I woke up to find a small river running 
 through my tent, and just in time to save my boots 
 from being washed away from under the bed. The 
 Sudanese had been prevailed upon to leave a good 
 many of their women and belongings at Lubwa's, so 
 that we were now only burdened with about 350
 
 no FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 followers. The road was a good one, along the high 
 ground overlooking the valley of the Narogare River to 
 the north-west. Foaker continued his march along 
 the caravan road, to reinforce Sitwell at the Guaso 
 Masa fort with No. i Company. From the point 
 where we turned off the caravan road into the unknown 
 country, a high black wall of mountains could be 
 seen in front of us, running from north to south, in 
 which latter direction it becomes less perceptible. The 
 upper slopes were covered with dense forest, which in 
 some cases extended a little way down the escarpment. 
 We soon left the last Kabras villages, in one of which 
 the Nandi had killed nine people two nights before, 
 notwithstanding their high mud wall and deep ditch. 
 Two of the Kabras natives came with us a short way 
 to show us the path, but none of them would venture 
 to accompany us far into the dreaded Nandi country. 
 After passing through a small belt of forest, and then 
 between some small hills covered with boulders of 
 granite, we reached the place where West and his men 
 were murdered — a gruesome spot, with several skulls 
 lying about, also his table and chair. He had evi- 
 dently been in no fear of a surprise, and had placed 
 his camp near the edge of a thick wood, and close to 
 a lovely stream of running water, which forms really 
 the headwaters of the Narogare or Lusumo River. 
 There was no zariba round it, and at the time of the 
 attack the men's guns had been put away in West's 
 tent, so that they were powerless to defend themselves. 
 It is almost incredible how West could have trusted 
 himself on the outskirts of the Nandi country, know- 
 ing, as he must have done, the people's reputation for 
 brigandage and treachery. It would have been much 
 safer to have entered some way into the country, and
 
 FIRST SIGNS OF THE WA-NANDI 1 1 1 
 
 placed himself under the protection of one of the chiefs ; 
 but here he was in a no man's land, and a prey to any 
 of the enterprising young warriors. 
 
 Traders have certainly been unfortunate in East 
 Africa. Mr. Muxworthy died of hasmaturic fever in 
 Kabras at the end of 1895, and Dick, another trader, 
 was killed by the Masai. 
 
 We afterwards crossed the Anoldamwe and Katumbi 
 Rivers, and camped under a high rocky hill, known as 
 Kamobir, which is 2 miles distant from the escarp- 
 ment. Our camp was 5260 feet above the sea, and 
 the country to the south-west was undulating and 
 covered with short grass. Here and there were large 
 clumps of forest, in which there are said to be a few 
 buffalo, and we saw tracks of these animals close to 
 one of the streams. We marched along the escarp- 
 ment the next day, and discovered some small huts 
 and patches of mtama cultivation, the first signs of the 
 Wa-Nandi. We saw a few natives, and discovered in 
 one of the huts a cup and other articles, which had 
 belonged to West. After several ineffectual attempts 
 to ascend, we found a very steep path, which led to 
 an open grass-covered space close to the top, and we 
 camped here at a height of 6332 feet. A section of 
 No. 4 Company went out from here into the dense 
 forest behind, and captured sixteen cattle, including a 
 black bull, identified by the Zanzibaris as originally 
 belonging to West, and a few sheep. Our column con- 
 sisted of about 250 soldiers, 300 followers, one Maxim- 
 gun detachment, and four Europeans — Cunningham, 
 Pulteney, Mackinnon, and myself; and we used to pack 
 into a thorn zariba, about 80 to 90 yards square, as 
 the Wa-Nandi were known to be fond of night attacks. 
 The officers' tents were together in the middle, and the
 
 112 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 men used to build small grass huts all round. The 
 smoke from the fires at night was unbearable, and it 
 was difficult to pick one's way through the fires and 
 the sleeping forms lying round them, as one went the 
 rounds at night. 
 
 I happened to be visiting the sentries in this camp 
 at midnight, when a fire suddenly broke out among 
 the huts of No. 9 Company, and spread with the 
 greatest rapidity, fanned by the strong wind that was 
 blowing. Each man was carrying eighty rounds of 
 ammunition in his belt, and many of these were left 
 on the ground as the men, roused from sleep by the 
 roar of the flames, rushed to get out of the way. The 
 confusion was increased by the sound of the cartridges 
 exploding, which gave many the impression at first 
 that we were being attacked. The line of flames was 
 advancing straight for the tents, so Pulteney's and 
 Mackinnon's tents, which were nearest to the danger, 
 were taken down, and their effects strewn about all 
 over the zariba, being with difficulty collected again in 
 the morning. By this time, however, a line of men 
 had collected, and succeeded in stopping and beating 
 the flames out just before they reached the tents, but 
 not before much damage had been done, and two or 
 three of the rifles and bayonets were destroyed. 
 
 The wind increased to a gale, and when morning 
 broke it was intensely cold, and we sat shivering over 
 a hurried breakfast. The Zanzibaris and Lendu 
 porters were stiff with cold, and could with difficulty 
 carry their loads. Fortunately they are the most 
 light-hearted people, and soon became good-humoured, 
 and began to chaff each other. It was found im- 
 possible to get through the thick forest in front of us, 
 and we had with disgust to retrace our steps, and
 
 OUR COLUMN REACH ALAGABIET HILL 113 
 
 make our way right down to the bottom of the steep 
 hills by the same rocky and stony path by which we 
 had ascended. Two miles to the north we found 
 another native track, which led up to the high ridge 
 and then through the forest, passing over an altitude of 
 6850 feet, and we camped near some scattered houses 
 at a place called Samwiti. The men of the Waganda 
 contingent distinguished themselves by capturing forty- 
 four cattle and some sheep and goats in the afternoon. 
 As it was impossible to carry food owing to want of 
 porters, and we were entirely dependent on the countiy 
 for supplies, this was an important item. The follow- 
 ing day we marched in a northerly direction through 
 several belts of forest, with open patches of short grass 
 between them, and over swampy streams to Kimong, 
 and thence east along a grassy spur to Alagabiet 
 Hill, which is one of the main features of the country. 
 Small clusters of huts were hidden away in openings 
 in the forest, and the last village occupied by the 
 VVa-Nandi was near Kimong. 
 
 We had not seen many of the natives as yet, 
 though poisoned arrows had been shot at us in the 
 forest, two or three of the followers being picked off 
 from behind the trees. 
 
 We reached Alagabiet Hill on the i ith November, 
 and camped on its north side. It is 7126 feet above 
 the sea, and from the top one has a very good view over 
 the valley of the Guaso ]\Iasa River, and across a very 
 open country to the eastward, which is uninhabited, and 
 where hartebeest, water-buck, and oribi are to be found. 
 
 The second column did not arrive, and the next 
 day a section (about twenty- five men) was sent to the 
 Guaso Masa fort to see what had happened. Cover- 
 ing the distance of 32 miles in the day, they returned 
 8
 
 114 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 at 1 1 p.m. and reported that the force had marched 
 off three days before, led in a wrong direction by the 
 Masai guides, and had passed through the forest 
 which we had just traversed, and down the escarpment 
 to the low ground towards Kabras. It was an un- 
 fortunate thing, as every man available was required 
 for this expedition, in which so many had to be 
 employed in guarding the followers and the baggage. 
 A party of Sudanese sent out the same day surprised 
 a village near Kimong, taking a Martini rifle, two 
 sniders, and some crosses, etc., looted from the caravan 
 of the Roman Catholic mission. They also brought in 
 three prisoners, who stated that the Wa-Nandi had 
 been down three times to attack the Guaso Masa fort 
 at night, but had been afraid to do so on hearing the 
 continual cries of the sentries, as in the customary 
 dull and monotonous tones they called out in 
 succession the number of their posts. This was 
 invariably done to ensure the sentries keeping awake. 
 
 Food was running short, and all idea of meeting the 
 second column, which might have necessitated wander- 
 ing about for several days, had to be given up. The 
 country immediately south of Alagabiet is very 
 swampy, a characteristic caused by the streams 
 running down this way from the forest, and we had 
 to retrace our steps along our old road to Samwiti. 
 It was more like being in Scotland than in Africa at 
 this height, and the days were cold, with very often 
 rain in the afternoon. From Samwiti we steered 
 straight for a high bluff called Usun, to the right of 
 which there appeared to be a gap in the long line of 
 hills in the far distance. One of the principal objects 
 to be attained by the expedition was to try and find a 
 shorter route for the Mombasa-Uganda road, which at
 
 THE WA-NANDI CHARGE 115 
 
 present made such a detour to the northward. After 
 leaving Samwiti, villages became more numerous, and 
 there were cattle tracks in all directions. There was 
 still a good deal of forest, belts of which run out from 
 the main forest to the south-west. 
 
 Many natives were hanging about the line of march, 
 and attempted to interfere with the somewhat difficult 
 passage of a swampy stream, but these were held in 
 check by the Maxim, whilst the leading company 
 crossed, and camp was formed on some rising ground 
 on the farther side after only a short march. Patrols 
 were sent out, and it soon became apparent that large 
 bodies of the enemy were in the vicinity, and intended 
 to try conclusions with us. A thorn zariba was made, 
 in which the women followers and baggage were left, 
 with a portion of the force to guard them, whilst the 
 remainder of the Sudanese and the Waganda irregulars 
 went out to cover the return of one of the patrols 
 across the Kimonde River, which it was feared, from 
 the heavy firing heard in this direction, had got into 
 difficulties. The river, down to which the ground 
 sloped steeply, was about 6 feet deep, and was crossed 
 by a native bridge. To the east of it, open grassy 
 undulations were here and there varied by patches of 
 forest. Only a few natives could be seen on the ridge, 
 and it was with astonishment we suddenly saw a 
 crowd of about 500 coming over the top of the 
 hill at great speed, apparently excellently organised, 
 and formed in three sides of a square, above which a 
 dense thicket of long-bladed spears flashed in the sun- 
 light. Wheeling to the left as if by some common 
 impulse, on they came in spite of a Maxim gun 
 posted behind the river, and charged down with 
 tremendous dash on to the force which was some way
 
 ii6 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 up the slope on the east bank, and which closed up as 
 well as it could to face the impending attack. 
 
 It was a critical moment, but luckily the Sudanese 
 stood firm, and as the great mass of natives approached 
 closer the heavy fire began to tell. Nearer and nearer 
 they came, and it almost seemed that they would 
 overwhelm No. 4 Company, which had to bear the 
 brunt of the attack ; but at last, wavering before this 
 leaden hail, which they had never before experienced, 
 their ranks broke and they scattered in all directions, 
 leaving many of their number on the ground. Half a 
 company left at the bridge had, on the first alarm, 
 advanced to the support of their comrades, and the 
 flying natives had now to run the gauntlet of the fire 
 from these men as they retired over the hill, leaving 
 the ground strewn with their big shields and spears. 
 It was a splendid charge, and if continued for 30 
 yards or so more would have been a successful one. 
 
 Fourteen of our men, including the sergeant of the 
 Waganda contingent, were cut off and killed, and the 
 red tunic, of which the unfortunate man had been so 
 proud, was found rent with many spear holes. Truly 
 this tunic, originally sold by some deserter, had had a 
 curious history, and the possession of it, like the shirt of 
 Nessus, may have been fatal to the owners, who would 
 have been naturally singled out by the enemy. Saleh, 
 one of my best porters, and VVonumbeni, one of the 
 gun detachment, were also killed this day, and one 
 Mganda had no less than four severe spear wounds. 
 This charge was a revelation to us, after fighting the 
 cautious Wanyoro and Arabs towards Lake Albert, 
 and at once accounted for the warlike reputation and 
 prestige amongst other East African tribes which the 
 Wa-Nandi possessed. Such an onslaught would have
 
 i^
 
 NANDI DRESS AND ACCOUTREMENTS 117 
 
 annihilated any smaller force without firearms, or a 
 weakly guarded caravan travelling in single file along 
 the Uganda road, and it was providential that the 
 natives should have selected this occasion to make 
 their attack, instead of waiting until we were in column 
 of route, hampered by carriers, followers, and women. 
 
 The Nandi are a fine-looking race, very black, strong, 
 and muscular. They dress their hair like the Masai, 
 whom they much resemble, and are fond of covering 
 it with red grease, as also their bodies. The warriors 
 wear big head-dresses made of monkey or goat skins, 
 ornamented with cowries, and sometimes a sort of 
 leather cape slung over the shoulder. Their only 
 weapons are spears and bows and arrows. The spears 
 are not so well finished and the shields are not so 
 finely ornamented as those of the Masai ; the latter are 
 very strong, and painted a dull red colour, as also are, 
 in some instances, the spears. They had captured a 
 few rifles, guns, and ammunition in their recent attacks 
 on caravans, but did not know how to use them ; and 
 the Zanzibari who escaped from their hands told an 
 amusing story as to how the natives were all examining 
 a rifle when it suddenly went off in their midst and 
 shot one of them in the leg, since which they had been 
 too frightened to touch firearms, convinced that they 
 had got something to do with the evil spirit. He also 
 said that, for some reason or other, a tin of corned 
 beef was supposed to possess certain magical properties, 
 and was preserved by the " laibon," or chief medicine- 
 man, with great veneration. The women resemble the 
 Masai very much, and distort the lobes of their ears, as 
 a rule, with large pieces of wood. They wear a great 
 many iron-wire rings round the arms and legs. On 
 the 15th a reconnaissance was made to the south-east,
 
 Il8 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 to make sure that there were no large bodies of the 
 enemy about, and camp was ultimately moved 6 miles 
 in this direction. We halted here for a day and were 
 attacked again by the Wa-Nandi in the early morning 
 of the 17th. About three-quarters of an hour before 
 dawn the camp was suddenly aroused by shots from 
 the sentries round the inside of the zariba, and the 
 sudden yelling and shouts of the natives outside as they 
 found themselves discovered. It was still pitch dark, 
 and there was an unpleasant cold rain falling. As I 
 tumbled out of bed into my long boots my Swahili 
 servant crawled through the door of my tent in a great 
 state of excitement. 
 
 The soldiers had been all lying down with their 
 rifles close to their appointed stations, and fell in very 
 quickly. In a few seconds after the first alarm the 
 blackness of the night was lit up by the red flashes 
 from the rifles, as continuous firing commenced round 
 the zariba. The Sudanese sentries, with their sharp 
 ears, had been too watchful for the well-planned attack 
 of the Wa-Nandi, so used to carrying out these night 
 attacks. They were in large numbers and had crept 
 up to within a hundred yards or less of the zariba 
 before they were discovered. The strong thorn fence, 
 5 feet high, afforded ample protection to the men 
 behind against any sudden rush, and the natives charg- 
 ing on towards this were soon thrown into confusion by 
 the volleys of flame and smoke which issued forth from 
 behind it. High above the ceaseless rattle of the rifle- 
 fire sounded the savage yells and cries of the natives, 
 and the stillness of the night was transformed into a 
 perfect pandemonium. On finding themselves baulked 
 in the object of their attack, and confronted as if by 
 some supernatural agency, by here and there a sheet of
 
 THE WA-NANDI REPULSED 119 
 
 flame, a panic seized them and they fled in all directions, 
 some of them even throwing their shields and spears 
 down in the first wild rush to get away, and many of 
 these were picked up when, with the first light of dawn, 
 we were able to issue forth from the zariba. It was 
 still raining when morning broke, and the day was cold 
 and dull. A company went out to reconnoitre in the 
 direction the enemy had taken in their retreat, but 
 returned, having only seen a few scattered natives, and 
 we marched off at 8.1 5 towards a district called Kiture, 
 which is a very populous one. Crossing the river 
 Amai, we reached a fine open country with rolling hills 
 covered with many huts, where there was fine pasturage 
 for cattle, sheep, and goats, of which many tracks were 
 to be seen along the paths leading down to the river. 
 TheWa-Nandi dwellings — little circular huts lined with 
 clay — were scattered about the country without any 
 protection whatever, showing that the natives had never 
 had anything to fear from their neighbours. They are 
 great workers in iron, and near the Kimonde River we 
 passed a large smelting furnace. 
 
 On the I 8th we continued our march to the south- 
 east, and crossed two channels of the river Kaimin by 
 means of native bridges. The latter are made with 
 big trees, and are quite the best I have seen constructed 
 by natives. Our cattle and all the quadrupeds, includ- 
 ing my faithful companion the pony, which was still 
 with me, were able to cross by them. There was a 
 piece of blood-stained cloth hanging on the bridge, 
 which had been taken from one of the men who had 
 been killed, and which was meant as a defiance, show- 
 ing that the enemy were not as yet dismayed by the 
 failure of their attacks on the 1 4th and the night of 
 the 1 6th. Several bodies of armed natives showed in
 
 I20 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 front and on the flanks as we left the valley of the 
 Kaimin River and gradually ascended the opposite 
 slope. 
 
 The Maxim came into action at about 8oo yards 
 range, and the column closed up and advanced very care- 
 fully, to prevent the large crowd of porters and Sudanese 
 followers, which are such an encumbrance, from being 
 charged. These were all massed together like a flock 
 of sheep, and guarded on each side, whilst No. 9 Com- 
 pany skirmished in front and cleared a way for the 
 advance. At several points along the ridge in front 
 spears waving on the sky-line, or a Nandi warrior 
 peering over the top in his uncouth head-dress, revealed 
 the fact that they were only waiting for a favourable 
 opportunity to charge down. After their losses on the 
 14th they had, however, become cautious, and.' had 
 learnt to respect the Martini rifles. At 10 a.m. we 
 crossed another small valley, and, marching for two 
 hours more, camped on a high hill called Teito, 7 i 1 9 
 feet above the sea, from the top of which we had the 
 most lovely view. We had been gradually ascending, 
 from 6627 feet at Samwiti, until we had now come to 
 the end of the high plateau, marked by a precipitous 
 drop of nearly 1000 feet into the valley beneath. 
 Away to the south-west stretched the great plain watered 
 by the Nyando River, which runs down to Ugowe Bay, 
 and far away in the distance could be seen the blue 
 waters of Lake Victoria. To the south, again, on the 
 farther side of the plain, the country towards Sotik and 
 Lumbwa appeared hilly and mountainous. We were 
 now in the heart of the Nandi country, and the sides 
 of the numerous hills around were dotted with clusters 
 of little huts and marked by patches of cultivation ; 
 but a few miles beyond this to the north-east there
 
 WE CAMP AT KABARER 121 
 
 extended a bare open plain, uninhabited, and with 
 hardly a tree on it. From our point of vantage it was 
 easy to scan the various hillsides, and we could see a 
 number of sheep and goats being driven off in haste. 
 About 400 of these were ultimately captured by the 
 Sudanese, two hours' march from camp. 
 
 From Teito I was glad to be able to fix our position 
 on the map very accurately by bearings on Alagabiet 
 Hill, which we had left on the 1 2th, and Eldalat a 
 little to the north of it, both of which appeared clearly 
 defined on the horizon. 
 
 A good path led down to the plain, into which we 
 descended the next day, and it was quite like going 
 from winter into summer. There was a great amount 
 of cultivation, principally mtama, which was ripe, and 
 also a few sweet potatoes, which we had not yet found 
 in this country. At the bottom of the steep ridge we 
 found ourselves in a little valley shut in by the hills, 
 through a narrow opening in which flows a small 
 stream which joins the Enolgotwe River. We gradu- 
 ally ascended again up the valley towards the gap in 
 the range of hills, until the high bluff called Usun, 
 which we had been steering for during the last few days, 
 was close to us on our left. Here we camped at a 
 place called Kabarer, or Kamwentowe. No. 4 Company 
 climbed up the steep side of the Usun peak in the 
 afternoon, and captured some cattle and sheep which 
 we had seen moving along the top. There were a 
 good many natives about, and at night they fired across 
 into the camp, wounding one man and some of the 
 cattle. 
 
 On leaving this camp we suddenly reached the edge 
 of a deep ravine, on the far side of which there 
 appeared to be a series of buttresses jutting out from
 
 122 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 the Mau escarpment, and the country looked very 
 rugged and mountainous. Below us lay the Sagane 
 River, which works its way almost from the very edge 
 of the mountains through a lovely valley, completely 
 enclosed by enormous hills, to the north called En- 
 gorobobi, and to the south, Tinderet. A path led 
 down the steep declivity under a high peak to our 
 right, and joined the Sagane River at a point 5352 feet 
 above the sea, soon after which it flowed through a 
 gap in the hills to Ugowe Bay. The caravan, launched 
 on its descent, was serpentining down the precipitous 
 side of the mountain, when suddenly from overhead 
 came a noise like thunder, as a huge boulder, crashing 
 downwards, broke into fragments on striking another 
 rock, and the pieces flew harmlessly over the heads of 
 the caravan. Almost immediately another came hurt- 
 ling down, and the cause of this miniature avalanche 
 became soon apparent, as the natives above looked over 
 the top of the cliff to see the result of their efforts. A 
 porter had been injured by a splinter from the last 
 boulder, and his load went tumbling down the side of 
 the cliff, striking terror into the hearts of the other 
 porters, who, rushing either forwards or backwards, 
 endeavoured to retreat from the danger zone and seek 
 the protection of a friendly ledge of rock. It was an 
 unpleasant predicament to be in, as yet another and 
 another boulder or piece of rock thundered down over 
 the path, wounding two more men, until at length the 
 range of the crest-line above was obtained, and a well- 
 directed fire grazing over the summit made it too hot for 
 the enemy, who desisted from their attempt, and the 
 remainder of the caravan was able to pass in safety. 
 
 The descent occupied an hour, and we then marched 
 in an easterly direction along the river to a place
 
 MAU 1 23 
 
 called Mitete, in the valley, surrounded by houses and 
 cultivation. 
 
 At the head of the valley we commenced the ascent 
 of Mau by a native track through the forest, which 
 commences almost immediately. After a climb of 
 2860 feet, very trying for loaded porters, we eventually 
 camped in an open space almost at the top, surrounded 
 by clumps of bamboo forest, and 8900 feet above the 
 sea. It was bitterly cold, and we were glad of big 
 fires outside our tents. Although at this height, we 
 were not safe from the Wa-Nandi, who hung round the 
 column, and killed one woman and wounded another 
 who had gone out a short way to draw water. 
 
 The top of Mau consists of an undulating plateau, 
 broken up in places by deep ravines covered with 
 short grass, and in places by clumps of forest. There 
 are no inhabitants, except some occasional Wanderobbo 
 hunters, and the few tracks we saw were the paths 
 used by Nandi raiding-parties. 
 
 The next day we ascended for a mile or so more 
 through the forest, and then entered a series of small 
 valleys covered with short grass, passing at times 
 through clumps of forest and over swampy streams. 
 It was a miserable day both for man and beast, and 
 there was a cold sleet driving in our faces all the 
 morning, which completely petrified the unfortunate 
 porters and caused a few of them to collapse by the 
 roadside. 
 
 Some "Jackson's hartebeest " were seen, and there 
 were also a very few tracks of buffalo, rhinoceros, and 
 elephant, which had been crossing the mountains. To 
 the south there seemed to be some very thick forest. 
 
 Our next camp was 9122 feet above the sea, and 
 from here the main body returned to warmer climes in
 
 124 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 the Sagane Valley, whilst I was sent on with fifty men 
 to try and reach the Eldoma Ravine, which it was 
 known could not be far off. 
 
 Nearly a whole company of the Sudanese were 
 unprovided with greatcoats, and it was dangerous to 
 expose these and the scantily clad followers any longer 
 to the rigour of the climate at this height. 
 
 It was intensely cold, and the mountains were 
 enveloped in a dense mist, when my small party 
 marched off on the morning of the 23rd, led by one of 
 the Wa-Kwavi guides, who at best possessed only a 
 vague notion of the country. The track passed close 
 to a small lake, and, an hour after the start, became 
 almost imperceptible as we dived into the forest on 
 the eastern slope of the mountains. For the first 1000 
 feet of the descent masses of bamboos, replaced farther 
 on by dense tropical forest, clothed the slopes, and the 
 fallen trees and broken canes formed an intricate and 
 rotten entanglement under foot, through which it was 
 difficult to find a way. A perfect shower-bath de- 
 scended at every wave of the delicate branches over- 
 head, which were laden with moisture from the thick 
 white mist. As we descended the bamboos disappeared, 
 and huge trees festooned with creepers, and a perfect 
 network of branches covered with white moss, did their 
 best to keep out the meagre daylight above. Some of 
 these fallen giants, surrounded by a labyrinth of small 
 trees and sharp-pointed branches which had accom- 
 panied their fall, defied all attempts to force a passage. 
 A man had then to crawl to the farther side of the 
 obstacle, and, having been placed in the direction of 
 our march by a compass bearing, we cut a way round 
 to him. This was the only way to avoid being lost in 
 this primaeval forest, as the guide was no longer sure of
 
 CAMPI YA MWIBA IS REACHED 125 
 
 the way, and every hundred yards or so of our course 
 were checked by compass. We were much hampered 
 by having to carry two sick men along with us, and 
 also a certain number of loads. The whole day was 
 passed in continuously cutting, and not an opening 
 appeared to relieve the gloomy solitude of the forest. 
 The men were getting very tired, and I was anxious at 
 the prospect of spending the night in this unpleasant 
 place, without any water except that which dripped 
 from the trees. A horrible thought also struck me, 
 that my compass might be wrong, or that a mistake 
 had been made in plotting the route. Just at night- 
 fall, however, when I had almost given up hope, we 
 emerged from the gloomy blackness of the forest into 
 an open glade, through which, to my delight, ran the 
 regular well-beaten caravan road ; and there was joy 
 among the Zanzibaris when, a little way off, they recog- 
 nised the familiar camp known to them as Campi ya 
 Mwiba, and to the Masai as Ngare Lekonge, about 
 7 miles from the Eldoma Ravine station. We had 
 thus found a route from Lake Victoria, saving a dis- 
 tance of about 80 to 100 miles. 
 
 It took under three hours the next morning, in 
 pouring rain, to reach the Eldoma station, where I 
 found Mr. Martin, who had built a very strong fort on 
 a hill not far from the ravine, from which, on a fine 
 day. Lake Baringo can be seen flashing in the sunlight, 
 and there is a lovely view across to the Leikipia range. 
 Martin entertained us with the best of everything, and 
 it was pleasant to revel in the luxury of a station again. 
 My men were also made happy by being able to fill 
 themselves to repletion. By a great piece of luck the 
 mail had arrived at the station from the coast the day 
 before, so that I was able to take back letters and
 
 126 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 papers for our party in the Sagane Valley. The 
 Eldoma Ravine station has become an important place 
 now, the whole district being under Mr. Jackson, who 
 was for so long Acting Commissioner after Colonel 
 Colvile left. A great quantity of food-products has 
 been planted, and Masai (Kamasia) have been induced 
 to settle around. It is a healthy place, 7000 feet 
 above the sea, and very suitable for colonists. 
 
 Time was precious, and I could not afford to tarry 
 at Eldoma, so on the 25 th we started to scale the 
 mountains again, accompanied by two Masai. Our 
 return journey was much easier, owing to the road 
 being cut through the forest, and in two days I was 
 able to rejoin the main column at Mitete, to the joy of 
 my men, who were glad to leave the bleak and inhos- 
 pitable Mau plateau and bask in the sunshine again. 
 Just before the steep descent on the western side into 
 Sagane Valley the sun came out, and a lovely pano- 
 rama unfolded itself Looking down over the dark 
 green forest, which extends and becomes thicker to the 
 south, the different valleys could be distinctly traced 
 leading to the great plain. Beyond the Sagane Valley 
 the rugged hills near Usun showed up plainly in the 
 foreground, and over them one could see in the far 
 distance the blue waters of the Victoria Nyanza. 
 
 I found the main body encamped about half-way 
 down the valley, and it was a pleasant surprise to 
 everyone when I produced the mail. 
 
 The next day we climbed up to the top of the range 
 of hills known as Tinderet, and travelled across an 
 open and very hilly country inhabited by the Wa- 
 Nandi, who throughout tried to harass the column, and 
 on the 27th killed two of the porters. A company of 
 the Sudanese skirmished in front in extended order,
 
 MARCH ACROSS KEDOVVA 127 
 
 and the Maxim had several times to be brought into 
 action. We were much delayed by small streams and 
 rivers running down from the mountains, and we 
 eventually camped on the third day close under the 
 Endubo Mountain, on a range running down towards 
 the valley of the Nyando River, called by the Masai 
 Kedowa or Merto. 
 
 There were a few people living on the mountains in 
 the vicinity, but this is about their limit, and there 
 were no houses in the plain to the south or towards 
 the lake. It is 59 miles from here to Lake Nakuro, 
 and the Masai with us said that there was a fairly 
 good track over the mountains, and that it was open 
 until the descent through forest on the farther side. 
 This track would probably bring one out close to the 
 Guaso Masa River, and if it could be used for road or 
 railway would shorten the route from the East Coast 
 to Lake Victoria very considerably, as there is no 
 difficulty in going along the Nyando Valley to Ugowe 
 Bay, where there is a harbour. 
 
 We marched in a westerly direction from here into 
 the big plain, 4000 feet above the sea, which is covered 
 with short grass and a few thorn bushes and small 
 trees. There are no inhabitants until one approaches 
 the lake, where there are several villages belonging to 
 a chief called Kitoto. A few antelope, Senegal harte- 
 beest, water-buck, and some small gazelles were seen, 
 and Pulteney shot a large python coiled round the 
 branches of a small tree. Towering over the plain to 
 the north-west rises the great Nandi escarpment, which 
 runs right down to Ugowe Bay, and then round by the 
 Wa-Tiriki and Maragolia Hills. It was very hot and 
 steamy in the plain, and there were thunderstorms in 
 the evening and night. After four weeks spent on the
 
 128 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 high ground and the mountains we felt the change in 
 the cHmate very much, and were glad to leave the 
 hot plain. 
 
 We crossed the river Enolgotwe, flowing between 
 steep banks, and 4 miles farther on reached the base 
 of the hills, where we found a very well-marked road, 
 evidently used by the Wa-Nandi for driving their cattle 
 and flocks down to graze. It was too late to com- 
 mence the ascent, and we camped here almost at the 
 foot of the escarpment. An old Kavirondo man, who 
 eked out a miserable existence in the plain, came into 
 camp here, and from him we heard our first news of 
 Sitwell's column, which he said had come to Kitoto's, 
 and had left four days before. 
 
 On the 2nd December we climbed to the top of the 
 plateau again, over 2000 feet, along a small water- 
 course, and on arriving there found the hills covered 
 with boulders of granite, and very bare. There was a 
 dense mist most of the day, and it was very cold and 
 damp. The country reminded me exactly of Mr, 
 Rider Haggard's description of the unknown country 
 in his book The Children of the Mist, excepting that 
 we failed to find the beautiful Princess, and were 
 received with poisoned arrows instead. The poison 
 did not have much effect when the arrows were taken 
 out at once, and under the skilful treatment of Dr. 
 Mackinnon the patients nearly all recovered. We 
 were now heading straight for Mumia's, and 9 miles 
 from the edge of the plateau reached the forest. We 
 travelled along its edge for some distance before enter- 
 ing it, which we did by a very bad path, frightfully 
 muddy and steep in places. Every now and then an 
 arrow whizzed across the track, and the men halting 
 and turning outwards fired a volley into the bush, in
 
 EMBARRASSING ATTENTIONS 129 
 
 order to put to flight our unseen enemies. This road 
 brought us out at a place called Kavaren, 6000 feet 
 above the sea, where we camped on an eminence near 
 some small hills covered with blocks of granite. Al- 
 though at the edge of the high plateau, we still found 
 a good many Wa-Nandi here, and captured some more 
 cattle. A belt of forest about 5 miles broad separates 
 them from a large Kavirondo tribe called the Kabalusia, 
 and it was curious to emerge from the forest into this 
 populous and most fertile district, inhabited by an 
 entirely different type of natives, with thick lips, curly 
 hair, and very ugly. On all sides extended fields of 
 mtama, telebone, potatoes, and banana plantations, so 
 that it was difficult even to find a place to camp. The 
 natives were very friendly, and crowded into the camp 
 in great numbers. Some of them wore an apology for 
 a costume in the shape of a small skin slung over the 
 shoulder, which was principally used for sitting down 
 upon. The remainder did not even have that. They 
 became such a nuisance that a sentry had to be posted 
 in front of our tents. It was amusing to watch the 
 stalwart Sudanese, who had put on his medal for the 
 occasion, strutting proudly up and down, driving them 
 off like so many sheep. One old woman had a small 
 round stone fixed into her chin by way of adornment. 
 The people possessed a great many cattle and sheep, 
 and must pay a large tribute to their formidable neigh- 
 bours the Wa-Nandi. 
 
 Between these people and the Kakamega, another 
 section of the Wa-Kavirondo, we crossed the river 
 Rukus or Rukuse, a very fine stream 25 to 30 yards 
 broad, which emerges through a gap in the Nandi 
 escarpment, after it has received the Kimonde, Amai, 
 and Kaimin Rivers, and flows into Lake Victoria. 
 9
 
 I30 FIRST NANDI EXPEDITION 
 
 Although it was fordable, there was a delay of nearly 
 two hours in getting the whole column across. At a 
 camp 4 miles beyond the river three porters were 
 speared by the natives v/hen out looting, a fate which 
 they richly deserved, as strict orders had been given 
 against it. They had, however, become so accustomed 
 to foraging for themselves in a hostile country that 
 they continued to do the same in a friendly one. 
 
 We did not arrive among the usual walled villages 
 of Kavirondo until we reached the Asori people not far 
 from Mumias. 
 
 On the 9th December we came down to the Lusumo 
 River, a swollen torrent about 20 yards broad, which 
 we crossed by means of a capital native bridge made 
 of creepers. The cattle and donkeys managed to 
 swim across farther up, with the exception of one of 
 the latter, which was swept past us down to the rapids 
 below the bridge, where it was tossed about like a cork 
 among the rocks, and we were astonished and pleased 
 to find him alive at the lower end of them. The river 
 swarms with crocodiles, and one of the people from the 
 fort was carried off in the act of drawing water at the 
 crossing, the last seen of him being his arm above 
 water in a strong stream. About 5 miles beyond the 
 river we reached Mumias, and found quite a party 
 assembled — Hobley, S. Bagge, F. J. Jackson (who was 
 on his way from Uganda to take over the ravine 
 station), and J. P. Wilson, leaving for the coast. We 
 remained here till the 14th December, and after in- 
 cessant marching for twenty-three days I was very 
 glad of a rest. 
 
 Nothing had been heard of the second column since 
 24th November, when it was reported to be at Kitoto's, 
 close to Lake Victoria. Two days afterwards, how-
 
 NIGHT ATTACK BY NANDI REPULSED 131 
 
 ever, it arrived from the south. Having ascended the 
 escarpment near Kitoto's, it had been attacked at 
 night by the Nandi, some of whom succeeded in pene- 
 trating into the zariba, owing to two of the sentries 
 being asleep. They were fortunately driven out with 
 a loss on our side of three killed and five wounded. 
 Sitwell was grazed by a spear, and had a narrow 
 escape, shooting one of the enemy at his tent door. 
 For the first few minutes the occupants of the zariba 
 had a lively time, as in the darkness it was difficult to 
 tell friends from foes.
 
 IX 
 
 Pacification of Nandi — Final Experiences 
 
 IT was considered that the Wa-Nandi had not been 
 suflficiently quelled, so that on the 14th Decem- 
 ber the combined forces — total strength, 410 — marched 
 into their country again. We had a long march through 
 the forest on the 1 7th, eventually camping not far from 
 our old camp at Samwiti. Travelling along our 
 former road, we camped at Kiture on the 19th, and 
 Cunningham parleyed with some natives on a hill, 
 through one of our Masai guides, without much result. 
 With the usual native diplomacy, they wanted us to 
 go all the way to the Eldoma Ravine, when they said 
 their leaders would then come in to make peace. Even 
 whilst this conversation was going on, a Sudanese 
 and a Wanyamwezi porter were speared close to the 
 camp. Marching in a south-westerly direction, on 
 the 22nd December, we camped at the head of the 
 escarpment overlooking Lake Victoria, passing on 
 the way a hill called Kisaiga, not far from the river 
 Kaimin, from which we had a splendid view over all 
 the country round. At the bridge over the river a 
 live goat disembowelled, a dead chicken, and a hand 
 cut out of leather, were placed in the pathway for 
 magic. On the 22nd, after a running fight with the 
 natives, during which only a few men were wounded 
 
 132
 
 CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 133 
 
 by arrows, we captured a large number of cattle in an 
 enormous ravine leading up from the plain, 1000 feet 
 deep, and about a mile broad at the top. 
 
 Turning in a westerly direction, we now kept along 
 the edge of the plateau, through what proved to be a 
 densely populated country. We halted near Moraba 
 Peak on Christmas day, 1895, which we celebrated as 
 best we could. An extraordinary piece of magic, con- 
 sisting of a live dog, and a snake with its head fixed 
 in a pumpkin — the two tied together, was found outside 
 the zariba in the morning ; and the prisoners agreed 
 that this portended some great disaster, and that we 
 were to be attacked that night. Sure enough we 
 were not allowed to rest in peace after our Christmas 
 dinner, but were turned out about midnight by the 
 sentries firing on natives round the zariba. No organ- 
 ised attack, however, took place, owing to the bright 
 moonlight. We continued our march the next day, 
 and the head of the column was attacked whilst enter- 
 ing a narrow gorge. A few friendly irregulars, who 
 were in front, were seized with a panic, and throwing 
 down their shields and spears, ran back on the soldiers, 
 who, advancing into the rocks, commenced firing wildly 
 in all directions, and it was some time before order 
 could be restored. Curiously enough, the kettle carried 
 by Cunningham's cook was pierced by an arrow and 
 rendered useless. The enemy were soon dispersed, 
 and we were eventually camped under Kevillat Peak, 
 at the edge of the Nandi country. We returned to 
 Mumia's through Tiriki and Maragolia, having traversed 
 the Nandi country in every direction. On the 29th, 
 we missed the proper track, and had to cross a regular 
 papyrus river swamp, such as one sees, as a rule, only 
 in Uganda and Unyoro. We returned on the 31st
 
 134 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 December, just in time to spend New Year's day at 
 Mumias. 
 
 The Nandi are ruled by a medicine-man or " laibon," 
 who Hves near Moran, close to the edge of the plateau, 
 where we had been on the last journey. Under him 
 there are several " seigunanis," or leaders of bands. 
 The people consult the " laibon " in everything, and he 
 advises them as regards their expeditions and war 
 parties. It was said that he told his people that they 
 had nothing to fear from us, as the powder would 
 soon get damp, and then our cartridges would not go 
 off. His reputation had rather suffered in consequence, 
 and we heard he had been obliged to leave the country 
 in haste. The Nandi war parties have been in the 
 habit of raiding the country far to the north, and, as 
 is the case with the Masai, their custom is to attack 
 at night. The people speak the same language as 
 the Sotik, Lumbwa, and Kamasia tribes, and intermarry 
 with them. 
 
 The Nandi country lies, as we have seen, at an 
 average height of over 6000 feet above the sea, and 
 is excellently adapted for colonists. There is perfect 
 grazing-ground, and the natives possessed large num- 
 bers of cattle, sheep, and goats. Horses should do 
 well there ; and my pony, which was with me the 
 whole time, was never sick or sorry. The soil is very 
 fertile, except in the northern portion beyond Alaga- 
 biet, where it is stony and barren. The climate is a 
 very good one. It is cold at night on the high 
 ground ; the thermometer rarely went above 80°. 
 There was a good deal of rain at night when we were 
 there. In a column of 270 soldiers and 330 fol- 
 lowers, the average total of sick per day was only 
 thirty-three, and of these few were bad cases. This is
 
 IMPORTANT RESULTS OF EXPEDITION 135 
 
 a very small number, when the extremes of climate 
 experienced, from the hot plains at the level of Lake 
 Victoria to the cold mountain-tops 9000 feet above 
 the sea, are taken into consideration. The expedition 
 was brought to a successful conclusion, by the Wa- 
 Nandi making peace, and sending in presents of ivory 
 soon after we returned to Mumias. What surprised 
 them more than anything was the fact of the Sudanese 
 women accompanying their husbands on the war-path, 
 opposed as it is to their own ideas of fighting ; and it was 
 evident they considered it futile to resist any longer a 
 power whose women waged war as well as the men. 
 
 The results of the expedition have been most 
 important. Not only have all attacks on caravans 
 ceased, but the main road from the east coast has been 
 carried straight through this hitherto unknown country, 
 from the top of the Mau Mountains, after the ascent 
 has been made by the usual route past the Eldoma 
 station. At a point on the escarpment the ground 
 slopes gradually down towards the Rukus Valley, form- 
 ing an open, slightly undulating plain, until the Nandi 
 villages are reached. A belt of thick forest, from 8 to 
 10 miles in width, forms rather an obstacle, but after 
 this Kavirondo and a fine open country is attained. 
 Instead of passing through an uninhabited desert as 
 before, the road now very soon reaches an extremely 
 fertile country, and there is a great saving in distance. 
 
 The opening up of the Nandi country has also made 
 a great difference to the Eldoma Ravine station, as it 
 is only a two days' march to the fertile Sagane Valley, 
 where food can be obtained. 
 
 With a railway from the coast, and steamers on the 
 Victoria Nyanza, timber and fuel will be in great 
 demand, and this Nandi forest will be of inestimable
 
 136 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 value. Some of the trees are very fine, and the supply 
 would last for a great number of years. As will be 
 seen from the map, the forest stretches a long way from 
 north to south, and the edge of it is not far from 
 Ugowe Bay. In Kavirondo, with the exception of 
 Kikelelwas Forest, hardly a tree is visible, and great 
 difficulty is experienced in getting wood. 
 
 The great obstacle to the railway is the Mau escarp- 
 ment, but it seems probable that a shorter way will be 
 found to Lake Victoria over the mountains than the 
 one at present suggested and surveyed. As communi- 
 cation with Uganda will in any case be continued by 
 steamer, it seems immaterial where the railway reaches 
 Lake Victoria if the length of the line is lessened, 
 and there is thereby a proportionate saving of 
 expense. 
 
 It has been found that a harbour could be formed at 
 Ugowe Bay or near the mouth of the Rukus River. If 
 a route could be discovered over the Mau escarpment 
 to the west of Lakes Nakuro and Elmenteita, or up 
 the valley of the Guaso Masai River, there is a fairly 
 easy descent along the valley of the Nyando River 
 to Ugowe Bay, and a great distance would be saved. 
 
 In the event of the railway being carried over Mau 
 by the proposed route past the Eldoma Ravine, it will 
 be feasible to continue the line through the Nandi 
 country to Mumias and Berkeley Bay, or along the 
 Rukus River to Lake Victoria. 
 
 With the difficulties in front it seems improbable 
 that the railway will reach the lake till the year 1903. 
 It is strange to think what a difference this will make 
 to Uganda, which will be thus suddenly brought into 
 direct communication with the civilised world. Towns 
 of brick houses will spring up, shops will be opened,
 
 THE FUTURE UGANDA 137 
 
 steamers and launches will ply to and fro on the lake, 
 and numbers of Europeans will come to the country 
 from all parts. Horses and donkeys will be trans- 
 ported rapidly through the belt of country infested by 
 the tsetse fly, lying between the Tsavo and Kibwezi, 
 and ought to reach Uganda in good condition. 
 Animals do well there if properly looked after, though 
 dangers exist in the form of snakes and bad grass met 
 with in places. 
 
 At a future date there will no doubt be a light line 
 of railway through Unyoro, connecting the two im- 
 portant lakes — the Victoria and Albert Nyanzas. 
 There is a good route, only 73 miles in length, 
 from a port on Lake Victoria near the capital, 
 through the dry, level country of Bulamwezi to Mruli, a 
 mile or two above which the Kafu is easily bridged. 
 The route hence to the Murchison Falls is the only 
 one by which the great drop to Lake Albert can be 
 overcome, unless the railway stops at the edge of the 
 high plateau, and all freight is carried by hand up and 
 down the enormously steep cliff. From Mruli to 
 Kimena — 27 miles — there is a fall of 40 feet 
 only, but between this and the Murchison Falls, a 
 distance of 25 miles in a direct line, the descent 
 of 1360 feet to the level of Lake Albert is 
 negotiated. This, however, is only a gradual descent, 
 and the gradient is not more than one ninety-sixth. 
 The total distance from Lake Victoria in a direct line, 
 vid Mruli, would be i 25 miles, so, allowing for obstacles, 
 a light railway of say 150 miles ought to connect the 
 two lakes. Once this is done, the whole of Lake 
 Albert, on the west of which there is a vast amount of 
 ivory, and all the Upper Sudan down to Dufile, will 
 be in steam communication with the east coast, and a
 
 138 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 journey from Mombasa to Dufile ought not to take 
 more than nine days. It is to be hoped that a steam 
 launch will be placed on this portion of the Nile before 
 long. 
 
 We only remained at Mumias a short time. It 
 took two days for the force to cross the Nzoia River by 
 means of a ford where the water was only 4 feet 
 deep, and on 5th January we started on our return 
 march to Uganda. The direct route to Port Victoria 
 lay along the Nzoia River, and this had hitherto been 
 closed by the hostility of the Wanipa tribe, who had 
 been foolish enough to murder any messengers sent 
 through their country, and to threaten any small 
 caravans passing near it. 
 
 The country along the river is very bare and open, 
 and there is no firewood at all until the Wanipa 
 country is reached. The people live, like other Kavi- 
 rondo tribes, in walled villages, and a great many of 
 them had collected with their cattle in a large village 
 surrounded with a very thick wall made of red clay and 
 a big ditch. The only entrances to it were small gate- 
 ways through the wall, now blocked with beams of 
 timber and thorn trees. A few shells into the gateway 
 soon convinced the people of the futility of resistance, 
 and they were allowed to escape, whilst the chief and 
 his relations were fortunately captured without blood- 
 shed. If truth be told, we were rather sorry for these 
 people, though their folly had to be punished in some 
 way or other. A native officer reported that a sergeant 
 had been killed whilst looting one of the houses, but 
 next morning the said sergeant arrived in camp, having 
 apparently risen from the dead. He had received two 
 or three spear wounds and been rendered unconscious, 
 but was able to walk into camp in the morning.
 
 RETALIATION BY MASAI ON ZANZIBARIS 139 
 
 The ground became rocky and hilly, as we neared 
 Port Victoria ; this is an extremely pretty place, and 
 there are several islands dotted about in the lake. We 
 spent an afternoon shooting duck on the Nzoia River 
 in native canoes. The river is about 70 yards broad 
 here, and along the banks, covered with dense entangle- 
 ments of high grass, are numerous little tunnels about 
 4 feet in height, through which the hippopotami climb 
 up when they go for their evening walk. 
 
