The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-30
AN AFRICAN SLAYER.
Explorer Stanlev's Story of the Noted
Tippu lib.

Tippu lib.
Up to 1875, Tippu lib had been the
acknowledged leader of the slavers, on
account of his marvellous success His
career had been romantic. From a
poor coast SLAYER, involved in debt to
the usurers and money-lenders of Fan
zibar, he had grown wealthy and IA
nous By the storming and capture of
Nsama's stronghold MAY, 1867 he had
become possessed of fortune in ivory
and slaves He had relieved himself as
soon as possible of his embarrassing
store by sending his brother, Mo-
manned, in charge of his plumber to
Unyanyembe, and with five hundred
guns, continued triumphant and I'M
checked course from the south of Tan
ganilla, through the heart of Rua, to
Nyangwe. AS he marched he ravaged
to the right and left of his route, gath
cred ivory, and made slaves by hum
dreds Not far from district called
Mtotila he learned from captive that
the king had disappeared mysteriously
many years before and that though
frequent search had been made for
him, nothing was known of his where
abouts. Tippu lib artfully conceived
the plan of representing himself as his
son, and accordingly schooled himself
In all the local knowledge necessary for
the deception he intended to practice
BY the time he approached Mtotila,
Tippu lib could rehearse the long line
of the kings ancestry. the names of his
living relatives, and the elders of the
land, and was familiar with the events
traditions and customs of Mtotila. He
despatched messengers into the coun-
try to announce his arrival, and to tell
the wondering people the news of his
fathers fate, and of his intention to as
sumo his fathers rights. The people
accepted the story without difficulty,
as it harmonized SO well with their
own conceptions and expectations. The
elders were deputed to go and meet
their prince They brought rich pres
ents of ivory and abundance of food,
and offered to escort him with honor
to his fathers land, which Tippu lib
courteously accepted. At every stage
of his journey he was welcomed and
Toasted. On reaching the town of
Mtotila he received the chiefs and
elders in grand barzah, at which he
told the story of his fathers disappear
ance, with wealth of fictitious details
of love and marriage with a kings
daughter, of honors showered upon his
father, and of the reluctance to his
departure which the natives mani
Tested; of his own birth and life; of his
recollections of his fathers converse
tions with him respecting Mtotila coun-
try, his relatives, and local events
until all were thoroughly persuaded
that this able and affable stranger was
no other than their lost kings son. He
was at once formally accepted and in
stalled as their king and to ingratiate
himself still more, he distribu ted liberal
largess of snowy beads and copper and
brass trinkets. Before many days
had passed the people of Mtotila
understood that ivory was very ac-
ceptable to their king, and as the
article was abundant, and of little value
to them, the entire country was ram
sacked for it, and heaps of it were daily
laid before him, until his store of ivory
became prodigious Breaches of the
peace between his subjects were COM
pounded by payment in ivory; his
favors were sold for ivory; in every
imaginable way he augmented his
treasure. Finally, when he had de-
pleted Mtotila of elephants teeth, he
sought occasion to embroil Mtotila
with the surrounding countries, and
his myrmidons were despatched with
the native forces to despoil them.
Within fifteen months he had gathered
nine hundred tusks. He proposed now
to the Mtotilas that they should muster
carriers to convey his treasure to
Kasongo, another country which, &C.
cording to his reports, he owned, where
he had great houses and great estates
In this manner he succeeded in obtain
ing vast wealth. and the Arabs of the
Manyuema settlements when they
viewed his vast store of ivory and innu-
merable retinue, hailed him as a genius
and recognized his superiority
The general admiration which had
been excited by his genius had greatly
subsidized by the time | reached Nyan-
give in 1876. He was then induced to
escort my trans-African expedition a
few marches north of Nyangwe, and
on his return he undertook the trans
port of his immense collection of ivory
to Zanzibar, where it is said that he
realized the large sum Of ESQ, 900 by it's
sale. Out of these lucrative returns he
was able to pay the usurers of Zanzibar
the advances of money he had received,
with the heavy interest accruing. and
with the residue he equipped his large
force with the best weapons procurable
In 1881 he was back again in Man
yuema, and witnessed with his own
eyes the Decentralization of the ivory
and slaves obtained by Abed-b bin
Salim's agents. Fired at the sight, he
lost no time in making his preparations
for second great campaign, which
should excel in results his own previous
exploits and surpass Abed's successes
He divided his forces into two di-
visions The land force he despatched
under his nephew, Rashid, to the
Lumami; the fotilla descending the
Lualaba he led himself, assisted by his
brother and son. The vessels were
navi0ated by the sWenya fishermen.