New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-03
AMONG AFRICAN LAKES.
ENGLISH CAMPAIGNS ON THE WATER
SHED OF THE NILE.

author and Major Thruston and from photo,
graphs by the author PIP. XVI A2 EDWARD
The scene of Colonel Colvile's activity lies be-
tween the lower end Of Victoria Nyanza and the
furthest shore of Albert Nyanza--a stretch OF
country about two degrees in width from east TO
west and nearly three degrees in length from his
headquarters at Port Alice. on Lake Victoria 10
the historic Wadeai the Nile, north of Lake
Albert OF course, he had his march up from the
sea- but this over ground which has ALREADY
been often described. On the other hand. he was
Obliged TO undertake minute study or the
country over which he placed as mill
tary ruler and his record while not III
any sense mere report, Is clear addi'ioh
to general knowledge Of the uppermost Nile
region. This interlake district is no longer be-
yond the pale Of European influence While COL
onel Colvie was at Port Alice the flag Of the
Congo Free State set up for short time on
the shores Of Lake Albert by natives who willing
" exchanged 1t for the British flag. British in
nuence had been asserted down to the Victoria
Nile and the cutivators of the land. to whom
Colonel Colvile extends the European Appreciation
of peasants felt the benefit OF the new admins
tration of their customary laws. Coionei
Collie is naturally partial to the system wh'ch
he shared but he shows by contrast when ne
draws between the conditions that prevailed on
the west of the Victoria and those on the east
side that he has justification for his preferences.
The British sphere practically cut In two the
domain of a native chieftain. On one side OF the
dividing line the native law was executed 10 the
disgust OF the chief and the head men; on the
other the Kings tax collectors were unrestrained
and merciless. The way the tribute was heaped
up in Usoga, 1t is called, was something like
this: First, the Kings emissary demanded of a
In the number OF cattle
which the King was to receive-2oO, where the
KAy WAS TO have 1O0 for example; and the dis
trict chief with the emssary TO sustain him, at
once collected 800. OF course. the chiefs. like the
King. would gladly have hastened the departure
Of the white men.
The military system by which English author
ity is upheld cannot be called one or terrorism
There were not more than a half dozen white
men in the whole region which was under Colonel
Colviles control The nucleus Of the army which
served 10 keep rebellous chiefs In awe was COM
posed Of Soudanese. But it was easy to secure
the native militia. rifemen and spearmen. In the
one military expedition which Colonel CoiVle
had to undertake his forces numbered about six
teen thousand men. The enemy had an equal, II
not greater army, with equally good weapons, eX-
cent that Colonel Colvile had Maxim gun, when
was never used. Practically, the soldiery was
such es the natives were accustomed to In their
own wars with the addition of the Soudanese,
who took kindly to individual drili-and even
trained each other necessarily in bayonet eXer-
else and the lke-but were far from perfect
when IL came to acting together. In one respect
they were superior to white soldiers lor savage
warfare They almost never laid their guns ana
cartridge belts aside. Thus they were always
ready for even sudden attack, or for an amous-
cade.
The advantages Of their affection Tor thelr
rifles can be guessed when it is understood that
a tripod twelve feet high did rot enable man
standing upon it to look over the grass In the
well-watered parts Of the Nyanza region. A thin
soil is a positive boon on the Nile watershed. II
keeps the grass down to reasonable limit An
instance of their Individual bravery was given
on an expedition made by Mr.. Purkss one OF the
white men under Colonel Colviles command
with boat and few men down Lake Albert ana
into the Victoria Nile. At one point on the jour
ney Mr. Purkss landed unarmed with only TWO
Soudanese guards. treacherous hesro
snatched one Of the rifles. But the second SOL
der who still had his gun, stood his ground
while the others hurried back to the boat for
help He kept the whole population OF the VII
lage IN check until help came. IAN Englshman
remarks Colonel Colvile, would probably nave
looked upon himself as a hero after such per-
but Farajulla took it quite an ordinary days
work and would probably have gone through II
again an indefinite number of times for the sake
of being let off nights sentry 60
The army which has been mentioned was COL
lected for the purpose of chastsing a native
chieftain Kabarega, whose capital, lying some
twenty-five or thirty miles from Lake Albert
and directly within the border of British iniiu-
ence was the centre from which war parties
went out in all directions hreatenng Uganda
Ga country at the foot Of Lake Victoria, which Is
practically British possession), and even COM
hitting depredations across the Victoria Nile In
Usoga. Both Uganda and Usoga were under the
single rulership of Mwanga, who had the prom
Use Of British protection The war was simply
long chase after an enemy who wouid never
stop long enough to fight. In this respect IL was
like most Of the native wars, in which, says
Colonel Colvile. 1.-The combatant seem TO nave
a very good idea of their relative strength, and
the side which knows itself to be the weaker,
after a certain amount Of shouting spear-bran-
dshing and firing in the air. generally wisely re-
tires before IT has placed itself in any serious
jeoy ardy; while. even If ii does make a stand,
the long grass and the inaccuracy Of the marks
mems aim prevent even improved modern rifles
from being very deadly" Kabarega burned his
capital and retired toward the Victoria Nile
The only attempt he made to stop the progress
Of his foes was Of a sort that must have been
dictated by his wizard. At one point on the
road along which he expected the invaders to
march he had left one Of his own subjects i'm
paled and further on had buried a ram alive in
the ground, so that only its head was above
ground The English officers having no respect
for Wanyoro gods or fetiches had the animal dug
up and killed for mutton. Near the ruined gates
hipp q
hurdle. with bushes interlaced and pointing up
ward, but nobody could tell what wtchcraft this
was supposed TO serve. If these things indicated
his abject superstition there other features