 It was in one of these that Mr. M'Allister met a 
 crocodile, disturbed by human footsteps and rushing 
 down to the water. It was a nasty predicament, and 
 without a rifle he would have been in a bad way, but 
 he luckily killed the brute when it had almost reached 
 him. 
 
 On our march round the lake into Usoga, we met 
 the three Frenchmen, M. Versepuy, Baron de Romans, 
 and M. Sporch their secretary, who were journeying 
 from the East Coast of Africa to Uganda with 
 the intention of reaching the West Coast, and had 
 heard all about the disaster with the Masai in the 
 Kedong Valley. 
 
 A large caravan of Wa-Kikuyu with about 140 
 Swahilis were carrying bags of food to the Eldoma 
 station. There were many Masai kraals in the 
 Kedong Valley, where the Masai were pasturing their 
 cattle, and the caravan on passing through the kraals 
 proceeded to annoy the Masai by interfering with their 
 women and cattle, and brought on themselves a fearful 
 retribution. The blood of the younger warriors was 
 up in an instant, and they seized their spears and 
 rushed on the unfortunate caravan. 
 
 Those of the Zanzibaris who had guns may have 
 offered a short resistance, but the Masai do not stand
 
 140 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 in much awe of fire-arms as used by Zanzibaris, and 
 the few bullets that whistled over their heads would 
 not delay their rush. In a few moments the massacre 
 began, and did not cease till no less than 456 Wa- 
 Kikuyu and 99 Zanzibaris had been killed. The 
 course of the flight could be plainly traced, as I 
 passed through the Kedong Valley in March, by the 
 bones, skulls, and blood-stained bits of cloth lying 
 along the path for several miles. The Wa-Kikuyu 
 bore no arms of any description, and were absolutely 
 defenceless. 
 
 The Frenchmen were encamped with a trader named 
 Dick, a day's march from the Kikuyu station. On 
 hearing of the disaster, the latter insisted on going to 
 punish the Masai, and, the Frenchmen finding that he 
 was bent on going, decided to support him. 
 
 The former was a private trader and of course 
 utterly in the wrong, but was to pay the penalty by 
 his death. They captured a certain amount of cattle, 
 but on their return the Masai collected from the hills 
 around and a running fight with them had to be 
 maintained, during the course of which Dick's revolver 
 jammed and two Masai running in speared him in the 
 chest, killing him instantly. 
 
 We arrived at Jinja, the crossing of the Victoria Nile 
 above the Ripon Falls, on the 17th January. There 
 were many tracks of elephant about, and we heard 
 that they had been seen by natives close to a place 
 called Ukasa on the caravan road, about four days 
 previously. I went on ahead with a company of 
 Sudanese the next day, arrived in Kampala on the 2 1st 
 January, and on the 23rd went on to Ntebi. This 
 march I had to do as usual in pouring rain ; the 
 streams rushing down from the hills play havoc
 
 HOUSE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING 141 
 
 with the road, and the path becomes very slippery. 
 Animals find it difficult to keep on their legs, and one 
 is compelled to walk. Mr. Berkeley, the Commissioner, 
 kindly asked me to stay. I remained at Ntebi till 
 the 13th February, and my time was fully occupied in 
 completing the surveys of the Nandi country, and 
 leaving copies of the maps before my departure. 
 During a heavy thunderstorm at Kampala, Mr. Mallek's 
 house in the fort was struck by lightning and burnt to 
 the ground. Two little columns of smoke were seen 
 to rise up from the grass roof, the house being in 
 flames a few moments later. It was struck in two 
 places, but fortunately the room in which Mr. Mallek 
 was at the time was not struck. The danger was 
 added to by the nearness of the powder magazine to 
 the house, and it was only by strenuous efforts that 
 the flames were prevented from setting fire to this as 
 well. 
 
 I was very glad to meet Ashburnham the day before 
 I left for the coast. He came in from Toru that 
 morning, having been very unwell since December. 
 Amongst many other adventures, he had been obliged 
 to dive into a river to escape an infuriated elephant 
 which he had wounded. He had also been a long way 
 up Ruwenzori by the Mupuka Valley, but had turned 
 back on account of his food supply running out. 
 
 Kasagama, the King of Toru, was now at Kampala, 
 and also Chikakule and Mwenda, the Wanyoro chiefs, 
 who had held out for so long, and whom I have 
 mentioned before. Chikakule was an old man and 
 was evidently much impressed with what he saw at 
 Kampala, and must have wished he had made friends 
 with the white man before. 
 
 The Frenchmen were still here, and were in a great
 
 142 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 state of mind about their porters who refused to go 
 through the Congo Free State, even on double pay, 
 such being the effect of Stokes' execution on the minds 
 of the natives. Many black traders were leaving the 
 country, and passing by the Salt Lake at Katwe into 
 Uganda. However, an arrangement was eventually 
 come to, and they reached the West Coast about 
 July. I am sorry to say that Mr. Versepuy died 
 shortly after his return to France from typhoid fever. 
 
 The poor Katikiro lost all his goods and chattels in 
 a big fire, which destroyed his houses and enclosures. 
 When once a fire gets hold of these Waganda houses, 
 they are so combustible that it is difficult to check it. 
 A supply of gunpowder, the explosion of which could 
 be heard during the fire, added to the confusion. 
 
 Cunningham was to cross the Lake in the steel 
 boat, and meet me at Mumias, and I started on my 
 return home, with the porters and loads, on the 15 th 
 February. There was great competition for the privi- 
 lege of coming with me, among the Zanzibaris at 
 Kampala, all of whom are very glad to get back to 
 the beloved coast, or " pwane," as they call it. 
 
 At Mondo's a leopard skin was brought me for 
 sale, in which there were almost more holes than skin, 
 and the man explained that it had killed nine men, so 
 everyone put his spear into it. There were some very 
 pernicious small flies here, which had only arrived 
 lately, and would seem to have been brought out by 
 the very hot weather. The men covered their legs 
 with grass and banana leaves to avoid being bitten by 
 them. I crossed in canoes this time to Lubwa's, where 
 I found Mr. Grant. This fair and peaceful looking spot, 
 already desecrated by the murder of Bishop Hanning- 
 ton, has been recently further sullied by the massacre of
 
 KAVIRONDO "MASHERS" 143 
 
 Major Thruston, with Messrs. Scott and Wilson, owing 
 to the regrettable mutiny of a section of the Sudanese 
 troops, aided by some Waganda Mohammedans. 
 
 It was sad to see the swarms of locusts eating 
 everything up in Usoga. The people had given up 
 driving them off in despair, and where before there 
 were nice shady groves of banana trees, there remained 
 only the bare stalks and stems, looking very wretched 
 and miserable. 
 
 At the Sio River, some natives said an antelope 
 lived in the marshy ground near its mouth, and I went 
 with them to look for it. It seemed a strange place to 
 find one, and after a man had waded in and walked 
 through the high grass I had almost given up waiting, 
 when a fine animal with horns suddenly bounded out, 
 and I secured him, to the delight of my caravan, who 
 had a good feed that evening. 
 
 The weather was very hot indeed at this time of 
 year, and the country was completely burnt up. The 
 two dogs, although native ones, felt the heat very 
 much, and it was curious to see them rushing on ahead 
 to get every bit of shade they could see. After resting 
 here they used to catch me up and run on again if 
 they saw another small bush. Nur Fahil declares that 
 black dogs feel the heat more than others, but I do 
 not know what he bases this theory on. 
 
 The Kavirondo natives strike one as more extra- 
 ordinary than ever, every time one sees them, and 
 people at home can little picture to themselves what 
 they are ; the " mashers " were now wearing a sort of 
 mask, made of beads or shells, and were bedaubed with 
 red paint. 
 
 I arrived at Mumias on the 26th, and found 
 Hobley, who had just returned from an interesting
 
 144 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 trip to Mt. Elgon, having visited the caves in which 
 people live. The country in this direction is very 
 fertile and full of banana plantations. Cunningham 
 came in the next morning, having travelled along the 
 Nzoia with only a few porters, and found the Wanipa 
 people quite friendly. 
 
 On the 28th, everything had to be got ready for 
 our journey to the coast, and the food had to be 
 weighed and served out. Every man received three 
 days' " posho " in beads, and eight in flour, which he 
 had to carry himself, and which was to last him as far 
 as the Eldoma station, whilst in addition, loads of flour 
 were carried for the journey on to Kikuyu. Some of 
 the men proved unfit to travel, and others had to be 
 found to fill their places. 
 
 On the 29th February we left for the coast, and 
 we were indeed glad to think that our faces were at 
 last turned towards home. On 3rd March we reached 
 the Guaso Masa station, and I have seldom seen the 
 Union Jack floating over a more barren, inhospitable- 
 looking place. Round the stockade there was a high 
 thorn zariba, and inside grew one solitary tree, perched 
 up in which was the Sudanese sentry. The soil was 
 so rocky that cultivation was impossible. 
 
 Mr. Foaker said that two headmen and about 
 thirteen Wa-Nandi had brought in a large tusk of ivory, 
 weighing 90 lb., as a peace-offering three days before. 
 We saw antelope and zebra on the march the next 
 day, and I killed a hartebeest and a bush-buck. The 
 latter is one of several small antelope, which make a 
 curious whistling noise when startled. The height of 
 our camp this day was 6700 feet, and we were 
 gradually ascending. We now travelled over the 
 big open plain, following the course of the Nollose-
 
 MASAI ON THE WAR-PATH 145 
 
 geli River. Herds of hartebeest and zebra were seen, 
 and Cunningham shot two of the former. 
 
 On the 6th inst. we left the plain, and ascended 
 through woods and across rushing streams until we 
 reached an open space, where we sat down for our 
 usual halt after going for three or four hours. Every 
 day we had been expecting the mail, which was now 
 two months late, and now a few men could be seen 
 coming over the brow of the hill in front of us, 
 which we at once conjectured must be the precious 
 mail. 
 
 However, more and more forms could be seen 
 coming over the hill, then spears glinted in the sun- 
 light, and we knew this was either a Nandi or a 
 Masai war-party. Were they friends or enemies ? 
 It was an anxious time for our small party, and 
 resistance for any length of time would have been 
 out of the question. We took our rifles and waited 
 for them to come up. They came straight on, and as 
 the leaders approached they came and shook hands 
 with us, proving to be at the head of a Masai war-party, 
 composed of the same El Moran, or warriors, who 
 had massacred the caravan in the Kedong Valley. 
 It was a curious sight to see, and the column passed 
 rapidly on in single file, threading its way through 
 the mountains. They were divided up into detach- 
 ments, wearing different kinds of head-gear ; some had 
 great head-dresses made of monkey skins, others of 
 goat skins, whilst some had capes of ostrich feathers 
 over their shoulders. They carried lovely spears and 
 shields, most of the former wrapped in rags or painted 
 red to avoid detection. Their leaders were friendly 
 enough, and wanted us to go with them to raid the 
 Kimariongo tribe, who live near Ingoboto, east of 
 10
 
 146 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 Elgon, but two or three of the El Moran were Insult- 
 ing, and brandished their spears as they went by. I 
 counted 484 in all ; and following the column, which 
 had several long gaps in it, were some cattle and sheep, 
 to provide food on their journey. On arriving at their 
 destination, they collect together at nightfall for the 
 attack, and in the early morn fall on their enemies, 
 killing man, woman, and child ; stabbing right and 
 left with their long sharp spears. 
 
 The Masai are certainly a disturbing element in 
 this part of Africa, and will have to be dealt with 
 some day. As civilisation advances, and they are 
 gradually enclosed by the advancing Protectorates, 
 their happy hunting-grounds become smaller; and it 
 is almost too much to expect the Masai El Moran 
 to settle down as peaceful British subjects without a 
 good deal of compulsion. They have been accustomed 
 to roam over an enormous extent of country, and it is 
 not so many years since their raids extended nearly to 
 the East Coast. Latterly, they have been obliged to 
 confine themselves more to the north and north- 
 west. 
 
 The Nandi tribe, who resemble the Masai so much, 
 have been always more than a match for them, and 
 the Masai have never dared to raid into their country, 
 preferring probably a less warlike and more defenceless 
 enemy. 
 
 At Naivasha we met Captain Sclater and Lieutenant 
 Smith of the Royal Engineers, with a party, making 
 the waggon-road from Kikuyu to the lake. Their 
 carts had reached this point from the coast. The road 
 down the Kedong escarpment was nearly completed, 
 having been cut with great labour out of the rock. 
 There were many Masai kraals between the Gilgil River
 
 MOMBASA ADVANCING IN PROSPERITY 147 
 
 and Naivasha, where we met the great chief Terari 
 with his old father, who weighed twenty stone. 
 
 The country was so completely dried up that there 
 was little game to be seen. On the Athi plains I 
 killed a rhinoceros, and ought to have shot a lioness, 
 who walked past me among some rocks only forty 
 yards away, but I was chagrined to find that my gun- 
 bearer had taken out the cartridges from my rifle, and 
 at the click of the hammers the lioness bounded off 
 into the rocks with a growl, and was not seen again. 
 
 Three days from Mombasa we met a detachment of 
 the 24th Beluchistan Regiment, under Captain Mellis, 
 employed in hunting the rebel chief, Mbaruk, who 
 shortly afterwards gave himself up to the Germans in 
 their territory. 
 
 On arriving at the coast, it was astonishing to see 
 the change which had taken place in Mombasa owing 
 to the railway, work on which had just been begun. 
 The place had increased very much in size, and now 
 possessed a club, hotel, and various shops. The East 
 African Company had been bought out, and a Pro- 
 tectorate established over the whole territory, from the 
 coast to the Kedong Valley, north of Kikuyu, where it 
 marches with the Uganda Protectorate. Limited to a 
 diminutive area at first, the latter has now rapidly been 
 extended to include the whole country bounded by the 
 Victoria Nile, the Albert and Albert-Edward Nyanzas 
 to the west and north-west, and a large extent of 
 country southwards to the Kedong Valley, twenty miles 
 south of Lake Naivasha. 
 
 Embarking on the mail steamer at Mombasa, I 
 arrived in England at the end of May i 896, after nearly 
 two years' absence. 
 
 As a result of the recent expeditions in Unyoro,
 
 148 PACIFICATION OF NANDI 
 
 commencing with Colonel Sir H. E. Colvile's in 1 894, 
 the whole country has been pacified, and at the present 
 time a white man could walk across in comparative 
 safety, with two attendants, from Mruli to the Mur- 
 chison Falls. Kabarega and his myrmidons have been 
 driven into exile across the Nile, which now forms 
 a perfect frontier.
 
 35 
 
 p-'^^'^ 
 ^^V- 
 
 M^GaraJi 
 
 O^;:
 
 X 
 
 European Enterprise on the Niger 
 
 I MUST now transport my readers across to the 
 western side of the African Continent, where 
 another great river, the Niger, little inferior in import- 
 ance to the Nile, flows into the Gulf of Guinea, and 
 with its fine waterway affords splendid facilities for 
 trade and communication with the interior. 
 
 In 1796, after months of horrible privation and bad 
 treatment by the natives, Mungo Park reached the 
 upper portion of the Niger at Sego, and was the first 
 European to look on the waters of this river, whose 
 source and mouth were for so long such a mystery to 
 geographers. That a great river existed in the Western 
 Sudan was known even in the days of Herodotus, who 
 tells of the journey undertaken by the Nasamones 
 from their native country to the west of Egypt, 
 and how the five young men, after crossing the Great 
 Desert (Sahara), found themselves in a fertile country, 
 and discovered a large river flowing from west to east. 
 
 Mungo Park, utterly destitute, was forced to make 
 his way back to the coast, but returned a few years 
 afterwards with a Government expedition, and, on 
 reaching the Niger, constructed a craft with which he 
 could sail down the river, which he called the Joliba, 
 by lashing two large canoes together. After floating 
 
 149
 
 150 EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER 
 
 down for over a thousand miles, through a country 
 inhabited by equally hostile and fanatical Moors and 
 Tuaregs, the craft was dashed to pieces in the rapids 
 below Yauri, near Bussa, and Park, with the few 
 remaining survivors of his unfortunate expedition, 
 threw themselves into the water, in preference to 
 attempting to land and being seized by the hostile 
 natives lining the banks. 
 
 Many English explorers, amongst others Oudney, 
 Denham, and Clapperton, made strenuous efforts, after 
 Park's death, to solve the riddle of the Niger, until, 
 in 1830, Richard Lander, who had originally travelled 
 as servant to Captain Clapperton, reached Bussa by 
 land from the coast, and thence descended successfully 
 in two canoes to the Atlantic, proving the accuracy 
 of a book written by James M'Queen in i 821 — " Con- 
 taining a Particular Account of the Course and Termina- 
 tion of the Great River Niger in the Atlantic Ocean." 
 
 With wonderful insight M'Queen lays down the 
 course of the river, which he came to the conclusion 
 could only find its outlet in the Bights of Benin and 
 Biafra. He points out the importance of the " Niger " 
 to the commerce of England, and maintains that Bussa 
 is the inner key of the situation. " Granted," he says, 
 " that the navigation of the Niger was interrupted at 
 Bussa by reason of rapids or rocks rising amidst the 
 stream, still we know that the river can be navigated 
 in safety from Bussa upwards and from Bussa down- 
 wards. [This is rather inaccurate.] Therefore on this 
 commanding spot let the British standard be firmly 
 planted, and no power on Africa could tear it up. A 
 trifling land carriage would then give this nation nearly 
 all the advantages of an open navigation, and by such 
 a natural barrier place the Niger completely under her
 
 JAMES M'QUEEN'S PROPHECY 151 
 
 control. Firmly planted in Central Africa, the British 
 flag would become the rallying-point for all that is 
 honourable, useful, beneficial, just, and good." 
 
 These are curious and noteworthy words, written 
 over seventy years ago about an unknown spot in the 
 middle of Africa, which has been thrown into pro- 
 minence lately. It is wonderful with what accuracy he 
 foretold the dangers of a French advance from the 
 Senegal to the Niger, and its far-reaching consequences, 
 if carried out, to our commercial and political position 
 in West Central Africa, in the following words : — 
 " France is already established on the Senegal, and 
 commands that river; and if the supineness and care- 
 lessness of Great Britain allow that powerful, enter- 
 prising, and ambitious rival to step before us and fix 
 herself securely on the Lower Niger, then it is evident 
 that, with such a settlement in addition to her command 
 of the Senegal, France will command all Northern 
 Africa. The consequences cannot fail to be fatal to 
 the best interests of this country. . . ." He concludes 
 as follows : — " By means of the Niger and his tributary 
 streams, it is quite evident that the whole trade of 
 Central Africa may be rendered exclusively and per- 
 manently our own. . . . To support and carry into 
 execution the measures necessary to accomplish this 
 undertaking, is worthy of the Ministry of Great Britain, 
 and worthy of the first country of the world. It will 
 confer immortal honour on our native land — lasting 
 glory on the name and reign of George the Fourth — 
 bring immense and permanent advantages to Britain, 
 and bestow incalculable blessings and benefits on 
 Africa. . . . Let but the noble Union Ensign wave 
 over and be planted by the stream of the mighty 
 Niger, and the deepest wounds of Africa are healed.
 
 152 EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER 
 
 Round it and to it the nations, from Balia to Darfur, 
 from Asben to Benin, would gather for safety and 
 protection ; the slave would burst his fetters, and the 
 slave trade be heard of no more." 
 
 This view of the situation on the Niger, taken at the 
 beginning of the century, seems so important, that I 
 trust I shall be pardoned for dwelling on it. 
 
 No consideration of natural difficulties seems to 
 limit the French in their advance. In 1880 the 
 Tricolor was planted on the Upper Niger, and at the 
 same time a railway was commenced to connect the 
 highest navigable point on the Senegal with Bamako 
 on the Niger, and a gunboat was carried over in 
 sections and launched on the river, exactly as is being 
 done now between the Congo and the Nile. 
 
 The Niger is a curious river, rising as it does not 
 more than 150 miles east of Sierra Leone, and then 
 making a great bend to the northward to Timbuktu, 
 almost at its most northern point, before starting on 
 its southward course to the Atlantic. 
 
 The first European to enter Timbuktu — setting 
 aside accounts of doubtful authenticity — was Major 
 Laing, who reached that place from Tripoli on 1 8th 
 August 1826, and was murdered only a month after- 
 wards, two days after his departure from the city. He 
 was followed shortly afterwards by the French traveller 
 Rene Caillie, who made a wonderful journey from 
 Senegal to Timbuktu, where he stayed two weeks, and 
 then on across the Sahara to Morocco, disguised as an 
 Arab. The most interesting epoch in the history of 
 the Western Sudan has been the invasion of the 
 Fulahs at the commencement of the present century. 
 Resembling the Wahuma in Uganda and the lake 
 regions, they are lighter in colour, taller and finer-
 
 THE FULAHS IN WESTERN SUDAN 153 
 
 looking people, than the indigenous population. Mungo 
 Park says of them : " Far different, too, were the 
 Fulah inhabitants. A tawny complexion, small, well- 
 shaped features and soft silky hair distinguished them 
 at a glance from the Negro races round them." Every- 
 where he found them remarkable for their industry, 
 and no less successful in agriculture than in pastoral 
 pursuits, which seem to have been their original 
 speciality. Their history is unknown, but they would 
 seem to be an offshoot of the great race of Gallas in 
 the lands to the south of Abyssinia. They had for 
 years been gradually working westwards with their 
 flocks and herds, until the Niger seemed to have 
 imposed a limit to their advance. Gradually increasing 
 in numbers in what are now known as the Hausa States, 
 they combined together under a religious leader called 
 Othman dan Fodio. The Mohammedan religion, 
 which had found its way across the Desert into the 
 Sudan in the ninth and tenth centuries, had spread 
 among the Fulahs with great rapidity, and under the 
 influence of this sheikh they were now roused to a 
 great state of religious fervour and enthusiasm. 
 
 Their peaceful vocations had hitherto unfitted them 
 for the use of arms, and they suffered many defeats at 
 first, but, on gaining experience in war, they were 
 gradually transformed into a disciplined army of warriors, 
 and their victorious cavalry swept across the Western 
 Sudan, conquering the natives until the whole of this 
 vast empire acknowledged the political supremacy of 
 the Fulah. 
 
 On the death of Othman in 181 7, the huge empire 
 he had raised was divided between his sons, Bello and 
 Abd Allahi. 
 
 To the former was given Sokoto and all the east
 
 154 EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER 
 
 and south, while to the latter fell the western provinces 
 along the Niger, with Gando as capital. The countries 
 to the west of the Niger, including Massina, became 
 independent under Ahmed Lebbo, one of Othman's 
 lieutenants, who conquered that region immediately 
 before the death of Othman (see Mungo Park and the 
 Niger, by Joseph Thomson). 
 
 Although the tendency of the Fulahs of late years 
 has been to push southwards towards the sea — and the 
 country of Ilorin is ruled over by a Fulah, and is a 
 great Mohammedan centre — yet the people of Borgu 
 and Bussa have always successfully resisted the invasion 
 of the Fulahs, and have remained pagans. 
 
 The mortality amongst white men belonging to 
 Government expeditions, etc., which at first endeavoured 
 to open up the Niger, from fever caused by the germs 
 contracted in the pestilential mangrove swamps, or in 
 the damp clammy mist overhanging the river at night, 
 is terrible to contemplate. In fact, no European seemed 
 able to live there for any period, however short. In 
 1832, Macgregor Laird placed two steamers on the 
 Niger, which ascended the river as far as Rabba, and 
 the Benue for 100 miles from its confluence with the 
 Niger. Out of 49 Europeans who went out, only 9 
 survived, the remainder falling victims to the dreaded 
 climate. A Government expedition to Lokoja in 1841 
 was equally unfortunate. 
 
 It is extraordinary what an advance has been made 
 of late, owing to medical science, and the improvement 
 and greater portability of food, in the methods of re- 
 sisting the insidious malaria and excessive heat and 
 moisture of a tropical climate, and how much improve- 
 ment has taken place in the general health of the 
 Europeans on the Niger.
 
 SUPREMACY OF ROYAL NIGER COMPANY 155 
 
 In 1852 another attempt was made by Macgregor 
 Laird to establish trade on the Niger; but his stations 
 were sacked by the natives, and, on his death, com- 
 merce on the Niger came to a standstill. New firms 
 were gradually started, until they were amalgamated 
 into what was known as the United African Company 
 in 1879, from which period dates Sir George Goldie's 
 connection with the Niger, and a new era. On apply- 
 ing to the Government in 1881 for a charter, the first 
 difficulty raised was that the capital of the Company 
 was too small. To meet this, the capital was increased 
 from ^125,000 to i^ 1, 000,000 sterling, the Company 
 was thrown open to the public, and the name changed 
 to the National African Company. 
 
 The French companies on the Niger were at last 
 bought out, the final deeds of transfer being signed only 
 a few days before the meeting of the Berlin Conference 
 (see Partition of Africa^ by Dr. J. Scott Keltic). In 
 1885, Mr. Joseph Thomson was sent up the Niger to 
 secure treaties with the Sultans of Sokoto and Gando, 
 who practically placed the dual Fulah empire under a 
 British Protectorate, and gave all commercial privileges 
 to the National African Company. In the next year 
 the Company received a Royal Charter from the 
 Government, and at last the whole of the navigable 
 portions of the Niger and the Benue were secured for 
 England, and the National African Company became 
 the Royal Niger Company, with Lord Aberdare as 
 Governor, and Sir George Goldie (the real creator of 
 the Company) as Vice-Governor. 
 
 The Company, whilst endeavouring to secure the 
 territories over which it sought for a charter, had been 
 continually hampered by the efforts of both the 
 Germans and the French, to cut away the ground
 
 156 EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER 
 
 from under its feet. From 1883 to 1886, Herr Flegel, 
 aided by the German Colonial Society, struggled vigor- 
 ously to extend German influence ; but the British 
 Company made no less than 400 treaties with the 
 tribes amongst whom the country is divided. Shortly 
 after the Charter wae granted, Herr Honigsberg entered 
 the Niger, and visited the Emir of Nupe, with whom he 
 made a treaty, in defiance of existing treaties, securing 
 this country actually on the left bank of the navigable 
 Niger, and which the Germans contended was not 
 dependent on the Sultan of Gando. 
 
 In 1890, Lieutenant Mizon ascended the Niger 
 with a view to securing the Hinterland for France, 
 and, after failing to do this, he again set out in 1892 
 for Adamawa up the Benue. 
 
 At the Berlin Conference it was agreed that there 
 should be freedom of transit for merchant ships on the 
 Niger, but this does not apply to the war ships of 
 foreign nations. The Company have a right to make 
 their own customs regulations as to landing on their 
 own territories. 
 
 There are several ways of reaching the main river 
 by the numerous branches into which it expands as 
 it nears the Atlantic, and winds through the swampy 
 Delta. 
 
 British traders have been settled on the Oil Rivers, 
 so called from the oil palms growing in the Delta, 
 for a century, at first for the purpose of carrying on 
 the slave trade. Since that ceased, an equally 
 lucrative trade has been carried on in the oil derived 
 from the palms, and, until a government was estab- 
 lished, the traders lived for the most part in hulks 
 anchored off the villages. In 1884, Consul Hewitt 
 secured treaties with the native chiefs along part of the
 
 BRITISH AND FRENCH CLAIMS 157 
 
 coast between the Rio de Rey and Lagos, and in 1891 
 this portion, the valuable Oil Rivers, became practically 
 a British colony, and is now administered by the 
 Foreign Office. First known as the Oil Rivers Pro- 
 tectorate, the name has now been changed to the 
 Niger Coast Protectorate, with Old Calabar as the 
 seat of government. British missionaries had been 
 at work in this region for over fifty years. It seems 
 a pity that this district should be under a different 
 regime from the Niger itself, but it was felt that it 
 would have been unjust to compel the traders to 
 amalgamate with the Company, as they preferred to 
 remain separate. 
 
 It must be understood that the territories over 
 which the Royal Niger Company holds its charter, 
 extend behind the Niger Coast Protectorate, but the 
 former possesses two ports at the mouth of the Niger, 
 called Akassa and Burutu. 
 
 The Niger, from Sego to the sea, may be divided 
 into three fairly equal portions. The term " Upper 
 Niger " is generally applied to the long stretch of 
 navigable river flowing downward from Bamako past 
 Timbuktu to the first rapids. Great Britain has 
 always admitted the political claims of France to the 
 regions on both banks of this section, owing to the 
 proximity to the French colony of Senegambia, from 
 which that part of the river can be best approached for 
 the practical purposes of commerce. 
 
 The name "Lower Niger" is given to the section 
 navigable for purposes of commerce from the sea to 
 the lowest rapids. The political rights of Great 
 Britain over the regions on both banks of this section 
 are not disputed by any person of authority in France. 
 
 The Middle Niger is the section, from 600 to 1000
 
 158 EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE ON THE NIGER 
 
 miles in length, which, though navigable in parts, is not 
 practicable for the transit of commerce by water from 
 the Lower Niger to the Upper Niger, or vice versd. It 
 has been asserted that the Middle Niger is navigable 
 for commercial purposes, and that the rapids are not 
 impracticable, but this question has been finally settled 
 by the recent journey from Bamako to the mouth of 
 the river by Lieutenant Hourst and his companions. 
 The difficulties encountered by Lieutenant Hourst, 
 owing to the natural obstacles of the Middle Niger, 
 rendered his journey one of the most remarkable among 
 recent travels in Africa.
 
 XI 
 
 En Route for Nigeria 
 
 AFTER a dinner, at which I met Mr. H. M. Stanley, 
 who had no great opinion of the salubrity of 
 the Niger regions, and gave me some very sound 
 advice as to precautions to be taken in those parts, I 
 left London the same evening by the midnight train to 
 Liverpool, and embarked on the 5.5. Coomassie the next 
 morning, 28th November. 
 
 Major Cunningham, Lieutenants Pereira and Dr. 
 Castelotte were also on board, and we were the last 
 detachment to leave England for the Niger expedition, 
 most of the officers having gone on before us. We 
 entered Las Palmas, the harbour of Grand Canary Island, 
 on December 7th, and were glad to get on shore after a 
 very rough and stormy voyage from Liverpool. It 
 had been almost impossible to stand up on deck until 
 two days before reaching the Canaries. A ride here 
 made up for a great deal of previous discomfort ; one 
 day we rode through the town past the Cathedral to 
 Monte, and on into the mountains, a picturesque road, 
 past banana groves which lay in the valleys ; another 
 day up to the lighthouse station at the end of the 
 island, where we had a splendid view. In the evening 
 of this day, as we were getting under weigh, a blue mass 
 of hills suddenly appeared in the distance, and as the
 
 l6o EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 sun sank the blue outline appeared so clearly defined 
 against the red sky, that the great Peak of Teneriffe 
 almost seemed part of the island before us, though in 
 reality sixty miles away. Now began a long, mono- 
 tonous voyage round the coast of Africa. The sea was 
 almost invariably calm, and the temperature gradually 
 increased as we made our way to the south. At Dakar 
 we stopped to land the Consul, and were interested to see 
 the place, which is the French port for their enormous 
 possessions in the Western Sudan. A railway runs 
 from here to St. Louis, the seat of government, situated 
 on the Senegal River. The main street, bordered by a 
 nice avenue of trees, is called the Boulevard National^ 
 and, thronged by natives wearing variegated coloured 
 cloths, is a pretty sight. On one side were the barracks 
 containing the " Spahis," or black cavalry, and outside 
 stood a sentry, such as Detaille would have loved to 
 paint, dressed in a red serge tunic, white baggy 
 pantaloons, and long black boots, armed with a long 
 sword and rifle. Through the verandahs on each side 
 could be seen their small white Arab steeds, and as 
 the guard turned out at four o'clock we could see that 
 some of them, as well as the sentry, wore medals won in 
 Dahome and the numerous African campaigns which 
 the French have had in the Sudan. 
 
 We arrived at Sierra Leone on December 15 th, and 
 stayed three days there. It is a pretty place as seen 
 on entering the harbour, and the dark green hills rise 
 up to a great height behind it. The railway now 
 being made had reached for six miles inland, and will be 
 of immense value in opening up communication with 
 the Hinterland. There are no animals excepting small 
 cattle, and the usual mode of progression is in a 
 hammock with four bearers, which we were glad to
 
 LIBERIA i6i 
 
 avail ourselves of in climbing the steep hill, on which 
 are situated the barracks, occupied by the West India 
 Regiment. Two curious secret societies existing among 
 the natives have been recently brought to light — one 
 known as the Leopard Society, the members of which 
 go out at night in leopard skins with gloves provided 
 with steel claws, and get rid of anyone objectionable 
 to them by strangling him and tearing his throat ; 
 the other is the Ju-ju, or Crocodile Society, which 
 exists some distance inland, for the purpose of still 
 continuing the practice of cannibalism. It was very 
 hot and sultry lying in the harbour, and a great 
 relief to everyone when we had finished discharging 
 the cargo and weighed anchor on the evening of the 
 17th. We reached Monrovia, the capital of the 
 Liberian Republic, on the morning of the 1 9th, and 
 remained there long enough to go ashore and walk 
 through the place, which is a small, untidy town of 
 scattered houses, lying on some rising ground along a 
 small promontory jutting out into the sea. The 
 State was founded in 1822 by 20,000 freed slaves, 
 sent over from America by President Monroe. The 
 Government is quite a farce ; all the members are 
 styled right honourable, but notwithstanding this they 
 have proved quite unable to govern themselves. They 
 have a diminutive fleet, consisting of two small gun- 
 boats, which occasionally demonstrate their power by 
 firing across the bows of the mail steamers, for some 
 unknown reason. The Liberians have a very great 
 opinion of themselves and the influence of their State 
 on the affairs of the world, though their knowledge of 
 history is rather vague, as will be gathered from the 
 following story: — A senator met a Frenchman one 
 day in the street, who knocked up against him, when 
 II
 
 l62 EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 the former, in an indignant manner, turned round and 
 
 said, " You d Frenchman, what for you shove 
 
 me ? what for we give you at Waterloo ? " 
 
 We made our way slowly along the West Coast, 
 stopping at all the different places — Cape Coast Castle, 
 Accra, etc. At the latter (which is now the seat of 
 government for the Gold Coast) I met Sir W. Maxwell, 
 the governor, and Sir Francis Scott, commandant of the 
 Gold Coast Constabulary. 
 
 Kotonu, where we touched on the 24th, is the 
 French port for Porto Novo and Dahome, and is a 
 ghastly-looking place. Along a strip of yellow sand 
 there are a series of corrugated iron-roof warehouses, 
 and houses occupied by the French officials. Behind 
 the sand is the native village, and then the lagoon, in 
 which were lying two stern-wheelers, which run twice 
 a week to Porto Novo. A well-constructed iron pier 
 270 yards long runs out into the sea, having a large 
 pier-head with five cranes on it. This must have been 
 a busy place during the campaign in Dahome, con- 
 ducted by General Dodds. At the present time the 
 flags were all flying half-mast high, owing to the death 
 of the wife of one of the officials in Porto Novo, and 
 the place presented a mournful appearance. 
 
 Christmas Day was spent lying off the bar outside 
 Lagos, which is unfavourable for large steamers, and 
 only allows the smaller branch boats to pass at nearly 
 high tide. There was a certain amount of swell 
 rolling in towards the bar from the open sea, and I 
 can imagine few more unpleasant places to spend 
 Christmas at, though this was the fourth winter I had 
 spent on or near the Equator. We were thoroughly 
 tired with the inaction of the long sea voyage, and were 
 longing to arrive in the mysterious reaches of the Niger
 
 ON BOARD THE NUPE 163 
 
 and learn for certain the object of the expedition, the 
 secret of which had been so carefully guarded. 
 
 Countless had been the various objectives put forward 
 by the press, not the least amusing of which was that 
 given by the Figaro^ to the effect that Sir George 
 Goldie, having subdued the various States in the 
 Western Sudan up to Kano, was then going to march 
 across to Khartum. It was a fairly general opinion 
 that the Mohammedan State of Ilorin would come into 
 the sphere of operations, and this was strengthened on 
 hearing that 1 00 men had been despatched from Lagos 
 to strengthen the garrison on the Ilorin frontier, but 
 there was great difference of opinion as to whether we 
 were first going up the Niger or the Benue, which 
 joins the former at Lokoja. 
 
 The mouth of the Forcados River is no easy place to 
 find in a coast like this, where one strip of land is exactly 
 like another, and we went past it during the night, but 
 turned round and found it at 9 a.m., eventually crossing 
 the bar and anchoring within it at i o. 3 o. Here we found 
 the Niger Company's launch Nupe waiting for us, on 
 board of which was Mr. Flint, the genial agent-general 
 for the Lower Niger. Stores, saddlery, ammunition, 
 and loads of all sorts had to be transferred from the 
 ship to the launch, and it was a sad moment for us 
 when we were informed that our own stores could not 
 be found, and were probably under the remainder of 
 the cargo, which would take several days to get out. 
 This luckily proved untrue, and everything was 
 eventually discovered in some hidden corner. Soon 
 after daylight on the 27th we transferred ourselves 
 to the Nupe and steamed rapidly off into this weird- 
 looking region of creeks and mangrove swamps, looking 
 back to see the outline of the mail steamer, our home
 
 1 64 EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 for the last four weeks, soon vanish in the white mist 
 of the early morn, and felt that we had broken the 
 last link connecting us with the civilised world. 
 
 In place of the long interminable stretch of sand, 
 topped by the dark green line of trees and bushes, 
 which forms the West Coast of Africa, the eye now 
 rested on a multitude of creeks, or rivers, intersecting 
 interminable mangrove swamps, and merging them- 
 selves in the thin mist overhanging the horizon ; and 
 one could not wonder that the mouth and outlet of the 
 great river Niger was unknown for so many centuries, 
 and that almost as much mystery was attached to it as 
 to the source of the Nile. 
 
 Times have altered since then. Now large steamers 
 and speedy launches ply to and fro for hundreds of 
 miles up the river, though in the dry season — lasting 
 eight months — vessels exceeding 4 feet draught can 
 navigate only a short distance. It was difficult at first 
 to see how we could keep in the right channel, as in 
 the launch we passed countless islands of mangroves, 
 and every turn appeared just the same as another. 
 To a newcomer the latter would seem to be nice 
 green woods, but on closer inspection they prove to be 
 nothing but thousands of white roots growing out of 
 the slimy, yellow sand, in which they find a treacherous 
 foothold, and above them, interlaced together, stretch 
 the branches and green foliage which have given rise 
 to the deception. 
 
 In an hour or two we come to the first station of 
 the Royal Niger Company, called Burutu, where a 
 small piece of terra firnia has been utilised in this 
 submerged region ; and there are several warehouses, 
 also a house in course of construction for the official 
 in charge. As we proceed, the banks become more
 
 UNDESIRABLE COMPANIONS 165 
 
 defined and harder, and on rounding a corner we come 
 to the first signs of the natives. A few small square 
 houses or huts, made of wattle and mud, with roofs of 
 dried palm leaves and reeds, lie clustered together, the 
 inhabitants of which maintain themselves by the fish 
 they catch. Farther on, the scenery alters entirely. 
 The mangrove swamps have given place to high 
 banks, covered with long green grass and fine trees. 
 Large villages are thronged with natives of rather an 
 ugly and repulsive type, most of them wearing coloured 
 cloths round their loins. Formerly they were undoubted 
 cannibals, and accustomed to kill and eat their captives 
 taken in war ; and it is rumoured that even now a 
 morsel of human flesh is not despised when obtainable, 
 and I am told the human foot is a great delicacy. 
 Behind and on each side of the village are banana 
 groves, with their long, broad, shady leaves, and over 
 all rise the lofty, thin palm trees, the feathery leaves of 
 which taper gradually to the end, and droop gracefully 
 over. Sometimes pretty acacia trees, and cotton trees 
 with coloured blossoms, meet the eye. 
 
 Some of the women are painted with cross lines of 
 blue or red, and in a few instances they have brass- 
 wire bangles, or are covered with a slate-coloured 
 chalk — a strange mode of adornment. Fishing-nets 
 and baskets lie scattered about on the bank, and a 
 number of dug-out canoes are fastened to the side. 
 Here is one in course of construction. A man is shap- 
 ing it out with an adze, after which the inside will be 
 further burnt away by means of fire. Some of these 
 canoes are really almost miniature ones, and so small 
 are they that their sides appear nearly level with the 
 water's edge. About 1 2 inches in width, they must 
 be hard to balance, yet natives can be seen glid-
 
 i66 EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 ing along in them under the banks at a great 
 pace. 
 
 To anyone of an adventurous turn of mind there is 
 something very taking in thus rapidly steaming up a 
 great waterway into the heart of Central Africa. At 
 every turn, new sights and strange beings meet the 
 eye, and one wonders what there can be behind the 
 apparently trackless bush and jungle which line the 
 banks, except where the human hand has made a 
 clearing for habitation. On the sandbanks, which are 
 now exposed in this the dry season, lie enormous 
 crocodiles, which waddle off into the water with a 
 splash at our approach ; and on the second day, hip- 
 popotami can be seen poking their big goggle-eyed 
 heads out of the water at a safe distance from us. 
 This day we reached in the early morning a station 
 called Asaye. It was near here that Lieutenant 
 Mizon, after making his way up the river in a steam-^ 
 launch, unknown to the Company's officials, was sur- 
 prised by the natives at night, and severely wounded, 
 some of his men being killed. The nights are dark, 
 and we have to anchor until morning ; even now the 
 Maxim gun is loaded, and a watch is kept to guard 
 against surprise. Though there has been such success 
 in doing away with strife and bringing peace to these 
 regions, it is still just as well to be ready for emer- 
 gencies. In old days villages used to raid one another, 
 and native traders plied up and down the river in their 
 canoes at the risk of their lives. 
 
 The farther one ascends up the river the more it 
 improves. Stations are passed where palm oil and the 
 valuable rubber are collected in readiness for transport 
 to England. Not until the third day do we arrive at 
 Asaba, the administrative headquarters — a pretty place.
 
 LOKOJA 167 
 
 situated about 40 feet above the river, which is here 
 just over a mile broad. The grounds are well laid 
 out, and mango trees, baobab trees, and feather palms 
 line the walks. 
 
 Farther on, the country becomes drier and burnt- 
 up-looking. Great sandy islands obstruct the channel 
 of the river, and the course is more difficult to find. 
 Twice we ran aground, and were delayed for three 
 hours, having to pull ourselves off by means of a wire 
 cable. The scenery on approaching Lokoja is very 
 fine ; high hills, some cone-shaped, rising up on each 
 side. And here, on the fifth day, we reached our 
 destination, the base of the forthcoming expedition. 
 
 Lokoja presented a very busy appearance, and the 
 bank of the river was crowded with fatigue-parties of 
 soldiers and natives, engaged loading the stern -wheelers 
 and launches for the forthcoming expedition. After 
 the naked savages we had seen along the banks of the 
 Lower Niger, it was a change indeed to see the natives 
 here all covered with cloth, tobes, and enormous 
 turbans. Two or three horses were waiting for us, 
 and we rode up to the barracks, which lie a little above 
 the town, where we found all the officers collected. 
 A line of tents extended along one side of the parade 
 ground, an open sandy space in front of the mess- 
 house, from which at times clouds of dust would 
 sweep across and cover everything in one's tent with 
 dust. 
 
 In the afternoon of our arrival I took over my 
 Maxim - gun detachment, consisting of four Hausa 
 soldiers, and paraded with the other Maxim guns for 
 practice on the range at 500 to 300 yards. 
 
 The old chief at Lokoja, called Abbega, got up an 
 entertainment for our benefit, which consisted of dances
 
 1 68 EN ROUTE FOR NIGERIA 
 
 by people of the different races in the town. He is a 
 remarkable man, having accompanied Barth in his travels 
 through the Sudan, and having also been to London. 
 Squatting round in a circle outside the chief's house 
 were a large collection of natives, swathed, as is their 
 custom, in an enormous quantity of cloth, large folds 
 of which were also wound round their heads. The 
 native cloth made at Kano is valued very highly, and 
 is mostly dyed blue, some of it being dyed red with 
 white stripes. The dances were, as a rule, slow and 
 monotonous, but not the least curious was one called 
 the devil dance. 
 
 Some rather fat and unwieldy-looking women, who 
 were supposed to be possessed of the devil, danced 
 about, and finally jumped up in the air, coming down 
 with a bang in a sitting posture. 
 
 This was supposed to squash the devil, but must have 
 occasioned them a good deal of pain. Another curious 
 entertainment was given us by some men, who heated 
 an iron red-hot and then rubbed their feet along it, 
 until the hissing of the burning flesh could be heard, 
 and the air was filled with the smell of burning; one 
 man even licked the red-hot iron with his tongue.
 
 XII 
 
 Preparations at Lokoja 
 
 SIR George Goldie arrived on New Year's Day, and 
 preparations were at once made for the departure 
 of the column. Major Arnold, who was to command 
 the troops, had arrived out a fortnight before ; he had 
 been in command of the Niger Constabulary for the 
 last two years. 
 
 It was now known that the object of the expedition 
 was to overthrow the Fulah power in Nupe, the most 
 important State of the Sokoto Empire (ruled over 
 by the Emir of Bida), which had made overtures to 
 the Emir of Ilorin and the King of the Bussa 
 country to combine together to overthrow the power 
 of the white man on the Niger, though the King of 
 Bussa not only remained faithful to his treaty, but 
 informed the Company of the conspiracy. 
 
 In the last eighteen years British power has been 
 gradually built up and established in the valley of 
 the Niger, and an enormous and important territory 
 secured to Great Britain by the Royal Niger Company. 
 That a conflict was bound to occur sooner or later 
 with the Mohammedan slave-raiding rulers of the 
 interior, as has happened all over Africa, was recog- 
 nised years ago, and a trained force of Hausas, well 
 
 160
 
 I/O PREPARATIONS AT LOKOJA 
 
 armed, had been in process of organisation under 
 English officers for ten or twelve years. These soldiers 
 are the real Hausas from Hausaland itself, and form 
 the best fighting material in Africa : they are short, 
 sturdy-looking men, and excellent marchers ; some of 
 them had served for a considerable time. The first 
 period of service is for five years only, but many 
 engage for a longer time, some even returning to their 
 homes and then enlisting again. A large number 
 come from the direction of Kano, about 700 miles in 
 the interior. Although little had been heard of them at 
 home, they had distinguished themselves in many small 
 expeditions and combats against slave-dealers, recalci- 
 trant chiefs, etc. This was the first time, however, 
 they were to be called upon to face the wild horsemen 
 and Mohammedans of the Western Sudan, and many 
 doubts were expressed as to their standing up before 
 them. 
 
 The Emir, confident of not being attacked, had 
 divided his army, and the moment had now arrived 
 for striking the blow. For 200 miles above Lokoja 
 the Niger makes a great bend to the west, and on the 
 farther side of the river lies the northern portion of the 
 Nupe country, the capital, Bida, being about 25 miles 
 from the river, almost on the sixth degree of longitude 
 east of Greenwich. 
 
