CoT-ragypi^d g-iA&g- 
 
 AP^EICA. No. 2 (1896). 
 
 COERESPONDENCE 
 
 RESPECTING 
 
 OPERATIONS AGAINST SLAVE TRADERS 
 
 $ 
 
 BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. 
 
 Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. 
 
 February 1896 . 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 
 
 BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN’S LANE, 
 
 PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTY. 
 
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TABLE OE CONTENTS. 
 
 No. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Subject. 
 
 Page 
 
 1 
 
 Commissioner Johnston 
 
 Nov. 13, 1895 
 
 Expedition against Zarafi. Account of .. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 >9 
 
 15, 
 
 Proposed expedition against Mlozi. Reasons for 
 undertaking, and account of force intended for .. 
 
 R 
 
 3 
 
 )9 99 • • 
 
 (Telegraphic) 
 
 Dec. 6 
 
 Expedition against Mlozi. Success of .. 
 
 7 
 
 4 
 
 To Commissioner Sir H. 
 Johnston 
 
 Jan, 29, 1896 
 
 Answers No. 1. Satisfaction at successful issue of 
 expedition. Approves action 
 
 S 
 
Correspondence respecting Operations against Slave Traders 
 
 in British Central Africa. 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 Commissioner Johnston to the Marquess of Salisbury.—{Received January 20, 1896.) 
 
 » 
 
 My Lord, The Residency, Zomba, November 13, 1895. 
 
 I HAVE the pleasure to inform your Lordship that the expedition against the 
 slave-trading Chief Zarafi has been completely successful. 
 
 A force of about 65 Sikhs and 230 negro soldiers and 26 irregulars, commanded by 
 Major C. A. Edwards, and accompanied by myself and Mr. J. F. Cunningham, the 
 Secretary to the Administration, left Zomba on the 23rd October to proceed, via Chikala, 
 overland to Mangoche Mountain, on which Zarafi’s capital is situated. The military 
 officers commanding sections of this expedition were Captain the Honourable W. E. 
 Cavendish, Lieutenant H. Coape-Smith, Lieutenant G. de Herries Smith, Sergeant- 
 Major Devoy, and Dr. Poole. There were also two officers who volunteered their 
 services and were accepted, viz,. Major L. J. Bradshaw (35th Sikhs) and Mr. Walter 
 Gordon-Cumming, who had also gone with us on the expedition against Matipwiri. 
 
 The expedition was admirably organized by Major Edwards, and the value of this 
 organization was severely tested by a long rapid march of 78 miles, some 50 of which 
 were through the enemy’s country. All the transport had to be done by negro porters. 
 These latter were chie% furnished by the friendly Chiefs of the Mlanje district, and 
 their conduct was admirable,^ as they were repeatedly under fire and never attempted to 
 leave their loads and run away. Major Edwards, after some considerable study of the 
 question, had decided that the only approach to the lofty mountain on which Zarafi lived 
 which it was possible to ascend without a severe loss of life at the hands of a determined 
 enemy was the more gradual slope on the south-east end of this great ridge, which is 
 about 12 miles long, a mile broad, and which rises at its highest point to an altitude of 
 5,500 feet. 
 
 Two subsidiary expeditions, one approaching from the north-east end of Lake 
 Malombe, and the other from Fort Johnston, under Captain Stew^art (45th Sikhs) and 
 Commander Cullen, P.N.E., respectively, were also to have co-operated with us in the 
 attack on Zarafi’s, but owing to the tremendous natural difficulties of an ascent to the 
 mountain from those directions, they were not able to meet us until after the place had 
 been taken. Commander Cullen’s small expedition was only able to get within 15 miles 
 of Mangoche. This latter section was joined by another volunteer. Major F. C. Trollope, 
 (Grenadier Guards) who has been visiting this country for big game shooting. Although 
 Major Trollope w^as not able to get in touch with us, he rendered valuable assistance in 
 
 the plains below by arresting large numbers of fugitives and capturing two Chiefs and 
 
 twenty-three armed men, besides a large number of guns. 
 
