202 WAR : CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



we had throughout the whole campaign, and it 

 was particularly pleasing to learn that the I.D. 

 had behaved well in the actual capture. One of 

 our officers, Lieutenant McGregor, with a force 

 of about sixty I.D. askaris and ruga-ruga, had 

 been attacked in an isolated position by superior 

 numbers, by a part of Tafel's force that was 

 attempting to break south. This attack took 

 place early in the morning, and McGregor put up 

 a fine defence, but was unfortunately killed about 

 midday ; whereupon, there being no other white 

 man with the party, the old black Sergeant-Ma j or 

 Commando (a Mnyanwezi) took charge, and 

 towards evening had completely beaten off the 

 enemy. The retreat of Von Lettow's force into 

 Portuguese territory was again the subject for 

 further and very premature congratulations in 

 high quarters, and once more the conquest of 

 German East was hailed in the papers. 



The sale of the bear's skin had twice been 

 concluded, though the animal himself, in the 

 shape of Von Lettow and his little army of picked 

 men, was very much alive, and marching south 

 to some purpose. In his last message to the 

 Kaiser, the late Governor of German South- West 

 had mentioned, in advising his imperial master 

 of the surrender of that colony, that owing to the 

 condition of their animals and the dryness of the 

 country, it had not been possible for their troops 

 finally to break north into Angola (Portuguese 

 West Africa) as originally intended. But, as we 