 The Governor and the Earl of Scarborough had 
 visited the capital about four years before and inter- 
 viewed the Emir, who was informed that a repetition 
 of the raiding for slaves on the southern bank, into 
 the country under the protection of the Niger Com- 
 pany, would not be countenanced, and would lead to 
 measures being taken to stop it. The high ground 
 in the interior had been devastated for years by the
 
 STRANGE COINAGE 171 
 
 Fulahs, who had been accustomed to cross the Niger 
 and settle down in some fertile spot which formed a 
 good centre for their depredations. These used to 
 extend even as far as Asaba in the south. 
 
 Few people at home can realise the enormous 
 population existing in Hausaland, which forms the 
 larger portion of Sokoto and Gando. It is estimated 
 by Mr. Robinson at 1 5 millions, or one per cent, of 
 the world's population, and of these a large proportion 
 are slaves. The latter form a species of coinage in 
 the country ; and if a man goes on a journey he takes 
 so many slaves with him, according to the length of 
 the journey. With these he buys food and pays his 
 way, with the result that a slave may be owned by 
 several masters in a short space of time, besides 
 changing his abode many hundreds of miles. The 
 farther he advances into the Sudan from the West 
 Coast the more valuable he becomes. Slavery may 
 be said to flourish in Hausaland unchecked, and the 
 slave trade on the East Coast of Africa cannot be 
 compared with it. 
 
 The Emir of Bida, after three years of comparative 
 tranquillity, had sent one of his leading generals, the 
 Markum Muhammed, across the Niger with a large 
 following, estimated at about 6000 to 7000, to a place 
 called Kabba, where he had established a large war- 
 camp not far from the native town, and was encamped 
 there at the present time. 
 
 It was a magnificent opportunity to attack him, 
 and a most essential point was that the Emir of 
 Bida should remain ignorant of the mobilisation and 
 concentration of the expedition till the very last 
 minute, so that he should not have time to withdraw 
 the southern army and concentrate his whole force in
 
 172 PREPARATIONS AT LOKOJA 
 
 one spot. The mystery in which the aim and object 
 of the expedition was enveloped was therefore one 
 of the most important factors of its ultimate success. 
 News travels with great rapidity in Hausaland, where 
 traders are continually travelling from one place to 
 another, and there was little time to be lost now. 
 
 Lokoja is the headquarters of the Royal Niger 
 Company's Constabulary, and a position of great 
 importance, both from a commercial and a strategical 
 point of view. It is situated at the confluence of the 
 two great rivers the Niger and Benue, and conse- 
 quently is the centre of all trade in these regions. To 
 the eastward there is a waterway up the Benue as 
 far as Yola, about 450 miles. Large quantities of 
 ivory come down from this district, and it is only 
 250 miles from Yola to the south end of Lake 
 Chad, which is connected by trade routes with, one 
 may say, the whole of Central Africa. Passing to 
 the eastward through the provinces of Wadai, Darfur, 
 and Kordofan, the Nile is reached at Khartum, and 
 this, until the dervish rule commenced, was formerly 
 a well-used road. 
 
 To the north lies the great Sahara, across the 
 waterless tracts of which large caravans find it worth 
 their while to bring European goods for sale in the 
 Hausa States, all the way from Tripoli, Benghazi, and 
 the Mediterranean coast. A dangerous road this, and 
 one in which the terrors of thirst and attacks by 
 Tuaregs, the savage brigands of the desert, have to 
 be faced. 
 
 Launches can ascend the river Niger for another 
 200 miles from Lokoja as far as Rabba, in a north- 
 westerly direction, and beyond this in the rainy 
 season there is more or less broken water-communica-
 
 A BEAUTIFUL VIEW 173 
 
 tion as far as the great capital and State of Sokoto. 
 A glance at the map will show what a magnificent 
 waterway this is, and what opportunities it offers for 
 the development of these territories. 
 
 The force at the disposal of the Royal Niger 
 Company consisted of about 1000 Hausa troops, 
 but of these nearly half were required to garrison 
 other portions of the territories, and also our long 
 line of communications with the sea. It was only 
 the year before that the Company's station at Akassa 
 was attacked by the natives of Brass, and there is 
 always a likelihood of trouble with the savage tribes 
 inhabiting the Lower Niger and the Delta. Any 
 disaster or reverse in our rear would have been very 
 serious. The defence of Lokoja itself was most im- 
 portant, as all supplies and ammunition were stored 
 here. 
 
 Two hundred men were to be left behind for this 
 purpose, under the command of Captain Sangster of 
 the Leicester Regiment. Lokoja lies on rising ground, 
 which slopes gradually up to the edge of a high table 
 mountain, called Mount Pati, 1200 feet above the 
 sea, which I ascended one day. It is a steep climb 
 up, but the view well repays the trouble. Immediately 
 below one, and at the head of a valley, seem to lie the 
 barracks, with the native town between them and the 
 river, whilst in the distance the great sheet of water 
 denotes the confluence of the Niger and Benue, the 
 latter of which can be seen stretching away in great 
 bends to the eastward. A large extent of sandbanks 
 is exposed to view at this season, and on one of these 
 lay the wreck of one of the Company's large steamers, 
 now half buried in the sand. 
 
 The country is covered with short trees and scrub,
 
 174 PREPARATIONS AT LOKOJA 
 
 and presented at the time a brown and parched-up 
 appearance. 
 
 To guard the exposed flank towards the valley on 
 the south-west was a small fort called Church Hill 
 Fort, which was armed with a 9- and a 7-pounder gun, 
 whilst to the north, to prevent an advance between the 
 hills and the river, lay the magazine fort on Stirling 
 Hill, which held two 7-pounder guns. 
 
 The Agent - General's house was also put into a 
 state of defence, and armed with a Maxim gun. In 
 addition to this the S.S. Ribago, one of the Company's 
 largest steamers, was anchored in the river with a 1 2- 
 pounder on board, enfilading any advance from the 
 south. An electric search-light was also put up to aid 
 the garrison in the defence. 
 
 Parades were held morning and afternoon, and the 
 force was divided up into six companies, with each of 
 which there were two English officers ; attached to each 
 company also there was an officer with a Maxim gun 
 and the detachment belonging to it. The artillery 
 consisted of five 7-pounder guns with short barrels, 
 which were carried by porters, the barrels being slung 
 on to a pole and carried by two men, one in front and 
 one behind. All the officers were mounted on ponies — 
 small, wiry little animals, very much like barbs, such 
 as we were to see in such numbers later on. These were 
 all under the charge of Lieutenant Chaworth Musters, 
 3rd Hussars. We were allowed to select our own, and 
 I secured a very good pony, which afterwards won me a 
 race at the race-meeting held outside the walls of Bida. 
 
 During the few days before we started, my time 
 was fully occupied in taking and working out observa- 
 tions to rate the chronometer watches, of which I had 
 three. The instruments supplied me by the Company,
 
 WORKING OUT OBSERVATIONS 175 
 
 consisted, besides the above, of a large and very good 
 sextant and artificial horizon, also a telescope for fixing 
 longitudes by occupations and eclipses of Jupiter's 
 satellites. Owing to the rapidity with which the 
 column moved, and the few halts there were, it 
 proved impossible to use the latter.
 
 XIII 
 Start from Lokoja 
 
 ON the 5th January the force paraded in marching 
 order at 8.30, and the final preparations were 
 made for the start on the following day. Maxim-gun 
 belts were filled, and with each gun were carried four 
 boxes with belts containing 250 cartridges, so that 
 every gun had 1000 rounds for immediate use. 
 Officers were allowed two loads of 60 lb., one 
 containing a wooden bed and bedding in a kit-bag, 
 the other a bath, in which one carried a change of 
 clothes, boots, etc., and any luxuries one could stow 
 away. It is a difficult matter to decide on what to 
 take and what to leave behind, and the actual 
 starting on an expedition is always a most trouble- 
 some matter. There are a hundred and one things 
 which one would wish to take, and which one is 
 obliged at the last minute to throw away. 
 
 We were now going to march into the country to 
 the west of the Niger, with the probability of not 
 reaching the river again for about three weeks, and 
 the organisation of the transport even for a force of 
 500 men, where all food and supplies have to be 
 carried, is no easy task. There were 900 carriers, 
 600 of whom were Hausas and Yorubas drawn from 
 the country itself, while the remaining 300 came from 
 
 176
 
 DIFFICULTIES WITH CARRIERS 177 
 
 the West Coast, among them being Fantis and Ashantis 
 and natives from Accra and Lagos. Our own servants 
 also came from the West Coast, and a very large and 
 thick-set individual, like a prize-fighter, named Don 
 Pedro, was told off to me, and was soon afterwards 
 known throughout the camp as Samson. He did not, 
 however, bear out the reputation of his name, and it 
 was with difficulty he could be got to carry a small 
 basket on the march, when he usually came into camp 
 with the tail of the column. He said he had been with 
 an officer in the Ashanti Expedition. 
 
 Executive-Officer Watts and Lieutenant Thompson 
 were in charge of the transport, and had their work 
 cut out for them. An African porter is an annoying 
 person to deal with at any time, but when there are 
 900 of them the work becomes very trying, and the 
 difficulties are increased enormously. 
 
 The carriers were divided up into eight companies, 
 and on the morning of January 6th all the loads 
 were laid out on the parade-ground, and the various 
 companies told off to them, when the usual fighting 
 and uproar commenced, each man trying to seize a 
 load which he thought was lighter than another one. 
 The organisation of the expedition had been carried 
 out in a most perfect manner, and we were carrying 
 rockets, blue surprise-lights, and strands of wire to 
 place round the camp at night, also some specially 
 made incendiary rockets for setting fire to thatched roofs. 
 
 Sir George Goldie marched out of Lokoja on the 
 6th, with a force composed as follows — 
 
 Officers and other Europeans, . . 30 
 
 Rank and file in seven companies, . 513 
 
 543
 
 178 START FROM LOKOJA 
 
 There were unavoidable delays at starting, and it 
 was eleven o'clock before we finally filed out through 
 the narrow streets of the town, which were thronged by 
 a wondering crowd of natives, and after being saluted by 
 the guns from the forts, we made our way past the maga- 
 zine fort and along the base of the high hills, with the 
 Niger on our right. There were the usual breakdowns 
 at starting, owing to the heat and the heavy loads. 
 After going for two miles, we turned north-west, and 
 followed one of the valleys running down from the 
 high ground of the interior, camping at a place called 
 Felela Busa. Looking back over the undulating sea 
 of brown grass, the long line of carriers and soldiers, 
 with here and there a European on horseback, could 
 be traced winding along the native track like a great 
 serpent, and it was curious to me to find myself on 
 the tramp again, this time on another side of Africa, 
 and I could not help wondering what the end and 
 result of this expedition would be. As I looked 
 round me, I could almost fancy myself on the East 
 Coast again, and but that the porters seemed much 
 better clothed and quieter on the march, they bore 
 a striking resemblance to the Swahilis and Zanzibaris, 
 
 On the same day that the land column started 
 to march, the flotilla of armed stern- wheelers and 
 launches, which was lying off Lokoja in readiness, 
 steamed off for the upper bend of the Niger under 
 Mr. Wallace, the Agent-General for the Niger Sudan 
 regions. No man possesses such a knowledge and 
 experience of this country and its inhabitants as he 
 does, and he is one of the few white men on whom 
 the dangerous West African climate seems to have 
 no effect. With an experience of twenty years up 
 the Niger, he was invaluable on this expedition, and
 
 OUR FLOTILLA 179 
 
 to him was entrusted the blockade of the River Niger 
 between Egga, situated at the bend of the river, and 
 Jebba. This was all part of a preconceived plan to 
 prevent the southern and northern Nupe armies from 
 effecting a junction. To carry this out the river 
 between these two places was divided into six sections, 
 and a system of patrolling instituted, which had the 
 effect of stopping all communication from one bank 
 to the other. 
 
 The flotilla consisted of the following vessels — 
 Empire, Liberty, Jifuri, Sudan, Florence, Borgu, Zaria, 
 Bornu, Argus, and Ribago, with two despatch launches, 
 Frances and Busybody. The two stern-wheelers 
 Empire and Liberty, which were to play such an 
 important part in the campaign, had only recently 
 been sent out from England. They were provided 
 with an upper deck, with four cabins, cook-house, etc., 
 on the sides, with a light sun-deck above, and though 
 drawing only two feet six inches, were able to carry 
 from 300 to 400 men, horses, guns, etc., besides a 
 quantity of stores, and steamed from seven to eight 
 knots an hour. They were fitted with some steel 
 plates, and with two Nordenfeldt shell guns on wheeled 
 carriages. 
 
 Three of the fastest launches were ordered to 
 patrol the whole length of river to be blockaded, and 
 so keep up a communication between the various 
 sections. 
 
 The town of Kabba lies almost due west of Lokoja, 
 and there is a path connecting the two places, on 
 which the enemy's scouts had been seen not far from 
 the river. It was determined, however, to move in 
 a north-westerly direction, and thus interpose our force 
 between Kabba and their line of retreat to Bida,
 
 i8o START FROM LOKOJA 
 
 so that they would be forced to make a detour to the 
 west. 
 
 Owing to the thick bush and scrub with which this 
 part of the country is covered, the column was neces- 
 sarily obliged to move in single file, and the great 
 danger to be apprehended was an attack by cavalry 
 on the long line of carriers at any open spot on the 
 march. 
 
 The order of march was as follows : The advance 
 guard consisted of two companies and a Maxim-gun 
 detachment, and was commanded by Major Cunning- 
 ham. This body moved off early, and proceeded 
 independently to the next camping-place, where always 
 a lot of work had to be done in clearing the ground 
 and preparing a site for the camp. The main body 
 was headed by a company with Maxim gun, which 
 was followed by four companies of carriers ; then came 
 the centre-guard consisting of two companies with 
 Maxim gun, four more companies of carriers, and a 
 rear-guard of one company and Maxim gun. 
 
 One company was always told off as baggage 
 guard, and provided detachments for the protection of 
 each company of carriers on the line of march. The 
 marches were long and tedious, owing to the long line 
 occupied by the column in single file, and the frequent 
 halts necessary to close up the gaps, the rear-guard 
 seldom reaching the camping ground till late in the 
 afternoon. Fortunately the Harmattan wind was blow- 
 ing, which brings minute particles of sand with it from 
 the Sahara, and keeps off to a certain extent the hot 
 rays of the sun, the atmosphere being at times so 
 clouded that it was difficult to see hills a mile off. 
 
 The 7-pounders were carried by porters with the 
 main body. The native guides who were with us,
 
 NATIVE GUIDES AND " MALLAMS " i8l 
 
 mounted on their thin wiry little ponies covered with 
 gaily-coloured trappings, presented an extraordinary 
 appearance, and gave us an inkling of what our 
 adversaries would look like. Their heads were en- 
 veloped in voluminous folds of cloth, which was also 
 wrapped round their necks, and the whole was crowned 
 by an enormous plum-pudding-shaped straw hat with 
 broad brim. Their flowing garments bulged out over 
 their high-peaked saddles, which were usually covered 
 with a gaudy saddle-cloth, made to cover the peaks in 
 front and behind. Two " mallams," or native priests, 
 who also accompanied us, were similarly dressed to the 
 guides ; they are regularly enrolled in the force, and 
 amenable to discipline, and were liable to be brought 
 up in the orderly-room if they were late for reading 
 prayers. Three times a day they used to read out the 
 prayers in the camp, which were responded to by the 
 soldiers. Great attention was paid that no offence 
 should be given to their religion, as it was assumed 
 that the Fulahs would endeavour to entice our soldiers 
 to their side by making a Jehad or religious war of 
 it, and preaching destruction to all the Christians. 
 This was the first time that the Hausas had been 
 asked to fight against their co-religionists. 
 
 One of the mallams used always smile to benig- 
 nantly on me, and usually attached himself to me on 
 the march. As my knowledge of his language was 
 rather scanty, we did not improve our acquaintance, but 
 I am convinced that he looked upon me as a white 
 mallam, and thought that my observations of the sun 
 and stars with a sextant had something to do with the 
 supernatural. When engaged in this, I used always to 
 see a wondering and astonished little crowd of soldiers 
 and carriers, who had collected to gaze at the proceed-
 
 I 82 START FROM LOKOJA 
 
 ings. They would always keep a respectful distance 
 off, principally I think with the idea that there was 
 something uncanny about them, and that it might be 
 dangerous to go any nearer. 
 
 The country through which we passed had been 
 devastated by slave-raiders, and was entirely unin- 
 habited until we crossed the small river Gadwanga on 
 the third day, and reached the nearly deserted village 
 of Emu. A few poverty-stricken inhabitants came 
 out, who said that the Nupes had been at the village 
 the day before, that the representatives of the Emir of 
 Bida had only just left, and that they had taken away 
 a lot of food with them. Owing to the Harmattan 
 wind little could be seen beyond a mile, and the hills 
 loomed up in the mist as in a London fog. It became 
 an arduous task to keep the direction of the march, as 
 no point could be selected in front, a circumstance which 
 entailed continual stopping and looking at the compass. 
 
 On the 9th we climbed a rather rocky hill, on the 
 top of which a nice village called Jakuro was buried 
 among some lovely trees, and surrounded by small 
 fields of dhurra. The houses were oblong, and very 
 similar to the Swahili houses on the East Coast, made 
 of mud and wattle with thatched roofs. An annoying 
 delay took place, owing to the head of the column 
 taking a wrong track, which is an easy mistake to 
 make in this country. After descending the hill on 
 the other side, we had to retrace our steps again and 
 proceed by another path, and it took some time before 
 the column could be got into proper order again. 
 
 The sun was extremely hot, and after we left Jakuro 
 the country became very uninteresting and dried up. 
 The grass was about three feet high, and what trees there 
 were gave absolutely no shade. The Fanti carriers
 
 ARRANGEMENT OF OUR CAMP 183 
 
 from the Gold Coast travelled very badly, and although 
 we covered only 10^ miles, the main body did not 
 reach camp till after four in the afternoon. 
 
 These long days in the sun, with frequent halts, are 
 invariably far more trying than a march of double or 
 even treble the distance which is covered in a shorter 
 space of time. 
 
 The camp was laid out under the high peak of 
 Akpara. The site was always marked out with flags 
 by Lieut. Burdon, the camp quartermaster, who accom- 
 panied the advance-guard, and, if the ground admitted, 
 it took the form of a square of 1 10 yards side. 
 
 Each company and Maxim-gun detachment had its 
 own flags, and was therefore able to march straight off 
 to its place in the camp on arriving in at the end of 
 the march. Behind the troops on the front and rear 
 face, there was a line of tents, one to every two 
 officers, and behind these were picketed the horses, 
 about forty in number. 
 
 I was fortunate in having a tent to myself, to 
 enable me to carry out my surveying work without 
 hindrance. 
 
 The centre of the camp was occupied by the 
 carriers and loads, and was often the scene of turmoil 
 and disturbance, caused by the porters quarrelling over 
 the division of food or some triviality. 
 
 The quiet of the night was often broken by the 
 horses stampeding and fighting with one another. Many 
 of them were vicious brutes, and it was risky to pass 
 too near to their heads or their heels, as one of our 
 doctors soon discovered. He was going through the 
 lines, when one of them suddenly seized him by the 
 hand, and did not let go until it had bitten him to 
 the bone, severely lacerating his hand.
 
 I 84 START FROM LOKOJA 
 
 At night two strands of wire were fastened up round 
 the camp at a distance of about forty yards, to prevent 
 a sudden rush. 
 
 Surprise-Hghts were also fastened to trees or stakes 
 fifty yards off, and were connected by cords with the 
 sides of the square, usually at the places where the 
 Maxim guns were stationed. In the event of an attack, 
 these could be fired in a few seconds, and burned for 
 seven minutes with a bright blue light, throwing every- 
 thing into relief round them. Maxim guns were 
 always loaded and placed ready for action during the 
 night. The smoke from the fires was very trying to 
 the eyes, and one was nearly blinded if one had to 
 find one's way from one side of the camp to another. 
 
 Every five or six officers used to mess together, and 
 a cook was told off to each mess. 
 
 The English, as spoken by one's personal attendants, 
 was somewhat bewildering, and was almost as difficult to 
 understand as the Hausa language itself. If I called 
 my servant, Samson, I usually received the answer, " I 
 live for chop," which meant that he was eating his food, 
 and could not by any possibility be disturbed. Another 
 quaint expression was, " I find him I no look him." 
 This was the invariable answer if one asked one's 
 servant to get anything, and meant that he was unable 
 to find it. 
 
 Goats and sheep were difficult to obtain, and we had 
 at first principally to live on tinned provisions. There 
 was little chance of killing any antelope, though two 
 hartebeest did dash past the camp early one morning. 
 
 When the carriers began to settle down to their 
 loads, we travelled much better, and usually covered 
 over ten miles a day. The next biggest place we 
 came to after Jakuro was Akpara, v/hich we passed
 
 ARRIVAL AT SURA 185 
 
 through early on the 1 1 th. This village was also 
 situated on a hill, where there were rice, groves of 
 plantains, also yams and oranges. We had ascended 
 a good deal since leaving the Niger, and were in quite 
 a lofty region for West Africa. The nights became 
 much cooler, and the thermometer used to go down to 
 about 5 9° or 60° Fahrenheit, but it was verj^ hot in the 
 middle of the day. On the i ith January we reached 
 our first important point, called Sura, and camped 
 about two miles from the high hill which bears the 
 same name, and under which lies a fairly large native 
 village. This lies on the regular raiding road used 
 between the capital Bida and the war-camp near 
 Kabba.
 
 XIV 
 Flying Column to Kabba 
 
 ORDERS were now given for the greater portion 
 of the fighting force, total 403, with 300 
 porters carrying light loads, to leave the next day and 
 make a forced march on the Markum's camp. Tents 
 to be left behind, and each officer allowed one 40-lb. 
 load. 
 
 The majority of the carriers and loads were thus 
 left at Sura, where a strong zariba was to be built, 
 and a company was left behind under Lieutenants 
 Pereira and Neale to hold the post. Captain Hatton 
 was at the same time sent with 150 carriers and a 
 small escort north to Egga, to fetch some supplies. 
 The sun was well up before a start could be made on 
 the 1 2th inst. with the flying column to Kabba. 
 Loads had to be divided up and readjusted, and porters 
 told off to them, and no end of those little details seen 
 to, which, apparently so unimportant, yet conduce so 
 much to the ultimate success. We travelled the whole 
 day, with a halt of two hours, over a dry and burnt- 
 up country covered with low trees, first passing through 
 the village and then southwards along the base of the 
 Sura Hill. The river Mimi, near which we halted, is 
 a lovely stream, and is bordered by beautiful trees, 
 which afforded a grateful shade in the midst of this 
 
 186
 
 EPI VILLAGE 187 
 
 sweltering heat. The river is said to run into the 
 Niger about two miles below Lokoja. The monotony 
 of the journey was broken only by the capture of a 
 " dankari, " or Nupe soldier, in the grass at the side of 
 the road, who was probably a spy watching our move- 
 ments. He was seen by one of the keen-eyed Hausa 
 soldiers, who immediately gave chase, backed up by 
 other soldiers and carriers near him on the march, who 
 threw down their loads on the pathway, and all rushed 
 off eager for some fun. Two or three of the fleetest 
 of them came up with him, and brought him back in 
 triumph, having torn most of his scanty clothing off 
 him in the struggle, during which he bit a carrier 
 very badly in the mouth. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we entered a dense bit of 
 forest, ensconced in which was the village of Epi, 
 hidden away from the outer world. Open glades 
 round the habitations were filled with plantains, yams, 
 and cotton, and the natives stood gaping at the door- 
 ways as we passed through. On emerging from the 
 forest, it was a relief to see the head of the column 
 halted on a little rising ground not far from a stream, 
 which soon presented a busy scene, as everyone began 
 to settle down to bivouac here for the night. The 
 grass had to be cut down round the camp, and pre- 
 cautions taken to guard against a surprise. The 
 position of Kabba was uncertain, and we were trusting 
 entirely to the native guides with us. There was 
 therefore no knowing how near the enemy might be. 
 I sat up rather late to find the latitude, which was 
 N. 7° 56' 15", and to plot the course of our march on 
 the map, and had not turned in long when I was sud- 
 denly awaked by the noise and rushing of feet ; my 
 first impression that we were attacked was strengthened
 
 I 88 FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 by seeing forms rushing past my bed in the dusk, and 
 I bent down to get hold of my revolver. 
 
 It turned out, however, that the prisoner was the 
 cause of all the disturbance, having effected his escape 
 from the guard, which was posted just in front of my 
 corner. Notwithstanding that he was fastened with 
 cords to a soldier of the guard, he managed to wriggle 
 himself out of them during the night, and was clever 
 enough to dash through the back of the camp where he 
 could not be fired at. In doing so he stampeded the 
 carriers, who went with an alarming rush from one 
 side of the camp to the other ; and in the meantime he 
 was making good his escape, though he must have hurt 
 himself severely against the strands of wire, which 
 were found bent and twisted up. 
 
 On resuming our march, the white mist and the wet 
 grass — which was here veiy luxuriant, and soon wetted 
 one through and through — reminded me of Uganda ; 
 but after going eight miles in a south-westerly direction 
 the country improved, and we marched along a lovely 
 grass valley covered with scattered palm trees. In this 
 valley there were many traces of huts and enclosures, 
 and it was no doubt the abandoned site of a Fulah 
 war camp in previous years. A curious little rocky 
 hill was pointed out to me in the distance as our desti- 
 nation, and about 12.30 p.m. we reached the outer 
 wall of Kabba, which lies under the hill. 
 
 Great disappointment was caused by the news that 
 our march had been in vain, and that the Nupe army 
 had preferred to defer the engagement, and was now 
 retreating in a north-westerly direction to the river 
 Niger. As it turned out, everything was for the best, 
 and during these three weeks of hard marching in the 
 bend of the Niger the soldiers got to know their officers ;
 
 AN OVATION TO SIR GEORGE GOLDIE 189 
 
 their discipline and mobility was proportionately 
 increased, and all ranks received good training for the 
 arduous work which was before them. A halt was 
 called outside the town, and the few palm trees dotted 
 about were soon surrounded by little groups of officers 
 and men, seeking shelter from the tropical sun and a 
 shady place to have the mid-day meal. Between us 
 and the town lay another wall, made of red mud, now 
 broken down in places and overgrown with green 
 bushes. Passing over the ditch in front of it by a 
 small causeway, the force defiled through the town 
 after the mid-day halt, headed by Sir George Goldie, 
 who received quite an ovation. He was met by about 
 2000 people, and the chief and leading people threw 
 themselves on their knees before him, and thanked him 
 for having rid them of their oppressors. The women 
 and children emitted shrill shrieks of joy as each white 
 man passed, and seemed very glad to see us ; but this 
 demonstration must be taken for what it is worth, as 
 far as concerns the old chief, who would have welcomed 
 either side impartially. He is known to have received 
 a subsidy for collecting so many slaves and tribute 
 from his own people. 
 
 Kabba is a picturesque place among pine woods, and 
 evidently a shadow of what it has been once upon a 
 time. The mud wall plainly shows the former extent 
 of the town, over a mile from one side to the other, 
 but it has been so reduced by raids and slavery for the 
 past century, that now there cannot be more than 5000 
 inhabitants. It had been a sore tax on the inhabitants, 
 having this war camp of the Fulahs at their very doors. 
 
 The Rev. C. E. Wating, who was travelling in this 
 district with Bishop Tugwell and Bishop Phillips in 
 December 1894, writes as follows: —
 
 190 FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 " At Ayeri, a town close to Kabba, the king came 
 to call on us about seven o'clock, and told us the 
 English king was the ruler of the world, and he 
 besought us white men to come and help him. He 
 said that four years ago, on his coming to the throne, 
 the Nupes came and took away 300 of his people. 
 He told us that oppression has been the rule here for 
 forty years ; that at first the Nupes only demanded 
 couriers, then farm produce, and that now they will 
 have slaves as well. As all their own slaves are gone 
 as tribute, they have to give their own children, and 
 many, after giving their wives and children for tribute, 
 have left the town and not come back — among others 
 his own brother and cousin ; that there are hardly any 
 young people in the country, and that their nation is 
 becoming extinct. We had to assure them that we 
 could not help them, but sympathised most fully with 
 them." 
 
 Cotton, tobacco, and various kinds of grain were 
 growing in the fields, and there were many plantain 
 trees. After passing through another thick belt of 
 wood and vegetation, we reached the wall on the south 
 side of the town, and another fine open country lay 
 spread out before us. 
 
 It was too late to reach the Fulah camp this day, 
 but early next morning, soon after starting, we could 
 see an enormous collection of thatched huts and 
 enclosures, covering over a square mile of country. 
 Rocky hills with precipitous sides rose up on each 
 side about two miles distant, and the top of one of 
 these overhung the base to such an extent that one 
 wondered how it did not overbalance and tumble over. 
 These hills formed a sort of line of outposts to the 
 camp, and between them and where we were a sea of
 
 SLAVERY ABOLISHED IN SOUTHERN NUPE 191 
 
 yellow grass was only broken by the few palm trees 
 scattered about in solitary grandeur, which for the 
 most part preferred the green banks along the stream 
 watering the valley. 
 
 Although the camp was deserted and some of it 
 had already been burned, half a score of horsemen and 
 some people on foot could be seen hurriedly making off 
 in the distance. Little remained to be done, except to 
 complete the work of destruction, and two companies 
 in extended order first marched through and returned, 
 setting fire to all undestroyed huts, in which an occa- 
 sional old gun, or sword, or basket of grain was found. 
 Some of the enclosures were very neatly arranged, and 
 I noticed very good wells of water. 
 
 We returned to Kabba, and camped in the place at 
 which we made the mid-day halt the day before, and in 
 the afternoon an imposing ceremony took place in the 
 market-place of the town, where Sir George Goldie met 
 the chiefs of Kabba and the neighbouring towns, and 
 formally proclaimed the freedom of Southern Nupe 
 from the Fulah power, and the cessation of slavery. 
 
 The whole force paraded and formed up in two 
 columns facing the town, and the seven-pounder guns 
 were mounted on their carriages and drawn by ropes. 
 
 It was a picturesque scene, and Kabba Hill was 
 covered with groups of natives perched together on the 
 rocks, who looked down with wondering eyes on the 
 display in front of them, a sight such as they had 
 never seen before — the regular lines of the Hausa 
 soldiers, in khaki and red tarbooshes, the barrels of 
 the Maxim guns and the bayonets flashing in the sun- 
 light, and in front of these the short wicked-looking 
 7-pounders. 
 
 The old chief, dressed in a red and gold gown, very
 
 192 FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 much faded, and wearing a red tarboosh with blue 
 tassel, sat in front of the assemblage, surrounded by 
 other chiefs in variegated coloured costumes ; and when 
 Sir George Goldie arrived, and had been received with 
 a salute, these came forward and threw themselves 
 down before him. 
 
 He then addressed them in the most inimitable 
 pigeon English, which was translated by his own inter- 
 preter Esa into Nupe, and by one of the sergeant- 
 majors into Yoruba, and informed them that they 
 would be henceforth taken under the protection of 
 the Niger Company, whose aim and object was to 
 promote peace and trade in these countries; that any 
 disputes between them and other towns must be referred 
 to the white man, and that slavery would be at an end 
 from this time, and all the Fulahs driven across the 
 river. The above was received with great applause by 
 the people, and the chief made a suitable reply. 
 
 He was then asked if he had any horses to sell, 
 some more of which were badly wanted for the expedi- 
 tion, but here there was great difficulty in getting any- 
 thing out of him, owing to his fear of future punishment 
 by the Nupes if the white men were beaten. He at first 
 denied having any at all, and then said that those he 
 possessed were lame or unfit for use. At length, after 
 a great deal of talking, he produced two very weedy- 
 looking animals, which were said to belong to some of 
 his subjects. 
 
 He was a most unsatisfactory old individual, and, 
 like all Africans, was very glad to get rid of his 
 enemies by the means of someone else, but was very 
 chary of putting himself to any inconvenience in lending 
 assistance to do so. 
 
 After he had been presented with the British flag
 
 SUNDAY AT SURA 
 
 193 
 
 the force returned to the camp, and the march to Sura 
 was continued the next day. 
 
 The heat and continued marching had begun to tell, 
 and Lieutenant Rigby, an under-officer, and several 
 men had to be carried. 
 
 About a mile before we reached our old camp of the 
 1 2th there were marks of a good many horsemen 
 crossing the road. We arrived back at Sura at two 
 o'clock on the i6th and found all well, though Lieu- 
 tenant Neale and Sergeant Murfit had been ill with 
 fever. A high zariba had been made, which was now 
 pulled down, and we reoccupied the old camping-ground. 
 
 Sunday the i 7th was a rest-day, and the first day 
 we had halted since leaving Lokoja. In consequence 
 of information obtained, however. Lieutenant Festing, 
 with Lieutenants Pereira and Neale and a company, 
 started off at midday to Lukki, a village where Nupes 
 were reported to be. This detachment ultimately 
 rejoined us on the second days' march from Sura, having 
 driven a small party of Nupes out of Lukki and captured 
 a small store of gunpowder. 
 
 On the morning we left Sura the soldier in charge 
 of my horse was nowhere to be found, and I dis- 
 covered, after some difficulty, he had been ordered to 
 remain behind, on account of a sore foot, with twenty- 
 five other sick men, under a sergeant at Sura. These 
 horse-boys were selected from the most inefficient and 
 idiotic of the soldiers, and mine was without doubt the 
 worst of them all, so that I was not sorry to get rid 
 of him. 
 
 We were obliged to march to the village to get 
 
 on the right track, and then turned due north, and 
 
 descended gradually to the river Feraji, which flows 
 
 to the eastward north of Akpara. The soil was very 
 
 ^3
 
 194 FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 rocky and gravelly until we came to thick woods 
 surrounding the village of Feraji, where there were 
 lovely wells of clear water. A great deal of cotton 
 was grown in the fields around, and I noticed women 
 in a house at work on the looms, which are most 
 ingenious. We camped about two miles farther on, 
 and much delay was caused by having to clear the 
 thick bush away. 
 
 On the 1 9th we reached a watercourse and re-entrant 
 into the hills, up which we advanced, and camped 
 beyond the village of Shale. This was an interesting 
 point for us, as we noticed the water was now flowing 
 the other way, in a northerly direction, into the Niger. 
 The country became very barren and arid as we 
 approached the Jakpana Hills, which we ascended by 
 a steep path over stony and volcanic ground, some of 
 the lava rocks over which we marched being extremely 
 hot and trying to the naked feet of the porters ; and it 
 was a difficult march for them. We were, however, 
 agreeably surprised, as we had been led to believe that 
 it was a very bad march indeed, and that there was 
 no water for a very long way. I started with the 
 advance party at 6 a.m., and we reached the camping 
 ground at 10.45. 
 
 There are three distinct peaks, the centre being a 
 triangular rock without a particle of vegetation on it, 
 which is visible for many miles. Before leaving the 
 ridge we had a fine view over the valley to the west, 
 and, on looking back, two twin peaks of an inconsider- 
 able size, which we had hitherto missed seeing owing 
 to the thick bush, now came into view, forming a gate- 
 way at the end of the valley. From this elevation, 
 1 1 80 feet above the sea, the track led between two of 
 the small peaks, and descended into the plain which
 
 KOSOBEJI 195 
 
 borders the Niger ; and as we left the rugged sides of 
 the hills, fields of cultivation appeared, and the country 
 became much more prosperous- looking. Here we first 
 came upon a Nupe village — Kosobeji by name — 
 utterly different from any village we had yet seen, and 
 remarkable for the neatness of its walls and the struc- 
 ture of its houses ; these were nearly all circular, and 
 made of red mud walls, with very neatly-thatched roofs. 
 Intermingled with little structures of the same sort for 
 grain, raised from the ground, they were crowded 
 together into the smallest space imaginable, so that 
 one wondered how the natives could move about 
 among them. Nearly every house had a miniature 
 courtyard, separated from the next house by a small 
 wall, and usually occupied by a goat or two and a few 
 chickens. 
 
 An enormous quantity of corn was found here, and 
 it proved to be a food depot of the Southern Nupe 
 army, which had been dispersed at Kabba. 
 
 From Kosobeji a very gradual descent across a 
 great plain, covered with dry grass 4 feet high, led to 
 the Kampi River, at this time only a few yards broad, 
 but which is evidently a very fine river in the rains, 
 about 150 yards broad, flowing between sandy banks, 
 and emptying itself into the Niger near Egga. This 
 country presents an utterly different appearance in 
 the rains ; little ravines and sandy river-beds, which we 
 crossed dryshod, become seething torrents, and render 
 travelling very difficult, if not impossible, for caravans 
 loaded as we were. 
 
 It was fresh and delightful marching in the early 
 morning ; and soon after the sun rose, as we approached 
 the Kampi River, a peak towards Egbon loomed up out 
 of the mist in the distance, the very image of one of
 
 196 FLYING COLUMN TO KABBA 
 
 the pyramids in Egypt, the side turned to us being h't 
 up by the sun's rays with a beautiful, soft, yellow colour- 
 ing, strengthened by the blue shadows on the edges, 
 whilst away over the brown dried-up grass a belt of 
 dark green palm trees indicated the course of the river, 
 making a brilliant contrast with the surrounding 
 country. An hour farther on we reached Padda, a 
 large Nupe town of 4000 to 5000 inhabitants, which 
 contained many fine circular houses and markets, and 
 from which the people came out bringing plantains, 
 chickens, and eggs for sale to the camp, which was 
 posted on an undulation to the west of the town. 
 Detachments of the Fulahs were reported to be in the 
 towns not far off to the westward, and at a place 
 which lay close to the Pyramid Peak. They, however, 
 never harassed the line of march, and the advanced 
 guard became tired of looking out for an enemy which 
 up to now had pursued such Fabius-like tactics. 
 
 It was a short march from Padda to the Niger, 
 which we reached the next day, 22nd January, passing 
 to the right of three of those curious flat-topped hills 
 peculiar to West Africa, which rose up almost perpen- 
 dicularly from the ground, echeloned from right to left. 
 These are called the Egbon Hills, and are visible from 
 a ridge near Bida ; the Pyramid Peak lies to the south 
 of them. Between Padda and the river several small 
 farms, with fields of cultivation around, lay scattered 
 about, the property of the Nupe princes, and worked 
 by their slaves sent across the river for the purpose. 
 
 It was pleasant to see the great river again, and we 
 camped at the small village called Egbon, where there 
 was an open space in the woods which border the river, 
 and where the bank shelved steeply down to the 
 water's edge. Close to the side lay some of the
 
 SOUTHERN FULAH ARMY DISPERSED 197 
 
 stern-wheelers and launches which had been patrolling 
 the river, and were now waiting to convey the force 
 across to the northern bank. 
 
 So effective had been Mr. Wallace's blockade of the 
 Niger that not even a messenger could pass, and to 
 this co-operation must be attributed the retreat of the 
 Fulahs from Kabba without fighting, their one object 
 being to get back to the river and effect a crossing 
 before it was too late ; and in this they were defeated 
 by the excellence of the arrangements for carrying out 
 the blockade. Mr. Wallace also succeeded in rousing 
 to revolt the people living on the banks of the river 
 known as Ganagas, who had formerly rebelled against 
 the Fulah power in 1882. Hereby a number of 
 native levies were secured, and, landing with these 
 and the small force available from the steamers, he 
 was able to seize several Fulah towns within striking 
 distance of the river. 
 
 The result of our march in the bend of the Niger 
 had been that the Southern Fulah army was now com- 
 pletely dispersed, and had scattered to the north-west 
 through the Yagba country, with the hope of reaching 
 the left bank of the Niger by one of the upper 
 crossings. We were running rather short of supplies, 
 and were very glad to see the steamers again, where 
 we knew we should be able to refill our provision-boxes, 
 and also obtain, what was a great luxury after the bad 
 water on the march — a few bottles of soda-water. 
 Each officer was also allowed to have a reserve box, 
 which was carried on one of the steamers.
 
 XV 
 
 Expedition to Bida 
 
 NOT an hour was lost in preparing for the march 
 to Bida, and on January 23rd, the day after we 
 arrived at Egbon, two companies under Major Cunning- 
 ham, D.S.O., crossed the river with the Governor at 
 dayhght to reconnoitre, and report upon the crossing 
 of the creek, which was known to exist about two and a 
 half miles from the left bank of the Niger. I had just 
 settled down to complete some of my mapping work, 
 and work out observations, when the order came for 
 the company to which I was attached with my Maxim 
 gun, to cross also. The men were soon ready, and it 
 is wonderful how little kit these Hausas require on the 
 march ; the men were not allowed to carry anything 
 but a blanket and their ammunition, and a few odds 
 and ends which they managed to stow away in their 
 haversacks. Most of them were plentifully adorned 
 with charms and amulets, to keep off bullets and avert 
 disaster. These consisted of little leather cases con- 
 taining a piece of paper with a verse from the Koran, 
 also pieces of wood, or shells fastened together by a 
 bit of boot-lace, and were hung either round the neck 
 or on the sword-belt, and sometimes fastened round 
 their arm with the wrist-knife which is so common in 
 this country. If worn under the clothing, they were 
 
 108
 
 
 / -^ ;^^l;.'',iiii:tf; 
 
 .* p^^w/- 
 
 
 I. 1.' 
 
 '•I 
 
 '.^ 
 
 
 \J 
 
 
 V ,^^^:»jij*ifi 
 
 
 
 1*S« 
 
 l-.-:::^.;^W*«^*'||jj| 

 
 CROSSING THE RIVER AT EGBON 199 
 
 always drawn out and ostentatiously displayed on 
 coming into action. Their arms consisted of the 
 Snider rifle and three-cornered bayonet, and the latter 
 seemed to me very inferior to the sword-bayonet I had 
 seen used in previous expeditions for cutting down 
 trees, bush, and grass, and even for making a trench, 
 where other implements were not forthcoming. It 
 entailed having porters to carry choppers, axes, etc., 
 for cutting wood, and even with these it would have 
 been almost impossible to make a zariba without a 
 considerable loss of time. 
 
 We filed down the steep bank on to the Liberty^ 
 but it required time and a good deal of persuasion to 
 make the officers' horses cross the little bridge of planks 
 which connected the ship with the shore. The river 
 is 850 yards broad at Egbon, and the left bank was 
 also steep, and necessitated a ramp being cut to enable 
 the guns to be drawn up from the steamers. A road 
 had to be cut from here to the creek, through the 
 high grass and thick bush which lines the river-bank. 
 The creek itself was a formidable obstacle, and, though 
 only 40 yards broad, was deep and unfordable. 
 
 Fortunately, two rather rickety canoes were found 
 not far off, and with these, and a large steel canoe, 
 which was transported here from the river, the whole 
 force was able to cross on the following day. On 
 arriving I found a camp pitched on the other side of the 
 creek, and heard that a mounted patrol of the enemy's 
 had been seen in the morning. 
 
 The Governor was also encamped here, and, inured 
 as he is to the climates of the Eastern and Western 
 Sudan, had not escaped a touch of the fever which is 
 so apt to assail one on coming down to the valley of 
 the Niger from the high ground. Limiting himself
 
 300 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 throughout, he carried as little luggage as any of us. 
 He kept in his own hands the Intelligence Department, 
 and was constantly engaged cross-examining spies, 
 guides, and messengers — an arduous task where 
 African natives are concerned. With a wonderful 
 prescience as to how events would turn out, he had 
 planned everything long before in England, and the 
 organisation of the expedition was complete down to 
 the smallest detail. 
 
 This camp would have been a nasty place in which 
 to be attacked at night, but the ground was not suited 
 to the tactics of our enemy, a fact of which we were 
 unaware at that time. Thick grass surrounded it on 
 all sides, except where the creek lay, and in this grass 
 a clearing had been made for the encampment. Not 
 a hundred yards could be seen on either side, and it 
 was just such a country as the tribes of the Lower 
 Niger and Delta would have chosen for making their 
 attack. Our adversaries, however, preferred the open 
 ground round Bida, where they could attack with their 
 cavalry, which they believed to be invincible. 
 
 In a reconnaissance from here it was found that a 
 large swamp 250 yards broad existed about two 
 miles farther in, over which no easier or more practic- 
 able way could be found than by the direct route. 
 This was bad enough, in all conscience, for a large 
 force with porters carrying loads, and it was difficult 
 at first sight to believe that the two heavy guns could 
 be dragged through. Consisting of a mass of foetid 
 mud and rank grass, it differed only from the river 
 swamps in the Equatorial Lakes Region in the absence 
 of the ever-multiplying papyrus, which forms such a 
 feature there. Beyond this swamp one or two small 
 villages were met with, where a few natives were
 
 THE FORCE 
 
 20 1 
 
 captured, who were brought back into camp to be 
 interrogated as to the enemy's movements. 
 
 The force was organised now as follows, in seven 
 companies and gunners : — 
 
 Staff— 
 
 Commander— Major A. J. Arnold, 3rd Hussars. 
 Adjutant— Lieut. Fasting, Royal Irish Rifles. 
 Galloper — Lieut. Carroll, Norfolk Regiment. 
 Transport — Lieut. Thomas, Leicester Regiment. 
 „ Under-Officer Sergt. C. Bagford. 
 
 Medical — Drs. Cargill and Castellote. 
 
 Executive— ^&ri\ox Executive Officer, W. Watts, H. J. Drew. 
 Station Assent — R. Marmon. 
 
 Political— \\' . Wallace, C.M.G., Special Commissioner for 
 Niger Sudan Regions. 
 
 Rank and File. 
 60 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 64 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 68 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 63 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 
 65 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 
 64 
 
 (Maxim gun). 
 
 64 
 
 No. I. Lieut. M'Clintock, Seaforth Highlanders 
 
 Lieut. Day, South Wales Borderers 
 
 Lieut. Bird, Royal West Surrey Regiment 
 No. 2. Major Cunningham, D.S.O., Derbyshire 
 Regiment ...... 
 
 Lieut. Musters, 3rd Hussars. 
 
 Lieut. Thorpe, Bedfordshire Regiment 
 No. 3. Lieut. Burdon, 2nd Lancashire Regiment 
 
 Lieut. Tighe, West Riding Regiment. 
 
 Lieut. Vandeleur, D.S.O., Scots Guards 
 No. 4. Lieut. Gillespie, South Wales Borderers 
 
 Capt. Anderson, 3rd Middlesex Regiment. 
 
 Lieut. Margesson, South Wales Borderers 
 No. 5. Capt. Sangster, Leicester Regiment . 
 
