THE ATTACK ON ARAB SLAVERS AT LAKE NYASSA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2546, 3 November 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ATTACK ON ARAB SLAVERS AT LAKE NYASSA.

Details are published of the fighting at Lake Nyassa. These are contained in a letter from the Reverend Dr. Kerr Cross, of the Free Church Mission, Livingstonia, East Central Africa, dated Karonga, the 2nd of July ; and extracts from the diary of Mr J. W. Moir, of the African Lakes Company. The attack on the Arabs' stockade was made on the 10th of June. Here is an extract from Mr Moir's diary describing the events of that day Walked slowly all night. At 1.40 a.m. hoard Salema's horn, evidently changing watch, as it blew pretty regularly every hour thereafter. On reaching the Hospital Tree, Smith went first to take up his position to prevent succour coming from Mlozi's, ,five or six miles off. Then Sharpe and Lindsay stationed their men, guided by Muntu Mweni, Kopa Kopa's brother. Montcith and I went with two boys to try and find the ravine, but failed to do so, getting, however, a notion of the relative positions ofthe village which I had not known before. Returned to tho tree and waited for Captain Lugard, who had asked us to start as late as possible, as he hoped to be able to return with Muntu and Mweni and place us too. By turning more to tho right, got into tho ravine without a check, and almost immediately thereafter hoard Captain Lugard's hurrah ring through the quiet night. Then arose a tromendous roar of guns from both sides. The Arabs seemed to have been quite propared. It afterwards transpired that a singlo man had been seen crossing the road between two of our companies, and Boon aftorwards something like a signal rocket went up, shot probably from Salema's to warn Kopa Kopa. The bullets whizzed and sang over our heads thickly, and from both stockados, tearing through the grass on both sides of onr ravine.

A CHARGE. I passed along tho word to charge, and ■with a hurrah our men, supported by Watson at tho other end, dashed up to the stockade at an increasing pace. One man fired en route, when I paused, and ordered all firing to cease, which was well obeyed. We got down in ravine immediately in front of stockade, and about 12 of 14 feet deep where we were. Rapidly climbing up the side next tho stockade we were met by a volley. My hat was knocked off, and I was nearly thrown down, but received no further injury. After orawling along the hedge a bit, and hearing some men above me somewhere say eagerly '• Uko wingine " (here's another) I dropped down into the friendly shelter of the ravine. I again climbed up, not far from my first point of attack, and after potting with small chance of success through their small chinks, endeavoured to silence the Arab guns by firing my Martini-Henry right through the stockade where I heard voices inside. After a little firing from the narrow platform, not over five feet broad there, I went to the ravine again, where I could do this as efficiently and at far less risk. Creeping along and along I then fired through the mud wall. Eolfe, who had been shooting alongside of me on the top of the bank was struck badly, and apparently fatally, on the head. One of my men who had shot down an Arab at one of tho holes we had made, and was putting in his hand to pull out his gun, was shot in the cheek. Another man just behind ine was shot dead in the ravine, and his body had to be left there.

TIIE STOCKADE TOO STROXG. Meantime Captain Lugard and Sharpe, on reaching the stockade, found it very much stronger than observation had led us to expect. It was all along of thinnish sticks about 12ft. high, and laced together with supple creepers and thickly crowned with thorn 3. The whole was mudded solid for 7ft., Bft., or Oft. up, and plentifully loopholed. Captain Lugard could not get his axe, and jumped up to try to pull down some of the sticks, exposing his body to the fire of the whole stockade. He was immediately shot, a bullet entering at tho right elbow and coming out further up a little, making, fortunately, only a flesh wound ; it then entered his chest obliquely, and, after piercing 4\n. or siu. of skin only, passed out further to the left, and passing through his left arm broke the radious (or largo bone a that place) a little above the wrist. He started to walk to the hospital tree, but unfortunately lost his way, and we picked him up on the road later on, and had him carried to Karonga. A Natal man, Jones, was shot in the head soon after the captain. He was very deaf and touchy. He answered Binus, who wanted to pull him into the shelter of the ravine, rather roughly, and persisted in staying under shelter of a small bush on the far side, where he was shot. The bullet entered his brain just above the left eye, and though he was able to walk part of the way back, ho soon became paralysed in the left side of the face, and on whole right side of his body. He died after seven days, apparently painless, and with a few lucid intervals. After peppering away, with apparently some result in disquieting those within, but little or no substantial advantage, I sent for Smith, who, with his party, had had some lively work in tho open. Fortunately, he himself was falling back by this time to keep in touch with the rest of tho party before again extending, Monteith had long previously left the watch on the Salemas, as they were manifestly afraid to come out, and had assisted in the main attack; coining in between me and Lindsay's people. We accordingly retired, leaving an ambuscade near the doctor's tree in the hopes that the Arabs would come out. Unfortunately some of the natives went dancing lip to challenge the Arabs, thus spoiling the ambush. A WOUNDED NATIVE AND 11IS BANDAOES. One of our men, Amani, who has long worked for us, had his thigh broken high up. He was carried home and bandaged, but he cut the bandage, or got it off. The leg was put in a splint, which was again cut off. A second splint was put on, after his begging for it, and promising there should be no tampering with it. A weight over a frame at the bottom of the bed helped to make this a splendid set, but it was again out off ; the edges of the bone cut a small artery, and ho died. His brother Fred was shot in tho head, and died after seven days. The bullet hud gono at least two inches into his brain, übovo the left eye, but higher than Jones. Including the above, wo lost eight natives and Jones, and had two whito men, Captains Lugard and Rolfe, seriously injured. The charges were nobly made, and, as a whole, the men acted splendidly throughout, but tho placo was too strong for us.

THE GOVERNMENT ASKED TOR HELP. The letter from Dr. Cross concludes with tho following passage as to the future :—What is to be dono nosv ? Must wo leavo the country ? No ! No! No! caino from every side. Let us got a good-sized gun nnd fight in earnest! and at last this was agreed on. The Portuguese, no doubt, will refuse to allow it to enter the country, but we must try. Let us wiro homo and and ask the Government to help us thus far, for, if necessary, wo must try and smuggle a gun in. What right have the Portuguese to act hand in hand with the Arabs to close up this truly grand country and enslave its fino tribes ? The steamer goes south to-morrow, and Mr John Moir goes with it to wiro home for a cannon, and a Mr Kan goes to Natal to buy a second. May God prosper them in their endeavours! Meantime I am lodged here and cannot move. I should so much like to get up to my own little house on tho hills, but cannot. So far it lias not been touched by tho Arabs, but I do not know tho day 'hoy may go theie. Hero at present we are exposed to great danger ; any night we may be attacked in our camp and have to fight for bare life.