EAST AFRICA. 



269 



roads, and telegraphs near the river to connect 

 her eastern and western possessions, England 

 having in turn similar rights of way and of con- 

 struction on the part of the lower Zambesi that 

 traverses Portuguese territory. 



German East Africa. The German protect- 

 orate had its boundaries fixed at the internation- 

 al conference in London on Nov. 1, 1886. By the 

 agreement then reached the region for which a 

 Schutzbrief or imperial charter was granted to 

 the German East Africa Company on Feb. 27, 

 1885, had a sea face from the Tana to the Rovu- 

 ma river. It extended to the lakes, taking in the 

 northern part of the western shore of Nyassa, the 

 whole shore of Tanganyika, and that of Victoria 

 Nyanza as far as 1 of south latitude, an area of 

 about 400,000 square miles, with an estimated 

 population of 800,000. The country is divided 

 into the unhealthful coast region, the mountain- 

 ous region, from 3,000 to 5,000 feet above the 

 sea, and the elevated table-lands. In nearly all 

 parts the land is wondrously fertile. Rice is pro- 

 duced in quantities sufficient for export. Maize 

 is grown mostly in Ukarni, coffee in Usambara, 

 cotton in Usagara and Usambara, and tobacco 

 rivaling the Sumatra plant in Chutu, Usambara, 

 and Djagga. Sesame, indigo, caoutchouc, ma- 

 nioc, bananas, and rubber are common products. 

 Large herds of cattle, sheep, and goats are kept 

 in the mountainous districts. Game is abundant, 

 and elephants are found in many places. Among 

 the minerals are iron, copper, gold, and coal. The 

 inhabitants are Bantu negroes, who are peaceable 

 and friendly, especially to those who protect them 

 from the slave raids of the Arabs. They raise cat- 

 tle and are very skillful in making ornaments 

 and other handicrafts. Most of the stations and 

 plantations of the German Company were aban- 

 doned in consequence of the revolt of the Arabs 

 in 1889. Major Wissmann landed in Zanzibar 

 on March 31, 1889. Bushiri, the chief of the reb- 

 els, who was secretly encouraged and paid by the 

 Sultan Seyyid Khalifa, was surprised by. a noc- 

 turnal attack, and the last of his followers were 

 dispersed. He escaped, but was delivered up by 

 the villagers among whom he took refuge, and 

 in accordance with the sentence of a court mar- 

 tial was hanged on Dec. 15. The Germans forti- 

 fied Pangani, Tanga, and the other recaptured 

 coast stations, sent out flying columns to clear 

 the interior of rebels, marauders, and slavers 

 from the various posts, and a considerable ex- 

 pedition into the distant interior, under Lieut. 

 Freiherr von Gravenreuth. Before the begin- 

 ning of November the Germans had reopened 

 the principal caravan route to Mpwapwa. The 

 Arab slave dealers were encouraged in their re- 

 volt by the East Indians, who have been the 

 bankers and merchants of the country for cent- 

 uries. There was a slight revival of trade in the 

 northern part of the protectorate before the mid- 

 dle of 1890. The administration of the coast be- 

 longing to the Sultan of Zanzibar and the cus- 

 toms were leased to the East Africa Company 

 for fifty years from April, 1888. The Sultan de- 

 clined to allow the retention of 170,000 rupees a 

 month and 5 per cent, commission as the cost 

 of administration, when the stations were aban- 

 doned, except Dar-es-Salaam and Bagamoyo, and 

 the duties were collected in Zanzibar. An ar- 

 rangement was made in 1890 for a new valua- 



tion of the customs on the basis of the average re- 

 ceipts for three years. After the death of Seyyid 

 Khalifa, on Feb. 13, 1890, and the accession of 

 his brother Seyyid Ali, the Germans pressed for 

 a revision of their treaties. The German Gov- 

 ernment is represented in east Africa by an im- 

 perial commissioner, Major Wissmann having 

 been the first one appointed. The sea block- 

 ade against the slave trade having been lifted on 

 Oct. 1, 1889, he was ordered to establish what 

 was called a land blockade, the German Govern- 

 ment being determined to proceed in Africa with 

 " clean hands " by suppressing the slave trade in 

 its protectorate. His force of 900 African sol- 

 diers and 100 Germans, with which, by the aid 

 of the guns of the fleet and a landing force of 

 200 marines, he captured Windi, Pangani, and 

 Saadani, was increased by enlisting and training 

 new men, and in the beginning of 1890 he had 

 under his command 73 officers, 134 non-commis- 

 sioned officers, 1,200 Soudanese, 380 Zulus, and 

 120 Askaris, besides Somalis in police service. 

 The fleet detailed for shore duty and placed un- 

 der his orders consisted of 4 steam gunboats. 



When it was supposed, after the reduction of 

 the revolt that Bushiri had successfully organ- 

 ized from Pangani to the southern part of Usa- 

 ramo, that the northern coast districts were com- 

 pletely pacified, a new rebellion broke out in 

 Usegua under the lead of Banaheri, who collect- 

 ed a formidable army that by some means was 

 abundantly supplied with breech-loading rifles 

 and ammunition. In planning the campaign 

 against the fresh uprising of the Arabs, Saadani 

 was fortified to serve as a base for the opera- 

 tions, and a post was established at Mkwadja. 

 In the first encounter,' on Dec. 25, a recon- 

 noitring force under Lieut. Schmidt was led 

 into an ambush, losing 9 killed and 6 wounded, 

 and with difficulty got away. On Jan. 4 Wiss- 

 mann with 500 troops attacked the fortified 

 camp of Banaheri, 7 miles from Saadani. The 

 Arabs, 1,500 in number, fought bravely for three 

 hours, retiring after 170 shells and 75 volleys 

 were poured into the position and the Germans 

 rushed to the assault. They were not pursued, 

 and when the troops marched away they fol- 

 lowed them back to Saadani, firing into their 

 rear. The German loss was 12 wounded. 



While engaged in reducing the coast popula- 

 tion to submission the Germans developed great 

 activity in extending their influence to the lakes 

 in the north, and especially in reviving trade on 

 the caravan routes. A garrison at Mpwapwa in- 

 sured the safety of the route by way of Tabora 

 from Bagamoyo to Tanganyika. After Freiherr 

 von Billow inflicted a defeat on their Masai en- 

 emies, the plundering Wasumba,all the Wagogo 

 of this region willingly accepted German sov- 

 ereignty. An expedition under Lieut. Ehlers 

 strengthened German influence at Kilimandjaro 

 in the country of the chief Mandara and in 

 Djagga, Meru, and Aroasha, making secure a 

 great part of the route from Pangani to Lake 

 Victoria. Emin Pasha, who after his return with 

 Henry M. Stanley's relief expedition disappointed 

 the English by entering the German service, de- 

 parted from Bagamoyo on April 24 with a force 

 of 200 Soudanese soldiers and a large caravan, 

 accompanied by several German officers. Bana- 

 heri, with the greater part of his followers, sur- 