 Lieut. Pereira, Coldstream Guards 
 No. 6. Lieut. Neale, Royal West Surrey Regiment 
 
 Lieut. Parker, South Wales Borderers 
 No. 7. Capt. Hatton, 4th Lancashire Regiment 
 
 Gunners — 
 
 Sub-Commandant Robinson. 
 Under-Officer Corporal A. E. Bosher. 
 Under-Officer Bombadier J. Halfpenny. 
 Total . 
 
 59
 
 202 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 Total Strength. 
 
 Europeans 32 
 
 Constabulary (rank and file) . 507 
 Carriers 565 
 
 [■ Natives . 1072 
 
 Total . . .1104 
 
 Armament. 
 One i2-pounder Whitworth B.L. gun. 
 One 9-pounder Whitworth B.L. gun. 
 Five 7-pounders R.M.L. machine guns. 
 Six Ma.xim guns, 45. 
 
 Stores and Supplies — Artillery. 
 i2-pounder .... 50 rounds common shell. 
 9-pounder . . -50 rounds common shell. 
 
 {95 rounds double shell. 
 35 rounds shrapnel shell. 
 16 rounds common shell. 
 
 Small Arms. 
 Maxim .... 18,000 rounds. 
 Snider . . . -50 rounds per man, by troops. 
 30,000 rounds reserve, by transport. 
 
 Rations — Ten days : three days by troops, seven days by transport. 
 
 The force marched off at 6.1 5 a.m. on the 25 th inst. 
 in the following order : — 
 
 Advance-guard 2 companies. 
 
 Baggage-guard i company. 
 
 Centre- guard i ,> 
 
 Rear- guard \ „ 
 
 Guns in rear escorted by two companies. 
 
 After successfully crossing the swamp, we passed 
 several villages and plantain groves, the country being 
 very flat and wooded, and, on nearing the village of 
 Lokitsha, a few shots were fired at the head of the 
 column. A good deal of drumming and blowing of 
 horns could be heard in the vicinity, and, as soon as
 
 WE FEEL OUR WAY 203 
 
 the main body came up, camp was formed here, and 
 the two companies of the advance-guard pushed on. 
 A body of the enemy, including some horsemen, were 
 met with and soon routed, one gunner on our side 
 being slightly wounded. 
 
 It was now certain the Nupes meant to fight for 
 their capital, and the next day, the 26th of January, 
 when the force marched off at 6 o'clock, one could 
 soon tell by the silence kept that something exciting 
 was expected, yet no one could have foreseen the 
 hard fighting that was to last through the day. I 
 was lucky this day to be attached to the advance- 
 guard, which was under command of Major Cunningham, 
 and consisted of Nos, 3 and 5 companies, and was also 
 accompanied by Sir George Goldie and Mr, Wallace. 
 The main body followed up half a mile in rear with 
 the carriers and the guns. As the march progressed 
 in a northerly direction, the country became more open, 
 and we passed through large fields of cultivation sur- 
 rounding numerous villages. The half company in 
 front, under Lieutenant Tighe, now extended, and 
 advanced in skirmishing order, carefully examining 
 the different villages en route, from which a surprise 
 might be effected. At 7.30 a party of the enemy's 
 cavalry could be discovered on the far side of a small 
 swamp, concealed to a great extent by a fringe of 
 palm trees and a fold in the ground, where they were 
 evidently waiting to swoop down on the head of the 
 column unperceived, and take it at a disadvantage as 
 it emerged from the swamp. A few rounds from the 
 Maxim in close proximity to their heads soon scattered 
 them, and a cloud of dust was raised by their flying 
 horses. Continual skirmishing took place from this 
 point for another four miles, during which the enclosed
 
 204 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 country gave way to enormous open undulating plains, 
 with here and there a village or farmstead nestling 
 among a small clump of trees. 
 
 It was an ideal battlefield ; and as we came down 
 to the ravine, or nullah, through which flows the Rafi 
 Shaun stream, the Nupe army could be seen extend- 
 ing in their thousands along the top of a low undula- 
 tion in front, looking at a distance in their white 
 dresses like flocks of sheep grazing on the green grass, 
 whilst away to the flanks bodies of horsemen could 
 be seen trotting about, conspicuous in their flowing 
 garments. 
 
 A halt was now called, to give time for the main 
 body to come up, and the two Maxim guns came into 
 action so as to clear the ground on the farther side of 
 the ravine. As the carriers arrived, camp was formed, 
 and the loads were stacked in the centre, the men 
 lying down round them, and the two companies of the 
 advance-guard were then pushed forward across the 
 ravine. 
 
 These were again reinforced by Nos. 4 and 7 Com- 
 panies, which were thrown back in echelon on each 
 flank, and the whole then advanced under command 
 of Major Arnold, v/ith the object of reconnoitring the 
 ground on the reverse'side of the slope, and to drive the 
 enemy back, and, if possible, prevent them harassing 
 the guns and the carriers still in the rear on the line of 
 march. 
 
 It was a pretty sight to see the men of the first two 
 companies doubling down the path to the ravine, on 
 which some of the enemy's marksmen were now mak- 
 ing rather good practice, little spurts of sand testifying 
 to the accuracy of their range ; and as they ascended 
 to the top of the opposite slope, headed by their com-
 
 'MNCH BY INCH" 205 
 
 mander, Major Cunningham, they rapidly extended on 
 either side of the path, and lay down to await the 
 two companies which were to reinforce them. When 
 these had crossed, the order was given to advance, and 
 the line moved forward, halting every now and then 
 to open fire. Volley-firing was carried out with pre- 
 cision, and the Maxims fired with telling eftect on the 
 enemy's line at ranges of 300 to 400 yards. Two of 
 the latter were posted between the two centre com- 
 panies, and one accompanied each company in echelon 
 on the flanks. Every inch of the ground was disputed ; 
 and whilst the two centre companies steadily advanced, 
 those on the flanks were busily engaged driving off 
 the bodies of cavalry, who took advantage of small 
 woods and villages to approach close and threaten the 
 safety of the small force. The country, entirely 
 different from any we had yet seen, was admirably 
 adapted to cavalry. 
 
 The long, low undulations led up to a ridge, on the 
 top of which a magnificent sight met our eyes. Outside 
 the great wall of the capital, made of red mud, crenu- 
 lated, and about 10 feet high, stood masses of people, 
 who extended a long way to the south, and were now 
 being joined by those we had just driven back. These 
 were retiring rapidly across a stream of water flowing 
 in the valley which runs through the eastern portion of 
 the town. 
 
 The great capital, holding from 60,000 to 100,000 
 inhabitants, according to the estimate of the few Eng- 
 lish and German travellers who had been there, seem^ed 
 a mass of lofty thatched houses and high clay walls, 
 forming enclosures, which intermingle with pine trees 
 extending to the north as far as the eye can reach. 
 
 Emirs and chiefs in their brilliant robes trotted
 
 2o6 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 about at the head of their troops of horsemen, and 
 bands of footmen armed with guns and spears, and 
 the air resounded with the drumming and blowing of 
 horns and roar of the dense multitude ready to give us 
 battle. 
 
 The walls of Bida were now 2000 yards off, and 
 a halt was made to give the 7-pounders, which had 
 been sent for, a chance to get up if possible. It was a 
 welcome rest ; and, after cleaning out my Maxim gun, 
 I sat down to gaze at the crowds on the opposite 
 slope. There w-as a large concourse under the branches 
 of an enormous tree about 200 yards from the main 
 wall, and many more were in and about some small 
 villages lying outside the town. It was a sweltering 
 hot day, and the midday sun beat down from a per- 
 fectly cloudless blue sky, making everything in the 
 distance appear shimmering and indistinct, whilst the 
 dust and powder all combined to make one very 
 thirsty, and I luckily bethought me of a very green 
 orange which I had stowed away in my holster two or 
 three days before. 
 
 Like the knights of old days, every horseman 
 seemed to be followed by two or three squires 
 carrying his gun and some spears, and, where the 
 hqrsemen were banded together, they were usually 
 followed by similar parties of footmen. 
 
 Occasional shots were fired from the Maxim, but, 
 to judge from the increasing noise from the enemy's 
 masses and the activity of their horsemen, our halt 
 was evidently considered a confession of weakness. 
 I had not long gone out in front of the line with 
 Lieutenant Thomson to take the range of the big 
 tree, when the order was given to retire, and we 
 returned to our places — this being the last I ever saw
 
 OUR BLACK TROOPS BEHAVE SPLENDIDLY 207 
 
 of Thomson. He apparently rode out to the rear to see 
 if the guns were coming, and must have been 
 almost immediately cut off by the enemy's horsemen, 
 as his body was found soon after we started, and 
 was carried with us in the square. 
 
 The moment the retirement commenced, a great 
 shout went up from the multitude, who proceeded to 
 cross the watercourse and rush up the ridge after us. 
 It was a most difficult operation in the face of a 
 bold and determined enemy, and admirably conducted 
 by Major Arnold. The slightest mistake or panic 
 and the little column was lost, as every white man 
 knew ; and the greatest praise must be given to the 
 black soldiers, who behaved splendidly, kept quite 
 cool, and obeyed their officers' commands. It must 
 be remembered that they had never had to face 
 cavalry before, the moral effect of which, even on 
 white troops, is very great, as recognised by all 
 European armies. The Maxims had in most cases 
 expended a great deal of their ammunition, and were 
 ordered only to fire in emergencies, owing to the 
 delay unavoidable in mounting and dismounting, so 
 that everything depended on the fire - discipline of 
 the black troops, whose aim was far more effective 
 than might have been expected from soldiers sur- 
 rounded on all sides, and exposed to a constant, 
 though ill-directed, fire from the enemy's riflemen. 
 These fortunately aimed too high, or they would 
 have inflicted far more damage than they did, the 
 bullets usually whizzing harmlessly over the square. 
 There were only five casualties besides poor Thomson 
 at present, and the danger was slight, provided that 
 the horsemen could be prevented from breaking the 
 square, which they could have done so easily if they
 
 2o8 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 had only possessed the courage to face the last 
 hundred yards which separated them from our ranks. 
 As the companies closed in to form square, No. 5 
 Company under Captain Sangster, formed the rear 
 face, and had its work cut out in stopping the ugly 
 rushes of the now elated and triumphant enemy, 
 who closed in upon us from all sides. The men 
 were also controlled by Major Cunningham and 
 Lieutenant Festing, it being now almost an impossi- 
 bility' to make oneself heard above the din of the fight. 
 Though many of them were Yorubas, who were supposed 
 to be the least warlike of our soldiers, and w^ere looked 
 down upon by th« Hausas, they behaved very well. 
 
 Lieutenant Pereira had a narrow escape of being 
 cut off with his Maxim, the men being very slow 
 in dismounting the gun. It was now nearly two 
 o'clock, and the men were very tired, which is not 
 to be wondered at, as we had started from Lokitsha 
 soon after dawn, and had been fighting throughout 
 the day in the trying damp heat which exists in the 
 valley of the Niger. The men who carried the guns 
 were ordinary African porters, selected principally 
 for their strength and physique, and it is astonishing 
 how well they behaved. My own porters used to 
 watch the result of each shot with the keenest interest, 
 and were sometimes seen dancing about behind the 
 gun in their excitement. The actual detachment 
 consisted of four soldiers, who were responsible for 
 mounting and dismounting the gun, and acted besides 
 as a guard to the porters on the march. 
 
 Slowly but surely we made our way back to the 
 camp. No. 3 Company, under Lieutenant Burdon, 
 clearing a way for the advance. Lieutenant Tighe 
 of this company having already had to ride for his
 
 PICTURESQUE FULAH CAVALRY 209 
 
 life whilst carrying a message. On his way back to 
 the camp he saw horsemen on the flanks, evidently 
 closing in with the object of cutting him off, and 
 setting spurs to his horse just got through in time, 
 emptying his revolver at the leading horsemen as he 
 dashed down towards the ravine covered by the fire 
 from the camp. Our movements were necessarily 
 slow, and halts had to be continually made to open 
 fire and drive off the more daring of the enemy 
 encircling the square, before a fresh advance could 
 be made. 
 
 It was a strange sight to see these Fulah horsemen 
 firmly fixed in their high peaked saddles, with 
 enormous brass and iron stirrups, as they galloped 
 along on their long-tailed ponies, covered with gay 
 trappings, waving their swords or spears in the air, 
 with their white robes flying in the wind, accompanied 
 at the same time by the clamour of their small drums 
 and the deep-bassed horns which were encouraging 
 them to the attack. Very often an enormous straw 
 hat surmounted the turban, which was wound round 
 their heads, or was allowed to fall back and hang over 
 the shoulder, whilst many of their leaders were very 
 well dressed, and wore flat-heeled riding-boots of red 
 leather, which are excellently made in this country. 
 
 Some of them showed reckless audacity in galloping 
 up, brandishing their swords, to within 100 yards 
 of the square, and at times they were even nearer 
 to the rear face than this, rushing up over every fold 
 of the ground ; and their faces could be plainly 
 distinguished, some of the officers even using their 
 revolvers. As we descended along the open slope 
 towards the camp, it was an exciting scene for the 
 few white men in it, and they all agreed that the 
 14
 
 2 10 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 square was kept in the most perfect formation, 
 surrounded by masses of people, who gradually 
 cleared off to a respectful distance, as the square 
 was supported by the fire from the camp, which 
 covered the crossing of the ravine. 
 
 Everyone in the square was immensely relieved, 
 when they saw that the camp, with all the reserve 
 ammunition, was safe, and there is no doubt that the 
 Nupe army lost a grand opportunity. If, instead of 
 devoting most of their attention to the square, they 
 had crept up the ravine, or had established themselves 
 in force in the village near, they would have had the 
 camp at their mercy. Fortunately, it was well posted, 
 and the small force in it was able to ward off the 
 attacks by smaller bodies of the enemy, whilst the 
 four companies were engaged in front. 
 
 Whilst marching in square we had missed the 
 track, and had now to bear off to our right to find 
 the path leading down to the ravine. Luckily we 
 were encumbered with no baggage or carriers, and 
 could move easily across the rough ground, and the 
 fields of cultivation. The enemy were still pretty 
 close, and Nos. 3 and 5 Maxims were sent across 
 the ravine to take up a position on the rocks in front 
 of the camp, and cover the crossing of the remainder 
 of the force. It was now about 2.30 p.m., and the 
 position was as follows : — The camp was well situated, 
 and commanded the water 150 yards off On the 
 farther side of the ravine the enemy was divided up 
 into large bodies and small groups about 1200 yards 
 off standing near villages or under trees, and behind 
 them again on the ridge were masses of people and 
 the less bold of the warriors awaiting events. 
 
 The only weak point of the camp was the rear
 
 THE SEVEN-POUNDERS BROUGHT UP 21 1 
 
 side, where the ground did not admit of a good view, 
 and where some riflemen had posted themselves in the 
 bushes, and fired into the camp, wounding two or 
 three of the carriers. These, and also the servants, 
 lay huddled up in the centre, many of them burying 
 their heads in the ground in fear of being shot. 
 After some difficulty, I found my own servant trying 
 to conceal his elephantine proportions like an ostrich 
 in the ground, and had to apply a gentle reminder or 
 two with the foot before I could move him, and make 
 him get me some food. He wanted to know why 
 we did not go back to the river at once, as the enemy 
 were so numerous. It was about this time the 
 7-pounders arrived in camp, the escort having been 
 attacked on the road so severely that one of the guns 
 had to be abandoned, and Lieut. Carrol, who went to 
 hurry them up, had had a very narrow escape from 
 the enemy's horsemen. 
 
 The two big guns, on which it was felt the fate of 
 the expedition now depended, were still in the rear, 
 and No. i Company under Lieut. M'Clintock (Seaforth 
 Highlanders), which had been defending the camp, 
 also No. 3 Company under Lieut. Burdon, were sent 
 back to aid the two companies acting as escort to 
 these guns, with whom were Lieut. Musters (3rd 
 Hussars), and Lieuts. Gillespie, Margesson, and Day 
 (South Wales Borderers), Lieut. Thorpe (Bedfordshire 
 Regiment), and Capt. Anderson. These guns were, 
 I suppose, about the largest which have ever been 
 wheeled into Africa, and the labour of dragging them 
 across the fields of cultivation, broken up by large 
 lumps of earth, was very great. Little watercourses 
 and stumps of trees formed serious obstacles to them. 
 
 The three companies left extended round the camp.
 
 312 EXPEDITION TO BIDA 
 
 and every one was busy serving out ammunition and 
 filling Maxim-gun belts. 
 
 The 7-pounders came into action at once under 
 Lieut. Robinson assisted by Under - Officers Bosher 
 and Halfpenny, principally directed against the flank- 
 ing parties of cavalry who were working round to 
 the rear, and the moral effect caused by the explosion 
 of their shells must have been very great, though their 
 range of fire was limited to 3000 yards, and they were 
 not very accurate. The enemy, however, did not 
 begin to retire until after the arrival of the 9-pounder 
 Whitworth gun at 4 p.m., when affairs assumed a 
 very different aspect. At this time, there must have 
 been fully from 20,000 to 30,000 of the enemy to the 
 front and the flanks, and this gun opening with great 
 precision at a long range did tremendous execution. 
 Beautifully aimed, the first shell landed in a crowd of 
 the enemy's horse near a village, scattering them in all 
 directions, amidst tremendous cheers from the camp, and 
 some more shells in different directions soon convinced 
 our opponents that it had been a case of " reculer pour 
 mieux sauter." They had dragged out an old cannon 
 from Bida, with which they attempted to retaliate 
 with a great deal of noise but little result. The shell 
 fire was, however, too much for them, and in face of 
 it they gradually drew off to Bida, and as they retired 
 could be seen carrying off some of their dead and 
 wounded, whilst away on each side of the camp parties 
 of horsemen streamed away back to the capital on 
 their tired horses. 
 
 The enemy's losses must have been very large, and 
 we heard afterwards that a lucky shell burst right 
 among the Agaie division, aUies of the Emir Abu 
 Bekri, Sultan of the Nupes, killing the Agaie general.
 
 TWELVE-POUNDER LEAVES ITS CARD 213 
 
 His death had the effect of disheartening this portion of 
 the enemy, who left in the night, or early the following 
 morning. It was nearly dusk before the enemy drew 
 off, and, after a fight lasting all day, the camp v/as 
 now at rest, and everyone sat down to a well-earned 
 meal. 
 
 Just as it got dark the i 2-pounder arrived, preceded 
 by the buglers, who played the men dragging it and 
 the escort into camp. Great cheering ensued, and at 
 8 p.m. the gun was aimed by a compass bearing of 
 10°, which was the direction of the town, and sighted 
 to the highest range, namely, 5400 yards, a shell being 
 then fired, landing as we afterwards heard within the 
 the walls of Bida close to the Markum's palace, a 
 defiance to them and a foretaste of what was to come 
 on the morrow. 
 
 It had taken over twelve hours to drag this gun 
 about 10 miles, and the men were all tired and 
 knocked up by the hard work in the sun, the day 
 having been extremely hot. 
 
 For an expedition to a point farther than 30 miles 
 from the river it is doubtful whether it would be 
 feasible for a force to take these big guns, as all 
 mobility has to be sacrificed, and so many men have 
 to be detached to escort them. Their effect on the 
 enemy was, however, undeniable, and without them 
 Bida would very probably not have been captured 
 at all. 
 
 All the officers collected after dark for the mournful 
 ceremony of burying poor Thomson, whose sad death 
 had cast a gloom over every one. He had been 
 appointed transport officer, no sinecure on this ex- 
 pedition, and had distinguished himself by his ability 
 and hard work.
 
 XVI 
 Second Day's Fight at Bida 
 
 THE night of the 26th inst. was spent in the 
 expectation of an attack, notwithstanding which 
 most people slept soundly, tired after the hard 
 fight, and only disturbed by the roar of the rockets, 
 which were fired every two hours. The 1 2 -pounder 
 was also fired again at 1 1 p.m., and the great shell 
 hurtling through the air in the dead of night must have 
 struck terror into the hearts of the enemy, who were 
 already wondering at strange fiery signs in the sky 
 caused by our rockets. It must be to this fact and the 
 severe handling they had already received that we 
 owed our immunity from a night attack, and lucky it 
 was for us, as most of the sentries were too tired to 
 keep awake, and the safety of the camp depended 
 only on the vigilance of a European, who occa- 
 sionally went the rounds. 
 
 Although dejected by their severe losses, the enemy 
 were still confident of destroying us on the morrow, 
 and voices were heard shouting insulting messages to 
 that effect from the farther side of the ravine. Their 
 spirits had been raised by driving the reconnoitring 
 force back to the ravine. 
 
 When morning broke only a few mounted scouts 
 were visible on the ridge, and the force was able to 
 
 214
 
 WE FORM A SQUARE 215 
 
 cross the ravine in peace, the big guns being hauled up 
 the other side by ropes. 
 
 Hidden by a fold in the ground, and our presence 
 only revealed to the enemy by a cloud of dust, raised 
 by the compact mass of people, a square was now 
 formed of one company in front, two companies each 
 on the flanks, and one company in rear, every man 
 and load of the expedition being inside the square. 
 The carriers were divided into four bodies, two on each 
 side of the square closed up as much as possible, and 
 the 12- and 9-pounders and five smaller guns were 
 drawn in the centre, one company being told off to 
 assist in the dragging of the guns. A deep ditch 
 formed a serious obstacle to these at first, and our 
 movements were very slow and crab-like until ev^ery 
 one began to settle down into their positions, and we 
 moved gradually along up the gentle slope towards the 
 ridge, a little to the east of our advance the previous 
 day. Here we came under the fire of the enemy's 
 riflemen, who were posted in the village and clumps of 
 trees to our left, and bullets were soon whistling over 
 the square, which, with its mass of people inside, formed 
 a large target. 
 
 This and the unevenness of the ground all combined 
 to create confusion among the carriers, who were so 
 crowded up together, and every now and then one 
 would stumble and fall down after a vain effort to 
 balance his heavy load on his head, and others would 
 be upset by his fall like so many ninepins. 
 
 Sir George Goldie's servant fell mortally wounded 
 close to his master's side, whilst, at the same time. Dr. 
 Cargill's horse was shot under him. A soldier in 
 No. 3 Company, on the rear face, who was also 
 desperately wounded, distinguished himself by his
 
 i 
 
 216 SECOND DAY'S FIGHT AT BIDA 
 
 Spartan-like courage in calmly sitting up and probing 
 for the bullet himself. The enemy did not dispute 
 the possession of the ridge this day, but were drawn up 
 on the opposite slope across the stream. 
 
 On our approach, our adversaries commenced their 
 old tactics of sending large masses of horsemen round 
 our flanks to surround us and harass the rear, but 
 they were checkmated by our combined movement in 
 square, which was most successfully carried out. The 
 fighting from this point was, in fact, a mere repetition 
 of that of the previous day, and would be tedious to 
 describe in detail. 
 
 More of our men had now fallen to the fire from the 
 riflemen in the bushes, which was very harassing and 
 could not be replied to on account of the order regard- 
 ing the expenditure of ammunition. This had been very 
 considerable on the previous day, and if fighting was to 
 be prolonged there was a danger of running short, — 
 hence the order that the firing was to be very care- 
 fully controlled, and to be reserved principally for 
 attacks by cavalry. 
 
 Most of the firing, therefore, was done by volleys, at 
 distances of under 400 yards, and by the Maxims. 
 Captain Anderson in his white helmet, on our side of 
 the square, seemed to be a target for the enemy, and 
 though they invariably missed him his vicinity was 
 decidedly dangerous. 
 
 The enemy now displayed a certain amount of 
 indecision, and were no doubt wondering what was to 
 be our next move ; in truth, it must have been a strange 
 sight to see this little square, covered by a cloud of 
 dust, which was slowly but surely making its way 
 towards the walls of their city, belching forth at times 
 volleys of flame and smoke at the masses of the horse-
 
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 SULTAN'S PALACE BOMBARDED 217 
 
 men encircling it. At last we arrived at the top of the 
 undulation, about 2500 yards from the walls of Bida. 
 
 A halt was made here, and our opponents were 
 rudely awakened to the power of the Infidel by a 
 shell from one of the big guns, which landed in a village 
 outside the walls, raising a cloud of white dust as it 
 crashed through the mud walls, immediately setting fire 
 to it. The guns, managed by Lieutenant Robinson 
 and Under-Officers Halfpenny and Bosher (the former 
 of whom, unfortunately, received an injury to one of 
 his eyes from the explosion of a cartridge), fired a few 
 more shells, which, assisted by Thorpe's and Margesson's 
 Maxims, cleared the face of the slope opposite, and 
 masses of the enemy retired into the town through the 
 western gate, others drawing off to the high ground to 
 the west. The Emir Abu Bekri who, with a crowd of 
 horse, was standing near a clump of trees not far from 
 the western gate, was wounded in the arm, about this 
 time, as we afterwards found out, which must have still 
 further discouraged the Fulahs. Major Arnold now 
 wheeled the square to the right, and we made our way 
 along the open slope to a point situated 200 yards 
 from the water and on slightly rising ground, forming 
 a capital strategical position, which commanded the 
 town. 
 
 Secure here, picked shots kept the enemy's marks- 
 men at a distance ; and under cover of a heavy fire 
 from the Maxims, a party of men went down to draw 
 water. The bombardment now commenced in earnest, 
 and shell after shell was sent hurtling into the town, 
 principally directed at the Sultan's palace and enclo- 
 sures about 2 miles distant. We were only 500 yards 
 from the main wall, where the defenders were now 
 posted and firing at us.
 
 2i8 SECOND DAY'S FIGHT AT BIDA 
 
 The advantage of having the big guns became appa- 
 rent when one realised the size of the town, as, with the 
 small force available, it would have been very risky to 
 get involved in hand-to-hand fighting in the maze and 
 network of narrow streets, where the enemy would 
 have derived every advantage from their superior 
 numbers. 
 
 Although the enemy might have been driven from 
 the southern portion of the town by the fire from the 
 smaller guns, yet they could have assembled and made 
 a stand in the northern half, and from here issued 
 forth and lain in ambush behind the high walls of the 
 compounds, on which fire made no impression. 
 
 The looting propensities of the Hausas were very 
 great, as we had already noticed ; and without very 
 careful measures and the strictest discipline, it was 
 possible that the entrance into the town would be 
 followed by the dispersal and melting away of the 
 whole force. It is impossible for anyone who has not 
 seen it, to believe how all military discipline and order 
 is thrown to the winds by an African soldier when he 
 begins to loot. All sense of danger is forgotten, and 
 the only means of bringing him to his senses is to hit 
 him as hard as possible on the head. 
 
 About noon. Lieutenants Festing, Gillespie, and 
 Margesson were sent forward to occupy a neighbouring 
 village, already on fire ; and from there, covered by a 
 Maxim gun, they advanced to a breach in the main 
 wall, which was surmounted without much difficulty, 
 volleys being fired at a few of the enemy in the vicinity, 
 thus establishing our first footing in the town. 
 
 Incendiary rockets were fired in different directions, 
 showing their course by curves of thin white smoke, 
 setting the thatched roofs of this portion of the town
 
 THE WHITE MAN CONQUERS 219 
 
 on fire, and making it untenable for the enemy ; and 
 in the distance thick columns of smoke could be seen 
 rising in the air, results of the shells from the big guns, 
 and a notification to the Emir Abu Bekri and the 
 Nupe army that the white man had conquered. 
 
 Thus ended this great fight, which had lasted two 
 days, the most important battle waged in the Western 
 Sudan, and the greatest blow to the slave trade ever 
 dealt in Africa, which has established the prestige of 
 the English power and the Royal Niger Company 
 throughout the Central Sudan, from Bida to the great 
 town of Kano, and on to Lake Chad, making even 
 Rabbah, the conqueror of Wadai, Baghirmi, and Bornu, 
 pause in his onward course, and consider whether it is 
 worth while coming into contact with such a redoubt- 
 able opponent. We could see the horsemen drawing 
 off from all sides, and the contest was practically over. 
 Tents were pitched and camp formed close to the 
 ground we then occupied, and what had shortly before 
 been a scene of battle now became a peaceful encamp- 
 ment. Four companies paraded in the afternoon, and 
 marched into the town at different points for about 400 
 yards, whereupon they extended so as to meet each 
 other, returning then to the main wall, setting fire 
 to and clearing the outskirts. 
 
 Lieutenant Tighe was attacked by a man behind a 
 gateway as he entered a compound, but very few of 
 the Fulahs were seen. 
 
 Our casualties were extraordinarily small, only seven 
 men being killed and nine wounded, besides Lieutenant 
 Thomson killed. The Nupe riflemen ought to have 
 accounted for more, but as long as the horsemen could 
 be kept out of the square, and the column kept 
 together, few losses were to be feared. On the
 
 220 SECOND DAY'S FIGHT AT BIDA 
 
 other hand, a mistaken order, the jamming of a 
 Maxim, or a gap in the square meant the total 
 annihilation of the expedition. Major Arnold has 
 pointed out that " our percentage of losses at Bida 
 was greater than that of the British losses at the 
 historic battle of Plassey, whereon the foundation of 
 the Indian Empire was laid." 
 
 It is impossible to estimate the losses of the enemy, 
 but they must have been enormous. The generals 
 of the forces sent to aid the Emir of Bida by the 
 Fulah States of Lapai and Agaie were both killed on 
 the 26th. Prince Lapini, an important chief, was also 
 wounded on that day, and on the 27th, the Emir him- 
 self was wounded, and many other minor princes and 
 chiefs were killed and wounded. 
 
 Thursday, 28th January, was a day of rest, which 
 was badly wanted ; the heat during the two-days' fight 
 having been exceptionally great, even for Equatorial 
 Africa. No signs were to be seen of the enemy, 
 but a few traders came in, also a few villagers, 
 who brought in news of the 7-pounder which the 
 enemy had captured during the first day of the battle. 
 Lieutenant M'Clintock with No. i Company was 
 immediately sent out, and succeeded in finding it in a 
 village to the north-west of the town. Reconnaissances 
 were also carried out by other companies east and 
 west, and the Nupe army w^as reported to be scattered 
 in all directions. 
 
 A large number of sheep and goats had been cap- 
 tured, and the smell arising from the slaughtered 
 animals round the camp was so appalling that to 
 escape this and the plague of flies we were obliged to 
 move our tents in the afternoon.
 
 XVII 
 
 BiDA 
 
 ON the 29th January the whole force marched into 
 the capital, Sir George Goldie taking up his quar- 
 ters in the Emir's palace, over which the British flag 
 was soon flying ; the officers' tents were put up in the 
 market-place outside, under the shade of some lovely 
 trees, and the soldiers and carriers settled themselves 
 down round the square, some of them occupying the 
 houses close to. A company occupied every street 
 abutting on the square, and Maxim guns were placed 
 wherever they could be used in case of a surprise. 
 Bida is a striking place to find in Central Africa, and 
 makes all the more impression on one, after arriving 
 from the delta of the Niger, where the natives are on the 
 lowest scale of civilisation, and a most degraded-looking 
 race with instincts tending to cannibalism. It is situated 
 on slightly rising ground, and watered by two streams, 
 one of which rises only a short way from the walls ; 
 these join together in the southern portion of the town, 
 and flow through a beautifully green valley to the east. 
 The main wall must have been erected with great 
 labour, and is about i o feet in height, with a banquette 
 on the inside to fire from. Broken down in a few 
 instances, it extends round the whole town, and gives 
 
 access by several large covered gateways, 
 
 221
 
 222 BIDA 
 
 The main thoroughfares are fairly broad, and lead 
 from one gate to another, bordered by great enclosures 
 and compounds, surrounded by lofty walls, excellently 
 made and often 1 8 feet in height, a good witness to 
 the barbaric civilisation existing in these regions under 
 the Mohammedan religion. The doorways, high 
 enough to admit even people on horseback, are in some 
 cases carved and ornamented. 
 
 The walls of the large buildings are very massive, 
 and very often the roofs of the rooms are arched and 
 supported on pillars of black clay, which is polished 
 and looks exactly like stone. The principal buildings 
 are those occupied by the princes of the two great 
 families, the Massaba and Omru, who share between 
 them the right of occupying the throne. The Markum, 
 the head of the Omru family, who was cut off with the 
 whole of his army by the steamers on the other side of 
 the Niger, had a large palace in the southern portion 
 of the town. The Miaki, .or general of the forces, 
 who was with him, had another, and there was also the 
 residence of the Ndegi, or Prime Minister, who was 
 reported to be a most astute old gentleman, and quite 
 the Bismarck of this part of the world. In a letter 
 which the governor received later on from him, he 
 stated that his slaves had run away with most of his 
 property, and that he was too infirm to come in, as the 
 Governor asked him to do. 
 
 Last, but not least, we must enumerate the late 
 Emir's palace, the roofs of which were covered with 
 corrugated iron, and outside of which lies the slave- 
 market, where formerly it used to be a common sight 
 to see 200 slaves exposed of an evening for sale to the 
 highest bidder. Unfortunate creatures raided from 
 various parts of the kingdom, even south of Lokoja in
 
 THE EMIR'S PALACE 223 
 
 the Company's territories, they used to be sold here as 
 a source of revenue to the Nupe princes, and trans- 
 ported into the depths of the Sudan. Many came in 
 whilst we were at Bida, and it was a curious sight to 
 watch them having their chains filed off, and their 
 fetters removed by the blacksmith in the market-square. 
 
 The entrance to the Emir's palace was covered with 
 a high dome made of bamboos resting on thick walls, 
 and supported at the bottom by short carved wooden 
 pillars. Some tame ostriches and a deer were the sole 
 occupants left in the big outer enclosure, in one of the 
 numerous inner courts of which there is a lovely well 
 of pure water. A few old cannons were lying about 
 near the doorway. The inhabitants, doubtful as to the 
 result of the battle, had begun to remove most of their 
 property, and to leave the town before the bombardment 
 commenced. Yet a large variety of articles were 
 found, including some very good swords, an English 
 general's sword, a claymore, and, curiously enough, a 
 sword belonging to an officer in the i ith Hussars, with a 
 monogram and coronet on it. All loot, as it was found, 
 was supposed to be handed over and placed in the 
 square, where lay heaped up a great pile of different 
 coloured cloths, silks, and an innumerable quantity of 
 brass basins ; but of course sold: -rs and carriers kept 
 whatever they could conceal about them. 
 
 Captured in the town, besides, were some cannon, 
 350 rifles of all imaginable sizes and patterns, 550 
 barrels of gunpowder, 25,000 cartridges of all sorts, and 
 numerous loads of brass and heterogeneous articles. 
 
 A great many books and boards with Arabic writ- 
 ing, also a very tattered old lion skin with a plan and 
 some Arabic characters on it, were found. The latter 
 was just rescued in time, having been appropriated
 
 224 BIDA 
 
 already by the soldiers to sweep the rubbish off the 
 market place. Bida was a great centre of trade, and 
 the people themselves are great workers in leather, and 
 make very good saddles, leather scabbards, and slippers ; 
 they are also workers in glass. Indigo forms a valu- 
 able article of commerce, and there are numerous dye 
 pits in the town. 
 
 Between the main roads there is a network of 
 narrow streets with walls on each side, and there are 
 many mosques, though none of any size and import- 
 ance. 
 
 Whilst at Bida, companies were sent out on recon- 
 naissances in all directions, and no time was lost in 
 making the victory as complete as possible. 
 
 On the 30th, I went with two companies out of the 
 northern gate, passing by two curious little hills of red 
 sandstone, to the stream which runs down to the 
 Wanangi Creek, to which boats are able to ascend from 
 the Niger in the rainy season. Several donkeys were 
 captured, and, on returning to the town, the column 
 was headed by about thirty Hausa soldiers mounted 
 on the donkeys. It was very funny to see them all 
 forming line to the front, grinning from ear to ear, as 
 they entered the square, and they elicited roars of 
 laughter from their comrades in camp, who all turned 
 out to see the fun. 
 
 Lieutenant Gillespie left in the afternoon with his 
 company for our base on the river, taking the news of 
 the victory, with orders to return as soon as possible, 
 bringing certain supplies, which were needed. 
 
 A good many traders and villagers had begun to 
 gain confidence, and were returning to the town and 
 the outskirts, and, on the following day, Sir George 
 Goldie left the town by the northern gate, escorted by
 
 GOVERNOR ADDRESSES THE TRADERS 225 
 
 two companies for the Zongo camp not far from the 
 main wall. Here were collected all the caravans of 
 traders which had been stopped in their journey south- 
 wards by the outbreak of the war. A curious assem- 
 blage they were, collected from all parts of the Hausa 
 States and the Sokoto empire. Some came from 
 Kano, and others from Kuka on Lake Chad, the 
 inland sea of this western half of Africa, where the 
 valuable blocks of potash are found. Here, too, were 
 merchants from Tripoli and Benghazi on the Mediter- 
 ranean, distinguishable from the others by their spotless 
 white garments and red fezzes, and amongst them stood 
 the inevitable Arab, light coloured, and with black, 
 flowing beard, the very picture of a slave-dealer. 
 
 In his address the Governor told them that " the 
 Nupe rule was now at an end, and that the Company's 
 aim was to promote trade of all descriptions, and by 
 preventing raids and warfare in this part of the Sudan, 
 to enable them to go from one part of the country to 
 another in peace. He reminded them of the heavy 
 duties and taxes they had been obliged to pay hitherto 
 under the Fulah dominion, and told them he was 
 making arrangements with the Emirs of Zaria and 
 Nasarawa which would enable them to use the shorter 
 route vid Kano, Zaria, and K^ffi to Lokoja, where they 
 would be able to dispose of their goods without being 
 taxed. This is exactly the same route as that traversed 
 by Mr. Robinson, and described so well by him in his 
 book, Eight Hundred Miles through the Sudan. The 
 importance of this trade question and the opening up 
 of the Niger territories will be understood, when it is 
 realised that at present most of the European goods 
 come into the Hausa States from the north, across the 
 great Sahara, several thousand camel loads of goods 
 IS
 
 226 BIDA 
 
 coming annually into Kano from that direction, besides 
 quantities of salt, which is in great demand, as it is 
 found nowhere in Hausaland. 
 
 The traders of Kano must have rejoiced at our 
 victory, as they were thereby freed from paying heavy 
 taxes to the Emir of Bida. They were in great dread 
 at this time of the advance of Rabbah Zobehr. This 
 black potentate has been gradually acquiring a large 
 empire in Central Africa, since the time when he 
 separated himself with a few followers from the Mahdi 
 and the dervishes. Commencing as a slave to Zobehr 
 Pasha, in Egypt, his has been an extraordinary career, 
 and he is now a power to be reckoned with in the 
 advance of European influence into the central Sudan. 
 Evidently a man of great commanding power and 
 military skill, he has collected together a large army, 
 and report has it that he drills his soldiers three times 
 a day. 
 
 To supply the deficiency of gunpowder and rifles, he 
 has organised a force of bowmen, who make very good 
 practice, and he has a large body of cavalry. Starting 
 from Darfur in 1885, after the surrender of Slatin 
 Pasha to the Mahdi, his robber bands made them- 
 selves a terror to the countries round, and the States 
 of Baghirmi and Bornu to the south and west of Lake 
 Chad soon fell into his hands. His tendency has 
 always been to push westward, and, according to the 
 latest reports, he was advancing on Kano, when the 
 news of the overthrow of the Fulahs at Bida decided 
 him to retreat. 
 
 He has been supposed to be friendly inclined towards 
 the English, and has always expressed his attachment 
 and love for his old master, Zobehr Pasha. 
 
 His soldiers have sometimes come into conflict with
 
 A RECONNAISSANCE 227 
 
 the dervishes to the eastward, with varying results. 
 Fortunately, the Royal Niger Company has known 
 how to deal with him, and there is no fear of his 
 quarrelling with them. 
 
 After the Governor had returned to the town, the two 
 companies under command of Major Cunningham, 
 D.S.O., proceeded on a reconnaissance to the north, 
 along the road which passes out by the Hausa gate. 
 A lovely open country lay spread out before us, across 
 which one could apparently gallop for miles and miles. 
 A few rocky hills stood out on the horizon, and several 
 villages, consisting of a few curious little circular houses, 
 lay scattered about. Many of the inhabitants, now 
 convinced of our peaceable intentions, had returned to 
 their homes, and sat about in little groups watching 
 the soldiers as they passed by. After we had got 
 some distance from the capital, two of the enemy's 
 horsemen came into sight, and, disregarding the shots 
 fired at them, immediately galloped off, pursued by 
 Lieutenant Musters. 
 
 It was an exciting chase, and the wild horsemen of 
 the Sudan were no match for him. He had a fast 
 horse, and a seat gained over racecourse and hunting- 
 field soon told; and a Nupe warrior was seen subsiding 
 out of his unwieldy saddle and enormous stirrups under 
 the magnetic influence of a revolver barrel. The horse 
 was a good one, and far the most valuable capture of 
 the two, but now the difficulty was how to secure the 
 pair, and we saw the Nupe making off into some thick 
 grass, as hard as his legs could carry him. 
 
 This was the last time poor Musters took any active 
 part in the expedition, and he had to give in at last to 
 the insidious attacks of fever and dysentery. Always 
 cheery and full of go, he was a great loss, and it was
 
 228 BIDA 
 
 with very sad hearts his brother officers received the 
 news of his death at the mouth of the Niger, where 
 he had arrived on his way home, having been invalided 
 as soon as we returned to the river again. Fate was 
 against him, and his strength, already at a very low ebb, 
 was still further taxed by his having to make a great 
 part of the journey down to Lokoja in a native canoe, 
 the steamer in which he was travelling having stranded 
 on one of the treacherous sandbanks. 
 
 A mile or two further on we reached a small hill, 
 passing on the way through a cloud of locusts, which 
 quite obscured the atmosphere. Our commander, can- 
 tering up to the top, discovered a body of the enemy's 
 horse in and about a village a short way off. Signs of 
 motion were already evident, and there was no time to 
 be lost. No. 3 Company went forward at the double, 
 whilst Lieutenant Musters with his company, and 
 Margesson with a Maxim, occupied the small hill. 
 Horsemen could be seen saddling up in haste, and it 
 was a question whether the Hausas would reach the 
 village in time. 
 
 Lieutenant Tighe, with a section, made a detour to 
 the right through some trees, and a volley soon rang 
 out from his men at some of the leading horsemen, 
 who were escaping in that direction. The village was 
 already occupied by the active little Hausas, and a 
 lucky chance placed Prince Esa, one of the most 
 important Nupe princes, in our hands, besides twelve 
 horses, an extremely valuable addition to our stud, 
 already much reduced by hard marching. 
 
 It had been a complete surprise, and if we had only 
 had a small troop of cavalry the whole party would 
 have been captured. The countryside was now covered 
 by the poor frightened villagers, who were escaping
 
 CAPTURE OF PRINCE ESA 229 
 
 with whatever they could lay their hands on, and in 
 their flight afforded protection to the horsemen, whom 
 it was no longer possible to fire at. 
 
 It was past two o'clock before we reached the walls 
 of Bida, and entered the town with the buglers playing 
 at the head of the column. We had not suspected the 
 importance of our capture, until we noticed the villagers 
 and the few natives who passed prostrating themselves 
 on the ground before our prisoner. He turned out to 
 be the brother of the Markum, head of the Omru 
 family, and was a verj'' fine man ; and though fairly 
 dark in colour, a good representative of the Fulah 
 race, to which he belonged. He was lodged in charge 
 of a guard in the Emir's palace, and two of his wives 
 and a personal attendant were allowed to wait on him. 
 He must have been astonished at the good treatment 
 he received, which was very different from what he had 
 expected. 
 
 His capture was of great importance, as his mother, 
 widow of the late Sultan Omru, was hereby induced to 
 surrender, and come in with about 200 people, includ- 
 ing many of the family. 
 
 February the 1st was celebrated in a more peaceful 
 manner, and a gymkhana was held outside the western 
 gate, where a capital racecourse along a sandy track, 
 about five furlongs in length, was laid out and levelled 
 where necessary by a fatigue-party in the morning. 
 The officers' chargers were for the time being trans- 
 formed into racehorses, but no captured horses were 
 allowed to be ridden. It was amusing to see the 
 crowds of people, soldiers, carriers, and natives troop- 
 ing out of the town in the afternoon, all anxious to 
 assist at the unaccustomed spectacle. A tent was put 
 up at the place appointed as the grand stand, and to it
 
 2 30 BIDA 
 
 even poor Musters insisted on being carried in a 
 hammock. It was difficult to believe we had been 
 fighting so lately over the same ground, and the only 
 thing to remind one of the presence of an enemy was 
 the piquet posted on a hill near to give notice of any 
 threatened attack. 
 
 There were three races, the principal being that for 
 the Bida Cup, value twenty guineas, presented by Sir 
 George Goldie, with a silver cigarette-case for the 
 second. 
 
 There was a field of twenty-two for this race, which 
 was run in two heats, and the cup was ultimately 
 won by Lieutenant Festing on Rifleman IV., Major 
 Cunningham's Prince of Bida being second. 
 
 The race for light-weights under twelve stone was 
 a splendid race, and resulted in Lieutenant Burdon 
 beating Major Cunningham by a head. Lieutenant 
 Carroll on his own horse being third. 
 
 The Ndegi Stakes, weight twelve stone and over, 
 brought out a field of nine. 
 
 1st. Lieutenant Vandeleur's Lokitsha, ridden by 
 Major Cunningham ; 
 
 2nd. Lieutenant Bird's Tit Willow. 
 
 I received a severe kick on the leg from my own 
 horse, ungrateful brute, which prevented me from riding, 
 and I was laid up for the next few days. The paddock 
 was no safe place, and our wild steeds, excited by the 
 racing, were kicking in all directions. 
 
 There was a Lloyd- Lindsay competition for officers 
 of companies, who had to ride a certain distance, fire 
 six shots with a revolver at a target, and gallop back 
 again in a certain time. This was won by No. i 
 Company, Lieutenants Bird and M'Clintock. 
 
 A race for soldiers, in which they had to carry a
 
 FIRST BIDA RACE-MEETING 23 I 
 
 calabash full of water on their heads, occasioned much 
 amusement among the men ; also a race for the native 
 sergeant-majors, in which they had to catch a goat and 
 run back with it to the winning-post. The goats were 
 let loose a certain distance off, and away went the 
 sergeant-majors after them. It was ludicrous to see 
 them tumbling over each other in their efforts to catch 
 hold of the frightened goats, and at last one fleeter 
 than the rest returned to the winning-post with the goat 
 in his arms, amidst the shouts of laughter of the natives. 
 
 This, the first Bida race-meeting, was a great 
 success, and was the last event wanting to com- 
 plete the victory. 
 
 The evacuation of the town commenced on the 2nd, 
 when three companies left with the guns for our old 
 camp near the ravine. I rode out this day through 
 the southern, or what is known as the Bomosa Barra 
 gate, to the scene of the conflict, where there were many 
 signs left of the destruction wrought by our fire, and 
 the heavy losses which the enemy must have incurred 
 by standing up so long before us. The King's tree, 
 where so many of the enemy were congregated, is not 
 far from this gate, and is quite a feature of the land- 
 scape, affording shade as it does to hundreds of people 
 under its outstretched branches. 
 
