The morning call., 1893-02-21
TWO VIEWS IN AFRICA.
Captain DundaS Sees a District Just
Before and After a Raid.


When Captain Dundas went to Mount
Kenia. in East Africa. recently. he assembled
the Tana River in his stern W heel steam
boat distance Of 800 miles. Alter he
left his steamer and was making his
overland march to the great mountain he
had an opportunity to get vivid idea of
the fierce Nasal on their raids. The coun-
try he was crossing was wholly unexplored.
He reached a land called the Mbe country.
a beautiful region of hills and cultivated
valleys. He found the people hard working
and industrious, and they evinced a most
friendly feeling toward the Europeans.
The people were prosperous and happy.
The soil was rich and the fields fruitful.
Passing on to the adjoining district of
Kihuyu, the explorer met many natives who
were terribly excited over the arrival in the
eastern part OF their country OF the dreaded
Nasal. They said the enemy was burning
their villages and carrying off all the women
and cattle. Captain Dundas could see to
the northwest great volumes OF smoke, in
dicating the route taken by the raiders. The
explorer continued his course along the crest
of range of hills running toward the great
mountain. Suddenly he came into view OF
the Nasal, who were In the valley below.
They were upward of 500 strong. Their
broad spears glistened in the sun, and they
were marching IN serpeDtine fashion toward
the region from which he had just come. AS
his caravan numbered only sixty men. fifty
of whom were porters and not available as
soldiers. he knew that IL he was attacked by
the Nasal his party might be annihilated.
Suddenly the Nasal halted and plainly
showed by their actions that they had seen
the explorers party. he caused his men
TO spread out in skirmish line. thus hoping
to deceive the Nasal as to his numbers.
His maneuver apparently had the desired
effect, as after short delay the Nasal
moved on.
week later Captain Dundas returned
from the mountain by the same route. A
terrible sight met his gaze when he again
reached the fertile Mbe country, which was
all peace and sunshine when be had passed
through 1t few days before. Now. instead
he saw only smoking ruins and bodies OF
old men, women and children, half
burned, lying in all directions. Here
and there a few persons vera seen
with their heads buried in their
hands, pictures of hopeless misery, scarce
noticing the passage of the caravan. When
Dundas questioned some OF these unhappy
beings, they told him that the Nasal HAD ar
rived at dawn enc morning and had begun
spearing and burning all before them.
They went through the district like whirl-
wind, carrying off some $50 women and a
large number of cattle. Only few OF the
people succeeded in escaping to the mount
aims. One old chief implored Dundas ito
make medicine" or, In other words, to pre-
vent the Nasal returning by occult pro-
cesses. In which he supposed the European
TO be proficient. He also asked that some
Of the whites be sent to live In his country
and help his people protect themselves
against further attacks.
The Nasal raise many cattle, but they
depend for large supply of their stock
upon these raids. There is no tribe in East
Africa, except the Somalis and Gallas, who
can Withstand their onset. They are the
most feared of human beings throughout
the regions which they periodically devas-
tate. They live entirely upon their cattle,
the flesh and milk supplying practically all
their food The women they capture are
divided among the warriors. and there is
large admixture of the blood of other tribes
in the Nasal of to-day.
One Of the reasons given for building the
railroad from the coast to Victoria Nyanza
IS that the enterprise will put an end to
these terrible raids. 1t is asserted by all
who have practical knowledge Of white en-
terprises In East Africa that the regions
which are now the scenes of these cruel
outrages will be entirely freed from them
and opened to European trade as soon as
the proposed railroad Is built.