1872Long ago, when serving as senior lieutenant of H.M.S. Star on the East Coast of Africa, I had full opportunity of seeing some of the cruelties and atrocities connected with the slavetrade; and the sufferings which I witnessed on board the dhows - such as have been so graphically described by Captain G.L. Sulivan, R.N., in "Dhow-Chasing in Zanzibar Waters" - awoke in me a strong desire to take some further part in the suppression of the inhuman traffic.
I soon became convinced that unless it could be attacked at its source in the interior of the continent all attempts at its suppression on the coast would be a poor palliation of the fearful evil.
I am, however, far from laying claim to having been actuated solely by purely philanthropic motives, as some time previously my aspirations for travel and discovery had been excited by reading papers descriptive of the expedition of Burton and Speke in Somâli land. And I became still more anxious to undertake some exploration in Africa on hearing that Arab merchants from Zanzibar had reached the West Coast; for I felt convinced that what had been accomplished by an Arab trader was equally possible to an English naval officer.
After the Star was put out of commission I was appointed to the Steam Reserve at Sheerness, and my efforts to obtain more active employment being ineffectual, I volunteered my serices to the Royal Geographical Society to go in search of Dr. Livingstone and render him any assistance possible, it being supposed at that moment that the expedition under Mr. Stanley had failed.
Soon after this subscriptions were opened for the "Livingstone Search Expedition," but it was not my fortune to be selected by the Royal Geographical Society, the command being given to Lieutenant L.S. Daswson, R.M., an officer eminently fitted for the post both by his scientific attainments and physical powers.
Unfortunately when this expedition was about to start from Bagamoyo it was deterred from proceeding further by the news brought to the coast by Mrs. Stanley, of the New York Herald. This was to the effect that Livingstone had already been relieved and objected to any "slave expedition" being sent to him. In consequence of this unfortunate misapprehension of Dr. Livingstone's despatches Lieutenant Dawson, supposing that his expedition would no longer be required, resigned the command.
Lieutenant Henn, R.N., then took charge with the full intention of proceeding, but was also persuaded to throw it up, though much against his wish.
Upon Oswell Livingstone, a son of the Doctor, the leadership then devolved. But after a time he renounced the idea of proceeding up country to join his father; and thus a most carefully organized expedition, which possessed most, if not all the requisites for a complete success, was abandoned.
Mr. New, another member, withdrew with Lieutenant Dawson, and the services of a gentlemen well versed in African character, having a competent knowledge of Kisuahili, and accustomed to African travel, was thus lost. I may here mention how great was my regret soon after arriving at Loanda to hear of the death of Mr. New. He was a single-minded, brave, and honest man, who devoted himself to the task of bettering the conditions of the natives of Africa, and in so doing sacrificed a valuable life.
Although disappointed at my failing to obtain the command of this expedition, I still entertained some hope of leading another and carrying out the project which I had so much at heart, and therefore determined to further prepare myself for the undertaking by studying the Suahili language.
Of the difficulties entailed by such a service I had gained some knowledge from eight months in the Red Sea during the Abyssinian war, and nearly three years on the East Coast of Africa, much of which period was spent in open boats. With this experience of work in a hot climate, added to my having suffered severely from fever at Zanzibar, it was not without counting the cost that, as soon as Dawson's expedition was reported to have been broken up, I volunteered to proceed to join Dr. Livingstone, taking with me such instruments and stores as he might require, and offering to place myself unreservedly at his disposal.
This was in June, 1872, but no intention of sending out another expedition to assist our great traveller appeared then to be entertained.
I next drew up a scheme for the exploration of the route to Victoria Nyanza viá Mounts Kilima Njaro and Kenia and the volcano reported to lie to the north of them - thus passing close to the watershed between the coast rivers and the feeders of the Victoria Nyanza - and after surveying that lake to work my way to the Albert Nyanza or Mwuta Nzigé, and thence through Ulegga to Nyangwé, and down the Kongo to the West Coast.
The latter part of this route is now being attempted by Mr. Stanley, one of the most successful and energetic of African travellers, under the auspices of the New York Herald and Daily Telegraph.
In this I was encouraged and assisted by Mr. Clements Markham, C.B., and to his counsel and kindly help in many matters intimately connected with my African travels I am deeply indebted.
The Council of the Geographical Society were, however, of opinion that this scheme, though meeting with the approval of some of its most eminent members, could not be carried out with the funds at their disposal.