 The great success of the expedition certainly resulted in part from the excellent 
 guides which, strange to say, were furnished us by Kawinga. The Chief Kawinga, who, 
 as your Lordship will remember, delivered a determined and unprovoked attack on the 
 settlements in the Shire Highlands at the beginning of this y^ear, and who was totally 
 defeated and driven out of the country by Mr. Acting Commissioner Sharpe, has since 
 run over the Portuguese boundary, but has constantly appealed for permission to return. 
 As he has given up a number of guns, and has commenced paying a war indemnity in 
 ivory, and has restored a number of people whom he had captured from the Zomba 
 
 district, I have first of all allowed his son to settle once more in the plains round Lake 
 
 Chilwa, and have admitted a number of his people, but have refused to allow Kawinga to 
 return until the rest of the guns are given up and the remainder of the indemnity is 
 paid. However, from the double motive of wishing to see Zarafi soundly thrashed (to 
 console himself for his own defeat), and of winning my favour to the extent of allowing 
 [229J B 2 
 
2 
 
 him to return, Kawinga sent us two guides who professed to be able to take us along a 
 little-known route into Zarafi’s country, which would enable us to avoid most of the 
 enemy lying in ambush and would lead us past a plentiful supply of water. We were 
 provided with other guides as a security, but these two men certainly knew their business, 
 and the result was that we completely took the enemy by surprise, and had no serious 
 fighting until within 15 miles of the capital. Moreover, the route was a delightfully 
 easy one for such a mountainous country, and we nowhere suffered fr6m lack of 
 water. 
 
 Upon entering a wooded gorge, which led up to the south-eastern base of Mangoche 
 Mountain, we were first attacked by Zarafi’s men, and the caravan was nearly cut in two, 
 as they had the sense to allow the main body to go on and deliver their attack chiefly 
 on the porters. Their firing was very wild, however, though delivered at short range, and 
 only one Atonga soldier w'as severely w^ounded, none of the porters being hurt, and before 
 they could reload their guns they were scattered by the Atonga soldiers under Major 
 Bradshaw and Captain Cavendish. 
 
 Shortly after this we seized an important position undefended by the enemy—a 
 kind of natural castle of rocks crowning a low hillock commanding a clear flowing stream. 
 Here we rested the much over-tired porters and were able in perfect security to scan the 
 surrounding country. Although the expedition consisted, with porters, of about 750 
 men, all were easily concealed within the natural battlements of this very strong 
 position. Zarafi had believed w^e were coming along another route, and when the error 
 w^as found out he sent a large body of men to occupy this hill. They advanced towards 
 it without any disguise, not knowing that we could see them from behind the rocks, and 
 we consequently fired on them with such effect that they promptly retired with a loss 
 of a good many killed and several wounded. 
 
 Whilst the porters were resting here Major Edwards, with the bulk of the soldiers, 
 pushed on for a distance of 3 miles along a mountain road, his progress being most 
 determinedly opposed by a large force of Zarafi’s men. The country here was extremely 
 difficult, the hillsides being steep and strewn with enormous boulders, behind which the 
 enemy concealed himself, and from which he delivered a galling fire on the troops who 
 were toiling up the narrow path. 
 
 On this march the Havildar Major of the Sikhs was killed and two other Sikhs were 
 severely wounded. A Yao soldier was killed and three Atonga wounded. The European 
 officers had extraordinarily lucky escapes, some of them having their clothes shot 
 through, whilst numbers of the Sikhs had their high turbans* riddled with bullets. As in 
 almost all cases out here the men fighting against us fired much too high. There were, 
 however, several good marksmen armed with Snider rifles, who killed and wounded the 
 Sikhs and others. The European officers did great execution with their Lee-Metford 
 rifles, and amongst them killed about thirty-five of the enemy, whose total loss on this 
 day exceeded 100 men, so far as bodies could be seen and counted. 
 
 The upshot of this fight was the seizing of another position even more favourably 
 situated, which covered the final ascent of Mangoche Mountain. This also was a sort of 
 natural castle on a hillock with a good water supply, and 600 yards distant from the 
 nearest outpost of the enemy, which were placed on some high cliffs overlooking the 
 path that ascended the mountain. 
 
