Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-11
AFRICAN ARABS IN REVOLT
Fears That Il Great Massacre VIII Be
the Result.

London Times: A representative of
Reuters agency yesterday had IN in
tcrvieW with A. j. Swami. the mission
airy who brought home the first ac-
count Of Emin Pasha's murder, and
who, during Il period of ten years, was
stationed OH Lake Tanganyika Speak
ing of the situation i'll that district,
and referring to the general spirit of
unrest now apparent among the Arabs
in Central Africa, Mr. Swami said
Il should OF be surprised to hear at
any moment of one Of the biggest mas
SacreS ever known in Africa. When
l left Africa some few weeks ago the
country was on the eve of very gen
eral movement among the Arabs in
power in the Tanganyika district, and.
judging from the kilograms received
since my arrival in England. my opin-
ion is confirmed that they are making
! their last Stanl. The telegram Just
published by the Cologne Gazette
shows that Maj. Won Wissman had an
engagement with the Arabs in Tangan-
yika. What this portends it is impos-
Sible to say until we get further par
ticulars. | know that the whole coun-
try is very much disturbed, and l feel
assured that unless the Arabs are
crushed at once IL general massacre
must enSue.
The Arabs have been driven from
their base, and, having nowhere to fall
back upon and nowhere to go to. they
are in the position of Il rat in a corner
and will certainly fly at some one
Now is the time for the Europeans to
play thir last card with the Arabs
Whether it will prove trump card or
not [ cannot say. The position Of
European expeditions in Tanganyika
is peculiar. Once force reaches the
lake it is, so to speak, alone. 1t has
no base Of operations, but must be COM
plete in itself. For this reason it is un-
able to carry on a heightened cam
paisn. That's what I mean when =
say that if it is desired to avoid a
massacre by the Arabs hordes Il deci-
Sive blow must be struck at once. At
least three European powers are trying
to push their way to the heart of
Africa from different sides. While the
Arabs were in the Manyema country
with Tanganyika to fall back upon if
necessary, they were quiet and felt
compare lively safe Now their posi-
ton is different Driven from Man
yema by the Belgians from the Congo.
they have fallen back upon the lake
But they find their road barred They
cannot get to the coast. and this
means that the road for the slave
traffic is stopped. Arrived on the shore
of Tanganyika, they meet the Belgian
force under Capt. Jacques. Of this
officer nothing has been heard for
some time. When l left he was be-
sieged by the Arabs, parties of whom
had been told to keep the great
trade road from the Congo open at all
hazards, and it is a grave question in
my mind whether the garrison has been
able to do withstand the shock which
must inevitably have occurred when
the main body of the Arabs, enraged
at their expulsion from Manyema, join
ed their comrades on the lake at the
spot where Jacques was besieged.
"On my way to the coast / passed
Belgian expedition under the COM
mand Of Capt. Deschamps at the south
end Of the lake. This party, which
was we'll supplied with quick-fring
guns, arms and ammunition, was going
to the relief OF Jacques, and should,
if alive, have joined his force ere now,
but nothing has been heard of it.
Meanwhile, we learn that Wissmann
Las reached the other shore of the lake
from the south, and is probably at Kir-
andu. When 1 met Wiss-nann short
Lake Rukwa, and I suppose he has
come into collision with tie natives be-
tween that lake and Tanganyika. I
cannot but regard the whole position
as very serious"