Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-06
WAS A SMART CAPTURE
West African Trader Tells OF An =
Adventure With Savages In Africa


One hundred and twenty miles from
the mouth Of the Ogowe, one OF the
great West African rivers, a tributary
named the Nguni flows into it.
During the eighties we traders mao
several stations up the higher reaches
of this tributary, and also some at the
lower end, but as these latter were not
paving we removed them. For this
reason the tribes occupying the middle
and lower sections were constantly al
war with us; they did not like seeing
all the cargo passing their towns 10
the bushmen Gas they termed them)
of the upper river. So hostile was
their attitude that 1t was Impossible 10
pass their settlements in anything ex-
cept. well-armed steam launches as
we were always under fire. our
launches being we'll protected, now
ever. no casualties occurred. on our
side.
This state OF affairs went on montn
after month without any signs OF ces-
sation; the passage Of the water 'front.'
of a town always meant running the
gauntlet Sf-a hot fire. During the dry
season itawas necessary to anchor the
launches at dusk, as 1t was impossipie
TO steam after dark. owing to the nu-
merous sandbanks in the river. we
had TO be very ~ eful in selecting the
spot, and usually anchored In the mio-
Ie of the river, close up~to one OF the
sandbanks, where we could land'
stretch our legs and sleep. These
sandbanks are often two miles long Dy
half a mile across, and the receolns
water leaves the edges OF the panks
moulded into series Of steps severai
feet in height Under the shelter OF
these steps we were more or less smell
tered from the damp, cold air or the
dry season.
The water was falling fast in the
river. and later on our launches might
not be able to get up; so we decloeo
TO run a large cargo Of goods and pro-
visions to our white men above, so as
to last them until the end OF the dry
season. We started from the depot
at daybreak, the launch towing two
small lighters, and anchored at DUSK
at the mouth Of the tributary. our
marty consisted of three white men,
including myself, ten Senegalese SOL
diers under a corporal, fifteen Oh our
own boys, and the launch crew OF SIX
-thirty-four in all.
AS was our usual custom, all or u.s.
save the crew of the launch, landed on
the sandbank and lit two or .tnree
fires to cook our evening meal Tne
boys put up our mosquito-nets over
our beds, and after supper and a
smoke we placed two Of the Senega-
Iese- soldiers on guard and turned In.
At daybreak we were again unoer
way. and expected to reach the first
hostile town about 8 o'clock. we
passed this town we'll on the opposite
side of the river, and therefore with
out molestation. The next town we
were obliged to pass pretty close, as
the deep-water channel ran on that
side. The result was that we were
under fire for about half an hour.
It was not much use replying, as the
natives were we'll hidden behind the
trees, or in the dense underground
but we fired few shots to show them
we were not asleep.
We passed five towns that day,
much the same thing happening at all
of them. That evening we had to De
extra careful where we anchored, LOT
we were in a rather dangerous region.
After getting about four miles beyond
the last town we decided to stop Tor
the night under the lea Of large
sandbank, the next village being about
three miles above. We accordingly
anchored and pulled the two lighters
M alongside the launch, making them
fast on each side. Leaving Watcn-
man in each lighter, we all went
ashore, lit our fires, had our supper
and, after placing our sentries as US
ual, turned in.
1t must have been between 1 ana
in the morning when we were all
awakened by a tremendous fusillade
of gun shots poured into the camp
The tops of several mosquito nets were
riddled with shot, but the shelving
edges of the bank saved anyone from
being hurt. The two sentries were or
each side Of our encampment, so es-
caped, all the shots being directed al
the bright light of our fires. There
was a general stampede for our weap'
ons and the fires were promptly ex'
tinguished. 1t was very dark night
and we could not see the whereabouts
of the enemy except when their guns
flashed.
To Judge by the shooting, there
seemed to be at least a hundred ol
them, and they had effected landing
on the sandbank. We we'll knew Il
would be no use returning their fire
as they would all be lying down or
the sand and almost impossible to hit
but we did fire an occasional shot JUS,
10 keep them from coming any nearer
We kept up a desultory fire for about
an hour, and then C, one of oui
party, called us whites and the cor
poral together, and proposed daring
plan for the capture of our enemies al
daybreak. The natives had evidently
come from the shore in their canoes
had landed at the far end of the bank
and then, leaving their canoes there
had advanced to the center. C:
plan was for a small party of US tc
creep up the side of the bank unseer
by. the enemy, under cover of the
lodges, and cut their canoes adrift
drifting down in one of them our
selves. The night lent itself to the
trick, being pitch dark. c. and my
self elected to undertake the work
after changing our light pajamas fol
dark suits of serge, we called the SOL
diers together and asked for two vol
unteers.
They were only too ready, for the
Sengalese love nothing better thar
fighting and adventure.
Instructing the remaining white