 When we were all established here such of Zarafi’s men as were armed with Sniders 
 began again to display their marksmanship, and both Major Edwards and myself had a 
 narrow escape of being shot—a porter who was standing behind us being shot through 
 the foot by a bullet which w'as intended for one or other of the white men. Seeing 
 that the enemy was becoming very troublesome at this point the 7-pounder was brought 
 into action and cleared the hillsides in a very short time, by exploding shells amongst the 
 enemy, who w^ere hidden in a wooded gorge. Two war rockets were also launched with 
 great success. The most of the enemy then congregated behind the cliffs to which I 
 have referred, but were again scattered by a few shrapnel shells being “ lobbed ” over 
 the cliffs. Sargeant-Major Devoy, under the superintendence of Major Edwards, worked 
 the 7-pounder and the rockets, and not a single one of the shells or rockets failed of 
 effect. Meantime Lieutenants H. Coape-Smith and G. de Herries Smith, Major Brad¬ 
 shaw and Mr. Gordon Gumming were scouring the ampitheatre of hills to the east, and 
 gradually driving the enemy before them, till at last night fell and all retreated to the 
 fortified camp. 
 
 Before dawm on the morning of the 28th October the ascent of Mangoche was 
 carried out by Major Edwards in a most successful manner, and wdthout the loss of a 
 man. Two small forces, one under Captain Cavendish and the other under Lieutenant 
 Coape-Smith and Mr, Gordon Gumming, worked their way up the hillside to the east and 
 
3 
 
 to the west, thus distracting the attention of the enemy who, if he had known his 
 business, would have been watching the proceedings of the main body, whose ascent of 
 the mountain by the regular path he could have made almost impossible; but finding 
 himself shot at from both sides by the two parties referred to, his firing became wild, 
 and IMajor Edwards made a rapid rush up the hill, and then the enemy was completely 
 routed, and it was one long flight onwards for 12 miles over the crest of the mountain, 
 Zarafi’s people streaming away before us and down the eastern and western flanks of 
 Mangoche. 
 
 With Mr. Cunningham I followed up behind the main body with all the porters. 
 ]\Ir. Cunningham managed by one or two long shots to disperse such few stragglers of the 
 enemy as might have harassed our rear. We none of us stopped in our forward 
 movement until we entered Zarafi’s town, which we could see by our field glasses was 
 being rapidly abandoned by the enemy as soon as we came within sight, and before 
 we were within gunshot. When the town was entered it was devoid of inhabitants. 
 
 It transpired that Zarafi had fled, either in the night or in the early morning, after 
 hearing of the complete repulse of the men sent against us. Amongst the scattered 
 articles left on the verandah of his house was an unexploded war rocket, which evidently 
 had been brought in by his men as an example of the things hurled against them. 
 
 •The prisoners told us that, weeks before, Zarafi, in the fear of defeat, had dispatched 
 all his ivory, cattle, and his reserve gunpowder and most of his women to Mtarika, a 
 big Tao Chief who lives on the Lujenda Eiver far away into Portuguese territory. 
 
 Zomba, as I have said, was left on the 23rd October, the principal fighting occurred 
 on the 27th, and Zarafi’s town was occupied on the 28th October. Our total loss in this 
 action consisted of the Sikh Havildar-Major* and one Tao soldier killed, two Sikhs and 
 three Atonga severely wounded and one porter wounded, besides a graze or two from 
 bullets which had touched two or three of the European officers. 
 
 On the 29th October minor expeditions were dispatched against a number of Zarafi’s 
 towns, which were taken and destroyed with very little resistance. On the same day also 
 a large body of Atonga, under Sergeant-Major Bandawe, was dispatched to the head of 
 Lake Chiuta to follow up Zarafi, as it was thought that he had fled in that direction. 
 