 One gets a very good idea of the town from the 
 high ground near this point, which forms the water- 
 shed between two streams, one rising not far from the 
 western gate ; and the reason of the town being so well 
 supplied with water becomes apparent. Near each of 
 the main gates there is usually an open space with 
 shady trees, which is used as a market-place. The 
 gateways themselves are massive constructions, arched 
 over with usually a room in the wall at the side.
 
 232 BIDA 
 
 On returning, I met the Markum's mother riding 
 through the town with a retinue of about 200 people. 
 The Governor had sent some horses for her. She 
 looked a very old woman, and sat huddled up in one 
 of the native saddles, with a man leading the horse. 
 She objected to staying in the town, and took up her 
 residence in one of the villages outside. At Bida the 
 average minimum temperature was 78°, and the maxi- 
 mum 97°, and we were glad to leave it, owing to the 
 heat and the plague of flies and other insects, which 
 was becoming unbearable. 
 
 On the 3rd inst. the main body left Bida, and the 
 air was rent by the explosion of gunpowder, signifying 
 the blowing up of the Emir's palace. This nearly 
 proved disastrous to certain gallant officers, who had 
 remained behind to witness it, and the photographer of 
 the party received a severe blow on the arm from one 
 of the fragments. Imagining themselves quite safe, 
 they suddenly saw a volley of stones and rocks coming 
 at them, and turned to run in all directions. Most of 
 the principal buildings belonging to the Nupe princes 
 in the town had been already blown up by detach- 
 ments on the previous days, and the gunpowder found 
 was utilised for this purpose. 
 
 It was under very altered conditions that we marched 
 across our old battlefield ; and the long line of porters, 
 natives, and refugees, extended for miles, confident of 
 being no longer in danger of their lives and harassed 
 by the enemy. Hundreds of refugees and slaves were 
 now making their way along the same road to Egbon, 
 where they would be transported across the river, and 
 would be able to settle down in peace. 
 
 The 9-pounder had broken down, the wheel having 
 been broken the day before, in dragging it across
 
 OUR RETURN 233 
 
 a small cleft in the ground, and it looked in a very 
 helpless condition lying at the bottom of a ditch. It 
 would have been very awkward if this had happened 
 in the advance, and we should probably have been 
 obliged to abandon it. Great efforts were now being 
 made to get it on, and the seven-pounder carriages 
 were utilised for the purpose, the barrels of the seven- 
 pounders being lashed to strong pieces of wood and 
 carried by porters. 
 
 The barrel of the 9-pounder was eventually hoisted 
 on to the 7-pounder carriages, and dragged in this 
 manner to the river with great labour. 
 
 The whole force halted at our old camp of Lokitsha 
 for the night, and went on the next day to the creek. 
 
 The African porter, with his usual intelligence, de- 
 cided that after the fall of Bida his work was at an 
 end, and that loads of ammunition and provisions were 
 quite a secondary consideration to his own loot, an 
 enormous pile of usually the most inconceivable rubbish. 
 Great difficulty had been experienced in getting the 
 loads along, and although the number of carriers was 
 known, there were always a number of loads left over 
 in the morning when the men paraded to take them. 
 The creek, however, offered a grand opportunity of 
 discovering the culprits, and each man's load was 
 examined as he arrived, by officers sent on for the pur- 
 pose, and if consisting of nothing but loot was imme- 
 diately confiscated. 
 
 The climate had already begun to have disastrous 
 results both on officers and men, and several stretchers 
 accompanied the column on the return march. Lieuts. 
 Thorpe, Musters, and Parker, and Captains Hatton and 
 Anderson, took no further part in the operations, and 
 were invalided down river. Numbers of men were
 
 234 BIDA 
 
 suffering, principally from pneumonia, bronchitis, and 
 diarrhcea, and these were also sent to Lokoja. 
 
 As we approached the river, the black funnels of the 
 steamers could be seen over the high green grass which 
 extends along the bank, and we were soon back in 
 comparative civilisation again. The booming of the 
 artillery at Bida had been heard distinctly on the 
 steamers 25 miles away, and there had been great 
 excitement on board as they listened to the firing, 
 which continued throughout the two days. A mail 
 had at last arrived, and we received letters and papers 
 from England up to December loth, 1896. 
 
 On arriving at the river, the officers at once took up 
 their quarters on the steamers, and I embarked on the 
 Empire^ where my spare time was fully occupied in 
 making a plan of Bida and the surrounding country 
 from notes taken there, in which work I was greatly 
 assisted by Pereira, who went round the outer wall and 
 also to the Wanangi Creek. The troops camped on a 
 large open space on the left bank.
 
 XVIII 
 
 Niger Politics 
 
 MASABA, the founder of the Fulah dynasty in 
 Nupe, was a Sokoto prince related to, but not 
 descended from, Othman dan Fodio, the African 
 Napoleon, who at the commencement of this century 
 created the immense Fulah empire of Sokoto and 
 Gando. Masaba was so deeply indebted to one of his 
 generals, Omru, that he decreed that Omru, though 
 not of royal blood, should succeed him on the throne 
 of Nupe, subject to the assent of Sokoto, but on condi- 
 tion that on Omru's death the throne should return to 
 the Masaba family. Accordingly Meliki a Masaba 
 succeeded Omru and became Emir of Bida, while 
 Muhammed, Omru's eldest son, was given the rank of 
 " Markum," or third in succession to the throne, the 
 heir-apparent always holding the rank of " Sheaba," 
 and the next heir that of " Potum." The Emir Omru 
 had always been very friendly to the Company, but 
 this feeling was not shared by the rulers of the Masaba 
 family who followed him, and, notwithstanding the large 
 subsidy paid him, the Emir Abu Bekri had become 
 defiant and hostile. 
 
 During Meliki's reign the rank of heir-apparent or 
 Sheaba died out as successive holders died of poison, 
 one of the disadvantages of having anything to do with 
 
 235
 
 236 NIGER POLITICS 
 
 the throne in these countries, so that the Potum, Abu 
 Bekri, a Masaba, refused to accept the rank, which was 
 left vacant. 
 
 On Meliki's death in 1895, Abu Bekri became Emir 
 or Sultan, Muhammed continuing Markum, while the 
 ranks of Sheaba and Potum have remained unfilled. 
 It had always been understood that the Markum 
 Muhammed would become Emir after Abu Bekri, 
 though the Masaba family have intrigued against him. 
 
 Knowing that the Omru family had been strongly 
 opposed to the present war, which was brought about 
 by Abu Bekri and the Masaba family. Sir George 
 Goldie wrote repeatedly to the Markum Muhammed 
 during the expedition to Kabba, to induce him to 
 meet him and discuss terms, but without result, owing 
 to the fear on the part of the Markum of the princes 
 of the Masaba family, who were serving with him. 
 
 After the fall of Bida, the political situation looked 
 serious, as the Nupe princes had fled far to the north, 
 and overtures made to the " Ndegi," or Prime Minister, 
 had proved fruitless. 
 
 By the capture of Prince Esa, however, the whole 
 Omru family, some forty in number, including the 
 Markum Muhammed's children, were induced to come 
 in and surrender. The Markum's mother, widow of 
 the late Sultan Omru, fell in with the Governor's views, 
 and added a letter of her own to that which Sir George 
 Goldie was sending to the Markum, announcing that 
 the latter held all the family in his hands, and calling 
 upon him to surrender. 
 
 Meanwhile the Markum, with the debris of his 
 scattered army, and the Masaba princes in Southern 
 Nupe, was encamped near the south bank of the Niger, 
 unable to cross towards Bida owing to the flotilla
 
 TREATY OF KOSOJI 237 
 
 under Mr. Wallace, through whom the letters in 
 question were forwarded. 
 
 A meeting was arranged for the 5 th inst., and on 
 this day the Governor left in his launch for the 
 appointed place at the crossing of Kosoji. The 
 Markum was here, as arranged, with a large body of 
 cavalry and his footmen drawn up on the bank, but 
 it proved very difficult to make him come down to 
 the launch, as he feared being made a prisoner. 
 
 However, after repeated assurances, he was induced 
 to come close to the water's edge, where the launch 
 was drawn up. 
 
 The scene must have been quite a theatrical one, 
 as on one side of the river stood the " ganagas," or 
 natives, who had been fighting for us, beating their 
 drums and waving their spears, whilst on the other side 
 stood the representatives of the Southern Nupe army. 
 
 Everything terminated in a most successful manner, 
 and a treaty was drawn up in English and Arabic, in 
 which the Markum was formally appointed Emir of 
 Bida and Nupe. 
 
 TREATY OF KOSOJI. 
 
 Treaty made this Fifth day of February 1897 of the Christian 
 Era, and the First day of Ramadan in the year 13 14 since 
 the Hegira, between Sir George Goldie for the Royal 
 Niger Company, and Emir Mohammed (son of Omru), the 
 Markum of Bida, for his chiefs and people of Nupe. 
 
 1. Abu Bekri, Emir of Nupe, has fled from the country, and 
 is declared to be no longer Emir. As no Schiaba or Potum 
 has been appointed, the Markum is the next successor to the 
 throne, and is now Emir. 
 
 2. The new Emir Mohammed recognises that all Nupe is 
 entirely under the power of the Company, and under the 
 British flag. All previous treaties are abrogated.
 
 238 NIGER POLITICS 
 
 3. The Company will govern direct that part of Nupe which 
 is to the south-west of the Niger, and such portions of the 
 north-east bank for a distance of 3 miles inland as the 
 Company may from time to time direct. 
 
 4. The Emir Mohammed will govern the rest of Nupe, but 
 will conform to such directions in respect of his government 
 as the representatives of the Company may give him from time 
 to time. 
 
 (Signed) George Taubman Goldie, 
 „ Mohammed (in Arabic). 
 
 It was of the utmost importance to remain friends 
 with the Sultan of Sokoto, and to avoid a war with 
 him. 
 
 Any blow struck at Nupe and Ilorin was bound to 
 arouse the fanaticism of the whole dominant race of 
 Fulahs and of the higher class of Hausas, who had 
 intermarried with them, besides destroying the revenue, 
 solely of slaves, which the Sokoto empire had hitherto 
 drawn from these provinces. 
 
 Sir George Goldie had written to the Sultan of 
 Sokoto at the commencement of the campaign, to 
 inform him of the expedition against Abu Bekri, and 
 the reasons for it. And by this appointment of a 
 Fulah as ruler of Northern Nupe much was done to 
 propitiate him, and he was said to have a liking for the 
 Omru family. The Company, following the example 
 of the East India Company and the Government of 
 India, desired as far as practicable to rule indirectly 
 through native feudatory princes. 
 
 The Governor returned on the 5 th, very pleased at 
 the results of his negotiations, which had accomplished 
 all he had hoped for, and said the Markum was very 
 submissive, and appeared very grateful at being made 
 Emir. 
 
 Preparations were hastened on for the expedition to
 
 EXPEDITION TO ILORIN 239 
 
 Ilorin, which had been finally decided upon, though 
 much doubt was expressed as to whether there would 
 be any fighting. Our forces were considerably reduced, 
 and the expedition which embarked on the 6th Febru- 
 ary for transport to the new base at Jebba, consisted 
 of 2 1 Europeans, of whom 15 were officers, and 320 
 soldiers organised in 5 companies, with 20 gunners 
 and 488 carriers, making a total of 829. 
 
 2 seven-pounder mountain guns, and 4 Maxim guns 
 were taken. 
 
 The expedition was transported as follows : — 
 
 S.W. Empire, 4 companies under Major Cunning- 
 ham, D.S.O. 
 
 S.W. Liberty, i company and horses under Lieutenant 
 Festing. 
 
 S.S. Soudan, guns, gunners, and carriers. 
 
 S.S. Florence, executive officers and carriers. 
 
 The night before we left, a tornado of rain, rather 
 an unusual event at this time of year, swept over the 
 camp, making it very unpleasant for everyone, especially 
 the officers sleeping on the stern-wheelers. 
 
 At night the deck was transformed into a fairyland 
 of mosquito curtains, with which the gale soon played 
 havoc, and the rain penetrated the light sun-deck, 
 coming down in torrents on the beds laid out under- 
 neath. 
 
 There were ten officers on the steamer, and we all 
 took up our quarters in various corners about the upper 
 deck, which was littered with beds, kit bags, provision 
 boxes, etc. 
 
 Mosquito curtains were wanted, more to ward off 
 the malarial mist rising from the water at night than 
 to keep off the mosquitoes. In places there were a 
 certain number of these, and pernicious little sandflies,
 
 240 NIGER POLITICS 
 
 but nothing to be compared with the mosquitoes on 
 the Upper Nile, The soldiers occupied the lower deck, 
 and always camped on shore during the night ; the 
 lighters were lashed to the side. 
 
 It was 2 o'clock on the 6th before we got away 
 from Egbon, after saying goodbye to our friends leav- 
 ing for Lokoja, and as we steamed rapidly away up 
 the river at the head of the flotilla, we had a lovely 
 view looking back towards the Egbon Hills and the 
 Pyramid Peak. It became dark about 6.30 p.m., and 
 we had to draw up alongside the bank at a convenient 
 spot to enable the men to bivouac for the night. 
 
 Almost as soon as it got light we were off again, 
 and were soon awaked by the throbbing of the engines 
 and the creaking of the rudder chains ; and the lovely 
 cool breeze of the early morning made us draw our 
 blankets closer round us. 
 
 The river is about 600 yards broad, though narrower 
 in places, and some of the reaches even remind one of 
 the Thames, though one is soon disabused of this im- 
 pression by coming across a native village with a 
 crowd of black people yelling and gesticulating on the 
 bank, or by the sight of a big crocodile waddling off a 
 sandbank, disturbed at our approach. 
 
 Sometimes we used to pass quite close to the 
 villages on the banks, and it was amusing to watch the 
 natives, who used to run along beside us in a great 
 state of excitement, dancing and cheering vociferously, 
 to show their delight at the defeat of the Fulahs. All 
 the villages had little white flags hung up to show they 
 were on our side. 
 
 The navigation at times was very intricate, and we 
 used to tack in all directions to avoid the sandbanks, 
 sunken reefs, and stumps of big trees, which have
 
 AN IDEAL SCENE 241 
 
 caused the wrecking of so many steamers on the Niger. 
 Our old pilot, with a glistening row of white teeth, was 
 quite a character, and was continually waving his thin 
 bony hand to point out the direction to the man at the 
 wheel. 
 
 Captain Hughes, who had charge of the ship, had 
 the misfortune to fall into the hold, breaking two of 
 his ribs, and sustaining a severe concussion, and was 
 carried up just as we were all sitting down to dinner. 
 
 The lower deck was very dimly lighted, and was 
 rather a dangerous place after dark. I heard an un- 
 earthly noise going on in the middle of this same night, 
 and on groping my way down found one of the horses 
 had got cast on this deck, and was inextricably mixed 
 up with an enormous anchor and steel cable, from 
 which we had difficulty in releasing him. 
 
 The river at Rabba, where the old Nupe capital 
 used to be before the days of Bida, is quite lovely. A 
 rock wall of red and yellow sandstone rises to a height 
 of 40 feet on the left bank, and the water's edge is 
 bordered by brilliant green bushes and yellow flowers, 
 and here even a few graceful palm trees have found a 
 footing, and lean over the water, in which they are 
 prettily reflected. 
 
 In the distance an island divides the channel into 
 two, and the right bank is bordered by lovely green 
 meadows, forming a strong contrast to the country 
 beyond, which is withered up by the sun, and covered 
 with a few stunted bushes. Far away lie a line of 
 blue hills behind Jebba, where we arrived at i p.m. 
 on the 8th. 
 
 There is a large island in mid-stream, on which the 
 Company's station and the native village are situated, 
 but the house used by the officer in charge of the post 
 16
 
 242 NIGER POLITICS 
 
 is on the right bank, at a bend of the river, close to 
 which high hills rise steeply up, and where hartebeest 
 and other antelope are often found. 
 
 From here we could see the curious high rock 
 called Baikie's Seat, which is said to be defended from 
 all intruders by swarms of bees, and above which the 
 rapids soon begin forming a barrier to further advance, 
 and closing the navigable portion of the Niger, which 
 is here 400 feet above the level of the sea. 
 
 The Niger from its mouth to this point measures about 
 466 miles, and except for a few months is navigable 
 all the year round, but for a like distance above Jebba 
 there extends a series of rapids and cataracts, making 
 continuous navigation impossible, until one arrives at 
 the calmer water of the Upper Niger commencing at 
 Ansongo, which forms, at high water, a really good water- 
 way, and on which there are boats and launches. 
 
 In the previous year Sir George Goldie had visited 
 Bajibo, Leaba, and Bussa, and on his return to Jebba 
 was anxious to journey to Ilorin, with a view to 
 deliver a letter from Her Majesty to the Emir Suliman, 
 and to settle the frontier disputes between Ilorin and 
 Lagos, He, however, received a letter from the Emir 
 entreating him not to come, as he had only lately been 
 put on the throne, and was not sure of the attitude of 
 his generals or, " baloguns." Her Majesty's letter was 
 then forwarded to the Emir by a native Political Agent, 
 but was returned at the instance of the baloguns. 
 
 Since that time the attacks on the outposts on the 
 Lagos frontier had continued, and Sir George Goldie 
 decided to march at once to Ilorin. It was still hoped 
 that a peaceful settlement might be attained, and with 
 this object only a small force was taken. There were 
 other reasons also for reducing the numbers of the
 
 ILORIN AND ADJACENT COUNTRY 243 
 
 expedition as much as possible. The dry season was 
 now far advanced, and the difficulty of obtaining water 
 on the road was very great. 
 
 Many men who marched in the previous expeditions 
 to Kabba and Bida were sick and footsore, and, if 
 taken, were likely to hamper the force marching to 
 Ilorin, which was now composed of the strongest and 
 soundest men. 
 
 Ilorin is a great Mohammedan centre, as Bida also 
 is, and pays tribute to the Sultan of Sokoto, but on all 
 sides it is surrounded by pagan States, with which it 
 has been continually at war. 
 
 To the north lies the Bussa country on the west of 
 the Niger, and to the north-west Borgu, visited by 
 Captain Lugard in 1894, a country inhabited by a 
 savage tribe renowned for their skilled bowmen, who 
 have frightened off their enemies hitherto with their 
 deadly poisoned arrows, and have always resisted the 
 Fulah invasion from the north. 
 
 After the war with the Jebus, the colony of Lagos 
 extended to the Ibadan country, and the frontier posts 
 were gradually pushed forward, until they came into 
 contact with the Ilorins, who have always been at war 
 with the Ibadan people. Since then the Ilorins had 
 resented any interference, and foolishly closed their 
 doors against any communication with the south, and 
 had by their attacks on the frontier outposts brought 
 on themselves a speedy retribution. The Emir 
 Suliman, who had been recently appointed, was a 
 Fulah, and a very weak man, and although at heart 
 a friend to the English, was completely in the hands 
 of his " baloguns," or generals, namely, Alanamu, Salu, 
 Ajikabi, and Zuheru, who commanded respectively the 
 four divisions of his army. With the army at their
 
 244 NIGER POLITICS 
 
 backs, these generals were able to settle affairs of State 
 as they pleased, and the Emir, afraid of meeting the 
 same fate as his predecessor, was obliged to conform 
 to their views. Of these baloguns one was a Fulah 
 and the remaining three were Yorubas, representa- 
 tives of the inhabitants of the country. The army, 
 composed of mercenaries and adventurers from all 
 parts, was usually camped at Otun, ready to repel 
 or make an attack on the Ibadans, their nearest 
 enemies. It was supposed to consist of about a 
 thousand horsemen and five or six times that number 
 of footmen, a much less formidable force than the one 
 we had already encountered at Bida. 
 
 The natives and cultivators of the soil are really an 
 entirely different race of people, and, to judge by the 
 behaviour of those we encountered, were quite friendly 
 and peaceably inclined. 
 
 It was not with them we had to deal, but their 
 rulers and the army, supported by an overweening 
 confidence in themselves. Many of the inhabitants 
 were slaves, and these were only too glad to welcome 
 us, and seize the opportunity of escaping to their own 
 country. 
 
 Two companies started on the march inland on the 
 9th, with a number of porters carrying food, and with 
 orders to proceed to a place about thirty miles off, where 
 the carriers were to be sent back for more food. The 
 rest of the force remained at Jebba, and paraded in 
 the morning. 
 
 Several of the Europeans, including myself, were ill 
 at this time, mainly due to drinking bad water and the 
 insanitary condition of Bida.
 
 XIX 
 
 French Occupation of Bussa and Borgu 
 
 STARTLING news awaited us at Jebba, of an 
 expedition, believed to be French, and reported 
 to consist of 500 troops and 4 white officers, being 
 on the river Niger between Gombo and Say at a place 
 called lUo. This place Say, situated on the i 3th parallel 
 of latitude and on the right or west bank of the Niger, 
 was laid down, as far back as 1890 by treaty, as the 
 boundary between England and France on the Niger. 
 The clause in the important Anglo-French agreement of 
 5th August 1890, is as follows : — " The Government of 
 Her Britannic Majesty recognises the sphere of influence 
 of France to the south of the Mediterranean possessions, 
 up to a line from Say on the Niger to Barruwa on Lake 
 Chad, drawn in such a manner as to comprise in the 
 sphere of action of the Niger Company all that fairly 
 belongs to the kingdom of Sokoto ; the line to be 
 determined by the Commission to be appointed." 
 
 It would be natural to suppose that a line drawn 
 roughly at right angles south from Say towards the 
 coast would form the western boundary between the 
 two Powers ; and, at the time of the agreement, maps 
 published in France undoubtedly prove that this was 
 considered the case in that country. 
 
 Dr. Keltie, writing in 1895, before the recent French 
 
 245
 
 246 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 advance to the Niger from Dahome, even says — 
 " The French cartographers make the western boundary- 
 line drop directly southward from Say to the Guinea 
 Coast, completely ignoring Gurma, which is a province 
 of the Sokoto-Gandu empire, and Borgu, with which 
 kingdom the Niger Company has treaties. 
 
 " It would only be carrying out the arrangement to 
 draw the line westward from Say to at least the 
 Greenwich meridian, and thence round the west of 
 Borgu to the western boundary of the Gold Coast." 
 
 By the campaign conducted by General Dodds in 
 Dahome, and the final overthrow of Behanzin, King 
 of Dahome, in January 1893, the French acquired 
 new territory on the West Coast, and the aggres- 
 sions into the Company's territories have come entirely 
 from these new possessions in the south, and not from 
 the Upper Niger and Timbuktu, which they have 
 occupied from Senegal. 
 
 The French in Dahome seem to consider them- 
 selves bound by no such rules or boundaries as their 
 compatriots on the Upper Niger, and the Royal Niger 
 Company found themselves threatened by this far- 
 reaching Power from another quarter of the com- 
 pass, another instance of the persistency with which 
 the French have endeavoured to obtain a footing on 
 the navigable waterway of the Niger, or its tributary 
 the Benue, at all hazards. 
 
 The action of Lieutenant Mizon on the Benue is 
 still fresh in the minds of officials in the Niger terri- 
 tories. Having given every assurance that his expedi- 
 tion was of an entirely peaceful nature, and not 
 prejudical to the Company's interest, he proceeded to 
 establish himself on the banks, and actually to arm the 
 natives with a number of breech-loading rifles. This
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 247 
 
 nearly proved a very serious affair, and hostilities were 
 only avoided by an order at the last minute from the 
 French Government, for him to leave the river at 
 once. 
 
 Even if treaties and subsidies paid to native rulers 
 are apparently of no value or importance in the eyes 
 of the French, it is absurd to suppose that, having 
 command of the Lower Niger and with steamers and 
 a large and well-trained force of Hausas at its disposal, 
 the Company's influence does not cover all the navig- 
 able waterway of the Niger and Benue, and a distance 
 of 80 to 100 miles from the furthest point to which 
 launches can ascend. We have seen the ease and 
 celerity with which the force in the present campaign 
 was transferred from one place to another. 
 
 Commandant Toutee, in his book DahomJ, Niger, 
 Touareg, has been at great pains to lay stress on the 
 navigability of the Niger about Bajibo and Bussa. 
 We do not wish to question this, but it seems all the 
 more reason for asking why the French, recognising 
 British claims to the Lower and navigable Niger, should 
 have entered into the Hinterland — belonging, moreover, 
 to the Company by virtue of the treaties with Bussa, 
 or Borgu, of 1885 and i 890, and should have occupied 
 Bussa on the Niger itself. 
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA. 
 
 (Reprinted from the " Times" of November 12, 1897.) 
 
 We are enabled to publish the following copies of some of the 
 principal treaties, negotiated by the Royal Niger Company in 
 the back country of the British possessions on the ^^'est African 
 coast. 
 
 The treaties with Sokoto and Gando cover all the territories 
 subject to those States. It will be seen that the treaties of
 
 248 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 1894 refer to and confirm previous treaties negotiated with the 
 Emirs of both States. The dates of the previous treaties were 
 1885 and 1890, and the Say-Barua Hne of demarcation fixed 
 by the Anglo-French Agreement of 1890 was determined in 
 consequence of rights acquired by Great Britain under the 
 early treaties. 
 
 In the Name of the Most Merciful God. 
 
 Treaty made on the 26th day of June 1894, between Abdu, 
 
 King of the Mussulmans, on the one hand, and Abduramani, 
 
 who is called Mr. ^Vallace, on the other hand, for and on 
 
 behalf of the Royal Niger Company, Chartered and Limited. 
 
 1. I, the undersigned, hereby confirm the treaties made 
 between the Sultan Omoru, whom I succeeded, and Thomson 
 and King on behalf of the Royal Niger Company, Chartered 
 and Limited, the latter treaty made on the 15th day of April 
 1890. I now renew these treaties. 
 
 2. With my own hand I bind myself with Wallace on behalf 
 of the Company, and accept this following treaty made on the 
 26th day of June 1894. 
 
 3. With the view of bettering the condition of my people, 
 and having considered and taken counsel with my chiefs, I give 
 to the Company, and their successors for ever, full power and 
 rights in perpetuity over foreigners in my country, whether 
 travelling or resident, including right of just taxation as they 
 may see fit. My chiefs are in no way to interfere, and are to 
 recognise no one but the Company. 
 
 4. I give to the Company, and their successors for ever, all 
 power in any part of my dominions as to mining rights. 
 
 5. The Company bind themselves not to exercise any mono- 
 poly of trade. 
 
 6. I recognise that the Company receives its power from the 
 Queen of Great Britain, and that they are Her Slajesty's repre- 
 sentatives to me. I will not recognise any other white nation, 
 because the Company are my help. 
 
 7. I state that Asbon, Adamawa, and Muri are included in 
 my dominion. 
 
 8. The Company undertake not to interfere with the customs 
 of the Mussulmans, but to maintain friendly relations. 
 
 9. In recognition of the treaties between us, the Company 
 have paid me a subsidy of three thousand (3000) bags as
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 249 
 
 hitherto annually for the past nine years. They have acted 
 honourably towards me, and as I should desire. 
 
 I hereby renew the previous treaties and accept this treaty 
 for myself, for my heirs, and for my successors. No one after 
 me is to alter this treaty. It stands unchangeable for ever. 
 
 (Imperial Seal of Sokoto.) 
 
 27 June 1894. 
 
 We, the undersigned, do hereby declare that the Sultan of 
 Sokoto has this day personally handed to W. Wallace this 
 treaty, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses. 
 
 Witness (Sgd.) W. Wallace. 
 „ T. M. Teed. 
 
 We, the undersigned, do hereby declare that the Sultan of 
 Sokoto has this day delivered in our presence with his own 
 hand this treaty to W. Wallace, and declared that he made 
 this treaty, with one mind, and will hold to it, and that he gave 
 it with his own hand. 
 
 Witness (Sgd.) Q. F. Gomes. 
 „ „ T, F. Joseph. 
 
 „ ,, (Copy of Arabic signature.) 
 
 I, W. Wallace,* for and on behalf of the Company, do hereby 
 approve and accept the above confirmation of previous 
 treaties and treaty now made, and hereby affix my hand. 
 * Copy of Mr. Wallace's signature. 
 
 In consequence of a French report, to the effect that the 
 British treaty had been superseded by a treaty negotiated on 
 behalf of France by Captain Monteil, the following letter was 
 written to the Company by the Waziri, or Prime Minister, of 
 Sokoto : — 
 
 Translation of Arabic Letter received from the Waziri of 
 Sokoto. Kano, April 27, 1894. 
 
 In the name of God the Almighty, through the Prophet, the 
 Great Prophet, from the King of Peace, the one who settles all 
 things, who will always do good, Waziri, Mohommadu Bohariu, 
 to the Queen. Full salutations meeting together. Pure saluta- 
 tions, according as she wants. 
 
 After this we saw your messenger, Mr. Wallace. We met 
 him and found him in good health, in peace, in good health.
 
 250 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 We saw your paper with the messenger, we saw it and we 
 understood it. They say in it that we have made a treaty with 
 Monteil. On account of that we write to you this letter to tell 
 you we made treaty with no one. There is no treaty made be- 
 tween us and Monteil. All that Monteil may have said was a 
 lie. We will make no treaty with any one coming from your 
 parts. We will make no treaty with any other from the white 
 man's country, except with the Royal Niger Company, Limited. 
 They are the friends of the treaty with the Sarikin Mussiliri and 
 the Waziri. We gave them power over all foreigners coming from 
 the white man's country, those that are travelling over the land 
 belonging to the Sultan, those that are sitting down. The Waziri. 
 of Sokoto writes this letter to the Queen on the nineteenth day 
 of the moon Shawal. 
 
 In the treaty with Gando it will be observed that the Emir 
 distinctly claims Gurma as far as Libtako to be included within 
 his dominions. 
 
 (Copy.) 
 
 In the Name of the Most Merciful God. 
 Treaty made on the 4th day of July 1894, between Omoru, 
 Sultan of Gando, on the one hand, and Mr. Wallace on the 
 other hand, for and on behalf of the Royal Niger Company, 
 Chartered and Limited. 
 
 1. I, the undersigned, Omoru, Sultan of Gando, hereby con- 
 firm the treaties made between the Sultan Maleki, whom I suc- 
 ceeded, and Thomson and King on behalf of the Royal Niger 
 Company, Chartered and Limited — the latter treaty made on 
 the day of April 1890. I now confirm these treaties. 
 
 2. With my own hand I bind myself with Wallace, on behalf 
 of the Company, and accept this following treaty made on the 
 4th day of July 1894. 
 
 3. With the view of bettering the condition of my people, 
 and having considered and taken counsel with my chiefs, I give 
 to the Company and their successors for ever full power and 
 rights in perpetuity over foreigners in my country, whether 
 travelling or resident, including right of just taxation as they 
 may see fit. My chiefs are in no way to interfere, and are to 
 recognise no one but the Company. 
 
 4. I give to the Company and their successors for ever all 
 power in any part of my dominions as to mining rights.
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 251 
 
 5. The Company bind themselves not to exercise any 
 monopoly of trade. 
 
 6. I recognise that the Company received their power from 
 the Queen of Great Britain, and that they are Her Majesty's 
 representatives to me. I will not recognise any other white 
 nation, because the Company are my help. 
 
 7. I state that the country of Ilorin and the country of 
 Gurma are included in my dominions — the latter extending to 
 Libtako. 
 
 8. The Company undertake not to interfere with the 
 customs of the Mussulmans, but to maintain friendly relations. 
 
 9. In recognition of the treaties between us, the Company 
 have paid me a subsidy of two thousand (2000) bags, as hitherto 
 annually for the past nine years. They have acted honourably 
 towards me, and as I should desire. 
 
 I hereby confirm the previous treaties, and accept this 
 treaty for myself, for my heirs, and for my successors. No 
 one after me is to alter this treaty ; it stands unchangeable for 
 ever. 
 
 (Sgd.) Omoru (Copy of Arabic signature.) 
 
 4th July 1894. 
 
 We, the undersigned, do hereby declare that this treaty was 
 this day read and translated in our presence before the Sultan 
 of Gando, who stated that it was given with his own hand and 
 was approved and accepted by him, and was thereupon handed 
 over by him to Mr. Wallace. 
 
 (Sgd.) W. Wallace. 
 
 T. M. Teed. 
 
 ,, Q. F. Gomes. 
 
 ,, T. F. Joseph. 
 
 (Copy of Arabic signature.) 
 
 I, W. Wallace,* for and on behalf of the Company, do 
 hereby approve and accept the above confirmation of pre- 
 vious treaties and treaty now made, and hereby affix my 
 hand. 
 
 * Copy of Mr. Wallace's signature. 
 
 The territory of Borgu, or Bussa, which has been the scene 
 of the late intrusion of expeditions from the French Hinterland, 
 lies between the inland frontier of Lagos and the southern 
 frontier of Gando. It is bounded on the east by the river
 
 252 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 Niger, and extends on the west to the meridian of Say. It 
 claims independence of Sokoto or Gando, and separate treaties 
 were consequently negotiated in the British interest, first with 
 its principal or ruling Emir, and afterwards with those minor 
 chieftains whose dependence upon the King of Bussa appeared 
 open to any doubt. The first treaty of Bussa, negotiated on 
 January 20, 1890, was among the treaties of which Lord Salis- 
 bury and M. Ribot took cognisance in concluding the Anglo- 
 French Agreement of 1890. The position of Bussa, lying 
 due south of Say, on the right bank of the Niger, gives parti 
 cular significance to the fact that this treaty was included 
 among those which led to the acceptance of the Say-Barua 
 line. 
 
 TRE.\Ty entered into between the Emir and Chiefs of Bussa (or 
 Borgu) on behalf of themselves and their successors for ever, 
 and the Royal Niger Company, Chartered and Limited, 
 hereinafter called the Company, on behalf of themselves, 
 their successors and assigns. 
 
 We, the Emir and Chiefs of Bussa (or Borgu), in council 
 assembled (representing our country, its dependencies and 
 tributaries on both banks of the River Niger, and as far back 
 as our dominion extends, in accordance with our laws and 
 customs) do hereby agree on behalf of ourselves and of our 
 successors for ever — 
 
 Firstly, To obser\^e faithfully the agreement entered into 
 between us and the Company (then known as the National 
 African Company, Limited), and dated the 12th day of Novem- 
 ber 1885. 
 
 Secondly, To grant to the Company full and absolute 
 jurisdiction over all foreigners to our territories, — that is to say, 
 over all persons within the territories who are not our native- 
 born subjects. Such jurisdiction shall include the right of pro- 
 tection of such foreigners, of taxation of such foreigners, and of 
 political, criminal, and civil jurisdiction over such foreigners. 
 
 Thirdly, That we will not at any time whatever cede any 
 of our territories to any other person or State, or enter into 
 agreement, treaty, or arrangement with any foreign Government, 
 except through and with the consent of the Company, or if 
 the Company should at any time so desire, with the consent of
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 253 
 
 the Government of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain 
 and Ireland and Empress of India. 
 
 Fourthly, To place our territories, if and when called upon 
 to do so by the Company, under the protection of the flag of 
 Great Britain. 
 
 And we, the Royal Niger Company, on behalf of ourselves, 
 our successors, and our assigns for ever, hereby agree — 
 
 Firstly, To admit to the territories of Bussa (or Borgu) 
 any foreigner who may desire to go there, subject to such 
 necessary restrictions as may be necessary in the interests of 
 peace and order. 
 
 Secondly, To permit all such foreigners to trade freely, 
 subject to the payment of such taxation as may be necessary 
 for administrative purposes in Bussa (or Borgu), or for the 
 general administration of the Company. 
 
 Thirdly, To do our utmost to promote the prosperity and 
 wealth of Bussa (or Borgu), and to develop and open up that 
 country, and to do the utmost in our power to promote peace, 
 order, and good government, and the general progress of 
 civilisation. 
 
 Fourthly, To pay to the Emir of Bussa (or Borgu) a 
 yearly sum of fifty bags, native value, in any class of goods, 
 to be taken at the market value of the place where and when 
 the payment is made. 
 
 For the Royal Niger Company, Chartered and Limited. 
 
 (Sgd.) Will Lister. 
 
 [Signatures of the Emir and Chiefs.] 
 
 Dachtra ^ g^jj. ^j- g^^^^ , Borgu). 
 or Dagga ^^^^j^ 
 
 his 
 MoMO X Eldest Son of Emir, 
 
 mark 
 their 
 MuSA X Eyusu. 
 
 Serikin Riia X Chief, 
 marks. 
 
 We, the undersigned, are witnesses to the above signatures 
 and marks. 
 
 (Arabic signatures.) 
 
 I, William Reffle, do here certify that the above has been
 
 254 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 faithfully interpreted to the Emir and Chiefs of Bussa (or 
 Borgu), and understood by them in every sense. 
 
 (Sgd.) W. Reffle. 
 
 Done in triplicate at Bussa this 20th day of January 1890. 
 
 The following treaties of Kishi, in the Yoruba country, and 
 of Keioma or Kiama, and of Nikki, in Borgu, with the im- 
 portant declaration of Ilesha, in which the people acknowledge 
 dependence upon Nikki, and confirm Captain Lugard's account 
 of the negotiation of the treaty of November 10, are given in 
 the order of their date. It will be observed with regard to all 
 these treaties, that, far from being carelessly negotiated, they 
 are in every case accompanied by the attestation of the inter- 
 preters in whose presence the negotiations were conducted. 
 
 Treaty made on the 13th day of October 1894, between 
 Folawiyo, King of Kishi (Yoruba), and his Chiefs, on the 
 one hand, and the Royal Niger Company, Chartered and 
 Limited, for themselves and their assigns, for ever, herein- 
 after called "The Company," on the other hand. 
 r. We, the undersigned King and Chiefs of Kishi (Yoruba), 
 with the view of bettering the condition of our country and 
 people, do this day cede to The Company, including as above 
 their assigns, for ever, the whole of our territory, but The 
 Company shall pay private landowners a reasonable amount 
 for any portion of land that The Company may require from 
 time to time. 
 
 2. We thereby give to The Company and their assigns, for 
 ever, full jurisdiction of every kind, and we pledge ourselves 
 not to enter into any war with other tribes without the sanction 
 of The Company. 
 
 3. We give to The Company and their assigns, for ever, the 
 sole right to mine in any portion of our territory. 
 
 4. We bind ourselves not to have any intercourse as repre- 
 senting our tribe or State, on tribal or State affairs, with any 
 person or persons other than The Company, who are hereby 
 recognised as the authorised Government of our territories ; 
 but this provision shall not be interpreted as authorising any 
 monopoly of trade, direct or indirect, by The Company or 
 others, nor any restriction of private or commercial intercourse
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 255 
 
 with any person or persons, subject, however, to such adminis- 
 trative measures as may be taken by The Company in the 
 interests of commerce and of order. 
 
 5. In consideration of the foregoing. The Company bind 
 themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or 
 customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of 
 order and good government, and the progress of civilisation. 
 
 6. The Company bind themselves to protect, as far as 
 practicable, the said King and Chiefs from the attacks of any 
 neighbouring aggressive tribes. 
 
 7. In consideration of the above, The Company have this 
 day paid the said King and Chiefs of Kiski (Yoruba) a donation, 
 receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. 
 
 This treaty having been interpreted to us, the above- 
 mentioned King and Chiefs of Kishi (Yoruba), we hereby 
 approve and accept it for ourselves and for our people, and in 
 testimony of this, having no knowledge of writing, do affix our 
 marks below it. x Folawiyo. 
 
 X Okimfalu. 
 X Agoro. 
 X Bale. 
 We, the undersigned witnesses, do hereby solemnly declare 
 that the King and Chiefs whose names are placed opposite their 
 respective marks, have in our presence affixed their marks of 
 their own free will and consent, and that Capt. F. D. Lugard, 
 on behalf of The Company, has in our presence affixed his 
 signature. (Sgd.) T. A. Reynolds. 
 
 „ Guy N. Mottram. 
 
 I, Capt. F. D. Lugard, for and on behalf of The Company, do 
 hereby approve and accept the above treaty, and hereby affix 
 my hand. (Sgd.) F. D. Lugard, Capt. Cmdg. Borgu Expd. 
 
 Declaration by Interpreter. 
 
 I, T. F. Joseph, native of Sierra Leone, do hereby solemnly 
 declare that I am well acquainted with the Yoruba language, 
 and that on the 13th day of October 1S94, I truly and faithfully 
 explained the above treaty to all the native signatories, and 
 that they understood its meaning. 
 
 [Signature or mark of interpreter] (Sgd.) T. F. Joseph. 
 Witnesses to the above (Sgd.) Guy N. Mottram. 
 
 mark or signature, „ T. A. Reynolds. 
 
 Done in triplicate at Kishi (Yoruba) this 13th day of 
 October 1894.
 
 256 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 Treaty made on the 22nd day of October 1894, between 
 Mousa Pobida, King of Keioma, Borgu, on the one hand, 
 and The Royal Niger Company, Chartered and Limited, for 
 themselves and their assigns, for ever, hereinafter called 
 " The Company," on the other hand. 
 
 1. I, the undersigned Musa Pobiba, King of Keioma, 
 Borgu, with the view of bettering the condition of my country 
 and people, hereby give to The Company and their assigns, for 
 ever, full criminal and civil jurisdiction of every kind over all 
 foreigners to my country, including the rights of protection 
 and taxation, and I pledge myself and my successors not 
 to exercise any jurisdiction whatever over such foreigners 
 without the sanction of The Company. 
 
 2. I bind myself not to have any intercourse as representing 
 my tribe or State, on tribal or State affairs, with any foreigner 
 or foreign government other than The Company ; but this 
 provision shall not be interpreted as authorising any monopoly 
 of trade, direct or indirect, by The Company or others, nor any 
 restriction of private or commercial intercourse with any 
 person or persons ; subject, however, to such administrative 
 measures as may be taken by The Company, as a Government, 
 in the interests of order and of commerce. 
 
 3. I recognise that The Company, as a Government, 
 represents Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain and 
 Ireland, and I accept the protection of the British ; ^ but I 
 understand that such protection against the attacks of neigh- 
 bouring aggressive tribes can only be afforded as far as 
 practicable. 
 
 4. I give to The Company and their assigns, for ever, the 
 sole right to mine or dispose of mining rights in any portion of 
 territory. 
 
 5. In consideration of the foregoing. The Company bind 
 themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or 
 customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of 
 order and good government, and the progress of civilisation. 
 
 6. As a pledge of their good faith, The Company have this 
 day paid the said King Musa Pobida, of Keioma Borgu, a 
 donation, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged 
 
 This treaty having been interpreted to me, the above- 
 
 ^ And I engage not to fly the flag of any other nation.
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 257 
 
 mentioned King and Chiefs of Keioma, I hereby approve and 
 
 accept it for myself and for my successors for ever. 
 
 [Signature of Native Ruler.] 
 
 [Attestation.] x Mousa Pobida. 
 
 X Yankpan. 
 
 X Nawogigaginawo, 
 
 (Sed.) Guy N. Mottram ) ,.,.^ <. n • 
 
 T- AT) r Witness to all signatures. 
 
 „ Tom a. Reynolds ) ^ 
 
 I, Capt. Lugard, for and on behalf of The Company, do 
 hereby approve and accept the above Treaty, and hereby 
 affix my hand. 
 
 (Sgd.) F. D. Lugard, Capt. Comdg. Borgu Exped. 
 
 Declaration by Interpreter. 
 
 I, T. F. Joseph, native of Sierra Leone, do hereby solemnly 
 declare that I am well acquainted with the Hausa language, 
 and that on the 19th day of October, 1894, I truly and 
 faithfully explained the above Treaty to the said King Musa 
 Pobida, and that he understands its meaning. 
 
 [Signature or mark of interpreter.] 
 
 (Sgd.) T. F. Joseph. 
 Witness to the above 
 interpreter's mark or signature, 
 
 (Sgd.) Guv N. Mottram. 
 ,, Tom a, Reynolds. 
 
 Done in triplicate at Keioma Borgu, this 22nd day of 
 October, 1894. 
 
 Treaty made on the loth day of November, 1894, between 
 The King of Nikki (which is the capital of Borgu) on the one 
 hand, and the Royal Niger Company, Chartered and Limited, 
 for themselves and their assigns, for ever, hereinafter called 
 " The Company," on the other hand. 
 
 I. I, Lafia (also called Absalamu, son of Wurukura), King 
 of Nikki and of all Borgu country, with the view of bettering 
 the condition of my country and people, hereby give to The 
 Company and their assigns, for ever, full criminal and civil 
 jurisdiction of every kind over all Foreigners to my country, in- 
 cluding the rights of protection and taxation, and I pledge my- 
 self and my successors not to exercise any jurisdiction whatever 
 over such Foreigners without the sanction of The Company. 
 
 17
 
 258 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 2. I bind myself not to have any intercourse, as representing 
 my tribe or state, on tribal or state affairs, with any Foreigner 
 or Foreign Government other than the Company ; but this 
 provision shall not be interpreted as authorising any monopoly 
 of trade, direct or indirect, by The Company or others, nor any 
 restriction of private or commercial intercourse with any person 
 or persons ; subject, however, to such administrative measures 
 as may be taken by The Company, as a Government, in the 
 interests of order and of commerce. 
 
 3. I recognise that The Company, as a Government, repre- 
 sents Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, 
 and I accept the protection of the British flag ; but I under- 
 stand that such protection against the attacks of neighbouring 
 aggressive tribes can only be afforded as far as practicable. 
 
 4. I give to The Company and their assigns, for ever, the 
 sole right to mine or dispose of mining rights in any portion of 
 my territory. 
 
 5. In consideration of the foregoing, The Company bind 
 themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or 
 customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of 
 order and good government, and the progress of civihsation. 
 
 6. As a pledge of their good faith. The Company have this 
 day paid the said Lafia, King of Nikki and Borgu, a donation, 
 receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. 
 
 This Treaty having been interpreted to us (the representa- 
 tives deputed to act for him by the above-mentioned Lafia, 
 King of Nikki and of Borgu), we hereby approve and accept it 
 for the King and for his successors for ever. 
 
 [Signature of Native Ruler.] 
 Arabic signatures of 
 The Leman. 
 The Sirkin Powa. 
 [Attestation.] The Naimin. 
 
 (Sgd.) T. A. Reynolds ) Witness to 
 „ Guy N. Mottram J all signatures. 
 
 I, Captain F. D. Lugard, for and on behalf of The Company, 
 do hereby approve and accept the above Treaty, and hereby 
 affix my hand. 
 
 (Sgd.) F. D. Lugard, Capt. Comdg. Borgu Exped. 
 
