232 



EAST AFRICA. 



not speak their language. When they arrived at 

 Baringo in August they learned that in their ex- 

 hausted physical condition they were to be sent on 

 a distant expedition to unknown regions in the 

 north, not knowing what provision would be made 

 for their families, from whom they had long been 

 separated already. They complained of their mis- 



A NATIVE OF SOMAI.1I.AND. 



erable rations and of their pay, which was one 

 fourth as much as the soldiers from the coast re- 

 ceived. On Sept. 1.1 they refused to go with the 

 expedition, and when that was ordered to march 

 northward on Sept. 23 they openly mutinied and 

 started back homeward. They offered no violence 

 to any one, and declared repeatedly that they did 

 not wish to fight, but at the first station, while par- 

 leying with Mr. Jackson, the commissioner, they 

 were fired on by order of one of Major MacDonald's 

 officers, who came up, and they returned the fire, t he 

 men on both sides taking care not to hit. While 

 Major Mac Donald followed them by a parallel 

 route, they continued their progress from station 

 to station, joined by other Soudanese garrisons mi 

 the way. until >n Oct. 1<> they reached Lubwas, the 

 fort commanding the Nile where it issues from the 

 Victoria hike. Tin; garrison there, responding to 

 their appeal, mutinied and overpowered the English 

 officers. Major Thruston. and two civilians. Major 



MacDonald arrived two days later to find the mu- 

 tineers in possession of the fort. 



On Oct. 19 they came out of the fort, laughing 

 and saying that they did not want to fight, but the 

 English opened fire. Major MacDonald defeated 

 them in battle, killing or wounding a third of their 

 number, and after they were driven back into the 

 fort they killed their Eng- 

 /, lish prisoners. The Eng- 



lish built another fort along- 

 side in order to prevent 

 them from crossing the Nile 

 and marching upon Mengo, 

 whither the woman mission- 

 aries were brought from 

 , the different stations to be 

 guarded in the secure fort 

 at Kampala. The Souda- 

 nese garrison there, number- 

 ing 330 men, was immedi- 

 ately disarmed. The Wa- 

 ganda Mohammedans made 

 common cause with the mu- 

 tinous troops. About 850 

 Soudanese still remained 

 loyal and were retained in 

 their stations in the various- 

 provinces. The British be- 

 sieged the fort at Lubwus, 

 but were unable to attack 

 for lack of ammunition un- 

 til Nov. 24. On Dec. 11 

 there was another engage- 

 ment. 



Leaving the mutineers 

 besieged by 500 Waganda 

 at Lubwas, Major MacDon- 

 ald went to Budu, where 

 the Mohammedan Wuganda 

 had risen in revolt once 

 more. King Mwanga hav- 

 ing escaped from the con- 

 finement in which he had 

 been kept by the German 

 authorities, and having ap- 

 peared again in Budu. The 

 mutineers continued to de- 

 fend themselves in the fort 

 at Lubwas. In December 

 some of them fled across the 

 White Nile with the object 

 of returning to their old 

 homes in the Soudan. On 

 Jan. 9 the main body, evad- 

 ing the vigilance of the 

 English, escaped in a dhow 

 across the Nile and marched 



slowly in the direction of the capital. They were 

 no longer as formidable, having lost a third of 

 their numbers and run short of ammunition. The 

 danger was greater among the other Soudanese. 

 with whom the rebels had communicated from 

 Lubwas. Capt. Harrison with a force of 200 sol- 

 diers and 1,000 Waganda natives set out to inter- 

 cept the mutineers. In February the mutineers 

 were still at no great distance from Lubwas, to the 

 north of the lake. The Government dispatched at 

 once a regiment of 750 Indian troops from India, 

 followed by 360 more, and set about reorganizing 

 the military system of Uganda. Of the loyal Sou- 

 danese 700 were allowed to re-enlist, while the rest 

 of the force was made up of 700 Sutihilis and 400 

 Punjabi Mohammedans specially recruited for the 

 service from India. Before the Indian troops ar- 

 rived there was no force to maintain order and de- 

 fend the frontiers except the Waganda and Wasoga 

 spearmen, Major MacDonald's Suahilis, and (lie 