 On the 29th, also, we were joined by Captain Stewart and lieutenant A. S. Hamilton, 
 who had captured a few prisoners on the way up from Lake Malombe. One of these 
 prisoners declared that Zarafi, or, any rate, most of his fighting men, had fled to a hill 
 called Lisieti, near the Portuguese boundary at the back of Makanjira’s country. In 
 consequence of this information, and with this man as a guide. Major Edwards and about 
 150 men and most of the European officers set out for Lisieti, a mountain as high, or 
 higher, than Mangoche, viz., about 5,500 feet, and with steep sides. The mountain was 
 ascended by night, and the enemy taken by surprise, so much so that he offered but a 
 feeble resistance as his losses began to be considerable. Zarafi was not found here, how¬ 
 ever, and the Chief residing there was none other than Makandanji, who had fought with 
 us in 1891. He was not captured, however. A large number ot prisoners was made, and 
 amongst them were found many slaves who had been captured at different times from the 
 Upper Shire, Lake Iilyasa, and even from Zomba. These people were all set at liberty and 
 sent back to their homes. The total number of slaves recaptured and set at liberty on 
 the Zarafi expedition amounted to twenty-eight, but besides these, 400 people \yho had 
 been enticed away by Zarafi from the Upper Shire district at the time of the Liwonde 
 war took advantage of his downfall to return to their old homes. We were a few days 
 too late for the rescue of many slaves, which, in view of our approaching expedition, were 
 sold to coast caravans, and dispatched only five days before we reachtjd Mangoche. One 
 of these slaves, however, managed to escape. She was a native of Zomba, and was of 
 much use in giving us information as to the whereabouts of the different towns and 
 Chiefs. Amongst the trophies brought from Lisieti were some heavy slave-sticks, which 
 were removed by our men from the necks of women. 
 
 Very little loot was taken at Zarafi’s, but, to the great joy of the Siklis, the 
 7-pounder gun which we had to abandon in our disastrous attack on Zarafi’s in 1892, was 
 recovered. This gun was found by Major Bradshaw at a short distance from Zarafi’s 
 town, carefully hidden in the forest. Hidden with it were the helmet and sword of a 
 Portuguese officer, apparently one of the two who were murdered at Mtarika’s in the 
 early part of 1891. Enormous quantities of food, hojvever, were captured, and served to 
 feed the many fugitives who after Zarafi’s defeat hastened to return to their country and 
 begged for peace at our hands. We also captured seven cattle and about 150 goats and 
 sheep. 
 
 * Nihal Singh, 29th Punjab Infantry. 
 
4 
 
 On the 3rd ^^’ovember Major Edwards, placing Captain Cavendish in command at 
 Zarafi’s with a garrison of forty men, left for Fort Johnston with the rest of the troops. 
 I preceded him thither a few hours before, and we both reached that place on the evening 
 of the 3rd ISTovember, the distance being about 24 miles. 
 
 Zarafi’s country is certainly one of the finest portions of the Protectorate. It is 
 marvellously well watered by countless streams, and is very fertile, in spite of the extra¬ 
 ordinary boulders with which it is strewn. I do not know bow this appearance can be 
 accounted for. It is as though mighty monoliths, some of them the size of those at 
 Stonehenge, had been dropped down from Heaven on a fine range of well forested, grassy 
 hills. Between these great blocks of stone the soil is remarkably rich, and the grass 
 short and in some places turfy. There are patches of dense forest and charming glades 
 here and there free from boulders. On the lower slopes of the hills there are flat 
 shelves of fertile land through which clear streams meander, their banks lined with the 
 beautiful raphia palm. Zarafi’s town enjoys about the most remarkable situation of any 
 place in this Protectorate. It is situated on a flat ridge about a quarter of a-mile broad 
 at an altitude of 4,250 feet above the sea. This ridge or neck connects Mangoche 
 Mountain with two great castellated hills of almost equal height. It is a veritable pass 
 into British Central Africa, and on seeing it one can understand the importance attached 
 to Zarafi, as the position which he occupied is the most practicable gate into hfyasaland 
 from the East Coast regions. From his town you can see on the one hand right down the 
 valley of the River Lnjenda for n, tremendous distance towards the East Coast of Africa; 
 you can descry the long, marshy lake of Chiuta; from another point you can see the 
 Zomba and Chikala Mountains, the whole course of the Upper Shire from near Mpimbi 
 to Lake Malombe, then tlie whole length of Malombe and the extreme Upper Shire, and 
 the south-eastern gulf of Lake Nyasa up to Cape Maclear, besides gazing westward to 
 the great tablelands of the Angoni. For beauty of views, there is no place in this 
 country to heat it. How far its climate will suit European settlers I cannot say. It is 
 extremely windy, and even at this the hotte.st season of the year was quite sufficiently 
 cold to he disagreeably chilly at night. Prior to our invasion there must have been a 
 population of at least 25,000 dwelling in and around Zarafi’s main town, and the 
 surrounding country was thickly populated, scattered houses being perched on all the 
 heights like chalets in Switzerland. 
 