 I certify and solemnly declare that I was sent to the King 
 Lafia by Capt. Lugard, to carry to him a present from the
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 259 
 
 Company, and that at that interview, in accordance with my 
 instructions, I asked the King myself, in the presence of various 
 chiefs and people, whether he had himself deputed the Leman. 
 and Sirkin Powa, and Naimin, to act for him in the matter of 
 this Treaty, and that he thrice declared to me that he had 
 done so. (Sgd.) T. F. Joseph. 
 
 Witnesses 
 
 (Sgd.) T. A. Reynolds. 
 „ Guy N. Mottram. 
 
 Declaration by Interpreter. 
 
 I, T. F. Joseph, native of Sierra Leone, do hereby solemnly 
 declare that I am well acquainted with the Hausa language, 
 and that on the loth day of November, 1894, I truly and faith- 
 fully explained the above Treaty to the representatives deputed 
 by the said Lafia, and that they understand its meaning. 
 [Signature or mark of interpreter] (Sgd.) T. F. Joseph. 
 Witness to the above 
 interpreter's mark or signature. 
 (Sgd.) T. A. Reynolds. 
 „ Guy N. MoTTRA^L 
 
 Done in triplicate at Nikki Borgu, this loth day of November 
 1894. 
 
 The King, being blind and also having a superstitious dread 
 of personally meeting any European, has deputed the Leman 
 and the Sirkin Powa to be his representatives and proxies and 
 to sign the Treaty on his behalf. In the presence of these and 
 other important men the Treaty has been translated word by 
 word and fully explained in Hausa — many understanding that 
 language — and retranslated again sentence by sentence into 
 Borgu dialect. 
 
 (Sgd.) F. D. LuGARD, Capt. Comdg. Borgu Exped. 
 
 We, the undersigned, who are five of the principal Chiefs of 
 Ilesha, a town of Borgu subservient to Nikki, do hereby 
 testify as follows in token whereof we have affixed our 
 marks as evidence : — 
 
 Whereas the King of Ilesha is an exceedingly old man, at 
 present indisposed in health ; and whereas it is also contrary 
 to the etiquette of Borgu that a vassal Chief should do 
 otherwise than follow in the minutest detail the procedure of
 
 26o FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 his Suzerain King ; and whereas the King of Nikki, under 
 whose jurisdiction the town is, did not in person see Captain 
 Lugard, owing to the fact of his age and bhndness, and other 
 causes ; and whereas we fear that if the King of Ilesha should 
 see Captain Lugard, as he is personally anxious to do, it may 
 cause offence to the King of Nikki, as bearing the con- 
 struction that the said King of Ilesha was arrogating to 
 himself an honour greater than his Suzerain King, the 
 aforesaid King of Nikki — 
 
 We therefore, having been deputed by the King, have this 
 day held a council or palaver with the said Captain Lugard ; 
 We on our part acting for and in the name of the King, 
 Chiefs, and people of Ilesha, and the said Captain F. D. 
 Lugard, acting solely on behalf of the Royal Niger Company, 
 Chartered and Limited — 
 
 I. We have assured Captain Lugard that whatsoever treaty, 
 agreement, or contract has been entered into between himself, 
 on behalf of the Royal Niger Company, on the one part, and 
 the King of Nikki, on the other part, is binding on us in every 
 minutest detail ; for if the King of Nikki ordered us to eat 
 sand, we should eat it, and in every way we acknowledge him 
 our King. 
 
 II. We have heard from Captain Lugard the main pro- 
 visions of the treaty made between the Royal Niger Company 
 and the King of Nikki, viz., that the King of Borgu cedes 
 absolutely to the Company all jurisdiction, civil and criminal, 
 over foreigners who are settled or may hereafter settle in 
 Borgu, including the right of protection, taxation, etc., over 
 such foreigners : That the King of Borgu is now in treaty 
 alliance with the Royal Niger Company, and his country has 
 become part of the Government of the Niger Territories under 
 the aforesaid Company : That the Company, little by little as 
 they may be able, and as the country is opened up and settled 
 and civilised, will afford their protection to the King of Borgu, 
 and assist him in any just war undertaken with their consent 
 and approval : That the Company claim no monopoly of 
 trade, and will not interfere with native laws and customs, 
 except in the interests of trade, or at the dictates of humanity : 
 That the King of Borgu undertakes to make no other treaty, 
 accept no flag with any people or foreigners other than the 
 Royal Niger Company, and that he cedes to the said Company 
 all mining rights and concessions in Borgu, absolutely and solely.
 
 BRITISH TREATIES IN WEST AFRICA 261 
 
 III. And we, the undersigned, do gladly subscribe to the 
 above conditions, and any others which may have been entered 
 into on behalf of all Borgu by the King of Nikki ; and we are 
 pleased with the outline of the treaty, as explained to us, in the 
 hope that it will promote peace, trade, and prosperity in the 
 country ; and in this assent we act for and on behalf of the 
 King, Chiefs, and people of Ilesha and district. 
 
 IV. We state, moreover, that no European has to our 
 knowledge ever before visited Ilesha, nor have we ever made 
 any treaty or agreement with any European ; and in the future, 
 as stated in the treaty, we undertake to make no treaty or 
 agreement whatsoever with any European or foreigners, other 
 than the Royal Niger Company. 
 
 In witness whereof, we do hereby subscribe our signatures or 
 our marks. Each Chief has held the pen before his name was 
 written in token of assent. 
 Witness to all signatures, 
 
 (Sgd.) T. A. Reynolds. Taku x 
 
 „ Guy N. Mottram. Samare x 
 
 Sare X 
 
 KOM X 
 
 Tabe X 
 Signed by me, F. D. Lugard, on behalf of the Royal Niger 
 Company, this Twenty-fourth day of November 1894 
 (eighteen ninety-four). 
 
 (Sgd.) F. D. Lugard, Capt. Commanding 
 Borgu Expedition. 
 
 I, Captain F. D. Lugard, do hereby testify that I have this 
 day held a council with the Chiefs of Ilesha, who, for the 
 reason assigned in the document hereto attached, have met 
 together to act in this matter on behalf of the King, Chiefs, 
 and people of the town and district of Ilesha ; and that whereas 
 they do assure me, in the strongest manner possible (strength- 
 ened and enforced by many native similes), that they are 
 wholly and entirely bound by any treaty engagements entered 
 into by the King of Borgu who resides at Nikki, and who is 
 already in treaty alliance with the Royal Niger Company ; — I 
 have therefore embodied this declaration in the attached 
 document, which has been very carefully translated to them 
 and assented to (the pen being handled by each in token of 
 assent to signature), by each Chief in my presence. I have, 
 moreover, explained to them carefully and fully, to the best of
 
 262 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 my ability, the main provisions of the treaty made with the 
 King of Borgu at Nikki, to all of which they gladly assented. 
 (Sgd.) F. D. LuGARD, Captain Commanding 
 Borgu Expedition. 
 22nd November, 1894. 
 
 I, G. N. Mottram, do hereby testify that I was present at 
 the conference between Captain Lugard (acting for the Royal 
 Niger Company) and the Chiefs of Ilesha ; that I heard the 
 five Chiefs declare, in the strongest possible manner, that they 
 and their King were entirely under the King of Borgu at 
 Nikki, and absolutely bound by all treaty engagements entered 
 into by him ; — that they all assented gladly to the provisions 
 of that treaty, which were fully explained in simple English by 
 Captain Lugard, and translated sentence by sentence (ap- 
 parently accurately and in closest detail) by Mr. Joseph, and 
 that the only reason why the conference was not held in the 
 presence of the King was (as stated by his messenger and 
 the Chiefs present) his old age, sickness, and the Borgu 
 etiquette, which forbade him to initiate any other procedure 
 than that followed at Nikki. 
 
 (Sgd.) Guv N. Mottram. 
 
 I, T. F. Joseph, do certify that I have fully and literally 
 translated all that Captain Lugard said at the conference, on 
 the subject of the treaty with Borgu, to the Chiefs of Ilesha, 
 and have also faithfully and literally translated their replies. I 
 also certify that I have faithfully and literally translated to 
 them all that is contained in the attached document, and that 
 they have fully understood the same. I am thoroughly con- 
 versant with the Haussa language, and spoke in that dialect, 
 many present, including several of the Chiefs, being able to 
 speak Haussa. To those who could not understand Haussa 
 each sentence was translated into Borgu by their own Haussa- 
 speaking people. 
 
 (Sgd.) T. F. Joseph. 
 
 Commandant Tout^e says (p. 1 24) : " Je voyais 
 journellement des barques conduites par des Baribas et 
 chargees k couler, descendre ou remonter le fleuve, elles 
 allaient jusqu'a des depots ou arrivaient les navires a 
 vapeur."
 
 LORD SALISBURY ON THE QUESTION 263 
 
 This ought surely to have been enough to convince 
 him that he was in the EngHsh sphere of influence ; 
 and yet, without further inquiry or misgiving, a fort is 
 built and called Fort d'Arenberg. It is impossible for 
 France to effectively occupy with military posts the 
 whole of her vast possessions comprised between the 
 Mediterranean, the Niger, and the Atlantic, which is 
 known as the French Sudan, and there is no necessity 
 for her doing so. Her occupation — where it exists — 
 of the immense territory claimed by her is so far 
 purely military, involving an expenditure of about half 
 a million sterling.^ 
 
 Our occupation of the Niger territories is, on the 
 other hand, principally a commercial one, and trade 
 there follows the flag, which it certainly does not in the 
 French Sudan. To quote from Lord Salisbury's speech 
 at the Guildhall, 9th November i 897 : " The objects 
 which we have in our view are strictly business objects. 
 We wish to extend the commerce, the trade, the 
 industry, and the civilisation of mankind. We wish to 
 throw open as many markets as possible, to bring as 
 many consumers and producers into contact as pos- 
 sible ; to throw open the great natural highways, the 
 great waterways of this great continent. We wish 
 that trade should pursue its unchecked and un- 
 hindered course upon the Niger, the Nile, and the 
 Zambesi." 
 
 Regarding effective occupation, it was laid down at 
 the Berlin Conference that occupations on the coast of 
 Africa, in order to be valid, must be effective, and any 
 new occupation on the coast must be formally notified 
 to the Signatory Powers for the purpose of enabling 
 them, if need be, to make good any claim of their own. 
 
 ' J. S. Keltic, The Partition of Africa, p. 293.
 
 264 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 Article 3 5 of the General Act restricts to possessions 
 on the coasts of Africa the obligation to ensure the 
 establishment of authority sufficient to protect existing 
 rights. A curious point is that the refusal of the Powers 
 to extend the principle of " effective occupation " to the 
 interior was solely due to the representations of the 
 French plenipotentiary, Baron de Courcel. 
 
 Sir George Goldie, in the New Review, June 1897, 
 says : " The principle for which Baron de Courcel thus 
 successfully contended was, in my humble opinion, 
 imperative in the interests of Europe, and of France in 
 particular. The early effective occupation of the vast 
 African continent, with three times the area of Europe, 
 being impracticable, the necessity of effective occupa- 
 tion to validate treaty rights would have destroyed 
 the foundations of the principle of spheres of influence, 
 but for which a general European war could hardly 
 have been averted. As regards France, that Power 
 had in 1885, and still has to-day, within her spheres of 
 influence a larger unoccupied area in the interior of 
 Africa than any other colonising nation. To-day, as 
 in 1885, France is the power which can least afford to 
 throw over the principle propounded by her in Berlin, 
 and agreed to by the fourteen Signatory States. Her 
 existing rights behind the British colonies of the 
 Gambia, Sierra Leone, and the Gold Coast have been 
 entirely based on treaties with native potentates. On 
 this ground she has successfully relied in all the West 
 African arrangements made during the last ten years 
 with the British Government." 
 
 The only demarcation possible between the two 
 Powers is a line cutting the river, and it is difficult to 
 understand of what use it was fixing this point at Say, 
 if expeditions from the south are to strike the river
 
 THE FRENCH AT ILLO 265 
 
 below it, and seize any place they find unoccupied ; and 
 it would be a parallel case if the British colonies on the 
 West Coast were to send expeditions into the Hinter- 
 land belonging to the French, who have there so 
 effectually blocked all farther extension on our part. 
 
 A few days after the first rumour was received of the 
 French being at Illo, the news was confirmed in a 
 decisive manner by the arrival of messengers at Ilorin, 
 with a letter from the King of Bussa informing Sir 
 George Goldie that the expedition had descended 
 along the river bank from Illo to Bussa, and had now 
 occupied the capital, and asking urgently for assistance. 
 
 At this time the Bussa country was actually under 
 the protection of the Royal Niger Company, and 
 garrisons were occupying Fort Goldie, 2'j\ miles up the 
 Niger from Jebba, and another place called Leaba, 30 
 miles farther north. The king had expressed a wish 
 that the capital should not be occupied by soldiers, 
 owing to the difficulties always arising about the 
 women, and it was in accordance with this wish that 
 Bajibo and Leaba were selected as military posts in 
 the Bussa country. 
 
 Bussa itself is 320 miles from Say by the river. To 
 arrive there the French marched due north from 
 Dahome, passing within a stone's - throw of Nikki, 
 where Captain Lugard, specially sent out, made a treaty 
 the year before, and through a country ruled over by 
 native chiefs who are in constant touch with and 
 subsidised by the Company, It was then necessary to 
 march eastward, and they eventually struck the river at 
 Illo, from which they descended to Bussa. All this 
 time every available soldier and European in the Niger 
 territories was engaged in the operations against the 
 states of Nupe and Ilorin. Even then, at the close of
 
 266 FRENCH OCCUPATION OF BUSSA 
 
 the Bida expedition, and on hearing of the French at 
 Illo, it would have been possible to postpone the march 
 to Ilorin and take possession of Bussa with the 
 excellently organised and already well-tried force, had 
 not Sir George Goldie on leaving England pledged 
 himself to abstain from any operations north of Jebba, 
 so as to avoid prejudicing negotiations between the 
 English and French Governments. 
 
 The French took a most unfair advantage of this 
 pledge. It is only too plain that these aggressions 
 on their part must some day lead to an unfor- 
 tunate collision between their troops and those in 
 the Niger territories, much the same as occurred in 
 1892 behind Sierra Leone when the English forces 
 engaged in fighting the Sofas were attacked at dawn 
 by an enemy which proved to be French native troops ; 
 and white officers, besides many of the black soldiers, 
 were killed on both sides before the conflict could be 
 stopped. 
 
 If Bussa formed part of the Hinterland of Dahome, 
 there might be some reason for their eagerness to 
 obtain it ; but, as will be seen from the map, it is right 
 away in the Hinterland of the colony of Lagos and 
 the Royal Niger Company, which, with the Niger Coast 
 Protectorate, will no doubt at a future date be welded 
 together as one great English possession under the 
 same administration. The meridian of Say agrees 
 with the frontier between Lagos and the French 
 possessions in Dahome, which was arranged pre- 
 viously in 1889, but which was carefully delimited 
 in 1896 from the coast to the 9th parallel of latitude 
 — a distance of 170 miles, following for the last few 
 miles the Ocpara River. 
 
 Mr. Fowler, who was a member of the British Com-
 
 D 
 
 o k^sena- 
 
 KANOo 
 
 A 
 
 N 
 
 Barua 
 
 I&ikao 
 
 USA ;S T A T' E S 
 
 i: E^~R I T o 
 
 B f o R N ^.^-i. 
 
 M 
 
 Urtqja. 
 
 </ 
 
 4a. 
 
 iilsKi 
 
 TERRITORIES 
 or 
 
 THE ROYAL NIGER C? 
 
 Scale of WUes. 
 
 J2P
 
 THE DEBATABLE TERRITORY 267 
 
 mission to settle the frontier, says : " The frontier up 
 to the 9th parallel is so clearly defined that it is 
 quite impossible for any French officer or expedition 
 to have crossed into the Lagos Hintet-land without 
 intending to do so." The 9th parallel does not form 
 a boundary of any sort, and it only happens to be the 
 limit to which the frontier has as yet been accurately 
 delimited. Yet the French expeditions, on reaching 
 the corner formed by the two lines, seem to think they 
 have a right to go where they please, and, as a rule, 
 wheel directly to the right, if they have not done so 
 before, into the country from which Lagos — an English 
 colony long before the conquest of Dahome was even 
 thought of — draws its trade. 
 
 The present Lagos-Dahome frontier, if continued, 
 as no doubt was the intention, passing west of Nikki, 
 would strike the Niger a little north of the 1 2th 
 parallel and 60 miles south of Say. It will be seen 
 that the debatable territory is in the shape of a triangle, 
 contained by the Middle Niger, the meridian of Say, 
 and the 9th parallel. It can in no case be called 
 Hinterland belonging to any French possession, and 
 if surrendered to France will simply form a wedge 
 extending into the side of our fine, and up to the 
 present compact, possessions in the area of Africa 
 watered by the Niger and Benue Rivers.
 
 XX 
 
 Ilorin Expedition 
 
 ON loth February we started on our march south, 
 along the route traversed by Mr. Fowler in his 
 survey. Making a short march the first day, on the 
 next we reached a village called Bodi Sadu, which 
 forms a regular sort of custom-house for taking toll 
 from the traders who pass along the road. Tighe, who 
 was with the advance-guard, heard a low growl in the 
 grass close to the camping-ground, and saw a lion 
 trotting off through the bush. 
 
 The country was frightfully burnt-up and dry at this 
 time of the year, and the difficulties of marching were 
 considerable. A sandy path led through low trees and 
 bushes, and across at times open spaces covered with 
 dried-up grass, and the aspect of the country during 
 the first part of the march was very similar to the 
 waterless plateau called the Haud in Somaliland, over 
 which I had travelled in 1894. The camp at Bodi 
 Sadu was pitched just beyond a small native village, 
 on the stony slope leading down to the watercourse, 
 where still a few little pools of water were to be found. 
 The stony ground reflected the burning rays of the 
 sun, and three officers, including Dr. Craster, were 
 affected by the intense heat during the day. 
 
 All food had to be carried, and the water in some 
 
 268
 
 LANWA REACHED 269 
 
 places was very bad. On the third day, beyond an 
 important village called Lanwa, the only water we 
 could get to drink was unfit even to wash in, and very 
 soon clogged all the filters brought to bear on it. 
 
 At first we travelled due south, close to a range of 
 hills which was on our right, whilst on the other side 
 lay the wooded valley in which runs the river Osin, 
 flowing into the Niger not far from Jebba. Several 
 dry watercourses were crossed, and on the 1 2 th we 
 camped at a small stream called the Orere. The 
 country improves vastly as one enters it and ascends 
 on to the high ground, and there are some very fine 
 trees — acacia trees with red fruit, and baobab, also a 
 species of poplar. The villages are often surrounded 
 by rubber trees and small banana groves, — the houses 
 themselves being untidy and tumble-down looking, and 
 very different from the neat huts in the Nupe country. 
 In the centre of the village there was usually an open 
 space with some fine shady trees, which formed the 
 market-place. The natives were all clothed in varying 
 shades of blue cloth, native-dyed, and were ugly and 
 unprepossessing. 
 
 The first large village we came to was Lanwa, which 
 was thronged with natives, who appeared friendly, and 
 brought in milk. 
 
 We were delayed for one and a half hours here 
 owing to the water question, and eventually camped 
 3i miles farther on, at about i p.m. 
 
 On the 14th February we arrived at the Arebi River, 
 now in the dry season only a river in name, and even 
 the pools of water had to be searched for. This was 
 one of the most enjoyable marches I have made in 
 Africa. Starting about sunrise, in the cool of the 
 morning, we passed through a lovely country more
 
 270 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 like an English park than anything else, up and down 
 gentle hills where there was no thick undergrowth to 
 hinder us, and sometimes close to high rocks, near which 
 a small village was usually planted as if for protection. 
 The front of the column halted at a large village 
 called Illaga, or Ladogba, at 8.30, to allow the rear 
 of the column to close up, and for the usual rest. A 
 small stream bordered by banana groves ran past the 
 village and made the valley look green and flourishing. 
 At our camp at the Arebi River we were already 
 1 1 00 feet above the sea, having ascended 700 feet 
 from the Niger at Jebba. 
 
 Two messengers arrived from the Emir in the 
 afternoon, and great interest was excited as to whether 
 it was to be peace or war. 
 
 The Governor had written to the Emir already, to 
 say that as the latter did not wish the force to enter 
 Ilorin he would meet him at 5 p.m. on the following 
 day at the river Asa, outside the town. He now 
 learnt that the attitude of the Ilorin army was very 
 hostile, and that the Emir would be probably forced 
 by the leading baloguns to join in an attack on the 
 expedition. This was no doubt the reason why 
 orders were issued at night for the surprise-lights and 
 wire to be placed round the camp, and for rockets to 
 be fired at intervals. 
 
 The sun was not yet up, and the light was still 
 dim and uncertain when we started on our march on 
 the 15 th instant, with Nos. 3 and 5 Companies forming 
 the advance-guard with the Governor. 
 
 As we went on along the road to Ilorin the country 
 began to assume more and more of a park-like appear- 
 ance. As it was, on approaching Bida, the tangled 
 bush and undergrowth gave place to rolling plains
 
 THE NATIVES TEMPT THEIR FATE 271 
 
 dotted about with fine trees of all sorts, and we passed 
 little villages hidden away in banana groves. At the 
 first few villages we passed the natives remained at 
 their doors, and everything seemed perfectly peaceful ; 
 but as we went on, and came down the gentle slope 
 towards the Oyon River, several events combined to 
 rouse our suspicions. Men on the road ran out of the 
 way on our approach, disregarding the shouts of our 
 guide to come nearer. Natives could be seen peering 
 at us from behind trees and houses at a safe distance, 
 and beyond, near the banks of the river, there seemed 
 to be a large number of mounted men, conspicuous in 
 their white tobes. 
 
 No shot had yet been fired, and it was hard to 
 believe the Ilorins were really going to oppose us, 
 after receiving the news of the victory at Bida over a 
 much more powerful State — the most important Sultan- 
 ate in the kingdom of Sokoto. 
 
 We were still marching along in single file, but at 
 8.15 a.m. matters had become so threatening that the 
 head of the column halted, and Major Arnold ordered 
 square to be formed on No. 5 Company, with which 
 were Captain Sangster and Lieutenant Pereira. 
 
 A half company of No. 3 Company, Lieutenants 
 Burdon and Tighe, which with No. 5 Company had 
 constituted the advance - guard, formed up on each 
 flank as part of the side faces. The column was well 
 closed up, and square was formed very rapidly as the 
 successive detachments arrived and were put into their 
 places, the carriers being herded up in the centre. 
 
 Sir George Goldie used the utmost forbearance before 
 giving the word to fire, and every possible chance had 
 been given for peaceful negotiations, when it became 
 evident that, if the square was to be saved, fire must
 
 272 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 be opened at once. A body of 300 to 400 horsemen, 
 who had collected unperceived behind us, and followed 
 up the rear - guard, were now charging through the 
 thin burnt-up grass, which, though no obstacle to their 
 movements, had effectually concealed their approach. 
 This force, which must have been commanded by one 
 of the four " baloguns," or generals of the Ilorin army, 
 was evidently carrying out a preconceived plan of 
 attacking us, in conjunction with three other large 
 bodies of the enemy's cavalry in our front and on the 
 flanks, who had up to that time kept hidden away as 
 much as possible, and with whom were all the footmen. 
 
 The action was brought on precipitately by this 
 body of cavalry, and there can be no doubt that the 
 intention was to draw us on in column of route to the 
 Oyon River, where the main body of the enemy was 
 posted, and then to fall upon us from all sides. 
 
 Forming square upset all their arrangements, and in 
 the contest which ensued they showed a lamentable 
 disregard of the deadly effect of modern firearms. 
 One could not but admire the daring courage these 
 fanatical Fulah horsemen displayed in galloping up 
 close to the square, which they did at the opening of 
 the fight, in the face of a serried line of fixed bayonets 
 and the very muzzles of rifle barrels. 
 
 They waited too long, and lost their opportunity. 
 If the charge had been made whilst the square was 
 still unformed and the carriers were hastening up from 
 the rear, the result would have been disastrous. 
 
 Lieutenant Gillespie with his company, and Lieu- 
 tenant Margesson with a Maxim, who formed the 
 rear-guard, had only just time to form up on the rear 
 face of the square when they saw this large body of 
 the enemy's horse coming down on them. As no
 
 THE ILORIN HORSEMEN 
 
 273 
 
 order had yet been given, they reserved their fire 
 till the very last minute ; and so close were the enemy, 
 that the leader, a little in front of the rest, was heard 
 exhorting his men to charge into the square, which 
 at that time had several gaps in it, and was greeted 
 by jeers and shouts from the Hausa soldiers. 
 
 In another moment the order to fire was given, a 
 deadly volley rang out, and the leader fell out of the 
 saddle a lifeless corpse, and paid the penalty for his 
 rash act, with several of his followers and horses. 
 The remainder swerved round both flanks of the 
 square, receiving a deadly fire from both faces at a 
 distance of only about 50 to 100 yards. It was an 
 exciting time for those on the front face, and, looking 
 back, one could see glimpses of horses falling and 
 men reeling in the saddles, through little openings in 
 the dense cloud of smoke overhanging the square. 
 When this lifted, the Ilorin horsemen were seen flying 
 in all directions, leaning down at full gallop to escape 
 the iron hail which was pursuing them : poor dead 
 and wounded horses were lying about round the 
 square, and the peaceful countryside was transformed 
 into a scene of battle and destruction. 
 
 Few troops would have behaved as coolly as the 
 Hausas did under the circumstances, and there is no 
 doubt that they had derived an incalculable benefit 
 from the fighting at Bida; they had learnt to rely 
 on themselves and their white officers ; to feel and 
 know the power firearms and discipline gave them 
 over undisciplined masses ; and, finally, they were proud 
 of themselves and their achievements. No one could 
 have shown greater sa^tg- froid in what were really 
 rather exciting circumstances. 
 
 The generalship of our opponents was bad, and 
 18
 
 274 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 nowhere was this more evident than in our immediate 
 front, where down in the hollow by the Oyon River 
 was drawn up the main body of the enemy, offering a 
 splendid target to the big guns and the Maxims. 
 The main attack, however, at first, after the cavalry 
 action in the rear, came from the right front, where 
 one of the baloguns was posted with his corps in 
 some rather thick grass and bushes. He advanced 
 them from here, and made a demonstration on our 
 right flank, covered by a very ill-directed fire from his 
 riflemen. Lieutenant M'Clintock with his company, 
 and Bird with his Maxim, who completed this face 
 of the square with the half company of No. 3 already 
 in position, opened a very heavy fire on them, and 
 soon drove them back to a safer distance. 
 
 Firing became general after this, and Lieutenants 
 Neale and Day with their Maxims also did consider- 
 able execution on the enemy, who were holding a 
 small village and the surrounding bushes to the left 
 front. 
 
 After the fire had cleared the ground in the imme- 
 diate vicinity, Major Arnold ordered the square to 
 advance. Whether owing to the previous practice in 
 marching in square before Bida, or the small size of it 
 — only 80 yards in length and less in breadth, which 
 will give an idea of the smallness of the forces en- 
 gaged on our side — the square advanced at a great pace, 
 2^ to 3 miles an hour, with the carriers and guns in 
 the centre. 
 
 Two halts were made, and Captain Sangster with 
 No. 5 Company had a great deal to do in clearing the 
 way for the advance. The Maxims on the front face 
 also opened fire with great effect. Masses of the 
 enemy, noticeable in their white garments, could be
 
 THE ILORIN TROOPS SUFFER 275 
 
 still seen pouring down the road from Ilorin, evidently 
 intending to dispute the passage of the river Oyon, 
 where, behind the crossing, two large brown rocks 
 covered with boulders and stunted bushes rose up 
 about 100 yards in rear of it, offering splendid cover 
 for the enemy's riflemen. 
 
 The two 7-pounders, under the direction of Under- 
 Officer Bosher, now opened fire, aimed on the enemy's 
 reserves, drawn up on the high ground south of the 
 stream. Shrapnel shells with percussion fuses were 
 used, and must have sadly disturbed our opponents. 
 Two common shells were also fired, bursting right 
 among them. 
 
 A second advance was made to within 400 yards of 
 the river, and fire was again opened, which had the 
 effect of driving the enemy right back to the top of the 
 ridge opposite and away from the river. It was now 
 10.30 a.m, and the fight had lasted two hours. Camp 
 was formed here, it being considered too late to fight 
 our way to Ilorin and capture the town in the same 
 day. 
 
 Major Cunningham with Nos, i and 5 Companies 
 advanced to force the passage of the river, which was 
 still held by a few of the enemy's skirmishers. It was 
 a pretty sight, and we from camp were able to watch 
 all that went on. One good volley rang out from 
 No. 5, which was drawn up in line on our side of the 
 river, and No. i crossed and formed up on the other 
 side. The two companies then advanced in line to the 
 right of the road, Lieutenant Bird with his Maxim 
 marching along the road to the left of the line. 
 
 Large masses of the enemy could be seen in the 
 trees and bushes near the crest awaiting their approach, 
 and it was at first feared that, concealed by the
 
 276 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 wooded fringe on the high ground, they would sur- 
 prise the reconnoitring force. The 7-pounders opened 
 fire over the heads of the advanced companies at 
 2000 yards, and several shells burst right among the 
 trees, from which the enemy were seen retreating in 
 haste. 
 
 The Maxim also opened fire on some of the enemy 
 slowly retiring along the road ; little spurts of dust 
 showed the shots were a little underneath, and with a 
 little more elevation it made very good practice. After 
 their forces had been driven over the crest. Major 
 Cunningham changed direction to the right, and made 
 for the village in this direction recently occupied, and 
 from which a few Ilorins were seen departing in haste. 
 A detour was then made round to the right, and the 
 force returned to camp at 1 1.30. Our casualties were 
 very small, and it is difficult to understand why the 
 Ilorins did not make better use of the numbers of 
 breech-loading rifles, amongst which there were even 
 some curious magazine rifles, or of the quantity of 
 ammunition which they possessed, and which was 
 afterwards captured in the town. 
 
 Lieutenant Carroll was wounded in the mouth by a 
 slug. Lieutenant Festing's horse was shot, and a 
 headman of carriers was wounded. The latter had 
 been very warlike, and was the amusement of the 
 whole camp. He was a little, grey-haired old man, in 
 charge of a company of carriers, and had been used to 
 strut about with a great air of bravado, saying, " If 
 you give me one hundred men, I send them all to 
 hell ! " 
 
 The enemy's losses were heavy. Curiously enough, 
 one of the horsemen who was killed in the first charge 
 was recognised as one of the Emir's two messengers the
 
 NIGHT INTERVENES 277 
 
 day before. These two men had probably been the 
 cause of the Ilorins' determination to fight us, as, on their 
 return to the capital from our camp, they had brought 
 in news how small the expedition was. To a casual 
 observer in the afternoon the force would have appeared 
 even smaller than it really was. Soldiers were hidden 
 away under trees and shelters, to escape the fierce rays 
 of the sun. Some of the carriers were probably 
 foraging or bargaining in the villages near. Maxim 
 guns with coverings on would very likely have escaped 
 their attention, and even the 7-pounders with their 
 short barrels were not very imposing-looking guns, 
 
 A piquet was posted on the rocks near the river in 
 the afternoon, and Lieutenant Pereira was stationed 
 here with a Maxim gun. Several shots were exchanged 
 with the enemy, who were apparently still defiant, and 
 brought out some old cannon from the town to fire 
 upon us with. It is said that a projectile of some sort 
 was seen moving along the ground like a rabbit. 
 
 Soon after the day ended and darkness had set in, 
 the moon was seen rising over the trees, and, by the 
 time the bugle sounded at 9 p.m., and the troops fell in 
 at their posts before lying down to rest, it was a lovely 
 moonlight night, such as one can only see in a tropical 
 country, and very unfavourable for a night attack, for 
 which the Ilorins were noted. Every precaution had 
 been taken to guard against one. The strands of wire 
 were fastened on pickets round the square, and the 
 surprise-lights were attached to trees and posts around. 
 The corners of the square were thrown back somewhat, 
 so as to lessen the space to be guarded, and from now 
 onwards rockets were fired regularly during the night. 
 These rushing fiery comets must have appeared some- 
 thing supernatural to the Ilorins, suddenly expanding
 
 278 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 into a number of shining stars, and then falling rapidly 
 to the ground. 
 
 It was a weird evening, and all around us appeared a 
 circle of fires lit by the enemy, which, however, did not 
 interfere with us at all, as the grass round the camp 
 had been burnt. Cannons were also fired, and drums 
 beaten to frighten us. They were awfully mistaken in 
 their ideas of our tactics, and confident that we were 
 going to retire the next day : men came down and 
 shouted to the piquet on the rocks, that they would 
 follow us back to Jebba and drive the remnant of us 
 into the river. A certain amount of firing went on from 
 the piquet at the crossing of the Oyon River, which 
 was under a native corporal, and did very good work 
 in this responsible position. Objects coming over the 
 sand in the moonlight made a very good target for the 
 soldiers posted in the rocks. About i i p.m., after a 
 fusilade from the rocks, a wounded Ilorin was brought 
 in on a stretcher, who, on being interrogated, said he 
 and some others had been sent out to look for one 
 of the chiefs who was missing. It is nearly certain 
 that this was the leader of the charge early in the day, 
 as he was very richly dressed, and his horse was 
 covered with fine trappings. 
 
 Soon after midnight there was an alarm, and the 
 force stood to arms, with the exception of an officer 
 in charge of a Maxim gun, who slept peacefully 
 through the turmoil. 
 
 Reveille sounded at 4.30 sharp the next morning, 
 1 6th February, one of the coldest we had yet ex- 
 perienced, the thermometer standing at 58" Fahr., which 
 is very low in this climate, and we went shivering to 
 breakfast in the fading moonlight. 
 
 Tents were struck, and as soon as it was light two
 
 THE ADVANCE MADE 279 
 
 companies moved down and crossed the river, quite 
 shallow at this time of year and running in a sandy- 
 bed, and halted on the farther side, where square was 
 to be formed. 
 
 The carriers came trooping across with their loads, 
 and by 6.30 a.m. everyone was in position. The 
 bugle sounding a " G " was the signal for Maxim guns 
 to be dismounted, and for all loads to be taken up 
 preparatory to moving off. Major Arnold then 
 sounded the advance, and the square moved steadily 
 on, led by Lieut. M'Clintock with No. i Company, 
 with its left resting on the road, and a Maxim gun 
 on each flank. 
 
 A white mist at this early hour of the morning 
 veiled all our movements from the enemy, and we 
 moved on unseen towards the summit of the ridge, 
 about a mile and a half distant. The ground, ploughed 
 into ridges for cultivation, made marching difficult, and 
 every now and then a porter would collapse with his 
 load, but still the general advance was excellent. A 
 small scouting party of Ilorins retired calmly and un- 
 concernedly before us, only 200 yards distant, and the 
 drumming and blowing of horns now commenced along 
 their position, which seemed to extend round our left 
 flank. The mist began to lift, and glimpses of horsemen 
 and footmen became more distinct. Fire was opened 
 on us, and the square halted. The Maxim guns at 
 the corners were immediately mounted, and opened 
 fire with great rapidity, together with one of the 
 7-pounders, which had been dragged along the road. 
 Although the target was an uncertain one, owing to the 
 light, yet the effect was instantaneous, and a general 
 retreat commenced on all sides. It was only possible 
 to fire the Maxim by having someone at a little
 
 28o ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 distance off to watch the first two or three shots, and 
 then, after the proper elevation and direction had been 
 obtained, to clamp it tight and continue firing. Almost 
 from the first the black powder and the stillness of the 
 air caused a dense cloud of smoke to overhang the gun. 
 
 The enemy were massed together more than they 
 had been the day before, and in this manner the 
 guns did tremendous execution. They really worked 
 wonders in this campaign, and there were no jams 
 except one or two caused by cartridges, which were 
 easily remedied. Mr. Maxim personally superintended 
 the sending out of the six new Maxim guns and the 
 ammunition for them, and Lieutenant Margesson, who 
 had been trained at the factory, inspected them and 
 took them to pieces periodically. If used much in 
 one day, it was only necessary to clean them out 
 thoroughly when opportunity offered ; and of course 
 water was a necessity, and was always carried by one 
 of the gun detachment in the water-carrier for the 
 purpose. 
 
 The Maxim guns were used during the expedition 
 much the same as artillery, and the Hausa soldiers 
 really formed an escort to these guns, and rarely 
 fired, except at short ranges, to keep off cavalry. 
 
 If a carriage could be devised whereby the gun could 
 be carried for a certain distance by two or three men, 
 mounted and ready for action, it would be invaluable. 
 During the retirement in square at Bida, it was found 
 impossible to carry the gun mounted, owing to its 
 being so unwieldy, and there was always a danger 
 of being rushed before the gun got into action. 
 
 The Ilorins were demoralised, and only once more 
 did they stand — on the top of the ridge in front of 
 Ilorin. Here a big tree with a village formed the centre
 
 MAXIMS AND SEVEN-POUNDER DO IT 281 
 
 of their position, and the latter, surrounded by a good 
 mud wall and full of trees, offered a splendid position 
 for their riflemen, with a good line of retreat, but was, 
 strange to say, unoccupied. 
 
 The rattle of the Maxims again filled the air, accom- 
 panied by the booming of the 7-pounder, and the 
 sheets of lead which must have poured over them from 
 these deadly guns completed the disaster, and a sauve 
 qui pent ensued. Their leaders were heard exhorting 
 them to remain firm ; but it was no good, and little 
 groups of horse were seen galloping about all over the 
 country, and masses flying along the road to Ilorin. 
 
 We advanced over the ridge, passing close to the 
 left of the village, which formed the centre of their 
 position, and which was set on fire. Marks of their 
 camp fires could be seen on all sides, and they had 
 occupied this ridge the night before. 
 
 After passing through some clumps of trees, we came 
 in sight of the town, which lies on the farther side of 
 the Aza River, evidently covering an enormous extent 
 of ground, but not nearly so fine in appearance as 
 Bida. On all sides lay an open plain, broken here 
 and there by a small village and some cultivation, and 
 perhaps two or three isolated palm trees, and to the 
 north the great Sobi rock formed a prominent feature 
 of the landscape. 
 
 We bore slightly to the right, and at 8.15 halted 
 on the slope, still keeping the old square formation. 
 Away to the left the Ilorin horsemen were streaming 
 through one of the gates into the town, and their 
 pace was still further accelerated by some shots from 
 the Maxim at about 1400 yards. 
 
 Soon after, a white flag was hoisted up near one of 
 the gateways, and firing ceased. Sir George Goldie
 
 282 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 rode forward, escorted by a company, to within a few 
 hundred yards of the town, and waited here a long 
 time for anyone to come out. His interpreter, Esa, 
 one of the finest blacks I have ever seen, and looking 
 very picturesque in his big Nupe straw hat, flowing 
 garments, and red leather riding-boots, rode up close 
 to the walls, and at last induced two men to come 
 out. 
 
 These turned out to be Hausa traders, and it 
 appeared the flag had been hung out by the Hausa 
 people outside their own quarter, and was in no wise a 
 sign of submission on the part of the Emir. However, 
 the men were sent back with an ultimatum to the 
 Emir, that if no answer was received in two hours, the 
 bombardment would commence, and the walls of his 
 palace would be brought down over his head. 
 
 In the meantime crowds of people could be seen 
 moving across the open space in the town to the right, 
 where there seemed to be a break in the main wall. 
 Most of these were heavily laden, and were evidently 
 carrying their goods and chattels away. 
 
 No answer being received, the force moved off in a 
 southerly direction for a mile and a half to a better 
 position on some rising ground, only 400 yards from 
 the walls. There was little to be feared now from 
 their cavalry, and the square proceeded to unfold itself 
 into a long serpentine line, as companies and transport 
 companies alternately filed out in column of route, and 
 marched parallel to the wall to the new position, afford- 
 ing a curious spectacle to the defenders in the town, 
 who up to that time had only seen us in square, which 
 gave a very small idea of our numbers. We passed 
 several gardens, irrigated by little streams running into 
 the Aza River, and amongst other vegetables were
 
 THE TOWN ON FIRE 283 
 
 onions, radishes, and potatoes, so that we looked 
 forward to having a good dinner. 
 
 The only explanation of the stupidity of the Ilorins 
 in thus refusing to avail themselves of our many efforts 
 at negotiation, is that the chiefs and the Emir were at 
 complete variance with one another, and that they 
 could not believe till the last minute that we should 
 enter the town with such a small force. 
 
 Posted on the rising ground, the little battery con- 
 sisting of the two 7 -pounders opened fire on the town. 
 There was only a very limited amount of ammunition 
 left, and great care was necessary that no shell should 
 be wasted. The first shell was fired at the exterme 
 range, about 3000 yards in a westerly direction, and 
 the next one at 2500 yards, and so on, the range 
 being reduced after each discharge until it came down 
 to 1000 yards, where the high thatched roof of the 
 Emir's palace, standing out by itself among a clump of 
 dark green trees, formed a good target. Common 
 shell and double shell were used, and most of these 
 effectually set fire to something where they exploded. 
 A few shells burst prematurely very high up, forming 
 little white clouds in the air, owing to the fuses being 
 affected by the great heat. Although quite harmless, 
 the moral effect of these explosions in mid-air, and seen 
 from all parts of the town, must have been considerable. 
 Detachments went forward to the wall to fire incen- 
 diary rockets, a few shots being fired at them by the 
 defenders, and soon the ill-fated capital was in flames 
 in several places. The fire, fanned by the strong 
 Harmattan wind that was blowing, spread with great 
 rapidity, little pieces of lighted thatch being carried 
 from roof to roof. 
 
 The Hausa colony had now taken refuge with us
 
 284 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 with their belongings, and amongst them the soldiers 
 recognised many of their own relations, — fathers, 
 mothers, brothers, and sisters, — the scene in rear of the 
 position where they were all collected being a very 
 strange one, and a perfect babel of sounds went up 
 from it. These Hausas, most of them peaceful traders, 
 had w^ished to join us before, but had been forcibly 
 prevented from leaving the town. 
 
 It was after midday, and soldiers and carriers were 
 all busily engaged preparing savoury dishes from the 
 numerous sheep and goats which they had looted from 
 villages quite close. Two or three captured horses 
 were brought in by enterprising looters, and one of 
 them, Mr. Watt's syce, armed with a long spear and 
 with a big straw hat, rode round and round the camp, 
 acting the buffoon, to the immense delight of all the 
 blacks, some of whom followed him round shouting 
 and cheering. One of the buglers also rode in on a 
 nice horse, very pleased with himself, and proceeded to 
 swagger round the camp. It was an intensely hot day, 
 and three tents were put up behind the position for 
 officers to lunch in, from where we could watch the 
 curious scene that was going on. On joining my 
 Maxim-gun detachment after lunch, I found my 
 corporal in charge. Osman Kano had apparently 
 discovered most of his own family, and introduced 
 me with great glee to his father, mother, and other 
 relations, whom he had packed away in a corner, where 
 they had erected a temporary shelter with cloths and 
 sticks against the sun. They had come from the north 
 a long way to trade in Ilorin, and had been about four 
 weeks in the town, from which they had barely escaped 
 with their lives, owing to the hostility of the inhabitants. 
 
 In the afternoon, to our astonishment, we saw what
 
 OUR TRIUMPHAL ENTRANCE 285 
 
 looked like a white woman walking up the slope towards 
 the camp, with very scanty garments on. A certain 
 amount of excitement was created among the officers, 
 who went out to see her arrive, but she turned out to 
 be an albino, and her absolute repulsiveness soon put 
 everyone to flight. 
 
 A great deal of the northern and the southern 
 portion of the town had been set on fire by shells, and 
 the bombardment ceased. The two little 7-pounder 
 mountain-guns had only just lasted out long enough to 
 do what was required of them, and the carriages of both 
 of them were broken. If further resistance had been 
 encountered, it would have been a serious matter. 
 
 Several of our wounded adversaries were brought 
 into camp and treated by Surgeons Craster and Cargill, 
 who accompanied this expedition. The enemy's losses 
 in the two days' fighting were severe. From information 
 afterwards obtained, it is certain that over 200 horse- 
 men alone were killed, and the proportion of footmen 
 to cavalry was apparently about six to one. 
 
 At 3.30 p.m., all resistance being at an end, Sir 
 George Goldie marched into the town at the head of 
 the column, preceded by the buglers. Entering by the 
 Hausa gate, we marched along an avenue about ten 
 yards wide, bordered by a neat fence, and then, winding 
 between still smoking walls and thatched roofs, we 
 reached a large open space with shady trees in front 
 of the Emir's enclosure. 
 
 The first thing we noticed on entering the square 
 was the gruesome spectacle of the corpse of some 
 malefactor, or, as was asserted by some people, a 
 Hausa, who had probably been executed with untold 
 cruelties, and exposed on a heap of stones, with his 
 legs and arms hacked off as a warning to others.
 
 286 ILORIN EXPEDITION 
 
 The destruction of the palace — rather a misnomer for 
 this collection of rude stone buildings — was indeed 
 complete, and the market-place, where we pitched our 
 tents, was still filled with the smoke and smell of 
 burning. The archway forming the main entrance 
 had not yet fallen in, and, stepping quickly over the 
 hot stones, I entered the inner court, from which again 
 several small enclosures led to a large open grass 
 space within the outer walls of the palace, where the 
 Governor afterwards took up his quarters. The walls 
 were very massive, and little harm had been done to 
 them by the fire. 
 
 The force, reduced as it was in numbers of both 
 officers and men, had crushed a power which at one 
 time it was said would require many black troops, and 
 even a white battalion, to do. 
 
 A curious episode was the fact of the " fall in " for 
 the guard being sounded that evening in the market- 
 place of Ilorin by an ex-bugler of the Lagos Con- 
 stabulary, a few hours previously a slave in the same 
 town, and still with the chains on his legs. 
 
 Everyone soon settled down and made themselves 
 comfortable after the hard day's work in the sun ; and 
 it was curious to think that, only fourteen days before, 
 we had been occupying a similar market-place in 
 Bida.
 
