AN OUTPOST OF EMPIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1924, Page 4

AN OUTPOST OF EMPIRE

In “Sun, Sami, ami Somalia,” published two or three years ago, .Major J-I. 1? ay lie gave a breezy account of his works and days as a member of the Government service in a very out-of-the-way corner of the Empire. The chronicle is continued in “The Ivory Haiders.” The place in question is Turkaualnml, a wild and desolate tract to the west of Kenya Colony. It is separated from Abyssinia by a thin strip of the Sudan, while further to the east lies Italian Somaliland. Its inaccessibility—it is some .'IOO miles from the nearest link with civilisation, the Uganda railway—combined with its proximity to territory subject to other Jurisdictions, make it a happy hunting-ground for evildoers. Ihese gentry, having prosecuted their nefarious enterprises, slip across the frontier, where they cannot be followed. It is for the district officers to set a limit to their activities.

The principal offenders are Somalis,

who, nominally peaceful and law-abid-ing traders, are actually ivory poachers. Turknna is the last rich elephant country left in British East Africa where they can hope to evade the penalties inflicted upon those who break the game laws. 'The raiders destroy the elephants, without regard to age, sex. and the amount of ivory obtainable. Unless checked, they would soon have exterminated the elephants altogether, lint, thanks to the efforts of such men as the author and his colleagues, ivory poaching is no longer the game that it used to he. There was no real sport in the business. “Narrow pits were dug across the hush tracks, into which the poor brutes fell, to lie cut up alive hv flic fierce meat-eating Turknna. Weighted spears were hung from trees, by ropes attached to triggers. These the elephants unconsciously released upon themselves as they brushed past. Traps, shaped like spoked cart-wheels without naves, were tied to great legs, and set across the elephant walks; through these, the great animals put their feet, the sharpened spokes bending beneath the weight, then clicking back, bit fiercely into the huge foot as it took the drag of the log. Imagine a pinioned mail being done to death by niamlibled ants—very similar was the fate of the elephant caught in one of

lliese cart-wheel traps. No animuntfion was wasted—it was"spear thrust and stroke of axe, for hours, until the animal dropped. On to his still living carcase (he human devils then swarmed, to carve him up alive.” Tn addition to collecting ivory hv these brutal methods, the Somali traders conducted an illegal trallie in arms, dealt in slaves, and carried oft ■ the cal tie which were the sole support <>f tlie Turknna. * Altogether, they were a most undesirable class of person to have in the jurisdiction. Those were the folk whose activities the author had to suppress. We quote n typical case, a mission undertaken in ihe ordinary course of his duties. Word came to headquarters that a cer-

tain -Mahotnaili lien Abdulla, a imlurious poacher, was operating in the in rlli in a large way. There was no direct evidence against him. It would lie neees-aiy In surprise his camp bplei'- his followers could bury the ivory. Accordingly Major Uaync spread the report that lie had resigned the service, and was off on a shooting expedite u. lie took with him a cook, a Siuhim-e sergeant, and two native policemen, all proven men. Hacked in their kits were army tunics, belts, and b;:\nuei', for the author knew by experience of i lie enormous prestige which attaches to the King’s uniform. Next lie shol two elephants, and gave it out tliitl lie had done so without a license, and was anxious to get rid ot the tusks, lie exchanged them with a loc-al potentate for a few mangy donkeys, a shockingly had bargain, which lent verisimilitude to his story. All this was c ommuniented (a? Major Hayne meant it lo be) to Mahomadi by bush telegraph, and that worthy’s suspicions were completely set at rest. 11l due <oiir-o tlts* party, garbed ill their uniforms, appeared at Mahomadi’s i amp. and caught him in llagrante dole etc. lie surrendered at once. At this stage an element of complication was introduced hv Bwaiin Ttimhn, Muhomadi’s brother-in-law. a truculent ruffian who arrived at Ihe