 The bulk of Zarafi’s people belong to the Anyanja stock, and with all these we have 
 now made peace, and they have come in to settle down in their old homes. The 
 dominant race, however, was Yao, and most of them have fled with Zarafi, and may not 
 care to return under the very stringent conditions of disarmament which I shall feel 
 compelled to impose. 
 
 Upon reaching Fort Johnston we found that Mponda, counting too confidently on 
 the power of Zarafi to repel our attack, had already commenced hostilities against us by 
 sending men to attack the Settlement at Monkey Bay, and the town of a friendly 
 Sub-Chief known as Matewere. As though this provocation was not sufficient, on the 
 day of my arrival at the fort I found two messengers of Mponda’s awaiting me with a 
 letter couched in very insolent language, calling on me to withdraw all the Europeans 
 from his country, and insisting that the young boy Chief,* the real ‘^Mponda” (who had 
 fled with his mother some time before to the village opposite Fort Johnston), should be 
 given up to him, together with such of Mponda’s own sons as had come over to the 
 British. At the same time I received a deputation from all Mponda’s Headmen who 
 had lived with us on friendly terms during the last few years, and from the mother of the 
 real Chief, together with the little boy himself. They all stated that they were harried 
 by Mponda night after night, and their people were carried oflf and sold as slaves or else 
 barbarously murdered, and all because they were friendly to the British. 
 
 In reply to Mponda’s two messengers, I sent back word to him that if he wished to 
 avoid worse things he had better at once surrender himself at Fort Johnston, and close 
 on the heels of the messengers I dispatched Major Edwards, with a force of 400 men, to 
 capture Mponda’s position in the circle of hills called Mauni. Mponda, seeing the force 
 
 1 had sent against him, thought he had better comply with my message, and, evading the 
 force, came down to Fort Johnston with his wives in canoeSj and surrendered himself at 
 
 2 o’clock on the morning of the 6th November. I saw him later on, and told him that, 
 in consequence of his having surrendered himself, and thus prevented considerable blood¬ 
 shed, I would grant him the most favourable terms that I could, which w ould be to secure 
 
 * Mponda is not the son or heir of the old Mponda, but was only declared by that Chief on his death-bed to 
 be regent during the minority of the young boy who was to succeed him. The present Mponda, however, was 
 very anxious to “suppress” the legitimate heir and rule in his own right. 
 
 
5 
 
 to him as far as T was able for his own use all his private property, and whilst removing 
 him altogether from Lake Njasa, I would assign to him a pleasant and suitable place to 
 live at, and, if he made no attempt to escape, would treat him as a prisoner at large. I 
 told him it was out of the question bis ever returning to Lake ^fyasa, but that I should 
 henceforth, with your Lordship’s permission, recognize the boy Chief as the Chief of 
 Mponda’s country, and would appoint a Council of Headmen to act as Eegents during 
 his minority. 
 
 Major Edwards’ party met with a slight resistance in taking Mauni, which was 
 occupied by the more recalcitrant Yaos of Mponda’s party, but there was no loss on the 
 side of the British. A large number of prisoners was taken, and I hear that a good 
 many slaves were released. Between 200 and 300 lbs. of gunpowder and 42 guns have 
 been captured, together with a small quantity of ivory and a large herd of cattle. 
 