 XXI 
 Ilorin 
 
 ON the morning after the entry into Ilorin, de- 
 tachments were sent out in all directions to stop 
 any further looting and burning, with orders, if possible, 
 to get into communication with the chief inhabitants, to 
 reassure them and persuade them to return to the town. 
 This was no easy task, and the destructive effect of 
 the shells in this enormous town had been very com- 
 plete ; the northern portion, which is more a suburb of 
 the main town, and where a new gateway and outer 
 wall had been lately erected, escaped being set on fire, 
 and the line of houses within half a mile of the western 
 and north-western enceinte were also intact, including 
 a large enclosure belonging to one of the four baloguns. 
 I started off this day with Major Cunningham, Pereira, 
 and twenty men to the western gate, and we inspected 
 the balogun's house en route. A covered-in gateway, 
 with a heavy wooden door (made out of three planks), 
 about 9 feet in height, admitted one to a courtyard 
 about 40 yards broad, round which the dwelling-houses 
 were situated. The walls were capitally made, but the 
 whole effect was marred by the untidily - thatched 
 roofs. There were little compartments, with low roofs 
 with raised ledges, probably used to sleep on. The 
 occupants had evidently left in great haste, and things 
 
 287
 
 288 ILORIN 
 
 were scattered about pell-mell in all directions ; on the 
 walls were fastened a few gaudy advertisements and 
 pictures obtained from Lagos, and the floor was littered 
 with papers and rubbish of all sorts. Amongst the 
 papers were a number of letters and Hausa documents 
 in Arabic writing. Through a door in the further wall 
 one entered into an inner yard, where a lame horse was 
 tethered, and round it there were more houses, probably 
 for slaves and attendants. There was a curious little 
 pair of miniature leg - irons, such as are used for 
 manacling slaves, fastened in the floor at the main 
 gateway, and it was reported to be a fetish of some 
 kind to ward off the evil spirit. 
 
 On nearing the western gate, we passed through some 
 grass fields and banana plantations, where we could 
 see some of the inhabitants mowing. After a great 
 deal of talking and shouting, one or two of them 
 approached nearer, and then others gained confidence 
 and came out behind houses around, until we had quite 
 a respectable gathering. They were told to go and 
 inform their friends that they would not be molested, 
 that the fighting was all over, and they could return 
 to the town. 
 
 We discovered several of the carriers hard at work 
 in the furthest outskirts looting, utterly regardless, as 
 usual, of their lives, and the morning was spent hunting 
 them back to camp. They had, perforce, to drop some 
 of their enormous loads when pursued, and preferred 
 this to being captured and beaten. 
 
 I collected as many data as possible for making a 
 map of the town, and the next day went out again 
 with Lieutenant Margesson, and twenty men as an 
 escort, when we worked round the southern portion, 
 afterwards making our way to the northern gate.
 
 A STROLL ROUND ILORIN 289 
 
 The town is 9 miles in circumference, and except on 
 the north-east, surrounded by a dilapidated mud wall. 
 From the many gateways, well-used roads lead in all 
 directions across the open grass country outside the 
 town, towards the south to Ogbomosho and Lagos, 
 
 To the south, the houses become more detached, 
 and a large extent of meadow-land is enclosed within 
 the outer wall. 
 
 Magnificent baobab trees, affording splendid shade, 
 adorn the open spaces in the town. The water supply 
 at this time of year is not first-rate, and there are only 
 some evil-smelling stagnant pools of water at a few of 
 the cross-roads, in addition to the limited number of 
 wells in the town itself, and the water is mostly drawn 
 from the river Aza outside. 
 
 Crowds of people were trooping back into the town, 
 and we stopped at one of the farthest gates to watch 
 the continual stream of women, children, etc., returning. 
 I took three or four photographs of them, which un- 
 fortunately, like so many others, turned out failures. 
 
 On reaching the northern gate, known as the Bodi 
 Osenoagwa, we found we were close to the high Sobi 
 rock, and the ground sloped steeply down to a stream 
 between, which flowed into the Aza River. 
 
 A few palm trees bordered the stream, otherwise the 
 country was entirely open. This gateway was really 
 a very fine one, and the walls on each side were from 
 12 to 15 feet thick. A rich trader named Doda had 
 a large compound out in this direction. 
 
 Although Ilorin is a great Mohammedan town, the 
 mosques, though numerous, are small and insignificant. 
 
 The Ilorins are a Yoruba-speaking people, and it is 
 interesting to record that, according to Captain Mockler 
 Ferryman, a desperate fight occurred in 1840, over 
 
 19
 
 290 ILORIN 
 
 exactly the same ground where we fought, between the 
 Fulahs, who were in possession of the town, and the 
 Yorubas, aided by a small contingent of Borgus. The 
 latter were gaining the victory after a prolonged contest, 
 when their leader fell, and the pagans, losing heart 
 owing to his death, were eventually utterly routed. 
 
 The Emir and his baloguns had fled to the villages 
 far and wide, and were in a sorry plight, as only 30 
 miles to the south lay the Ibadan country and the Lagos 
 frontier, over which they had no mercy to expect ; and 
 to the west the pagan tribes, in the direction of Borgu, 
 would have been only too glad to take advantage of 
 the defeat of their long-standing enemies. Sir George 
 Goldie, who had been in communication with the 
 Emir, was able to induce him to come in, and sur- 
 render himself with the four baloguns, on the 18th 
 inst. It was a great piece of diplomacy, and solved 
 the difficult problem of leaving an established govern- 
 ment behind instead of the utter chaos which would 
 have ensued, if the column had been obliged to march 
 out and leave the town without one. Even if the old 
 Yoruba dynasty had been reinstated, as it was before 
 the Fulah conquest, a strong garrison would have had 
 to be left behind to hold the town and disperse the 
 bands of Fulahs. If no settlement had been come to 
 we should probably have had to remain in Ilorin all 
 through the wet season from April to October, not a 
 bright prospect ; and one must be thankful that the 
 Emir and his bal< guns showed such confidence as to 
 surrender themselves. They came in about i p.m. 
 with a few followers, to make their peace with the 
 Governor. Mounted on their small horses, covered 
 with picturesque saddle-cloths and head-collars, they 
 presented a curious appearance, and the Emir himself
 
 TREATY OF ILORIN 291 
 
 looked an extraordinary object, with his head wrapped 
 up in several folds of white cloth, forming a great bunch 
 behind the back of his head, and completely covering 
 his face with the exception of his eyes and nose, the 
 whole crowned by an enormous native straw hat, such 
 as is worn in this country. They were mostly dressed 
 in plain white robes, according to the Fulah custom. 
 The Dogali, or Lord High Executioner, a most villainous 
 looking individual, wore a green robe, perhaps a badge 
 of his office. 
 
 On being taken to the Governor they threw them- 
 selves on their knees before him, and showed the most 
 utter submission. 
 
 During the interview, and the parade of the troops 
 which followed, they were very nervous and appre- 
 hensive of what might happen to them. The troops 
 were drawn up in the square, where the British flag was 
 flying, and they sat down on a mat laid out near the 
 table, close to which the guns were drawn up, so as to 
 make as much show as possible. Cunningham also 
 donned a red tunic for the occasion, which, with a 
 white helmet, formed a dazzling combination in com- 
 parison with our much -worn khaki uniforms, and the 
 natives must have thought him a very big man indeed. 
 
 The treaty was read out to the Emir, and was as 
 follows : — 
 
 TREATY OF ILORIN. 
 
 This Treaty is made on the i8th February 1897 of the 
 Christian Era, and the 15th day of Ramadan, in the year 13 14 
 since the Hegira. The Treaty is between Sir George Goldie, 
 Governor for the Royal Niger Company, and the Emir 
 Suliman, son of the former Emir Alihiu, for his chiefs and 
 people for ever. 
 
 1. The Company will recognise Suliman as Emir of Ilorin. 
 
 2. The Emir Suliman recognises that Ilorin is entirely under 
 the protection and power of the Company.
 
 292 ILORIN 
 
 3. He will obey all such directions in respect of his 
 Government as the Company may give him from time to 
 time. 
 
 4. The Emir Suliman agrees to make no war without the 
 consent of the Company, and to accept such frontier Hne 
 between Ilorin and Lagos as the Company may decide. 
 
 5. The Emir Suliman agrees to take every step in his power 
 to prevent the further introduction of gin and rum into his 
 country from Lagos, and to destroy all the gin and rum that 
 may be found in his country. 
 
 6. All previous Treaties are abrogated, but Ilorin remains 
 under the protection of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India. 
 
 7. I, Suliman, Emir of Ilorin, hereby accept this Treaty, and 
 I, George Taubman Goldie, Governor of the Royal Niger 
 Company, also hereby accept it. 
 
 (Signed) Suliman (in Arabic). 
 
 „ George Taubman Goldie. 
 
 We, the undersigned, declare that the Emir of Ilorin, Suliman, 
 has in our presence declared, through two interpreters, that he 
 has perused and understands the Hausa (Arabic) copy of this 
 Treaty, and that he has had the English copy fully explained 
 to him. 
 
 We declare also, that the Governor, Sir George Goldie, and 
 the Emir Suliman, duly affixed their signatures to all the 
 copies in our presence, this i8th February, 1897. 
 (Signed) G. Cunningham, Major, Derby Regiment. 
 
 ,, W. D. Bird, Lieut., 2nd, The Queen's Regiment. 
 
 „ C. F. S. Vandeleur, Lieut., Scots Guards. 
 
 „ A M'Clintock, Lieut., Seaforth Highlanders. 
 
 After the ceremony the Emir had another private 
 interview with the Governor, in which a great many 
 important matters were discussed, and then retired 
 grateful and glad at having got so easily out of the 
 desperate and hopeless situation, into which he and his 
 baloguns had reduced themselves. It was interesting 
 to hear their account of the fight ; and they allowed to 
 losing 200 horsemen during the contest on the 15th
 
 RETURN MARCH TO JEBBA 293 
 
 and i6th. The Maxim guns impressed them more than 
 the 7-pounders, and they admit to having a particular 
 dread of the guns with the handles. 
 
 Everything having been arranged satisfactorily, in 
 accordance with the celerity which characterised these 
 operations throughout, the force marched out of Ilorin 
 the next day, 19th February, at daybreak, only sixty- 
 three hours after entering the town at the close of the 
 bombardment. As soon as everyone had cleared out of 
 the square, the captured gunpowder was blown up, and a 
 loud explosion rent the air. 
 
 I was with the rear-guard this day, and after passing 
 out of the town through the Hausa gate, the road was at 
 first blocked by crowds of Hausa people — traders, 
 refugees, and slaves, carrying their goods in baskets on 
 their heads, and on donkeys — who intended to accom- 
 pany the column. Numbers of slaves had come into the 
 camp at Ilorin to have their chains knocked off their 
 legs. 
 
 We camped at the Arebi River, after an extremely 
 hot march, the thermometer registering 97° F. in the 
 shade, during the middle of the day ; one halt was made 
 at the Oyon River, where it was interesting to see the 
 crowds of people streaming by on their way to the 
 Niger. Some of the loads carried by them were 
 enormous, and must have weighed fully eighty to 
 one hundred lb. At every few hundred yards little 
 groups of men and women were sitting under shady 
 trees to rest themselves on the journey, their loads 
 lying on the ground near them. Owing to the knowledge 
 gained of the road, and the watering places, the 
 return march of 52 miles was much quicker, and we 
 reached Jebba in four days. Thousands of people must 
 have accompanied us, and several recruits were obtained
 
 394 ILORIN 
 
 on the way — men who had been brought as slaves to 
 Ilorin from the interior of Hausaland, and who now 
 found relations and friends amongst the successful 
 soldiery. 
 
 On his way back the Governor received the following 
 amusing letter from the newly reappointed Emir of 
 Ilorin. 
 
 " I thank you very much for recognising me as a 
 king — may God recognise you as the Governor of the 
 Queen ! 
 
 " I wish you to know that all the slaves in the town, 
 belonging to me and my people, ran away with your 
 men, and I am afraid they will not come back again to 
 their masters. I therefore beseech you, in the name of 
 God, to send back these people to me, if you please, when 
 my messengers are coming back ; I hold your feet. 
 There are robbers in the town raiding and molesting the 
 people ; I want you to give me permission to judge them 
 as before, if you please." 
 
 Mr. Wallace and the steamers were waiting for us at 
 Jebba, having been engaged in important work on the 
 river; a few Nupe chiefs who still held out had been 
 crushed, and a large portion of the Markum's followers 
 and soldiers had been transferred from the southern to 
 the northern bank at Kosoji (Kusagi). 
 
 Some of the Hausa people who had come with us 
 were ferried over in canoes to the northern bank to 
 return to their homes, others were offered a free passage 
 down to Lokoja, where a new settlement was to be 
 formed about 6 miles further down the river, and close 
 to the spot selected by the ill-fated government ex- 
 pedition of 1841. Curiously enough, although the 
 middle of the dry season, the sky was nearly always 
 dull and overcast at Jebba, and we had several small
 
 ROYAL NIGER CONSTABULARY
 
 PALAVER WITH EMIR OF LAFIAGI 295 
 
 showers of rain. Fortunately, the night before we left, 
 there was a clear sky, and I was able to take obser- 
 vations. 
 
 We started away at 6 a.m. sharp on the 23rd, in 
 advance of the other steamers, and at noon reached 
 Kosoji, where we stopped for the Governor's interview 
 with the Emir of Lafiagi, another small State on the 
 south side of the river. As the stern-wheeler swung 
 round, it was seen, too late, that the impetus must carry 
 it and the barge filled with soldiers into the bank where 
 all the canoes were lying. Some natives jumped into 
 their canoes quickly, and succeeded in getting out of 
 the way, but the remaining canoes were gradually 
 forced together, and then a dreadful crunching noise 
 ensued as the ill-fated canoes were rapidly transformed 
 into a sort of collapsible berthon boat. 
 
 A small guard of honour was landed from the 
 steamers, and the Emir with a large escort of horsemen, 
 arrived about two o'clock ; the latter charged up to where 
 the Governor was sitting, at full gallop, and then reined 
 up their horses on their haunches in a cloud of dust, 
 waving their spears and swords. It was a very pretty 
 sight, and they repeated it twice, some of them colliding 
 and falling off Like the similar custom in Somaliland 
 and elsewhere, it is a form of salutation and greeting. 
 
 The Emir, who was a wizened - looking old man, 
 did not join in this part of the proceedings, and indeed 
 had great difficulty in sitting on his horse at all. He 
 arrived with a great noise of drums and horns, and sat 
 down with his followers in front of the Governor. 
 He was informed of the overthrow of Bida and Ilorin, 
 and exhorted to remain as he had always done, a good 
 friend to the Company, and finally, a fresh treaty was 
 concluded.
 
 296 ILORIN 
 
 While the flotilla now continued the journey to 
 Lokoja, Sir George Goldie returned up river to Fort 
 Goldie, opposite Bajibo, to await an answer from the 
 commander of the French force at Bussa. 
 
 The journey down river was a most delightful one, 
 and quite an exciting experience was jumping the 
 sandbanks ; and the stern-wheeler I was on proved so 
 good at this, that it soon distanced the remainder of the 
 fleet, who were lying inert, like crocodiles on the 
 treacherous banks of sand, having to drag themselves off 
 by an iron cable. 
 
 On the 24th we passed Egga, an important station of 
 the Royal Niger Company, situated at the bend of the 
 river, quite a fine looking place with rows of warehouses 
 covered with corrugated iron. 
 
 On the 24th Major Arnold passed us in the Bornu, a 
 fast launch, to try and reach Lokoja that evening, but 
 ran with tremendous force on to a sandbank, from which 
 there was great difficulty in getting off. We reached 
 Lokoja early on the 24th, where it seemed strange to 
 find oneself again after the numerous exciting events 
 which had been crowded together in the last two 
 months. There was naturally great excitement at the 
 return of the troops, and crowds assembled on the banks 
 to see them march up to the barracks. All the wives 
 came down to see their husbands return, and affectionate 
 greetings took place, the former taking charge of their 
 husbands' superfluous luggage and bundles of loot, as 
 the latter marched up through the town, headed by the 
 drums and pipes. People here had received little news 
 of what was going on, and at one time a report that the 
 expedition had been cut up before Bida, and that the 
 Nupes were advancing south on Lokoja, caused a 
 general exodus from the town.
 
 CONGRATULATIONS ON OUR SUCCESS 297 
 
 It was on our way down river that we first heard the 
 sad news of the massacre at Benin, which had occurred 
 in the previous month, long after the news had been 
 received in England. At first, hopes were entertained 
 that some use might be made of our force, mobilised and 
 organised as it was with water and land transport ; and 
 I understand Sir George Goldie telegraphed as soon as 
 possible, offering the services of the expedition, but it 
 was too late. As we steamed down the Niger we 
 received our long-delayed mails, and curiously enough 
 heard almost on three consecutive days of the massacre, 
 the subsequent expedition to Benin, and capture of the 
 town, events which occupied fully seven or eight weeks, 
 but on the Middle Niger, only a few hundred miles 
 away, were brought within the compass of three days. 
 
 "VVe remained at Lokoja four days, and Cunningham 
 and I had leave to go away and shoot, so started in a 
 canoe with our tents and six soldiers, to a place about 
 6 miles below Lokoja, where we camped. 
 
 There were a very few kobus kob and hartebeest 
 about, and we only succeeded in killing one of the 
 former. 
 
 Sir George Goldie arrived at Lokoja in his launch, the 
 Zaria, on the 1st of March, and in the afternoon met the 
 officers of the expedition, to whom he communicated a 
 telegram of congratulation sent by the Prime Minister ; 
 and the kind message was received with great gratifica- 
 tion by everyone, and it was a pleasure to all to know 
 that their efforts had been appreciated at home.
 
 XXII 
 Patani Expedition 
 
 PREPARATIONS for the expedition against the 
 Patani tribe were hastened on. The tribe — which 
 occupied an important position close to the junction of 
 the Forcados branch with the river Niger — had been 
 giving a good deal of trouble of late, and the king's son 
 and chiefs had been already warned several times to 
 desist from the slave raids, which they had been carry- 
 ing on in the vicinity of their country. In the after- 
 noon of the 2nd March a force of 200 men under 
 Major Arnold, with ten officers, five Maxim guns, four 
 7-pounders, and two Maxim - Nordenfeldts, embarked 
 on the Empire for transport down river. 
 
 Idda was reached about midday on the 3rd, and a 
 halt was made here to allow the king to come down to 
 see the Governor ; after a great deal of delay, messages 
 were sent to the effect that the king was frightened by 
 the number of soldiers, and would not come to the river 
 side ; and the Governor, escorted by a company, marched 
 up to the village, about 2 miles distant, to interview 
 the king himself. On arriving there he was nowhere 
 to be found, and had fled into the bush. The natives 
 assumed rather a threatening attitude, and the 
 Governor sent a message to the king, that he would 
 have to pay a fine of so many measures of rubber
 
 THE PATANIS CLIMB DOWN 299 
 
 within two months, or else a force would be sent 
 against him. 
 
 A good many natives were hanging about among the 
 trees and houses with guns and bows and arrows — which 
 in this country are poisoned with strophantus juice — 
 and the few who were induced to come near had the 
 audacity to have their bows strung and two arrows 
 ready in their hand. The journey down river was 
 resumed on the 4th inst, and the campaign was success- 
 fully brought to a close by the submission of the Patanis, 
 who had been already somewhat disconcerted by the 
 news of the victories on the Upper Niger, and whose 
 hearts now failed at the show of force brought against 
 them. Hostages were rendered for their good behaviour 
 in the future, and this truculent tribe may be now 
 considered to have given in to the influence of civilisa- 
 tion, and no more trouble is expected from them in 
 the future. 
 
 We stayed at Abutshi on the 5 th, one of the 
 Company's principal stations on the Niger, and I went 
 on shore to see the coffee plantations which were started 
 about three years ago. A fairly good crop was obtained 
 last year, but it is a great expense watering the young 
 trees in the dry season. 
 
 It was here we first heard the sad news of poor 
 Musters' death on board the mail steamer at Forcados. 
 
 Captain Rennie (late 93rd Highlanders) had also died 
 of fever at Asaba, whilst we were away on the 
 expedition. 
 
 Steaming on rapidly it seemed like a dream to find 
 oneself again on the mail steamer Loanda, which was 
 luckily waiting for us at Forcados. Sir George Goldie 
 and Mr. Wallace followed later in the Cr^// (the Niger 
 Company's steamer).
 
 300 PATANI EXPEDITION 
 
 It was hard to believe that the whole campaign, con- 
 sisting of a series of different expeditions from different 
 bases on the Niger waterway, had been brought to a 
 successful conclusion in exactly two months from the 
 date on which the force marched out of Lokoja ; and the 
 operations had been throughout a triumph of organisa- 
 tion and strategic skill, which counterbalanced the 
 disadvantage of being in a great minority, and the 
 absence of white troops. 
 
 That such a success was attained by force of arms, 
 was only made possible by the intimate knowledge of 
 the language and customs of the inhabitants and their 
 rulers possessed by white officials of the Company, who 
 have spent years in this country, such as Mr. Wallace 
 C.M.G., Messrs. Watts and Drew, and by the large staff 
 of educated coloured officials, of whom the Company 
 has made use of to an extent unknown in either British 
 or foreign colonies in West Africa. 
 
 The Governor, before leaving Asaba, issued a pro- 
 clamation, to the effect that the legal status of slavery 
 was abolished in all the Company's possessions. 
 
 We were all delighted when the monotonous and 
 deafening noise of the crane ceased on the 8th, as the 
 last of the cargo was hoisted on board, and we at last 
 steamed away from the inhospitable feverish delta of 
 the Niger. 
 
 We anchored outside the bar at Lagos for a few hours 
 on the 9th and reached Accra and the Gold Coast on 
 the nth, where I landed with the Governor, Sir W. 
 Maxwell, and also saw General Sir Francis Scott. Small 
 columns were then being sent out beyond Ashanti in 
 all directions, to try and occupy some of the Hi)iteiiand 
 which was being so rapidly parcelled out by French and 
 German expeditions.
 
 HOME WITH HONOURS 301 
 
 After a dreary and uneventful voyage along the coast 
 Sir G. Goldie, Pereira, and I landed at Dakar, the 
 French port, to wait for the Messageries steamer S.S. 
 Br^sil, from Rio Janeiro to Lisbon. Our hopes of going 
 by the railway to St. Louis were, however, spoiled by the 
 Bresil being due a very few hours before we could 
 return from St. Louis ; the train only running in the 
 daytime. 
 
 An unpleasant experience at Lisbon, was being forced 
 to land in small boats in a rather rough sea on the 
 Lisbon side of the Tagus, whilst our luggage was put in 
 quarantine for thirty-six hours on the other side. I 
 returned to England overland, I'id Paris, where I was 
 proud to receive the news, that in the annual awards of 
 the Royal Geographical Society I had been awarded 
 the Murchison Grant for work done in 1 894-97.
 
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 1 
 
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 313 
 
 Heavy rain. 
 Rain in evening. 
 Rain afternoon 
 night. 
 
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 APPENDIX 
 
 
 Altitude, 4421 ft. 
 
 5464 ,. 
 „ 683s „ 
 
 6627 ,, 
 1 Altitude, 6348 ,, 
 i Little rain. 
 
 
 10 N 
 
 2 
 < 
 
 •i fO ro r^ rO T}- M 0\ 
 _£00 « « - N '^ " 
 
 
 ro ro ro ro ro r^vo vO "^ m Ln»o vO "1 "^ 
 
 " yt iTi tn \r\ ■^ 'h rf^ rn 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ ::::::: N 
 [2 "^ 
 
 
 °N V) : : : : %■ : : : : °tj- : : : 
 
 \J-t\J-i ■ ■ ■ • u^ • • • ■ w^ • • • 
 
 u 
 
 E 
 
 u 
 
 a : : 
 
 6.S 
 
 J| 
 
 HE 
 
 /5 
 
 
 vS- 
 
 W\0 °i-i V°oVr^OO CO vo VSo °>-i °N 
 so t^ t^ »^vo u^ t^ j^ r>. t^vo sO t^cc 00 
 
 
 
 
 pi 
 
 g irt ^ X 5 ._* 
 
 >> 3 rt 11 
 
 >> 
 
 C 
 
 1 
 
 U 
 
 rt 
 
 s 
 
 rt 
 
 rt 
 v 
 Oh 
 
 1 :.:: = = : ■- 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 O 
 
 a. 
 
 'I- 
 
 . ^ s - ; s s c a . ; s ; c e 
 
 LomN Tj-^O <= N rj-so 00 '^ M 
 
 >< 
 
 CS 
 
 O 
 
 00 OS N f^o 1^00 
 
 _;^ M » >_ il M C4 
 
 a 
 
 N 
 

 
 APPENDIX 
 
 317 
 
 *0 CT\ Tj- O 
 
 "^ •* "^ •<<■ 
 
 
 
 
 u^ in "on^O °f^vO "on"'^ 
 t^>O00 r^ooso ri-t-voo 
 
 
 Near Moraba Peak 
 
 Near Kevillat Peak 
 Tiriki .... 
 Near Marugwa Peak 
 Near Chubugumo . 
 
 Muraias 
 
 M ... 
 
 Camp, right bank of Moia 
 Ntebi .... 
 Lake shore (Victoria 
 Nyanza) 
 
 ...... g 6 . 
 
 •♦«0 Tt •* ■* Tf i« •* 
 
 " " d. " 
 ■* ij- 
 
 CO r^ 
 
 4 TJ- 
 
 u~> voo t^OO O^ '-' 
 ^... .... 
 
 a 
 
 TfioO 
 
 00 c ja
 
 APPENDIX II 
 
 LIST OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS IN UGANDA, 
 UNYORO, AND ON THE UPPER NILE 
 
 Table of Latitude and Heights 
 
 
 
 
 Latitude North. 
 
 Heights. 
 Feet. 
 
 
 
 , 
 
 , 
 
 „ 
 
 Buniga Camp 
 
 
 
 54 
 
 36 
 
 
 Kaduma Fort 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 5 
 
 56 
 
 
 Baranwa ,, 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 14 
 
 14 
 
 
 Hoima ,, 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 26 
 
 56 
 
 3820 
 
 Kibero ,, 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 41 
 
 I 
 
 2113 
 
 Mahagi 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 28 
 
 
 East bank of Nile near Amat 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 26 
 
 30 
 
 
 Wadelai old Fort (left bank) 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 43 
 
 II 
 
 
 Dufile ,, ,, 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 34 
 
 21 
 
 
 Lukwia .... 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 58 
 
 21 
 
 
 Kangara 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 32 
 
 28 
 
 
 Kajumbura Island 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 51 
 
 10 
 
 
 Kilianongo 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 51 
 
 45 
 
 
 Kibugumia . 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 34 
 
 33 
 
 
 Kisoga Camp 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 39 
 
 8 
 
 
 Mruli 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 39 
 
 3 
 
 3510 
 
 Lukungu , 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 39 
 
 27 
 
 
 Kitao 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 SO 
 
 36 
 
 
 Niambari . 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 26 
 
 
 Foweira, near old station 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 II 
 
 14 
 
 3470 
 
 Kirunguru . 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 
 Dwempindu 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 54 
 
 42 
 
 
 Kigia. 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 48 
 
 47 
 
 
 Masindi Fort 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 41 
 
 5 
 
 3878 
 
 Raymond . 
 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 22 
 
 41 
 
 
 Mwenda's . 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 15 
 
 3733 
 
 Nakabimba Fort 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 38 
 
 24 
 
 4582 
 
 Kimena 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3470 
 
 Paniatoli 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 5 
 
 44 
 
 3636 
 
 Bajan 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 14 
 
 57 
 
 
 Kibega 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 52 
 
 
 Kijange 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 36 
 
 37 
 
 
 Kikingo 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 32 
 
 15 
 
 
 Chikunika . 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 16 
 
 56 
 
 
 Kalagala .... 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 39 
 
 7 

 
 APPENDIX 319 
 
 Table of Latitude and Heights.— continued. 
 
 
 Latitude North. 
 
 Heights. 
 
 1 
 
 
 • 1 II 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Ntebi 
 
 
 3820 j 
 
 Mumias 
 
 
 
 
 
 20 6 
 
 4421 j 
 
 Kikelelwas (near) 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 12 
 
 ! 
 
 Kamobir Hill 
 
 
 
 
 
 22 32 
 
 
 Simwiti 
 
 
 
 
 
 18 36 
 
 6627 
 
 Kimong 
 
 
 
 
 
 25 26 
 
 6872 
 
 Alagabiet Mountain 
 
 
 
 
 
 24 49 
 
 7128 
 
 Kiture 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 48 
 
 6650 
 
 Teito . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7119 
 
 Mitete 
 
 
 
 
 
 41 
 
 6039 
 
 Olmasidi . 
 
 
 
 
 
 IS 7 
 
 
 Scndege's Plain . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3990 
 
 Paugwa 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4425 
 
 Chiijonyai . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6545 
 
 Kwakiminu 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6445 
 
 Kavaren 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5998 
 
 Runye 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5310 
 
 Siyonso 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4800 
 
 Kabras 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5464 
 
 Moran 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 6455 
 
 Moraba Peak 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6212 
 
 Keviliat „ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5800 
 
 Tiriki 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 19 
 
 4969 
 
 Marugwa Peak . 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 30 
 
 5428 
 
 Chubugumo 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 37 
 
 4946 
 
 Meridian Distances 
 Longitude of Hoima, 31° 21' 15" E. 
 
 Kaduma Fort, east of Hoima 
 Mruli Fort (first observation) e 
 Kivari (Unyoro) 
 Kibana (Unyoro) 
 Mruli Fort (second observation) 
 Niambari, east of Mruli . 
 Foweira, west of Niambari 
 Dwempindu, west of Foweira 
 Wadelai Fort, east of Hoima 
 Dufile Fort, east of Hoima 
 Kibero, west of Hoima . 
 
 
 inte 
 
 rval 4 davs 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 4'i 
 
 ast of Hoima 
 
 
 , 6 
 
 
 
 
 42 
 
 15' 
 
 II II 
 
 
 . 4 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 45 
 
 11 > 1 
 
 
 , 3 
 
 
 . 
 
 19 
 
 
 
 
 
 , 
 
 
 
 
 43 
 
 '^\ 
 
 
 
 1 6 
 
 
 
 
 17 
 
 30 
 
 
 
 . 3 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 IS' 
 
 
 
 , 3 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 ^^5. 
 
 
 
 , 5 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 45' 
 
 
 
 , 9 
 
 
 
 
 40 
 
 45 
 
 
 
 , 2 
 
 
 
 
 S 
 
 45 
 
 1 Rate of watch determined at both places.
 
 APPENDIX III 
 
 LIST OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE 
 NIGER TERRITORIES 
 
 Place. 
 
 
 Latitude. 
 
 Longitude. 
 
 Lokoja 
 
 7 
 
 48 
 
 22 N. 
 
 6 42 30 E. 
 (Assumed longitude 
 on which other 
 observations de- 
 pend.) 
 
 Jakura (camp i^ miles E. of) . 
 
 7 
 
 59 
 
 56 n 
 
 6 31 7-5 M 
 
 Akpara ..... 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 49 .. 
 
 
 Pati Sura (camp near) 
 
 8 
 
 5 
 
 34 M 
 
 611 46 „ 
 
 Kabba Town .... 
 
 7 
 
 50 
 
 i7-5m 
 
 6 3 22 ,, 
 
 Ferafi (camp 2 miles N. of) 
 
 8 
 
 13 
 
 30 ,, 
 
 
 Kosobeji .... 
 
 8 
 
 30 
 
 44-5,. 
 
 6 4"58 „ 
 
 Egbom ..... 
 
 8 
 
 45 
 
 28 „ 
 
 5 58 II „ 
 
 Bida (ist camp) 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 35-5 „ 
 
 
 Bida (2nd camp outside Sultan's 
 
 9 
 
 5 
 
 17 ,, 
 
 5 58 34 „ 
 
 palace) 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tebba (camp 2j miles S. of) . j 
 
 9 
 
 5 
 
 3 M 
 
 
 Bodi Sadu .... 
 
 8 
 
 55 
 
 52 „ 
 
 4 47 42 ,, 
 
 Ilorin (outside Emir's palace) . 
 
 8 
 
 29 
 
 36 „ 
 
 4 32 42 „ 
 
 Arebi River (camp) 
 
 8 
 
 34 
 
 42 ,, 
 
 4 40 39 „ 
 
 Lanwa Ilorin .... 
 
 8 
 
 44 
 
 32 „ 
 
 
 Jebba (S. side of river at bend) 
 
 j 
 
 9 
 
 7 
 
 54 „ 
 
 4 47 53 M 
 
 rRINTEO BV MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED, EDINBURGH
 
 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS 
 
 AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF 
 
 METHUEN AND COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS : LONDON 
 
 36 ESSEX STREET 
 
 W.C. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 FORTHCOMING BOOKS, 
 
 POETRY, 
 
 BELLES LETTRES, 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, 
 
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 BIOGRAPHY, 
 
 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY, 
 
 GEJJERAL LITERATURE, 
 
 SCIENCE, .... 
 
 PHILOSOPHY, .... 
 
 THEOLOGY, .... 
 
 LEADERS OF RELIGION, 
 
 FICTION, .... 
 
 BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, . 
 
 THE PEACOCK LIBRARY, 
 
 UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERIES, 
 
 SOCIAL QUESTIONS OF TO-DAY, 
 
 CLASSICAL TRANSLATIONS, 
 
 EDUCATIONAL BOOKS, 
 
 34 
 35 
 3S 
 36 
 37 
 38 
 
 NOVEMBER 1897
 
 November 1897. 
 
 Messrs. Methuen's 
 
 ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 
 Poetry 
 
 SHAKESPEARE'S POEMS. Edited, with an Introduction and 
 Notes, by George Wyndham, M. P. CrowtiZvo. Buckram, ds. 
 This is a volume of the sonnets and lesser poems of Shakespeare, and is prefaced 
 with an elaborate Introduction by Mr. Wyndham. 
 
 ENGLISH LYRICS. Selected and Edited by W. E. Henley. 
 
 Crown 2>vo. Buckram. 65'. 
 
 Also 15 copies on Japanese paper. Demy 8vo. £2, 2s. net. 
 Few announcements will be more welcome to lovers of English verse than the one 
 that Mr. Henley is bringing together into one book the finest IjtIcs in our 
 language. 
 
 NURSERY RHYT\iES. With many Coloured Pictures. By 
 F. D. Bedford. Si?ian 4(0. 5^. 
 
 This book has many beautiful designs in colour to illustrate the old rhymes. 
 
 THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER. A Translation by J. G. 
 CORDERY. Crown Svo. Js. 6d. 
 
 Travel and Adventure 
 
 BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. By Sir H. H. Johnston, 
 K.C.B. With nearly Two Hundred Illustrations, and Six Maps. 
 Crown ^to. 305. net. 
 Contents. — (i) The History of Nyasaland and British Central Africa generally. 
 f2) A detailed description of the races and languages of British Central Africa. 
 (3) Chapters on the European settlers and missionaries ; the Fauna, the Flora, 
 minerals, and scenery. (4) A chapter on the prospects of the country. 
 
 WITH THE GREEKS IN THESSALY, By W. Kinnaird 
 Rose, Reuter's Correspondent. With Plans and 23 Illustrations. 
 Crown Svo. 6s. 
 A history of the operations in Thessaly by one whose brilliant despatches from the 
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 THE BENIN MASSACRE. By Captain Boisragon. 
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 This volume is written by one of the two survivors who escaped the terrible 
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 Messrs. Methuen's Announcements 3 
 
 FROM TONKIN TO INDIA. By Prince Henri of 
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 THREE YEARS IN SAVAGE AFRICA. By Lionel Decle. 
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 WITH THE MOUNTED INFANTRY IN MASHONA- 
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 THE HILL OF THE GRACES : OR, the Great Stone 
 
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 ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION IN AFRICA. By 
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 History and Biography 
 
 A HISTORY OF EGYPT, from the Earliest Times to 
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 LL.D., Professor of Egyptology at University College. Fully Illus- 
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 THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 
 
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 THE LETTERS OF VICTOR HUGO. Translated from the 
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 LOCHINVAR. By S. R. Crockett, Author of 'The Raiders,' 
 etc. Illustrated by Frank Richards. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 BYEWAYS. By Robert Hichens. Author of ' Flames,' etc. 
 Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 THE MUTABLE MANY. By Robert Barr, Author of ' In 
 the Midst of Alarms,' * A Woman Intervenes,' etc. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 THE LADY'S WALK. By Mrs. Oliphant. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 A new book by this lamented author, somewhat in the style of her ' Beleagured City-'
 
 Messrs. Methuen's Announcements 9 
 
 TRAITS AND CONFIDENCES. By The Hon. Emily Law- 
 less, Author of ' Hurrish,' * Maelcho,' etc. Crown %vo. 6s. 
 
 BLADYS. By S. Baring Gould, Author of 'The Broom 
 Squire,' etc. Illustrated by F. H. TOWNSEND. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 A Romance of the last century. 
 
 THE POMP OF THE LAVILETTES. By Gilbert Parker, 
 
 Author of ' The Seats of the Mighty,' etc. Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d. 
 
 A DAUGHTER OF STRIFE. By Jane Helen Findlater, 
 Author of ' The Green Graves of Balgowrie.* Crown S&o. 6^. 
 A story of 1710. 
 
 OVER THE HILLS. By Mary Findlater. CrownZvo. 6s. 
 
 A novel by a sister of J. H. Findlater, the author of ' The Green Graves of Balgowrie.' 
 
 A CREEL OF IRISH STORIES. By Jane Barlow, Author 
 of ' Irish Idylls. ' Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 THE CLASH OF ARMS. By J. Bloundelle Burton, 
 Author of ' In the Day of Adversity.' Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 A PASSIONATE PILGRIM. By Percy White, Author of 
 ' Mr. Bailey- Martin.' Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 SECRETARY TO BAYNE, M.P. By W. Pett Ridge. 
 Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 THE BUILDERS. By J. S. Fletcher, Author of 'When 
 Charles I. was King.' Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 JOSIAH'S WIFE. By Norma LoRiMER. CrownZvo. 6s. 
 
 BY STROKE OF SWORD. By Andrew Balfour. Illus- 
 trated by W. CuBiTT CoOKE. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 A romance of the time of Elizabeth 
 
 THE SINGER OF MARLY. By I. Hooper. Illustrated 
 by W. CuBiTT Cooke. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 A romance of adventure. 
 
 KIRKHAM'S FIND. By Mary Gaunt, Author of 'The 
 Moving Finger.' Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 THE FALL OF THE SPARROW. By M. C. BALFOUR. 
 Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 SCOTTISH BORDER LIFE. By jAMES C. DiBDiN. Crown 
 
 Svo. 3i-. 6d. 
 
 A 2
 
 A LIST OF 
 
 Messrs. Methuen's 
 
 PUBLICATIONS 
 
 Poetry 
 
 RUDYARD KIPLING'S NEW POEMS 
 Rudyard Kipling. THE SEVEN SEAS. By Rudvard 
 
 Kipling. Third Edition. Crown %vo. Buckram, gilt top. ds. 
 
 ' The new poems of Mr. Rudyard Kipling have all the spirit and swing of their pre- 
 decessors. Patriotism is the solid concrete foundation on which Mr. Kipling has 
 built the whole of his work.' — Times. 
 
 ' Full of passionate patriotism and the Imperial spirit.' — Yorkshire Post. 
 
 'The Empire has found a singer ; it is no depreciation of the songs to say that states- 
 men may have, one way or other, to take account of ihem.' ^Manchester 
 Guardian. 
 
 ' Animated through and through with indubitable genius." — Daily Telegraph. 
 
 'Packed with inspiration, with humour, with pathos.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 ' All the pride of empire, all the intoxication of power, all the ardour, the energy, 
 the masterful strength and the wonderful endurance and death-scorning pluck 
 which are the very bone and fibre and marrow of the British character are here.' 
 —Daily Mail. 
 
 Rudyard Kipling. BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS; And 
 
 Other Verses. By RuDYARD Kipling. Twelfth Edition. Crown 
 
 ^vo. 6s. 
 ' Mr. Kipling's verse is strong, vivid, full of character. . . . Unmistakable genius 
 
 rings in every line.' — Times. 
 The ballads teem with imagination, they palpitate with emotion. We read them 
 
 with laughter and tears ; the metres throb in our pulses, the cunningly ordered 
 
 words tingle with life ; and if this be not poetry, what is?' — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 'Q." POEMS AND BALLADS. By "Q.," Author of ' Green 
 
 Bays,' etc. Crown %vo. Buckram. 35. dd. 
 ' This work has just the faint, ineffable touch and glow that make poetry. ' Q.' has 
 the true romantic spirit.' — Speaker. 
 
 •' Q." GREEN BAYS : Verses and Parodies. By " O.," Author 
 of ' Dead Man's Rock,' etc. Second Edition. Crown %vo. y.6d. 
 ' The verses display a rare and versatile gift of parody, great command of metre, and 
 a very pretty turn of humour.' — Times. 
 
 E. Mackay. A SONG OF THE SEA. By Eric Mackay, 
 Author of ' The Love Letters of a Violinist. ' Second Edition. 
 Fcap. 8vo, ^s. 
 ' Everywhere Mr. Mackay displays himself the master of a style marked by all the 
 characteristics of the best rhetoric. He has a keen sense of rhythm and of general 
 balance ; his verse is excellently sonorous.' — Glade.
 
 Messrs Methuen's List ii 
 
 Ibsen. BRAND. A Drama by Henrik Ibsen. Translated by 
 William Wilson. Second Edition. Crown Zvo. 35. dd. 
 
 'The greatest world-poem of the nineteenth century next to "Faust." It is in 
 the same set with "Agamemnon," with " Lear," with the literature that we now 
 instinctively regard as high and holy.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 "A.G." VERSES TO ORDER. By«A. G." Cr.Zvo. is.bd. 
 net. 
 
 A small volume of verse by a writer whose Initials are well known to Oxford men. 
 ' A capital specimen of light academic poetry. These verses are very bright and 
 engaging, easy and sufficiently witty." — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 Belles Lettres, Anthologies, etc. 
 
 R.L.Stevenson. VAILIMA LETTERS. By Robert Louis 
 
 Stevenson. With an Etched Portrait by William Strang, and 
 
 other Illustrations. Second Edition. Crown %vo. Buckram. *]s. 6d. 
 
 ' Few publications have in our time been more eagerly awaited than these " Vailiraa 
 Letters," giving tlie first fruits of the correspondence of Robert Louis Stevenson. 
 But, high as the tide of expectation has run, no reader can possibly be disappointed 
 in the result.' — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 Henley and Whibley. A BOOK OF ENGLISH PROSE. 
 CollectedbyW.E. Henley and Charles Whibley. CrownSvo. 6s. 
 
 'A unique volume of extracts — an art gallery of early prose.' — Birmingltam Post. 
 ' An admirable companion to Mr. Henley's " Lyra Heroica.'" — Saturday Review. 
 ' Quite delightful. A greater treat for those not well acquainted with pre-Restoration 
 prose could not be imagined.'— A t/ient^um. 
 
 H. C. BeecMng. LYRA SACRA : An Anthology of Sacred Verse. 
 
 Edited by II. C. Beeching, M.A. Crozvn Svo. Buckram. 6s. 
 ' A charming selection, which maintains a lofty standard of excellence.' — Times. 
 
 "Q." THE GOLDEN POMP : A Procession of English Lyrics 
 from Surrey to Shirley, arranged by A. T. QuiLLER CoucH. Crown 
 8w. Btukram. 6s. 
 'A delightful volume : a really golden "Pomp."' — Spectator. 
 
 W. B. Yeats. AN ANTHOLOGY OF IRISH VERSE. 
 Edited by W. B. Yeats. Crown %vo. 3^. 6d. 
 ' An attractive and catholic selection.' — Times, 
 
 G. W. Steevens. MONOLOGUES OF THE DEAD. By 
 
 G. W. Steevens. Foolscap "ivo. 35. 6d. 
 
 A series of Soliloquies in which famous men of antiquity — Julius Cassar, Nero. 
 Alcibiades, etc., attempt to express themselves in the modes of thought ana 
 language of to-day. 
 The cffctl is .sonirtiiiics splendid, sometimes bizarre, but always amazingly clever 
 —Pall Mall Gazette.
 
 12 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 Victor Hugo. THE LETTERS OF VICTOR HUGO. 
 Translated from the French by F. Clarke, M.A. In Two Volumes. 
 DemyZvo. los. 6d. eack. Vol.1. 1815-35. 
 
 This is the first volume of one of the most interesting and import;int collection of 
 letters ever published in France. The correspondence dates from Victor Hugo's 
 boyhood to his death, and none of the letters have been published before. The 
 arrangement is chiefly chronological, but where there is an interesting set of 
 letters to one person these are arranged together. The first volume contains, 
 among others, (i) Letters to his father; (2) to his young wife ; (2) to his confessor, 
 Lamennais ; a very important set of about fifty letters to Sainte-Beauve ; (5) 
 letters about his early books and plays. 
 
 'A charming and vivid picture of a man whose egotism never marred his natural 
 kindness, and whose vanity did not impair his greatness.' — Standard. 
 
 C. H. Pearson. ESSAYS AND CRITICAL REVIEWS. By 
 C. H, Pearson, M.A., Author of 'National Life and Character.' 
 Edited, with a Biographical Sketch, by H. A. Strong, M.A., 
 LL.D. With a Portrait. Demy Svo. los. 6d. 
 
 ' Remarkable for careful handling, breadth of view, and knowledge." — Scotsman. 
 
 'Charming essays.' — Spectator. 
 
 W. M. Dixon. A PRIMER OF TENNYSON. By W. M. 
 
 Dixon, M.A., Professor of English Literature at Mason College. 
 Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. 
 ' Much sound and well-expressed criticism and acute literary judgments. The biblio- 
 graphy is a boon.' — Speaker. 
 
 W. A. Craigie. A PRIMER OF BURNS. By W. A. Craigie. 
 
 Crown %vo. 2s. 6d. 
 This book is planned on a method similar to the ' Primer of Tennyson.' It has also 
 
 a glossary. 
 'A valuable addition to the literature of the poet.' — Titnes. 
 ' An excellent short account.' — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 ' An admirable introduction.' — Globe. 
 
 Sterne. THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM 
 
 SHANDY. By Lawrence Sterne. With an Introduction by 
 Charles Whibley, and a Portrait. 2 vols. ys. 
 
 ' Very dainty rolumes are these ; the paper, type, and light-green binding are all 
 yery agreeable to the eye. Simplex munditiis is the phrase that might be applied 
 to them.' — Globe. 
 
 Congreve. THE COMEDIES OF WILLIAM CONGREVE. 
 
 With an Introduction by G. S. Street, and a Portrait. 2 vols. ^s. 
 
 ' The volumes are strongly bound in green buckram, are of a convenient size, and 
 
 pleasant to look upon, so that whether on the shelf, or on the table, or in the hand 
 
 the possessor is thoroughly content with them.' — Guardian. 
 
 Morier. THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA OF 
 ISPAHAN. By James Morier. With an Introduction by E. G. 
 Browne, M.A., and a Portrait. 2 vols. 75. 
 
 Walton. THE LIVES OF DONNE, WOTTON, HOOKER, 
 HERBERT, and SANDERSON. By Izaak Walton. With 
 an Introduction by Vernon Blackburn, and a Portrait, y. 6d.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 13 
 
 Johnson. THE LIVES OF THE ENGLISH POETS. By 
 Samuel Johnson, LL.D. With an Introduction by J. H. Millar, 
 and a Portrait. 3 vols. los. 6d. 
 
