Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-02
FIGHTING ARAB sLAvERs.
Horrible Situation of the Little Garrison
at Karonga.

led. Lugard in Contemporary Review.l
Let me put a picture before the readers
mental eve. | will introduce you to Ka-
ronga. Your are one of the garrison in
our little stockade Come with me into
one of our reed huts, plastered with mud
and matched with grass. 1t is not quite
nroof either to wind or rain. One man,
perhaps, is lying at deaths door with
dysentery or jaundice, four more are "down
with fever" and are vomiting close by
YOUR bedside. Two or three others are
"about" who were only yesterday in the
same state. Elsewhere they would be con-
sidered very ILL., The garrison, all told,
consisting of, say twelve. 1t was only six
when left Day after day drags past.
There are night alarms and shots. There
are not enough white men to keep night
watch. Every single time you go round
the native watches you find one or more
asleep. Thrashing, filming, the coorbatch
Tor misunderstanding is Of the slightest
effect. 1t is painfully brought to your
mind that an enemy might any night walk
into your stockade, spite of all your
bitches, your thorns, and your obstacles,
and cut your throat before you had time to
raise your arm. Fever pulls you down,
and you become victim to depression, and
memory defes your control, while your
head is splitting with pain, and dwells on
the darkest chances of war, or probes some
| wound of the past.
A few months of this. Each mail you
had looked for some certain news, which
| would put period to this inaction and
bring some confirmation of promises made;
each monthly mail is fresh disappoint-
ment, till at last you begin to fear that
your nerve is going, and to dream, and
worry, and be mot yourself" and the
longing seizes you to leave the place at
any price. Then comes the consideration
that if one goes others may follow, and
perhaps only one or so may be left to
| face the situation alone. You cannot bolt
and leave that one. Then, if all go, you
| leave to certain massacre several thousand
natives, who have absolutely trusted to
your promises and help. You desert them
YOU lose the country for ever-you de-
sert the missionaries on both lakes. Death
may be preferable to such life, but stay
YOU must. No one but a man whose nerves
were disordered or unstrung by the strain
would feel thus. Yet am confident that
perhaps not one of the men at Karonga
but has felt this wildly. One after an
other has said he could stand it no longer
only to relent and stay, bound by the in
exorable necessity of the situation. Those
who had anxious friends at home or private
trouble felt it most | know them init
| mately-some of them gave me their con-
fidence. 1 speak but of facts.
Meanwhile the season has been a gay
one in London; thesdelights OF yachting
are seductive, grouse shooting has begun
there is no time to think of Nyassa both
erations. And those who are responsible
| for having placed these men there, and for
retaining them there-those whose COM
mercial Interests are served by the reten-
ton of Nyassa land, and those whose pub
lie utterances have encouraged the belief
that England and Scotland would not de-
sert the cause-on them lies the duty of
solving the problem. 1t is no longer a
question of dividends. Speculation as to
whether these troubles could have been
avoided is useless. 1t is question of
heavy and unavoidable responsibility al
ready incurred, which must be faced; and
were the news to come by next mail that
the garrison had deserted Karonga, L
would hold that in a measure they were
| justified, and that the onus of the deser-
ton of the missions and the massacre of
the Wankonde would lie with those who
have left these men exposed to quite an
undue strain, with the worst of food, badly
housed, badly armed, with promises of
help never fulfilled, broken with sickness
| for month after month.
earnestly desire not to give cause Of
offense to any. Nothing | have said has
any personal allusion. A responsibility
! lies on me. These men trusted me to let
their case be known, and urged me to go
to England with that view. / was unwill
ing to seek notoriety, and declined to be
ewed"-otherwise | did all could.
l gave my time and my services; placed
a long scheme for working the country in
the hands of the protectors. remained at
their call. Now feel that it devolyes on
me to give publicity to the situation. l
have done so in the hope that what have
written may lead to immediate action and
Just appreciation of their responsibility
on the part Of those who are responsible.