It was afterwards decided to utilise the surplus remaining from the subscriptions to the first Livingstone Search Expedition in fitting out another. This was intended to be placed entirely under the orders of Dr. Livingstone for the purpose of supplementing his great discoveries, in the prosecution of which he had on that last journey - extending over a period of nearly seven years and brought to a close only by the national misfortune of his death - patiently and unremittingly toiled, besides having previously devoted twenty years of his life to the cause of the regeneration and civilisation of Africa.
November, 1872For the new command I had the happiness of being selected, and the Council kindly allowed Mr. W.E. Dillon, assistant surgeon - one of my dearest friends and an old messmate - to accompany me, for which purpose he resigned an appointment he then held.
He was admirably adapted for the work, and had his life been spared to cross the continent with me would have been of incalculable assistance and comfort in my various difficulties and troubles. His unvarying kindness and tact in his intercourse with the men of the expedition were the greatest help to me during our journey to Unyanyembe, and, indeed, I cannot pay a sufficient testimony of gratitude and honour to his memory.
Dr. Dillon and I left England on the 30th November, 1872 - the same day on which Lieutenant Grandy and his brother left Liverpool for the West Coast - in order to join sir Bartle Frere at Brindisi, hoping to get a passage on board the Enchantress with his mission to Zanzibar. But her accomodation was too limited to allow of our being received on board.
Thus we lost the advantage we had anticipated of obtaining some instruction in Arabic and Kisuahili kindly promised by the Secretary of the Legation, the Rev. Percy Badger. Remaining at Brindisi until Sir Bartle Frere' arrival, we then took passage in the P. & O. steamer Malta to Alexandria. We accompanied Sir Bartle Frere to Cairo, where he procured a letter from H.H. the Khedive commending us to the care of the Egyptian officials in the Soudan and ordering them to give us every assistance.
December, 1872This document proved of service with Arabs in the interior, who had all heard both of the Khedive and the Sultan of Turkey, although we never came across any of those for whom it was particularly intended.
After a short stay at Cairo we went to Suez, and thence by the Australia to Aden, where we were kindly received by the resident, Brigadier-General Schneider, Colonel Penn ("steel pen" of Abyssinian fame), and the rest of the garrison; and from Dr. Shepheard, P.M.O., we received a most valuable supply of quinine, a sine qua non in African travel.
Whilst here Dr. Badger obtained for us from a Santon named Alowy ibn Zaid el Aidûs a letter recommending us to the care and consideration of all good Moslems in Africa, and this we found the most useful of all our papers.
Lieutenant Cecil Murphy, R.A., acting commissary of ordonnance, here volunteered to accompany the expedition, provided the Government of India would consent to continue his Indian pay and allowances; and this being granted after our departure, he joined us at Zanzibar by the next mail.
Our anticipations that H.M.S. Briton would have taken us to Zanzibar were doomed to disappointment, for she had already sailed. We had therefore to await the departure of the mail-steamer Punjâb, Captain Hansard, in which we proceeded. Colonel Lewis Pelly, political agent at Muscat, and Kazi Shah Budin, a gentleman appointed by H.H. the Rao of Kutch to accompany Sir Bartle Frere to Zanzibar and to use his influence with the subjects of the Rao in support of the objects of the mission, were our fellow-passengers.
January, 1873When I arrived at Zanzibar I was laid up with fever which had attacked me a day or two previously, and as Dr. Kirk's house was fully occupied by those who had already gone ashore from the Enchantress, Dillon and myself took our abode in the hitherto untenanted English gaol. There were plenty of room for our stores, and with native bedsteads, chairs, &c., we were soon comfortably housed. However, some old messmates of mine, Lieutenants Fellowes and Stringer, kindly took me off to the Briton and looked after me on board until I was tolerably well again.
When sufficiently recovered to go ashore I rejoined Dillon, who had already laid in some stores, and we at once began to look out for men and donkeys. We also secured the services of Bombay (Mbarak Monbée), the chief of Speke's faithfuls, which at the time we thought of great importance on account of his previous experience.
But he rather presumed on our ignorance, and we soon learned that however useful he might have been in days gone by he was not the best man to consult in fitting out an expedition, not having sufficient readiness and knowledge to advise us as to the most serviceable things with which to supply ourselves. He had besides lost much of the energy he displayed in his journeys with our predecessors in African travel, and was much inclined to trade upon his previous reputation; but the high opinion we had formed of him at first blinded us to his many failings.