 Burns. THE POEMS OF ROBERT BURNS. Edited b>' 
 
 Andrew Lang and W. A. Craigie. With Portrait. Demy Svo, 
 
 gilt top. 6s. 
 This edition contains a carefully collated Text, numerous Notes, critical and textual, 
 
 a critical and biographical Introduction, and a Glossary. 
 'Among the editions in one volume, Mr. Andrew Lang's will take the place of 
 
 authority.' — Times. 
 
 F. Langbridge. BALLADS OF THE BRAVE : Poems of 
 Chivalry, Enterprise, Courage, and Constancy. Edited, with Notes, 
 by Rev. F. Langbridge. Crown 8vo. Bzickram. 3^. 6d. School 
 Edition. 2s. 6d. 
 'A very happy conception happily carried out. These "Ballads of the Brave" are 
 intended to suit the real tastes of boys, and will suit the taste of the great majority.' 
 — Spectator. ' The book is full of splendid things." — IVorld. 
 
 Illustrated Books 
 
 Jane Barlow. THE BATTLE OF THE FROGS AND MICE, 
 
 translated by Jane Barlow, Author of * Irish Idylls,' and pictured 
 by F. D. Bedford. Small 4/0. 6s. net. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. A BOOK OF FAIRY TALES retold by S. 
 Baring Gould. With numerous illustrations and initial letters by 
 Arthur J. Gaskin. Second Edition. Crown Svo. Buckram. 6s. 
 'Mr. Baring Gould is deserving of gratitude, in re-writing in honest, simple style the 
 old stories that delighted the childhood of " our fathers and grandfathers." As to 
 the form of the book, and the printing, which is by Messrs. Constable, it were 
 difficult to commend overmuch. — Saturday Revieiu. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALES. Col- 
 lected and edited by S. Baring Gould. With Numerous Illustra- 
 tions by F. D. Bedford, Second Edition. Crown%vo. Buckram. 6s. 
 'A charming volume, which children will be sure to appreciate. The stories have 
 been selected with great ingenuity from various old ballads and folk-tales, and, 
 having been somewhat altered and readjusted, now stand forth, clothed in Mr. 
 Baring Gould's delightful English, to enchant youthful readers.' — Guardian. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. A BOOK OF NURSERY SONGS AND 
 RHYMES. Edited by S. Baring Gould, and Illustrated by the 
 Birmingham Art School. Buckram, gilt top. Crown %vo. 6s. 
 ' The volume Is very complete in its way, as it contains nursery songs to the number 
 of 77, game-rhymes, and jingles. To the student we commend the sensi'ole intro- 
 duction, and the explanatory notes. The volume is superbly printed on soft, 
 thick paper, which it is a pleasure to touch ; and the borders and pictures are 
 among the very best specimens we have seen of the Gaskin school.' — Birming- 
 ham Gazette.
 
 14 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 H. C. Beeching. A BOOK OF CHRISTMAS VERSE. Edited 
 by H. C. Beeching, M.A., and Illustrated by Walter Crane. 
 Crown Svo, gilt top. ^s. 
 
 A collection of the best verse inspired by the birth of Christ from the Middle Ages 
 to the present day A distinction of the book is the large number of poems it 
 contains by modern authors, a few of which are here printed for the first time. 
 
 'An anthology which, from its unity of aim and high poetic excellence, has a better 
 right to exist than most of its fellows.' — Guardian. 
 
 History- 
 
 Gibbon. THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN 
 EMPIRE. By Edward Gibbon. A New Edition, Edited with 
 Notes, Appendices, and Maps, by J. E. Bury, M.A., Fellow of 
 Trinity College, Dublin. In Seven Vohinies. Demy 8vo. Gilt top. 
 %s. 6d. each. Also crown 8vo. 6s. each. Vols. I., II., and III. 
 
 ' The time has certainly arrived for a new edition of Gibbon's great work. . . . Pro- 
 fessor Bury is the right man to undertake this task. His learning is amazing, 
 both in extent and accuracy. The book is issued in a handy form, and at a 
 moderate price, and it is admirably printed.' — Times. 
 
 ' The edition is edited as a classic should be edited, removing nothing, yet indicating 
 the value of the text, and bringing it up to date. It promises to be of the utmost 
 value, and will be a welcome addition to many libraries.' — Scotsman. 
 
 ' This edition, so far as one may judge from the first instalment, is a marvel of 
 erudition and critical skill, and it is the very minimum of praise to predict that the 
 seven volumes of it will supersede Dean Milman's as the standard edition of our 
 great historical classic' — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 ' The beau-ideal Gibbon has arrived at last.' — Sketch. 
 
 'At last there is an adequate modern edition of Gibbon. . . . The best edition the 
 nineteenth century could produce.' — Manchester Guardian. 
 
 Flinders Petrie. A HISTORY OF EGYPT,fromthe Earliest 
 Times to the Present Day. Edited by \V. M. Flinders 
 Petrie, D.C. L., LL.D., Professor of Egyptology at University 
 College. Fully Illustrated, In Six Volumes. Crown Zvo. 6s. each. 
 
 Vol. I. Prehistoric Times to XVI. Dynasty. W. M. F. 
 Petrie. Third Edition. 
 
 Vol. II. The XVIIth and XVIIIth Dynasties. W. M. F. 
 Petrie. Second Edition. 
 
 ' A history written in the spirit of scientific precision so worthily represented by Dr. 
 Petrie and his school cannot but promote sound and accurate study, and 
 supply a vacant place in the English literature of Egyptology.' — Times. 
 
 Flinders Petrie. EGYPTIAN TALES. Edited by W. M. 
 Flinders Petrie. Illustrated by Tristram Ellis. In Two 
 Volumes. Crown Svo. y. 6d. each. 
 
 'A valuable addition to the literature of comparative folk-lore. The drawings are 
 
 really illustrations in the literal sense of the word.' — Globe. 
 ' It has a scientific value to the student of history and archaeology.' — Scotsman. 
 'Invaluable as a picture of life in Palestine and Egypt.' — Daily News.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 15 
 
 FUnders Petrie. EGYPTIAN DECORATIVE ART. By 
 
 W. M. Flinders Petrie, D.C.L. With 120 Illustrations. Crown 
 8vo. 3^. 6d. 
 
 ' Professor Flinders Petrie is not only a profound Egyptologist, but an accomplished 
 student of comparative archaeology. In these lectures, delivered at the Royal 
 Institution, he displays both qualifications with rare skill in elucidating the 
 development of decorative art in Egypt, and in tracing its influence on the 
 art of other countries.' — Times. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. THE TRAGEDY OF THE C^SARS. 
 The Emperors of the Julian and Claudian Lines. With numerous 
 Illustrations from Busts, Gems, Cameos, etc. By S. Baring Gould, 
 Author of ' Mehalah,' etc. Fourth Edition. Royal ?tvo. \^s. 
 
 ' A most splendid and fascinating book on a subject of undying interest. The great 
 feature of the book is the use the author has made of the existing portraits of the 
 Caesars, and the admirable critical subtlety he has exhibited in dealing with this 
 line of research. It is brilliantly written, and the illustrations are supplied on a 
 scale of profuse magnificence.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 ' The volumes will in no sense disappoint the general reader. Indeed, in their way, 
 there is nothing in any sense so good in English. . . . Mr. Baring Gould has 
 presented his narrative in such a way as not to make one dull page." — Athenceutn. 
 
 H. de B. Gibbins. INDUSTRY IN ENGLAND : HISTORI- 
 CAL OUTLINES. By H. de B. Gibbins, M.A., D.Litt. With 
 5 Maps. Second Edition. Demy%vo. los. 6d. 
 
 This book is written with the view of affording a clear view of the main facts of 
 English Social and Industrial History placed in due perspective. Beginning 
 with prehistoric times, it passes in review the growth and advance of industry 
 up to the nineteenth century, showing its gradual development and progress. 
 The book is illustrated by Maps, Diagrams, and Tables. 
 
 A. Clark. THE COLLEGES OF OXFORD : Their History 
 
 and their Traditions. By Members of the University. Edited by A. 
 
 Clark, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Lincoln College. 8vo. 12s. 6d. 
 
 ' A work which will certainly be appealed to for many years as the standard book on 
 
 the Colleges of Oxford.' — Ai/terueum. 
 
 Perrens. THE HISTORY OF FLORENCE FROM 1434 
 TO 1492. By F. T. Perrens. Translated by Hannah Lynch. 
 Svo. I2S. 6d. 
 
 A history of Florence under the domination of Cosimo, Piero, and Lorenzo de 
 
 Medtcis. 
 ' This is a standard book by an honest and intelligent historian, who has deserved 
 
 well of all who are interested in Italian history.' — Manchester Guardian. 
 
 J.Wells. A SHORT HISTORY OF ROME. By J. Wells, 
 
 M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Wadham Coll., Oxford. With 4 Maps. 
 
 Crown %vo, ■^s. 6d. 
 This book is intended for the Middle and Upper Forms of Public Schools and for 
 
 Pass Students at the Universities. It contains copious Tables, etc. 
 'An original work written on an original plan, and with uncommon freshness and 
 
 vigour. ' — Speaker,
 
 i6 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 E. L. S. Horsburgh. THE CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO. 
 
 By E. L. S. Horsburgh, B.A. With Plans. Crown Svo. Ss. 
 
 'A brilliant essay — simple, sound, and thorough.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 ' A study, the most concise, the most lucid, the most critical that has been produced. 
 — Birmingham Mercury, 
 
 H.B. George. BATTLES OF ENGLISH HISTORY. By H. B. 
 
 George, M.A., Fellow of New College, Oxford. With numerous 
 
 Plans. Third Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 ' Mr. George has undertaken a very useful task — that of making military affairs in- 
 telligible and instructive to non-military readers — and has executed it with laud- 
 able intelligence and industry, and with a large measure of success.' — Times. 
 
 0. Browning. A SHORT HISTORY OF MEDIyEVAL ITALY, 
 A.D. 1250-1530. By Oscar Browning, Fellow and Tutor of King's 
 College, Cambridge. Second Edition. In Two Volumes. Crown 
 Svo. $s. each. 
 
 Vol. I. 1250-1409. — Guelphs and Ghibellines. 
 
 Vol. II. 1409-1530. — The Age of the Condottieri. 
 
 'A vivid picture of mediaeval Italy.' — Standard. 
 
 ' Mr. Browning is to be congratulated on the production of a work of immense 
 labour and learning.' — Westminster Gazette. 
 
 O'Grady. THE STORY OF IRELAND. By Standish 
 
 O'Grady, Author of ' Finn and his Companions.' Cr. Svo. 2s. 6d. 
 
 ,' Most delightful, most stimulating. Its racy humour, its original imaginings, 
 ^ make it one of the freshest, breeziest volumes.' — Methodist Times. 
 
 Biography 
 
 S. Baring Gould. THE LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONA- 
 PARTE. By S. Baring Gould. With over 450 Illustrations in 
 the Text and 12 Photogravure Plates. Large quarto. Gilt top. 36^-. 
 
 ' The best biography of Napoleon in our tongue, nor have the French as good a 
 biographer of their hero. A book very nearly as good as Southey's " Life of 
 Nelson." ' — Manchester Guardian. 
 
 'The main feature of this gorgeous volume is its great wealth of beautiful photo- 
 gravures and finely-executed wood engravings, constituting a complete pictorial 
 chronicle of Napoleon I.'s personal history from the days of his early childhood 
 at Ajaccio to the date of his second interment under the dome of the Invalides in 
 Paris.' — Daily Telegraph. 
 
 ' The most elaborate account of Napoleon ever produced by an English writer.'— 
 Daily Chronicle. 
 
 'A brilliant and attractive volume. Never before have so many pictures relating 
 to Napoleon been brought within the limits of an English book.' — Globe. 
 
 ' Particular notice is due to the vast collection of contemporary illustrations.' — 
 Guardian. 
 
 ' Nearly all the illustrations are real contributions to history.' — Westminster Gazette. 
 
 'The illustrations are of supreme interest.' — Standard.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 17 
 
 Morris Fuller. THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JOHN 
 DAVENANT, D.D. (1571-1641), President of Queen's College, 
 Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, Bishop of Salisbury. By 
 Morris Fuller, B.D. Demy %vo. \os. 6d. 
 
 ' A valuable contribution to ecclesiastical history." — BiriningJunn Gazette. 
 
 J. M. Rigg. ST. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY : A Chapter 
 IN THE History of Religion. By J. M. Rigg. DeviyZvo. "js. 6d. 
 
 ' Mr. Rigg has told the storj- of the great Primate's life with scholarly ability, and 
 has thereby contributed an interesting chapter to the history of the Norman period.' 
 — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 F. W. Joyce. THE LIFE OF SIR FREDERICK GORE 
 OUSELEY. By F. W. Joyce, M.A. With Portraits and Illustra- 
 tions. Crown 2>vo, ^s. 6d. 
 
 ' This book has been undertaken in quite the right spirit, and written with sympathy 
 insight, and considerable literary skill.' — Times. 
 
 W. G. ColUngwood. THE LIFE OF JOHN RUSKIN. By 
 W. G. CoLLlNGWOOD, M.A., Editor of Mr. Ruskin's Poems. With 
 numerous Portraits, and 13 Drawings by Mr. Ruskin. Second 
 Edition. 2 vols. Svo. 325. 
 
 ' No more magnificent volumes have been published for a long time.' — Times. 
 ' It is long since we had a biography with such delights of substance and of form. 
 Such a book is a pleasure for the day, and a joy for ever.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 C. Waldstein. JOHN RUSKIN : a Study. By Charles 
 Waldstein, M.A., Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. With a 
 Photogravure Portrait after Professor Herkomer, Post Svo. 55. 
 
 'A thoughtful, impartial, well-written criticism of Ruskin's teaching, intended to 
 separate what the author regards as valuable and permanent from what is transient 
 and erroneous in the great master's writing.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 W. H. Hutton. THE LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE. By 
 W. H. Hutton, M.A., Author of ' William Laud.' IVitA Portraits. 
 Crown Svo. $s. 
 
 ' The bookjays good claim to high rank among our biographies. It is excellently, 
 even lovingly, written.' — Scotsman. ' An excellent monograph.' — Times. 
 
 Clark Russell. THE LIFE OF ADMIRAL LORD COL- 
 LINGWOOD. By W. Clark Russell, Author of ' The Wreck 
 of the Grosvenor.' With Illustrations by ¥. Brangwyn. Third 
 Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 'A book which we should like to see in the hands of every boy in the country.' — 
 St. James's Gazette. ' A really good book.' — Saturday Kevietu. 
 
 A3
 
 i8 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 Southey. ENGLISH SEAMEN (Howard, Clifford, Hawkins, 
 Drake, Cavendish). By Robert Southey. Edited, witli an 
 Introduction, by David Hannay. Second Edition. CrownZvo. ds. 
 
 'Admirable and well-told stories of our naval history.' — Army and Navy Gazette. 
 
 'A brave, inspiriting book.' — Black and White. 
 
 Travel, Adventure and Topography 
 
 R. S. S. Baden-Powell. THE DOWNFALL OF PREMPEH. 
 
 A Diary of Life with the Native Levy in Ashanti, 1895. By Colonel 
 Baden-Powell. With 21 Illustrations and a Map. Demy 8vo. 
 JOS. 6d. 
 
 ' A compact, faithful, most readable record of the campaign.' — Daily News. 
 
 ' A bluff and vigorous narrative.' — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 Tw. S. S. Baden-Powell. THE MATEBELE CAMPAIGN 1896. 
 By Colonel R. S. S. Baden-Powell. With nearly 100 Illustrations. 
 Second Edition. De7ny %vo. 1 55. 
 
 'Written in an unaffectedly light and humorous style.' — The World. 
 
 'A very racy and eminently readable book.' — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 ' As a straightforward account of a great deal of plucky work unpretentiously done, 
 this book is well worth reading. The simplicity of the narrative is all in its 
 favour, and accords in a peculiarly English fashion with the nature of fhe subject.' 
 Times, 
 
 Captain Hinde. THE FALL OF THE CONGO ARABS. 
 By Sidney L. Hinde. With Portraits and Plans. Detiiy Svo. 
 I2S. 6d. 
 
 ' The book is full of good things, and of sustained interest.' — St. James's Gazette. 
 A graphic sketch of one of the most exciting and important episodes in the struggle 
 for supremacy in Central Africa between the Arabs and their Europeon rivals. 
 Apart from the story of the campaign. Captain Hinde's book is mainly remark- 
 able for the fulness with which he discusses the question of cannibalism. It is, 
 indeed, the only connected narrative — in English, at any rate — which has been 
 published of this particular episode in African history.' — Tiiiics. 
 
 'Captain Hinde's book is one of the most interesting and valuable contributions yet 
 made to the literature of modern Africa.' — Daily News. 
 
 W. Crooke. THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES OF 
 INDIA : Their Ethnology and Administration. By W. 
 Crooke. With Maps and Illustrations. Demy 'Sivo. los. 6d. 
 
 ' A carefully and well-written account of one of the most important provinces of the 
 Empire. In seven chapters Mr. Crooke deals successively with the land in its 
 physical aspect, the province under Hindoo and Mussulman rule, the province 
 under British rule, the ethnology and sociology of the province, the religious and 
 social life of the people, the land and its settlement, and the native peasant in his 
 relation to the land. The illustrations are good and well selected, and the map is 
 excellent.' — Manchester Guatdian.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List i^ 
 
 W. B. Worsfold. SOUTH AFRICA : Its History and its Future. 
 
 By W. Basil Worsfold, M.A. IFii/i a Map. Second Edition. 
 Crown %vo. 6s. 
 
 'An intensely interesting book.' — Vaiiy Chronicle. 
 
 ' A monumental work compressed into a very moderate compass.' — World. 
 
 General Literature 
 
 S. Baring Gould. OLD COUNTRY LIFE. By S, Baring 
 Gould, Author of ' Mehalah,' etc. With Sixty-seven Illustrations 
 by W. Parkinson, F. D. Bedford, and F. Masey. Largt 
 Crown Svo. los. 6d. Fifth and Cheaper Edition, ts, 
 
 ■ " Old Country Life, as healthy wholesome re.ading, full of breezy life and move- 
 ment, full of quaint stories vigorously told, will not be excelled by any book to be 
 published throughout the year. Sound, hearty, and English to the core.' — World. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. HISTORIC ODDITIES AND STRANGE 
 EVENTS. By S. Baring Gould. Third Edition. CrownZvo. 6s. 
 
 ' A collection of exciting and entertaining chapters. The v/hole volume is delightful 
 reading.' — Times. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. FREAKS OF FANATICISM. By S. Baring 
 Gould. Third Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 ' Mr. Baring Gould has a keen eye for colour and effect, and the subjects he has 
 chosen give ample scope to his descriptive and analytic faculties. A perfectly 
 fascinating book.' — Scottish Leader. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. A GARLAND OF COUNTRY SONG : 
 English Folk Songs with their Traditional Melodies. Collected and 
 arranged by S. Baring Gould and H. Fleetwood Sheppard. 
 Demy 4/0. 6s. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. SONGS OF THE WEST: Traditional 
 Ballads and Songs of the West of England, with their Traditional 
 Melodies. Collected by S. Baring Gould, M.A., and H. Fleet- 
 wood Sheppard, M. A. Arranged for Voice and Piano. In 4 Parts 
 (containing 25 Songs each), Parts /., //., ///., 3^. each. Part 
 IV., <^s. In one Vol., French viorocco, 15X. 
 ' A rich collection of humour, pathos, grace, and poetic fancy.'— i"a/wr,/a^ Review.
 
 20 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 S. Baring Gould. YORKSHIRE ODDITIES AND STRANGE 
 EVENTS. Fourth Edition. Crowji 8vo. 6s. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. STRANGE SURVIVALS AND SUPER- 
 STITIONS. With Illustrations. By S. Baring Gould. Crown 
 8vo. Second Edition. 6s. 
 
 ' We have read Mr. Baring Gould's book from beginning to end. It is full of quaint 
 and various information, and there is not a dull page in it.' — Notes and Queries. 
 
 S. Baring Gould. THE DESERTS OF SOUTHERN 
 FRANCE. By S. Baring. Gould. With numerous Illustrations 
 by F. D. Bedford, S. Hutton, etc. 2 vols. Demy 8vo. 325, 
 
 ' His two richly-illustrated volumes are full of matter of interest to the geologist, 
 the archffiologist, and the student of history and manners.' — Scotsman. 
 
 G. W. Steevens. NAVAL POLICY : With a Descrip- 
 tion OF English and Foreign Navies. By G. W. Steevens. 
 Demy 2>vo. 6s. 
 
 This book is a description of the British and other more important navies of the world, 
 with a sketch of the lines on which our naval policy might possibly be developed. 
 It describes our recent naval policy, and shows what our naval force really is. A 
 detailed but non-technical account is given of the instruments of modern warfare — 
 guns, armour, engines, and the like — with a view to determine how far we are 
 abreast of modern invention and modern requirements. An ideal policy is then 
 sketched for the building and manning of our fleet ; and the last chapter is 
 devoted to docks, coaling-stations, and especially colonial defence. 
 
 * An extremely able and interesting work." — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 W, E. Gladstone. THE SPEECHES AND PUBLIC AD- 
 DRESSES OF THE RT. HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P. 
 Edited by A. W. Hutton, M.A., and H. J. Cohen, M.A. With 
 Portraits. %vo. Vols. IX. and X. 12s. 6d. each. 
 
 J. Wells. OXFORD AND OXFORD LIFE. By Members of 
 
 the University. Edited by J. Wells, JvI.A., Fellow and Tutor of 
 
 Wadham College. Crown Zvo. 35. 6d. 
 
 'We congratulate Mr. Wells on the production of a readable and intelligent account 
 of Oxford as it is at the present time, written by persons who are possessed of a 
 close acquaintance with the system and life of the University.'— yl//jf>i<^w»i. 
 
 L. Whibley. GREEK OLIGARCHIES : THEIR ORGANISA- 
 TION AND CHARACTER. By L. Whibley, M.A., Fellow 
 of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Crown 8vo. 6s. 
 
 ' An exceedingly useful handbook : a careful and well-arranged study of an obscure 
 
 subject.' — Times. 
 'Mr. Whibley is never tedious or pedantic.' — Pall Mall Goitttt.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 21 
 
 L. L. Price. ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 
 By L. L. Price, M.A., Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. Crown 
 %vo. 6s. 
 
 ' The book is well written, giving evidence of considerable literary ability, and clear 
 mental grasp of the subject under consideration. ' — W^i?j^(rr« Morning News. 
 
 C. F. Andrews. CHRISTIANITY AND THE LABOUR 
 QUESTION. By C. F. Andrews, B.A. Crowtt Zvo. zs. 6d. 
 
 'A bold and scholarly survey.' — Speaker. 
 
 J. S. Shedlock. THE PIANOFORTE SONATA: Its Origin 
 and Development. By J. S. Shedlock. Crown Svo. ^s, 
 
 ' This work should be in the possession of every musician and amateur, for it not 
 only embodies a concise and lucid history ot the origin ofoneof the most im- 
 portant forms of musical composition, but, by reason of the painstaking research 
 and accuracy of the author's statements, it is a very valuable work for reference.' 
 — A thenceum. 
 
 E. M. Bowden. THE EXAMPLE OF BUDDHA: Being Quota- 
 tions from Buddhist Literature for each Day in the Year. Compiled 
 by E. M. Bowden. With Preface by Sir Edwin Arnold. Third 
 Edition, idmo. 2s. 6d. 
 
 Science 
 
 Freudenreich. DAIRY BACTERIOLOGY. A Short Manual 
 for the Use of Students. By Dr. Ed. von Freudenreich. 
 Translated from the German by J. R. AiNswoRTH Davis, B.A., 
 F.C.P. Cro7vn8vo. 2s. 6d. 
 
 Chalmers MitchelL OUTLINES OF BIOLOGY. By P. 
 
 Chalmers Mitchell, M.A., F.Z.S. Ful/y Illustrated. Crown 
 Sz'o. 6s. 
 
 A text-book designed to cover the new Schedule issued by the Royal College of 
 Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 G.Massee. A MONOGRAPH OF THE MYXOGASTRES. By 
 George Massee. With 12 Coloured Plates. Royal Zvo. i8s.net. 
 
 'A work much in advance of any book in the language treating of this group of 
 organisms. It is indisiiensable to every student of the Myxogastres. The 
 coloured plates deserve high praise for their accuracy and execution.' — Nature.
 
 22 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 Philosophy 
 
 L. T. Hobhouse. THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE. By 
 L. T. HoBHODSE, Fellow and Tutor of Corpus College, Oxford. 
 Demy Svo. 2is. 
 
 ' The most important contribution to English philosophy since the publication of Mr. 
 Bradley's " Appearance and Reality." Full of brilliant criticism and of positive 
 theories which are models of lucid statement.' — Glasgo-w Herald. 
 
 ' An elaborate and often brilliantly written volume. The treatment is one of great 
 freshness, and the illustrations are particularly numerous and apt.' — Times. 
 
 W. H. Fairbrother. THE PHILOSOPHY OF T. H. GREEN. 
 By W. H. Fairbrother, M.A., Lecturer at Lincoln College, 
 Oxford. Crown %vo. 3^. dd. 
 
 This volume is expository, not critical, and is intended for senior students at the 
 
 Universities and others, as a statement of Green's teaching, and an introduction to 
 
 the study of Idealist Philosophy. 
 ' In every way an admirable_book._ As an introduction to the writings of perhaps the 
 
 most remarkable speculative thinker whom England has produced in the present 
 
 century, nothing could be better.' — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 F. W. BusseU. THE SCHOOL OF PLATO : its Origin and 
 its Revival under the Roman Empire. By F. W. Bussell, M.A., 
 Fellow and Tutor of Brasenose College, Oxford. Demy %vo. \os. 6d. 
 
 ' A highly valuable contribution to the history of ancient thought.' — Glass^cw Herald. 
 ' A clever and stimulating book, provocative of thought and deserving careful reading.' 
 — Manchester Guardian. 
 
 F. S. Granger. THE WORSHIP OF THE ROMANS. By 
 F. S. Granger, M.A., Litt.D., Professor of Philosophy at Univer- 
 sity College, Nottingham. Crown 8vo. 6s, 
 
 'A scholarly analysis of the religious ceremonies,beliefs, and superstitions of ancient 
 Rome, conducted in the new instructive light of comparative anthropology.' — 
 Times. 
 
 Theology 
 
 E. C. S. Gibson. THE XXXIX. ARTICLES OF THE 
 CPIURCH OF ENGLAND. Edited with an Introduction by E. 
 C. S. Gibson, D.D., Vicar of Leeds, late Principal of Wells 
 Theological College. In Two Volumes. Demy Svo. 1 5 j, 
 
 ' The tone maintained throughout is not that of the partial advocate, but the faithful 
 
 exponent. ' — Scotsman. 
 'There are ample proofs of clearness of expression, sobriety of judgment, and breadth 
 
 of view. . . . The book will be welcome to all students of the subject, and its sound, 
 
 definite, and loyal theology ought to be of great service.' — National Observer. 
 •So far from repelling the general reader, its orderly arrangement, lucid treatment, 
 
 and felicity of diction invite and encourage his attention.' — Yorkshire Post.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 23 
 
 R. L. Ottley. THE DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. 
 
 By R. L. Ottley, M.A., late fellow of Magdalen College, Oxon., 
 
 Principal of Pusey House. In Two Volumes. DemyZvo. \^s. 
 ' Learned and reverent : lucid and well arranged.' — Record. 
 ' Accurate, well ordered, and judicious.' — National Observer. 
 'A clear and remarkably full account of the main currents of speculation. Scholarly 
 
 precision . . . genuine tolerance . . . intense interest in his subject — are Mr. 
 
 Ottley's merits.' — Guardian. 
 
 F. B. Jevons. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY 
 OF RELIGION. By F. B. Jevons, M.A., Litt.D., Principal of 
 Bishop Hatfield's Hall. Demy 8vo, los. 6J. 
 
 Mr. F. E. Jevons' 'Introduction to the History of Religion' treats of early religion, 
 from the point of view of Anthropology and Folk-lore ; and is the first attempt 
 that has been made in any language to weave toj^ether the results of recent 
 investigations into such topics as Sympathetic ^Iagic, Taboo, Toteniism. 
 Fetishism, etc., so as to present a systematic account of the growth of primitive 
 religion and the development of early religious institutions. 
 ' Dr. Jevons has written a notable work, and we can strongly recommend it to the 
 serious attention of theologians, anthropologists, and classical scholars.' — Man- 
 chester Gicardiait. 
 * The merit of this book lies in the penetration, the singular acuteness and force of the 
 author's judgment. He is at once critical and luminous, at once just and suggestive. 
 It is but rarely that one meets with a book so comprehensive and so thorough as 
 this, and it is more than an ordinary pleasure for the reviewer to welcome and 
 recommend it. Dr. Jevons is something more than an historian of primitive 
 belief — he is a philosophic thinker, who sees his subject clearly and sees it whole, 
 whose mastery of detail is no less complete than his view of the broader aspects 
 and issues of his subject is convincing.' — Birininghavi Post. 
 
 S. R. Driver. SERMONS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED 
 WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT. By S. R. Driver, D.D., 
 Canon of Christ Church, Regius Professor of Hebrew in the Uni- 
 versity of Oxford. Crown Zvo. 6s. 
 'A welcome companion to the author's famous ' Introauction.' No man can read these 
 discourses without feeling that Dr. Driver is fully alive to the deeper teaching of 
 the Old Testament.' — Guardian. 
 
 T. K. Cheyne. FOUNDERS OF OLD TESTAMENT CRITI- 
 CISM : Biographical, Descriptive, and Critical Studies. By T. K. 
 Cheyne, D.D., Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scrip- 
 ture at Oxford. Large crown %vo. "js, 6d. 
 This book is a historical sketch of O. T. Criticism in the form of biographical studies 
 
 from the days of Eichhorn to those of Driver and Robertson Smith. 
 'Avery learned and instructive work.' — Times. 
 
 C.H.Prior. CAMBRIDGE SERMONS. Edited by C.H. Prior, 
 M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Pembroke College. Crown 8vo. 6s. 
 A volume of sermons preached before the University of Cambridge by various 
 preachers, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop Westcott. 
 A representative collection. Bishop Westcott's is a noble sermon.' — Guardian. 
 
 E. B. Layard. RELIGION IN BOYHOOD. Notes on the 
 Religious Training of Boys. With a Preface by J. R. Illing- 
 woRTn. By E. B. Layard, M.A. i8mo. is.
 
 24 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 W. Yorke Faussett. THE DE CATECHIZANDIS 
 
 RUDIBUS OF ST. AUGUSTINE. Edited, with Introduction, 
 
 Notes, etc., by W. YoRKE Faussett, M.A., late Scholar of Balliol 
 
 Coll. Crown %vo. 3^. dd. 
 An edition of a Treatise on the Essentials of Christian Doctrine, and the best 
 
 methods of impressing them on candidates for baptism. 
 'Ably and judiciously edited on the same principle as the ordinary Greek and 
 
 Latin texts.' — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 SDetotional Book0» 
 
 With Full-page Illustrations. Fcap. %vo. Buckram. ^s. 6d. 
 Padded morocco, t^s. 
 
 THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. By Thomas a Kempis. 
 With an Introduction by Dean Farrak. Illustrated by C. M. 
 Gere, and printed in black and red. Second Edition. 
 'Amongst all the innumerable English editions of the "Imitation," there can have 
 been few which were prettier than this one, printed in strong and handsome type, 
 with all the glory of red initials.' — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. By John Keble. With an Intro- 
 duction and Notes by W. LocK, D.D., Warden of Keble College, 
 Ireland, Professor at O.xford. Illustrated by R. Anning Bell. 
 
 'The present edition is annotated with all the care and insight to be expected from 
 Mr. Lock. The progress and circumstances of its composition are detailed in the 
 Introduction. There is an interesting Appendix on the MSS. of the "Christian 
 Year," and another giving the order in which the poems were written. A " Short 
 Analysis of the Thought" is prefixed to each, and any difficulty in the text is ex- 
 plained in a note.' — Guardian. 
 
 ' The most acceptable edition of this ever-popular work. ' — Globe. 
 
 Leaders of Religion 
 
 Edited by 11. C. BEECHING, M. A. With Portraits, crown Zvo. 
 
 A series of short biographies of the most prominent leaders l /" 
 
 of religious life and thought of all ages and countries. '\^ / \/\ 
 
 The following are ready — \Jl 
 
 CARDINAL NEWMAN. By R. H. Hutton. 
 JOHN WESLEY. By J. H. Overton, M.A. 
 BISHOP WILBERFORCE. By G. W. Daniel, M.A. 
 CARDINAL MANNING. By A. W. Hutton, M.A. 
 CHARLES SIMEON. By H. C. G. MouLE, M.A. 
 JOHN KEBLE. By Walter Lock, D.D. 
 THOMAS CHALMERS. By Mrs. Oliphant. 
 LANCELOT ANDREWES. By R. L. Ottley, M.A. 
 AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY. By E. L. Cutts. D.D. 
 WILLIAM LAUD. By W. H. Hutton, B.D.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 25 
 
 JOHN KNOX, By F. M'CUNN. 
 JOHN HOWE. By R. F. Horton, D.D. 
 BISHOP KEN. By F. A. Clarke, M.A. 
 GEORGE FOX, THE QUAKER. By T. HODGKIN, D.C.L. 
 Other volumes will be announced in due course. 
 
 Fiction 
 
 SIX SHILLING NOVELS 
 
 Marie Corelli's Novels 
 
 Crown 2>vo. 6s. each. 
 A ROMANCE OF TWO WORLDS. Sixteenth Edition. 
 VENDETTA. Thirteenth Edition. 
 THELMA. Seventeenth Edition. 
 ARDATH. Eleventh Edition. 
 THE SOUL OF LILITH Ninth Edition. 
 WORMWOOD. Eighth Edition. 
 
 BARABBAS : A DREAM OF THE WORLD'S TRAGEDY. 
 
 Thirty-first Edition. 
 ' The tender reverence of the treatment and the imaginative beauty of the writing 
 have reconciled us to the daring of the conception, and the conviction is forced on 
 us that even so exalted a subject cannot be made too familiar to us, provided it be 
 presented in the true spirit of Christian faith. The amplifications of the Scripture 
 narrative are often conceived with high poetic insight, and this "Dream of the 
 World's Tragedy " is, despite some trifling incongruities, a lofty and not inade- 
 quate paraphrase of the supreme climax of the inspired narrative.' — Dublin 
 Review. 
 
 THE SORROWS OF SATAN. Thirty-sixth Edition. 
 
 ' A very powerful piece of work. . . . The conception is magnificent, and is likely 
 to win an abiding place within the memory of man. . . . The author has immense 
 command of language, and a limitless audacity. . . . This interesting and re- 
 markable romance will live long after much of the ephemeral literature of the day 
 is forgotten. ... A literary phenomenon . . . novel, and even sublime.' — W. T. 
 Stead in the Review of Reviews. 
 
 Anthony Hope's Novels 
 
 Crown 8vo. 6s. each. 
 THE GOD IN THE CAR. Seventh Edition. 
 
 ' A very remarkable book, deserving of critical analysis impossible within our limit ; 
 brilliant, but not superficial ; well considered, but not elaborated ; constructed 
 with the proverbial art that conceals, but yet allows itself to be enjoyed by readers 
 to whom fine literary method is a keen pleasure.'— The World. 
 
 A CHANGE OF AIR. Fourth Edition. 
 
 'A graceful, vivacious comedy, true to human nature. The characters are traced 
 with a masterly hand.' — Times. 
 
 A MAN OF MARK. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' Of all Mr. Hope's books, " A Man of Mark " is the one which best compares with 
 ' ' The Prisoner of Zenda." ' — National Observer.
 
 26 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 THE CHRONICLES OF COUNT ANTONIO. Third Edition. 
 
 ' It is a perfectly enchanting story of love and chivalry, and pure romance. The 
 outlawed Count is the most constant, desperate, and withal modest and tender of 
 lovers, a peerless gentleman, an intrepid fighter, a very faithful friend, and a most 
 magnanimous foe.' — Guardian. 
 
 PHROSO. Illustrated by H, R. Millar. Third Edition. 
 
 ' The tale is thoroughly fresh, quick with vitality, stirring the blood, and humorously, 
 
 iz.sh\ng\yto\A.'--St. James's Gazette. 
 ' A story of adventure, every page of which is palpitating with action and excitement.' 
 
 — Speaker. 
 ' From cover to cover " Phroso " not only engages the attention, but carries the reader 
 
 in little whirls of delight from adventure to adventure." — Academy, 
 
 S. Baring Gould's Novels 
 
 Crown 8vo. 6s, each. 
 'To say that a book is by the author of " Mehalah" is to imply that it contains a 
 story cast on -.trong lines, containing dramatic possibilities, vivid and sympathetic 
 descriptions of Nature, and a wealth of ingenious imagery.' — Speaker. 
 'That whatever Mr. Baring Gould writes is well worth reading, is a conclusion that 
 may be very generally acct-pted. His views of life are fresh and vigorous, his 
 language pointed and characteristic, the incidents of which he makes use are 
 striking and original, his characters are life-like, and though somewhat excep- 
 tional people, are drawn and coloured with artistic force. Add to this that his 
 descriptions of scenes and scenery are painted with the loving eyes and skilled 
 hands of a master of his art, that he is always fresh and never dull, and under 
 such conditions it is no wonder that readers have gained confidence both in his 
 power of amusing and satisfying them, and that year by year his popularity 
 widens.' — Court Circular. 
 
 ARM I NELL : A Social Romance. Fourth Edition. 
 URITH : A Story of Dartmoor. Fifth Edition. 
 
 ' The author is at his best.'— T/wm. 
 
 IN THE ROAR OF THE SEA, Sixth Edition. 
 
 'One of the best imagined and most enthralling stories the autlior has produced. 
 — Saturday Review. 
 
 MRS. CURGENVEN OF CURGENVEN. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' The swing of the narrative is splendid.' — Sussex Daily News. 
 
 CHEAP JACK ZITA. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' A powerful drama of human passion.' — Westminster Gazette. 
 'A story worthy the author.' — National Observer. 
 
 THE QUEEN OF LOVE. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' You cannot put it down until you have finished it.' — Punch. 
 
 ' Can be heartily recommended to all who care for cleanly, energetic, and interesting 
 fiction.' — Sussex Daily News. 
 
 KITTY ALONE. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' A strong and original story, teeming with graphic description, stirring incident, 
 and, above all, with vivid and enthralling human interest.' — Daily Telesrapk. 
 
 NOEMI : A Romance of the Cave-Dwellers. Illustrated by 
 
 R. Caton Woodville. Third Edition. 
 ' " No^mi " is as excellent a tale of fighting and adventure as one may wish to meet. 
 
 The narrative also runs clear and sharp as the Loire itself.' — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 ' Mr. Baring Gould's powerful story is full of the strong lights and shadows and 
 
 vivid colouring to which be has accustomed us.' — Standard.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 27 
 
 THE BROOM-SQUIRE. Illustrated by Frank Dadd. 
 
 Fourth Edition. 
 ' A strain of tenderness is woven through the web of his tragic tale, and its atmosphere 
 
 is sweetened by the nobility and sweetness of the heroine's character.' — Daily Ne7us. 
 ' A story of exceptional interest that seems to us to be better than anything he has 
 
 written of late.' — Speaker 
 
 THE PENNYCOMEQUICKS. Third Edition. 
 DARTMOOR IDYLLS. 
 
 'A book to read, and keep and read again ; for the genuine fun and pathos of it will 
 not early lose their effect.' — Vanity Fair. 
 
 GUAVAS THE TINNER. Illustrated by Frank Dadd. Second 
 
 Edition, 
 ' Mr. Baring Gould is a wizard who transports us into a region of visions, often lurid 
 
 and disquieting, but always full of interest and enchantment.' — Spectator. 
 ' In the weirdness of the story, in the faithfulness with which the characters are 
 
 depicted, and in force of style, it closely resembles "Mehalah."' — Daily Telegraph. 
 * There is a kind of flavour about this book which alone elevates it above the ordinary 
 
 novel. The story itself has a grandeur in harmony with the wild and rugged 
 
 scenery which is its setting.' — Athenccum. 
 
 Gilbert Parker's Novels 
 Crown Svo. 6s. each. 
 PIERRE AND HIS PEOPLE. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' Stories happily conceived and finely executed. There is strength and genias in Mr. 
 Parker's style.' — Daily Telegraph. 
 
 MRS. FALCHION. Fourth Edition. 
 
 ' A splendid study of character.' — Athemeum. 
 
 ' But little behind anything that has been done by any writer of our time. ' — Pall 
 Mall Gazette. ' A very striking and admirable novel." — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 THE TRANSLATION OF A SAVAGE. 
 
 ' The plot is original and one difficult to work out ; but Mr. Parker has done it with 
 great skill and delicacy. The reader who is not interested in this original, fresh, 
 and well-told tale must be a dull person indeed.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 THE TRAIL OF THE SWORD. Fifth Edition. 
 
 'Everybody with a soul for romance will thoroughly enjoy "The Trail of the 
 Sword." ' — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 ' A rousing and dramatic tale. A book like this, in which swords flash, great sur- 
 prises are undertaken, and daring deeds done, in which men and women live and 
 love in the old straightforward passionate way, is a joy inexpressible to the re- 
 viewer.' — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 WHEN VALMOND CAME TO PONTIAC : The Story of 
 a Lost Napoleon. Fourth Edition. 
 ' Here we find romance — real, breathing, living romance, but it runs flush with our 
 own times, level with our own feelings. The character of Valmond is drawn un- 
 erringly ; his career, brief as it is, is placed before us as convincingly as history 
 itself. The book must be read, we may say re-read, for any one thoroughly to 
 appreciate Mr. Parker's delicate touch and innate sympathy with humanity.' — 
 Pall Mall Gazette. 
 'The one work of genius which 1895 has as yet produced.' — New Age. 
 
 AN ADVENTURER OF THE NORTH: The Last Adven- 
 lures of ' Pretty Pierre.' Second Edition. 
 'The present book is full of fine and moving stories of the great North, and it will 
 add to Mr. Parker's already high reputation.' — Glasgow Herald.
 
 28 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
 THE SEATS OF THE MIGHTY. Illustrated. Eighth Edition. 
 
 ' The best thing he has done ; one of the best things that any one has done lately.' — 
 
 St. James's Gazette. 
 ' Mr. Parker seems to become stronger and easier with every serious novel that he 
 
 attempts. , . . In " The Seats of the Mighty " he shows the matured power which 
 
 his former novels have led us to expect, and has produced a really fine historical 
 
 novel. . . . Most sincerely is Mr. Parker to be congratulated on the finest 
 
 novel he has yet written.' — At/iemrutn. 
 'Mr. Parker's latest book places him in the front rank of living novelists. "The 
 
 Seats of the Mighty" is a great book.' — Black and White. 
 'One of the strongest stories of historical interest and adventure that we have read 
 
 for many a day. ... A notable and successful book.' — Speaker. 
 
 Conan Doyle. ROUND THE RED LAMP. By A. Conan 
 
 Doyle, Author of 'The White Company,' 'The Adventures of 
 Sherlock Holmes,' etc. Fifth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s. 
 'The book is, indeed, composed of leaves from life, and is far and away the best view 
 that has been vouchsafed us behind the scenes of the consulting-room. It is very 
 superior to " The Diary of a late Physician." ' — Illustrated London News. 
 
 Stanley Weyman. UNDER THE RED ROBE. By Stanley 
 Weyman, Author of ' A Gentleman of France.' With Twelve Illus- 
 trations by R. Caton Woodville. Twelfth Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 'A book of which we have read every word for the sheer pleasure of reading, and 
 which we put down with a pang that we cannot forget it all and start again.' — 
 IVestminster Gazette. 
 
 ' Every one who reads books at .ill must read this thrilling romance, from the first 
 page of which to the last the breathless reader is haled along. An inspiration of 
 "manliness and courage.'" — Daily Chronicle. 
 
 Lucas Malet. THE WAGES OF SIN. By Lucas 
 Malet. Tiiirteenth Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 
 Lucas Malet. THE CARISSIMA. By Lucas Malet, 
 Author of ' The Wages of Sin,' etc. Third Edition. CrownSvo. 6s, 
 
 Arthur Morrison. TALES OF MEAN STREETS. By Arthur 
 
 Morrison. Fourth Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 ' Told with consummate art and extraordinary detail. He tells a plain, unvarnished 
 
 tale, and the verj' truth of it makes for beauty. In the true humanity of the book 
 
 lies its justification, the permanence of its interest, and its indubitable triumph.' — 
 
 A tliemeum. 
 ' A great book. The author's method is amazingly effective, and produces a thrilling 
 
 sense of reality. The writer lays upon us a master hand. The book is simply 
 
 appalling and irresistible in its interest. It is humorous also ; without humour 
 
 it would not make the mark it is certain to make.' — IVorld. 
 
 Arthur Morrison. A CHILD OF THE JAGO. By Arthur 
 Morrison. Third Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 This, the first long story which Mr. Morrison has written, is like his remarkable 
 
 ' Tales of Mean Streets,' a realistic study of East End life. 
 ' The book is a masterpiece.' — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 ' Told with great vigour and powerful simplicity.' — Athenaum. 
 
 Mrs. Clifford. A FLASH OF SUMMER. By Mrs. W. K. Clif- 
 ford, Author of ' Aunt Anne,' etc. Second Edition. Crown Svo. 6s. 
 ' The story is a very sad and a very beautiful one, exquisitely told, and enriched with 
 many subtle touches of wise and tender insight. It will, undoubtedly, add to its 
 author's reputation — already high — in the ranks of novelists.' — Speaker.
 
 Messrs. Methuen's List 29 
 
 Emily Lawless. HURRISH. By the Honble. Emily Law- 
 less, Author of ' Maelcho,' etc. Fifth Edition. Crown %vo. 6j. 
 A reissue of Miss Lawless' most popular novel, uniform with ' Maelcho.' 
 
 Emily Lawless. MAELCHO : a Sixteenth Century Romance. 
 By the Ilonble. Emily Lawless. Second Edition. Crown Zvo. ds, 
 
 ' A really great book.' — Spectator. 
 
 'There is no keener pleasure in life than the recognition of genius. Good work is 
 commoner than it used to be, but the best is as rare as ever. All the more 
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 Messrs. Methuen's List 31 
 
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 Messrs. Methuen's List 33 
 
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 Messrs. Methuen's List 35 
 
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 36 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
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 Messrs, Methuen's List 37 
 
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 38 Messrs. Methuen's List 
 
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