The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-02-14
THE ENGLISH IN AFRICA.

THE ENGL1SH In AFRICA,
Their Efforts to Subduo q Tribe o.
| Warlike Natives.
Warfare Which Has Been Going on 70,
| Deoados Botween the Queens
Troops and tho Untam-
abio savaRos.
The Waziri country forms a block OF
about 5000 square miles, backed by the
Sulcinan ranges on the west and run
ming down our frontier from tho Kur-
ram valley on the north to Baluchistan
| on the south. OF the dozen tribes which
occupy Its Businesses, says the London
Times, tho Waziris alone arc sufficient
ly powerful to require attention. Tho
Waziris aro themselves divided into two
clans, the Darwcsh and tho Mahsud,
between whom RACES q chronic fcutl.
United they could muster perhaps 40, 600
fighting mon, of whom about q half
have matchloclss. But tho Mahsutls,
although fewer in numbers, are bravcr,
hungricr md more untamed, ind they
arc driving the more civilized Darwcsh
down from their ancestral gIcns md
pastures to the shelter of our Bannu
district. On tho four or five occasions
on which 1t has been necessary to send
British punitive forces into the Wnziri
hills the Darwesh have shown no COM
bincd front, and US they possess scarce
ly any property it has been difficult to
inflict any real loss upon them Tho
Indian papers report that. on tho
threatened outbreak Of hostilitics, this
less warlil1o section Of the WnZiris
were making peaceful exodus into
| safe quarters within our frontier. The
Mahsuds have always played, and orc
now playing, very different game.
Down to thirty-four years ugo they
harrled our border villages almost with
tmpunity. But in 1900 their audacious
attack on tho frontier town of Tank,
with nn invading host of 5000 Mnhsud
warriors, forced us to try to tench them
lesson. Within a month Of tho Tank
! outrage, In tho most favorable month
| for such warfare, when tho spring crops
| lay ready for destruction or as fora &c
for our transport animals, we sent a
force Of 5000 troops into their noun
tails. 1t was tho Mahsuds, however
who taught us q lesson. Gno might Just
before dawn 5000 Of them surprised
our camp, the bravest Of their warrior.
rushing through our tents and cuttint
down men and animals till they them
selves fell covered with wounds but
sword IN hand. It was a surprise con
d"ctcd almost exactly on the plan OF
TIC night attack on our camp IL few
weeks ago, and with even more success
In 1851 We lost no fewer than 80 men,
besides numbers of tl.e transport AMI
mails, while the MGhS,,ds left only l2;
corpSoS behind. "'rho whole campairn, :,
ScN& Mr. ThorO'lIl, cost us nearly 10
1A>n, and admittedly failed in ita objc:
os rtfcctinT the suh.:i:ssio Of the tribe
-: ihH MahSulS would not submit an
til" expense of maintaining smal
army III their midst was heavy, tn
tronps were withdrawn"
Daring the next twenty years W,
kept up IL clumsy and intcrmttcn
blockade against tho Mahsud clans
But the steadily-growing list of thcil
| outrages compelled us IN 1881 to take
them effectively in hand. force of
1000 British troops, now armed with
breech londers, penetrated into every
part OF their hills. Resistance, which
had been possible by the sword and
matchbox against the old muzzle. load
or, was hopeless against our new
weapon. The tribe gave up their lead
ers to our general and submitted to his
terms.
We have already referred to the moro
recent history of tho Wnziris. The time
has como whom they must either accept
the peace md order which the Afghan
ameer and the British oOycrnmpnt aro
jointly determined to impose On the
border land, or they must be compelled
to do so. Temporizing offers and half.
hearted submission can avail thonl
nothing. Once they really make up
their minds to come into the new state
OF things, there arc several Influences
Mt work on the frontier to prevent them
from regretting their decision. For
merly their chief source Of wealth was
tho custody of the Gomal Pass and tho
fees or blaclsmail which they levied
from all who went through 1t, whether
British subjects or Afghans. In place
Of this and other less legitimate forms
of plumber, tho British government
opens up employment in It's border po-
| lice and frontier irregular force.
Trade soon springs up whom n hill race
makes the change from pillage to set-
tied industry. We have taught tribes
even more untamablo than tho WaZiris
that plunder rs n means of livelihood
docs not pay upon tho British border
and there Is no permanent reason why
we should not also teach them.
SOUTH CAROLINA IN BRIEF.