 As soon as I learned that everything had gone off satisfactorily in connection with 
 the expedition against Mauni, I left Fort Johnston on the 7th, and arrived at Zomba on 
 the 9th i7ovember. ' 
 
 In regard to Mponda’s affairs, it may be thought that perhaps I might have done 
 more wisely to have caused the native Chieftainship to cease with the deposition of 
 Mponda, but I felt that, in view of the persistent support that we had received during 
 four years from a large section of Mponda’s Headmen and people, and especially from 
 the mother of the young Chief, who is the rightful heir, it would be decidedly unfair to 
 deprive them of a privilege they much value—being governed in their own internal 
 affairs by themselves. As all the people referred to have for several years past paid the 
 hut tax, and comported themselves in a thoroughly friendly manner, it is evident that 
 they should not be treated as a conquered people, but as allies, and be treated quite 
 differently to the recalcitrant Yaos who hung about Mponda and gradually weaned him 
 from his friendship with the Bi’itish. 
 
 As soon as the operations were completed at Mauni, Major Edwards was about to 
 set out for Makanjira’s coast country to punish a number of small Yao communities 
 who have been slave-raiding lately in the vicinity of the Anglo-Portuguese boundary. 
 
 I shall join Major Edwards again on Lake JSTyasa on the 23rd November, and if all 
 has gone well with him up to that date, we shall proceed to the north end of Lake 
 Nyasa to deal with the Arab question, on which I have written to your Lordship a separate 
 despatch. 
 
 In closing this Report on the Zarafi expedition, I desire to express to your Lordship 
 a cordial recognition of the able manner in which it w’as organized by Major Edwards, 
 and I should also like to mention the services of Lieutenant H. Coape-Smith (11th 
 Bengal Lancers), Lieutenant G. de Herries Smith (4oth Sikhs), and Major L. J. Bradshaw* * 
 (35th Sikhs). 
 
 1 hnvp 
 
 (Signed) ’ H. H. JOHNSTON. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 Commissioner Johnston to the Marquess of Salisbury.—[Received January 20, 1896.) 
 
 My Lord, The Residency, Zomba, November 15, 1895. 
 
 I HAVE already telegraphed to your Lordship that I am obliged to proceed to the 
 north end of Lake Nyasa to undertake a war against the Arabs who have so long troubled 
 that district. That such a conflict was more or less inevitable I never concealed either 
 from myself or from the Foreign Office, but it was one which I had hoped to defer for 
 some little time longer as I believed I should find the work of subduing the Yao 
 
 * Major Bradshaw was one of the principal officers in the 35th Sikhs, a rej^iment which has supplied us with 
 many of our best soldiers. As he was much interested in this question of Sikh soldiers lighting in Central 
 Africa, he has employed a portion of his year’s leave in visiting this country at his own expense and accompanying 
 us on some of these expeditions. Major Bradshaw has seen considerable service in the Indian frontier wars and 
 in Afghanistan, and although accompanying us more or less as a volunteer should for the time being be almos 
 reckoned amongst our regular officers. The great demands on our armed forces at the present time for garrisoning 
 recently-taken positions and conducting these numerous campaigns, have made me only too willing to accept the 
 generously-tendered and unremuneraled services of such volunteers as hlajor Bradshaw, Mr. Walter Gordon 
 Gumming, and Major F. C. Trollope. The three gentlemen above alluded to accompany us on the expedition 
 against the Arabs, Major Trollope having already been up there to make a study of some of the positions.— 
 
G 
 
 slave-raiders on our borders even more lengthy and arduous than it has been. But the 
 great successes which have attended us on our recent campaigns, and have thereby 
 greatly shortened the warfare to be carried on in the south-eastern part of Nyasaland, 
 places the armed forces at my disposal for another month’s campaigning before the 
 rainy season should render it a difficult matter to fight in a country covered with thick 
 vegetation. 
 
 Apart from this consideration, the Arabs have left me no choice between under¬ 
 taking their conquest immediately or submitting to see the traffic with Tanganyika 
 cut off. 
 