head <if - 1 1 hundred spearmen, and •-st it I thtil In' had pome to t lit* rosette of .Mahomii.li. Tlip latter objected most st r< m • ■.! -. m Ilia proposal: ho l;mnv tlial all'.#- saving liim from tlie <-luti-li«*s of his r. 1;i ■ rescuer would cut his 11i. P.v.inn I'liinho ilid not press i'lp ; 'i;i. led r'marked (lint the rains were 1 a v-rd I.el the ' Knglishnian bring down the waters from the •treat clouds that refused to break. Otherwise* lie would Mot I e permitted to depart. The author produced a clinical thermometer, forced tin the mercury and showe; I! wr. to * Titmlio how to shake it tlown to normal. If. in 1 lie same manner llwuna Tuinho shook' all the meretiry inl.i the hull) <oj course tin impossible thing to do'i rain must Itill, provided that litis author wtts a i onsidcrablo distance away. The vitiate of iliis medicine tithe, he e>; ; .' ■ ■!, wtts adversely alfeeted hy his . ’-e. So Major I’tiyns and his ptif.;, "ore ttilowed to go, and as they in. I o.lf, liwana Tuinho, perched on a :.’gh anthill, round which his spcartneii ih. i.ed wildly, yelling and gosl ion lat in;;, the tl’.ermom< ter as it' hi ■ ! • d- , :u|ed on it. 'liiefo war :i Has!' o. :e l.tning and a violent peal of timed, r. Haiti began to fall in torrents. A, ihe first drops fell llwuna. in 1 1 is surprise tintl delight, ittmhled o!f t!ie anthill, smashing the ■•rain-ttihe’’ to fragments. To his dyitrg day he helieved that the medicine was good. However, matters did not always proceed so smoothly. On one occasion Major I’ayne, with a detachment of tile King's Afrit tin' II ifles. was sent to cut oil a strong force til ettltie raiders. .Military operations on 'p'lTe a large settle followed, and there was hot lighting, in which the native soldiers behaved splendidly. The author pays tut enthusiast!'* tribute to tilts regiment. ’lhe recruits arc taught

that tt man wearing the King’s tin

form must never in. any circumstance.* •loser* tt wounded comrade, and they n ; \ • • !;. It is tin article of faith with tk< ' • • > bring i;t nil .their casualties. A - . ir un stu b incidents as these, li e 0 Turkaim is a monotonous

au ! ■ . . . bu*iii?ss. A (loveinmeiit P' I •• '....sis ol t be officer’s and t lie fler!:’.- ! ott't's. an cilice, a tiny gaol, a sr ;•:• ! t: line of huts for the native polite, That is ail. .Missionaries and httr .•reaii traders have not penetrated h 1!?. tut.! p'obably never will; it is barren s ii for them. In Kenya colony there are large areas nf rich country adjacent to Tic I'gttuda railway. easy of access, ami inhabited by amenable natives. Why docs not the Governincut concentrate upon the developnorth on the borders of Abyssinia and meat of those? Why does it spend large stints on garrisoning and patrolling the poor country lying far to the Italian Somaliland—country in itself not worth a penny piece to the white man, and held hy savage nomadic peo-

pie quite incapable of ever becoming useful members of society? Major Huy tie supplies the explanation. Kitchener saw clearly that the Suez Canal could not be protected from its banks, that the defending forces must cross and advance far beyond. In precisely the same way the Kenya Administration sees that the best method of protecting the peaceful, law-abiding peoples of the south against the savage nomads of the north is to hold the latter’s country. If knocks are to be exchanged, they are exchanged in the no-man’s land, the sounds of blows disturbing not, alarming not the industrious workers in the southern hive.

“What European would develop his farm were bloody raids pushed up to his very doors? Under similar conditions what tribe would heat its spear blades into hoes? Confusion, nervousness, and uncertainty would ensue. So posts are flung out far to the north, to deal not only with the wild people on the British side of the border, hut also to watch and hold back their little more civilised neighbours, the Southern Ahyssinians. These posts are the buffers between civilisation and savagery—savagery that but for them would he knocking at the doors of the missionary, the trader, and the settler not so very far to the south.”