Evening star., 1901-11-04
DEFEAT OF EMIR ZUBERU
SUCCESS OF THE BRITISH ExPEDu-
TIoN AGAINST YoLA.
Bloody and Picturesque engagement
I'm Northern Nigeria, West Africa
Slave Raids to Cease.

| empire, who has hitherto governed the
| large province OF Adamawa, having III
| treated traders. raided large tracts of coun-
| try for slaves. and disregarded repeated
/ warnings from the government OF northern
| Nigeria, and finally sent back letter from
| the acting high commissioner unopened, 81
| was decided to send an expedition 10 bring
| him to his senses. by peaceful means. if
| possible. otherwise vi ct armis. His capt.
! tai, Yola, large town of some 10000 In
habitants, is situated on the River Benue,
at a point some 500 miles east of It's juno
tion with the Niger at Lokoja. During the
months OF August and September steamers
OF very light draught are able TO reach
| there.
On August 20 a force embarked at Lokoja
and afterward picked up detachments at Ibi
and other stations en- route. These were
troops OF the West African frontier force,
under the command of Col. Morland. COM
mandant In northern Nigeria, with Major
MCClintock as staff officer and the expe-
| dition consisted of twelve officers. seven
European non-commissioned officers. two
doctors, 800 native rank and file, with two
seNenty-five millmeter guns and four Max
| inns. Going night and day. the force reach
| ed fola on September =. and landing
| effected within half mile of the town OH
| open ground. The Benue at high water
| here forms a large lake. The troops all
! landed, letter was sent in 10 the emir.
| who refused, however, TO receive *. The
| but II was returned unopened. with YER
| bal message to the effect that the troops
must re-embark al once or they would be
attacked. The men were formed up in
| three sides of a square, the rear covered by
the lake.
Natives Attacked.
Large numbers of horse and foot collected
| on the open ground to the front and right.
About 1 pm, after a deal of demonstra-
ton. these advanced to the attack but the
ground being quite open they were easily
repused with heavy loss. few daring Ia
natics getting within fifteen yards of the
square before they were shot down. The
guns fired case and the infantry steady
volleys from the knee. while the Maxims
did considerable execution, which soon made
the enemy retire into the town. The Emir
Zuberu was known to possess two rihed
field guns with ammunition, given to him
by Lieut.. NIXON in 1893 and II was partly
on this account that this French officer
came into collision with the Niger Com
pany, which resulted in the seizure of the
French so-called trading steamer Sergent
Malamine. As the emirs palace could be
sighted from the top OF a tree about half
mile distant inside the town, the direction
was taken, and a shell burst over IL. This
elected two shots in reply, which, though
ill-directed, showed plainly that these guns
were in action near his palace. The town
is not walled but the emirs palace and
those of the various chiefs are situated IN
large compounds surrounded by thick walls
SCme twenty 1eet nlgn Inc sllttts dit ha
narrow and winding, and an approach was
only possible on narrow front.
The troops were formed up in columns OF
fours and the town was entered about 2:So
pm. Little opposition was met with until
the neighborhood of the emr's palace was
reached, the walls Of which and OF the
mosque opposite were strongly held by
rifemen and bowmen. The two ri1ed guns,
, which were mounted in front of the palace
and hidden by a bend in the road, were
fired at thirty yards range taking OF one
mans leg and dangerously wounding sew
eral others. A heavy rife ana arrow nre
was also poured into the advancing troops.
Col. Morland struck in the body by an
arrow from the mosque. and many casual
ties occurred in a few minutes. The Hausa
Company in advance, however. behaved
splendidy, and after momentary heslta-.
ton, as most of the leading men were
down. rushed forward. Major McClintock,
who displayed the greatest gallantry
throughout, also dashed TO the front, ana
with Capt. Rose led a charge on the guns,
which We're captured just in time TO save
their being fired again. Capt. Baker, VINO
handled his men splendidly, took possession
of the mosque. and Sergeant Major Daniels,
with a Maxim gun. also did good work
fifteen Of his gun oetachmehl pelhs
wounded.
Emir's Palace Fired On.
The two seventy-fve miilimeter guns un-
der Lieut. Henvey, r. A, were got up and
directed on the emir's palace, from which
a hot fire was still maintained, but as this
slackened Col. Morland ordered company
of the main body to rush the gate, the only.
entrance. Capt. Mayne led this assault,
which was successful, the enemy giving
way in confusion, and retreatlng through
a hole they had made in the rear wan OF
the compound, which was OF great extent,
covering several acres. and containing
many strongly-built houses. The emlr IL
was afterward learned, had escaped on
horseback by this passage some minutes
before the gate was finally rushed: HIS
bodyguard reinforced by some 300 desert
ers from Fatarella, son of Raheb, were the
defenders of the palace and they fought in
the most determined manner until the sew
enty-fve millimeter guns were brought up
The captures comprised the two frenen
rified nine-pounders with their limbers, lo9
fused shells, some sixty French rifles over
1,5Oo cartridges and about one ton of gum
powder. The nine-pounders which are OF
brass, are marked with the imperial crown
and the letter IN and are dated 1850 and
1864 The casualties were Col. Morland and
Mai McClintock slightly wounded, two men
killed, six dangerousls wounded eight Sc
verely and twenty-three slightly-forty-one
casualties in all.
Zuberu's Flight.
The enemy's total loss amounted to about
$50 killed and wounded. The emir's palace
was burnt, but strict orders were given not
to touch the remainder of the town The
emir, with a mounted escort, fed to the
southeast, but effective pursuit at go late
an hour of the day was out of the question,
and the force returned at dusk to the camp
outside the town, near the landing place.
Next morning the emir's palace was blown
up with the captured gunpowder, and nego-
tiations were opened up with the Emir
Zuberu's brother Bobo Amadu. The Arabs
and Bornuese. who had deserted Fatarella
after his defeat by the French. and had
fought well for Zuberu, sent in their
arms and surrendered day or two later.
Mr. William Wallace. c. NJ. G.. the acting
high commissioner, arrived at Yola IN his
launch on the evening of September 5, and
at once took up the thread Of the negotia-
tons.
All slave raiding in this large province
will now cease, and it is understood that
the government will not interfere for the
present with domestic slavery, the evil ef-
fects of such a policy being stin felt in the
provinces of Nupe and Horin.
1t upset the internal economy of the whole
country, and the male slaves instead OF
working on their masters farms became
rogues and vagabonds and the females
something worse. The British government
made a move here none too soon, or other
wise the French or Germans would have
taken advantage of their continued apafhy