 The present troubles may have been said to have begun n the month of June last 
 ■when various complaints reched me from the African Lakes Corporation and Dr. Cross 
 (a medical missionary residing near Karonga) and Mr. Vice-Consul Crawshay as to the 
 raids carried on by the Arabs and their allies, the Aw^emba. Accordingly, when I went 
 to the north end of Lake Nyasa in the end of July I endeavoured to see what negotia¬ 
 tions would do with the Chief of the Arabs, Mlozi, to at any rate pacify the districts 
 adjoining the Tanganyika road and prevent anything like raiding of caravans. I went 
 to the north end of Lake Nyasa without any force whatever, merely in one of the small 
 gun-boats, and sent up messengers to Mlozi to tell him that I would meet him anywhere 
 within reasonable distance of the shore, unattended, provided he came equally 
 unattended, or else with the same number of folloAvers as himself. 1 proposed then that 
 we should see if Ave could not come to some understanding by Avhich the Arabs would be 
 prevented from going a step too far in breaking their Treaty of 1889. Mlozi prior to 
 this had Avritten me a long letter setting forth many grievances against Mr. CraAvshay, 
 and hinting that unless these grievances were redressed he Avould be obliged to consider 
 himself an enemy of the British. I expressed myself quite Avilling to discuss these 
 grievances, although they principally referred to the interception of slave caravans. 
 However, Mlozi stated, in reply to my message, that he Avould not come to see me as he 
 feared there Avas some plan to trap him. He consented, however, to discuss his grievances 
 Avith Mr. Crawshay if the latter Avould leave Deep Bay and meet him in the interior. 
 Accordingly I instructed Mr. CraAvshay to do this, viz., to make a tour through all the 
 portions of the North Nyasa district occupied by the Arabs and see Avhether they had 
 an}^ real grievances against our Customs officials, and, if so, to redress them, in short, to 
 do Avhat he could to give the Arabs no excuse for embarking on hostilities if they 
 possessed any real desire to settle doAvn peaceably under our rule. 
 
 Mr. Crawshay spent part of August and the Avhole of September in journeying about 
 the North Nyasa district and the adjoining Senga country, Avhich lies Avithin the British 
 South Africa Company’s sphere. The Arabs, hoAvever, treated him Avith the greatest 
 insolence, refusing to allow him to approach their settlements, and sometimes surrounding 
 him with armed men and threatening to shoot him. Only the greatest coolness on his 
 part, and the pluck of the feAv policemen Avho were with him, prevented a serious mishap. 
 On one occasion, indeed, he Avas fired on by Mlozi’s men, though the bullet did not reach 
 him. So far from Mlozi consenting to see him, he refusied to do anything of the kind, 
 and Avarned Mr. Crawshay that he had better not remain too long near his fortified toAvn. 
 Shortly afterAvards the slav^e raids were worse than ever. The Aweinba came in at the 
 request of the Arabs, and raided two large villages* Avhich had displayed marked 
 friendship Avith the English, and who furnished quantities of porters to the African Lakes 
 Corporation for traffic on the Tanganyika road. They almost exterminated the people 
 of these villages, carrying some of them off into slavery and killing the others. As an 
 act of defiance they blocked the Nyasa-Tanganyika road Avith large trunks of trees just 
 at the time when Major Forbes, of the British South Africa Company, was returning 
 from Tanganyika, and on these trees they ]3ut the heads of the recently killed natives of 
 the villages of Kameme and Zoche. So far from expressing any irresponsibility for this 
 action, Mlozi avoAved that the Awemba had acted as his allies. He sent Avord to 
 Mr. Yule, the Assistant Collector at Songwe, that as the English, and Mr. Yule 
 especially, had blocked his road to the coast, he Avould now close their road to 
 Tanganyika, 
 
 On the 11th October Mr. Crawshay reports that Mlozi and Kopakopa had set to 
 work rebuilding Msalemu’s stockade, an Arab fort which I had caused to be destroyed in 
 1889, and Avhich commanded the Tanganyika road. This action, of course, is almost the 
 most marked breach of the 1889 Treaty that the Arabs could have made. 
 
 The excitement Avhich is rising in this portion of the district is prejudicially 
 affecting the adjacent German Territory, and Captain Berndt, the Acting Commandant 
 
 * Kameme and Soche (or Zoche). 
 
7 
 
 of German I^’yasaland, has represented to me that it is absolutely necessary some steps 
 should be taken to control the Arabs. To assist me to do this at the present time he has 
 very kindly placed the German steamer at my complete disposal from the 25th November 
 onwards. I hope to require the use of his steamer for only five or six days, first of all 
 for the transport of the troops to Karonga. Later on I may require her for a like period 
 in retransferring the troops to Fort Johnston. 
 