The fact of our having arrived on the scene with Sir Bartle Frere caused us to be inseparably connected by the Arabs, Wasuahili and Wamerima, with the mission upon which he was engaged, and this occasioned us numerous vexatious troubles and enormous expense, besides being prejudicial to the interests of the expedition.
In the first place they naturally supposed that we were in the employ of the English Government, and therefore ought to pay twice or three times the ordinary price for men and stores. All who thus defrauded us considered themselves perfectly justified in cheating a Government so rich and liberal as ours has the reputation of being, although they would have had far greater scruples about swindling private individuals.
In the second place, owing to the avowed intention of the mission to abolish the slave-trade, we were thwarted and imposed upon in various underhand ways by the lower classes of the Wasuahili and Wamerima.
In addition to this, our orders being to push on with all despatch and at all hazards, we were obliged to accept the riff-raff and outscourings of the bazaars of Zanzibar and Bagamoyo instead of waiting for regular porters, and also had to pay them double the hire of better men.
The scarcity of porters was owing to the season of the year, as the ususal time for the up caravans had long passed, and no down caravans had yet arrived.
We had therefore to march through the worst part of the rainy season with a number of men of whom not more than a tenth had ever travelled before any distance into the interior, and who, not being accustomed to carrying loads, gave trouble at almost every step by straggling and laziness.
February, 1873Nor did the devil end there,for the majority of men were thieves, and pilfered unceasingly from their loads. Indeed, the effects of this ill-advised haste in starting pursued me throughout my journey across the continent.
Bombay was commissioned to find us thirty good men and true, to be our soldiers, servants, and donkey drivers. He promised all diligence and obedience, and whilst within ken of the English consulate exerted himself apparently to the best of his power. I afterwards learnt that he picked up his men anywhere in the bazaar, and a motley crue they proved.
Besides these thirty askari we engaged a few men as porters, and bought twelve or thirteen donkeys at an average price of eighteen dollars a head.
We then embarked with our stores, men, and beasts in two hired dhows, and left Zanzibar early on Sunday morning, February, 2nd, 1873, and passing through the ships of the squadron with the union-jack and white ensign flying, made our way with a fair wind to Bagamoyo, arriving there the same afternoon.
Bagamoyo, the principal point of departure for caravans bound to Unyanyembé and the countries beyond, is a town on the mainland directly opposite Zanzibar. It is hidden from the sea by sandhills, but marked by the tall cocoa-nut palms which always indicate the habitations of man on this coast.
It consists of one long straggling street with a few stone houses, the rest being mere huts of wattle and dab, having huge slopping roofs thatched with the plaited fronds of the cocoa-nut palm; and it boasts of two or three mosquees, frequented only on high days and holidays. A varied assemblage of Indian merchants, Arabs, Wasuahili, and Wamerma, slaves and Wanyamwési pagazi compose its population.
Taking with us only a few necessaries, we went on shore to look for lodgings, and were met on landing by a messenger from the French mission, shortly followed by Père Horner and one of the lay brothers, who came to offer their assistance.
After a great deal of chaffering and bargaining we hired for ourselves the upper rooms of a stone house, the owner Abdûllah Dina (a Koja), taking twenty-five dollars instead of the forty-five he had at first asked. For our men and stores we secured a house which belonged to Jemadar Isaa, the commandant of the Balooch garrison of H.H. Syud Burghash.
Early the next morning we superintended landing cargo, going backwards and forwards the whole time between head-quarters, barracks, and beach. Yet, notwhistanding all our care, a bag of salt, a case of paraffin, one of preserved meats, and, of still greater importance, our large cooking-lamp, were missing when the debarkation was completed.
At first we were disposed to blame a Hindi whom we had engaged at Zanzibar to look after the transport of our stores, but I believe carelessness and not dishonesty was his failing in this instance.
Jemadar Issa readily gave us permission to fly the colours and post sentries at head-quarters and barracks, and returned our call in the forenoon, offering us all the courtesies and assistance in his power.
We told him of our losses, and he promised redress. But as this consisted only in the offer of putting the unfortunate Hindi in irons and sending him over to the Sultan for further punishment we declined this friendly proposal and made up our mind to bear our losses philosophically.
At the conclusion of our morning's work we paid a visit to the French mission, to which we had been invited, meeting on our way two donkeys with European saddles and bridles kindly sent for our use. After luncheon we went over the well-cultivated grounds and plantations, where bread-fruit trees and vegetables, including asparagus and French beans, grew in abundance, and then visited the buildings, nearly the whole of which were greatly damaged in the hurricane of 1872.
