REVOLUTION IN UGANDA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2617, 20 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

REVOLUTION IN UGANDA.

Some interesting details of the revolution in Uganda are given in ;i letter to the Church Missionary Society :—" The Kinsr was induced to ngard the Arabs as his friends and protectors, hut the Christians as his adversaries and destroyers. Time was fast wearing on, ami yet nothing had been done to check the growing power of the Christians. There was yet wanting some tangible excuse to encourage and urge the discontented to begin the affray, and turn the Christiana out of power. There must be some charge laid gainst the Christians : there must be an attempt to bring a plausible accusation against them, So an opportune occasion was seized upon, and a very lame story made up. The Christians were, by this story made the movers of disturbance and rebellion, and made to appear as the dissatisfied party who struck the first blow. Taken by surprise, the Christians leaders and their followers had to fight for their lives. They had to fight at a great disadvantage, and against desperate odds. The determination of the "Mahometans was to turn out the Katikiro. The battle waged fiercely for some time but the Christians had not been able to collect in sufficient quantities, nor yet iu time. The Katikiro and Mnkwenda have been heard to say that they never intended to i fight, they were forced into the battle and defeated. Two, if not more, of the chief Christian leaders were lulled, the young admiral and another chief. The body of the Christians fled with the Katikiro and the Mukweuda. Now, the fight being over, the business of settling the now order of things was entered upon. A new Katikiro, new Mukwenda, new Pokino. new Koluji were soon chosen. The subchiefs' subordinates wero then appointed Meantime messengers were sent down to our station and to the Roman Catholic station. Two messengers reached our house. VVe had but just left the dressing of two wounded men, and one room was full of fugitives. We were summoned to follow the messengers, so the fugitives were told to depart. We left the house and followed the men. It was just getting dusk when we reached a yard near the King's enclosures and met our friends the French priests, who had been brought to the same spot. We were taken to a house in the yard, and were not long left in doubt as to the character of our new position. We soon found outthatwe were regarded as prisoners, aud we tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. But what with dirt and vermin, and the discomfort of sleeping on the ground, the contrasts between our prison quarers was very great. Had it not been for the kindness and generosity of our French friends we should have fared desperately ill, and we had been hurried up to the prison without being told where we were going; in fact, we wore deceived, and made believe that the messengers would return to our house to sleep. Our French friends had been able to provide themselves with blankets and scanty provisions. These they most generously shared with us even depriving themselves to provide us with bedding. Uu the first night only we re ceived a little meal from the chief in whose hands we were confined. He paid us a visit also the first night, and from him we learnt some news. We weie to be kept in prison and guarded until we should be sent out of the country ; for the King did not want to kill us, bat, after taking an inventory of all our goods he would require a handsome present, as also his Ministers, and we should be allowed to leave the country in peace. We numbered five Europeans iu all—three French priests, Mr. Walker, and mytelf —and the boys, some half-dozen, who waited on the Frenchmen. On the next day two of us were marched down to our respective stations to give up goods to satisfy the demands of our gaoler or captor and his greedy slaves. We returned to the prison to sleep."