 The missionaries and the agent of the African Lakes Lakes Corporation in the same 
 district have also begged me to take some immediate action to prevent disastrous attacks on 
 their stations. I have hired the steam-ship “ Domira” from the African Lakes Corpora¬ 
 tion on the same terms as the German steamer, and the Manager of the said Corporation 
 has given me full powers over this steamer and over the station and all the resources of 
 the Lakes Corporation at Karonga. 
 
 I leave Zomba on the 18th for Lake Nyasa, and leave Fort Johnston on the 23rd 
 November. The first party will start from Fort Johnston in the “ Domira ” on the 19th, 
 and the last section of the expedition will leave on the 25th November. It is hoped 
 that an advance may be made on the Arab positions on the 1st or 2nd December. 1 
 shall have at my disposal a force of about 400 soldiers, commanded by Major Edwards 
 and by the following officers: Captain F. C. Stewart, Lieutenant H. Coape-Smith, 
 Lieutenant G. de Herries Smith, Lieutenant E. Alston, Sergeant-Major Devoy and 
 Dr. Wordsworth Poole; also by the following volunteers; Major L. J. Bradshaw 
 (35th Sikhs), Major F. C. Trollope (Grenadier Guards), and Mr. Walter Gordon 
 Gumming. We shall take with us two 7-pr. guns and two 9-pr. guns, and 
 perhaps Commander Cullen, R.N.R., and Lieutenant-Commander Edmund L. Bhoades 
 will assist in working these guns. We shall also have with us two Nordenfeldts from the 
 gun-boats. 
 
 I do not conceal from myself that we have a very arduous undertaking before us. 
 This time we have to attack and take fortified stockades which can only he taken hy 
 artillery, and we shall have against us a force not much exceeding our own in numbers 
 but well armed and,almost as good in marksmanship. It is possible, therefore, that the 
 loss of life on our side may be much greater than that on former campaigns, but I have 
 no fears of the ultimate result, as the natives of the country are wholly with us, and our 
 fighting force is in the best trim and rendered thoroughly confident by our recent 
 successes. 
 
 If all goes well I hope to be back at Zomba by Christmas time. 
 
 I have, &c. 
 
 (Signed) H. H. JOHNSTON. 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 Commissioner Johnston {Karonga) to the Marquess of Salisbury.—{Received 
 
 January 11, 1896.) 
 
 (Telegraphic.) Blantyre, December 6, 1895. 
 
 OPERATIONS against North Nyasa Arabs beginning 1st December completely 
 successful after two and a-half days’ fighting. All stockades taken, destroyed; 
 4 Arabs killed, 2 taken prisoners, and Mlozi captured, tried and executed 4th 
 December. Arab loss in [and] around Mlozi’s stockade: 210 men. 
 
 Casualties; Lieutenant Guy de Herries Smith, 45th Sikhs, severely wounded. 
 Sepoy J aimed Singh, 36, killed ; 3 Atonga soldiers killed; 6 Sikhs and four Atongas 
 severely wounded ; 569 slaves released; many prisoners taken. 
 
 Desire specially commend services of Major C. A. Edwards; Lieutenant G. de H. 
 Smith, who is badly wounded, but recovering, was first man to enter Mlozi’s stockade. 
 Officers and petty officers of Lake Nyasa gun-boats did excellent service with guns. 
 
 I return shortly Zomba. 
 
 ? 
 
 1229] 
 
 C 
 
8 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 ' Foreign Office to Commissioner Sir H. Johnston. 
 
 Sir, Foreign Office, January 29, 1896. 
 
 I AM directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 despatch of the 13th November, giving an account of the expedition against 
 Zarafi, and to state that his Lordship has read with satisfaction your report of the 
 complete success of the operations against this slave-trading Chief. 
 
 The expedition appears to have been thoroughly well organized by Major Edwards, 
 and Lord Salisbury desires to express his appreciation of the services rendered liy the 
 officers and men engaged. 
 
 Your own actions in connection with the deposition of Mponda, as well as your 
 proposals with regard to the district formerly ruled by that Chief, are approved. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 (Signed) H. PERCY ANDERSON. 
 
PIUNTED BY HARRISON AND SONS. 
 
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