About three hundred children were being trained here to different trades and useful callings, and a school for girls was placed under the control of the sisters belonging to the mission. In the boys' dormitories the arrangements were very simple, the beds consisting merely of a couple of planks on iron supports with a few yards of merikani to serve as mattress and bedclothes; and in eachroom was a small screened space for the brother in charge.
A new chapel was being erected outside the former building, portions of which were removed as the other progressed, and though this was rather slow work owing to the scarcity of labour and the laziness of the natives, yet by this arrangement the religious services were never interrupted.
The foundation of a new stone (pucka) building had also been laid,and when completed was to be used as a dwelling-house and school.
The Fathers seem to be labouring hard and doing a good work both by precept and example, and amidst their many difficulties are cheerful and confident, and I have no doubt their efforts will tend much towards the civilisation of this part of Africa.
Nothing could exceed the kindness and attention shown to us by these estimable men during our stay at Bagamoyo. They frequently sent us vegetables and bundles of palmiste for salad, and on one occasion a quarter of wild-boar, which in the inefficient state of our cooking appliances was not a trifle tantalising, as we could devise no means of dressing it ourselves, and our followers - Mohammedan in nothing but theirprejudices - declined to touch it.
Our Koja landlord Abdûllah Dina was so jealous of the female portion of his domestic circle that he padlocked the door leading to the stairs outside the house, and put up a most inconvenient ladder instead. His object was to keep us from passing through the small portion of the yard into which our stairs led, although it was already divided from the other part by a railing fitted up with reeds, and quite sufficient to prevent our infidel eyes from spying out the secrets of his harem.
A few days after our arrival, Jemadar Sabr, commanding all the Sultan's troops on this portion of the coast, called on us with a following like a Hghland chieftain. They were all redolent of dirt and grease and covered with bucklers, pistols, swords, spears, and matchlocks, as though they had ransacked the stores of some transpontine theatre.
The leader of this imposing retinue was not above begging for a dustoori of a few dollars; nor was Jemadar Issa one whit behind him in this respect, besides always asking for a little brandy as medicine.
Jemadar Issa promised to acompany us the next morning to Kaoli to return the call of Jemadar Sabr; but as he did not put in an appearance at the appointed hour we went down to his house, and found him in his usual dirty shirt.
He immediately proceeded to array himself by putting on a gorgeous turban and a scarf, into which he thrust his dagger, an elaborately gilt French breech-loading revolver for which he had no cartridges, and a single-barrelled flint-lock pistol. He then hung his sword and shield over his shoulder, gave his sandals to his henchman, and was ready to start.
The retainer was dressed in an old kaniri loincloth and fez cap, and carried an ancient firearm that could not be induced to go off when the salute was fired on our entrance to Kaoli.
We took as an escort, in order to appear in due state, four of our askari, in their uniform and armed with riffles, commanded by Bilâl, whom we had rated second to Bombay. And after some persuasion they actually marched two and two, carrying their rifles at the trail or an approach to the slope, until the paths grew so narrow that it was necessary to walk in single file.
After passing through the main street of Bagamoyo and some straggling huts we reached the sea beach, and here the Jemadar informed us that we must take the more inland path as the tide was high. Two of the Jemadar's train now joined us, one being a good-looking young fellow with the colour showing through his skin, although as nearly black as a man could be. His shield, sword, and dagger were very handsome.
We now struck further inland, and found the path more winding than the labyrinth of Crete; but it led us through a fertile country. For some time our road lay along a large tract planted with yams, manioc, &c., and the Jemadar pointed to fields of rice and told us that oranges, mangos, and other fruits grew in the adjacent woods. The cultivated ground was surrounded by a thorn edge with which no "bullfinch" in England could be compared, for it was from twelve to fifteen feet high and about ten thick. Through this we went by an arched opening and came to an uncultivated part of the country where the grass grew in large thick tufts, often so high that it flapped in our faces and hindered our progress.
At last, after a two hours' walk, we again reached the beach close to Kaoli, when the Jemadar and his friends began firing into the air to apprise the people of our arrival. The old matchlock and flint pistol did their work well, making reports like young cannons; but one of the Jemadar's personal attendants could not manage to make his fossil weapon produce any sound whatever : and the other, who was armed with a worn-out French fowling-piece, was little better, as there was at least a second between the explosion of the cap and that of the charge, which rather detracted from the effect. Together they might possibly have been heard, bur separately their efforts were drowned by the rippling of the sea upon the beach.
On our arrival we were most warmly welcomed by Soorghi, as well as by Jemadar Sabr and his retinue.
We first visited Soorghi, the chief of the customs on the mainland - to whom we had letters of introduction from Lakhmidass, who farms all the Sultan's revenue - and made enquiries about pagazi. He advised us to send to Saadani to beat up for them, promising letters and soldiers to assist in this work.
After a time, during which Jemadar Sabr had been absent, we received a message from him inviting us to his residence, where we found a repast already prepared. It consisted of three spatch-cocks, three sorts of Arab pastry in nine different dishes, and two plates of vermicelli swamped in sugar, and of course the inevitable sherbet was served to us on entry.
I tried the wing of a fowl, and knives and forks being unprovided had to use my fingers; then tea was brought, not bad in flavour but sweetened to cloying, and lastly coffee, happily guiltless of sugar, but nevertheless it failed to rid our mouths of the overplus of saccharine matter and a good draught of fresh water was most palatable.
On our leaving the room Jemadar Sabr invited our escort to enter and finish the remainder of the feast, and whilst they were thus engaged we sat in state under the verandah with the Jemadar and his notables. Our interpreter was meanwhile doing his best to assist our askari, and consequently the conversation was very limited.
The eating being at last concluded, we formed order of march for Bagamoyo and bade goodbye to our friends of Kaoli; our hosts and some of his sons, however, accompanied us a short distance on our way.
We were rejoiced to find the tide ebbing, so that we were able to return to Bagamoyo by the shore on the hard sand just uncovered by the water. Directly we got back we arranged for starting Bilâl for Saadani the next morning. He was accompanied on this expedition by an intelligent native named Saadi, to act as interpreter and recruiting sergeant, by two of Jemadar Issa's soldiers, and three of our own men, to whom we served out arms and ammunitions.
In the evening, by way of diversion, there was a fire in the town, and some eight huts were burnt to the ground. We went to the barracks where our ammunition was stored, to make preparations in case of the fire spreading that way, and then visited the scene of action. The natives we found looking on in hopeless apathy, excepting a few who were arguing and vociferating at a great rate. Fortunately there was no wind, and the fire soon burnt itself out.
The greater part of the day was frequently occupied in paying pagazi, and a most tedious and wearying work it proved, owing to the peculiarities of the men and the difficulty they seemed to experience in making up their minds and saying what they wanted.
A man's name being called out, he answers "Ay-wallah," but makes no attempt at moving. When at least it pleases him to come to the front and he is asked how he wishes to receive his advance, he will probably stand, even for ten minutes, considering before giving an answer. Then he says, "So many dollars, and so many doti; so many of the doti must ne merikani and so many kaniki." When paid, he often wants to change a gold dollar for pice, and all the filthy copper coins have to be counted; then, perhaps, he wishes to have one doti merikani changed for one of kaniki, or vice versâ, or begs for another doti; and thus a vast amount of time is wasted.
In the evening we occasionally took some men to the beach for target-practice, first making them fire a round of blank and then three rounds of ball at an empty case at one hundred yards, and although there were no hits the firing was fairly good.
We found it necessary to muster our forces every morning; the honour of bearing colours on these occasions being conferred upon Ferradi and Umbari, two of Speke's followers.
The uniforms we established for our askari consisted of a red patrol jacket, red fez, white shirt and cummer-bund. Bombay and the leading men were distinguished by wearing non-commissioned officer's stripes.
The 8th of February was a great festival of the Arabs, and all our Moslem askari honoured us with a special salaam, and asked for something as a "tip," upon which we presented them with a shilling each to have an extra feed, it being explained to us by Bombay that this was the "Mohammedan Christmas." We also received visits from Jemadars Issa and Sabr, the former having actually put on a clean new shirt.
We were now anxious to return to Zanzibar to take up our remaining stores, due by the Punjâb, and to make final preparations for starting to the interior, but the difficulties in obtaining a dhow seemed insuperable.
There was, however, plenty to do in collecting and hiring pagazi and making saddles for our donkeys. The stirrups and bits were a puzzle, but we contrived to solve it with the assistance of a native smith, and though his work was of the roughest description we hoped that it would answer our purpose.
