240 WAR: CAMPAIGNING IN EAST AFRICA 



The German force went as far south as Nama- 

 curra, about fifty miles only from Quelimane 

 and within a few days' march of the Zambezi. 

 There, after scattering and taking two guns from 

 a considerable Portuguese force, they attacked 

 and badly cut up an advanced part of one of our 

 K.A.R. battalions. It may be of interest to 

 mention that the fighting at Namacurra was the 

 best part of 1,000 miles away from Dar-es-Salaam, 

 the headquarters of our Commander-in-Chief. 

 In this district the Germans obtained a great 

 quantity of European supplies from the Portu- 

 guese, and much loot in the way of cloth, etc., 

 from the local stores. I believe the German 

 whites had a tremendous spree with the captured 

 Portuguese wine and other liquors, while their 

 askaris collected a considerable number of 

 " bibis " (women), the very essence and cream 

 of all booty for black soldiers. Nor were these 

 women altogether such a handicap to their force 

 as might be imagined, for all, acting as extra 

 porters, carried loads of loot and food for their 

 masters, besides cooking their food. 



From Namacurra the enemy next turned 

 sharply east or rather north-east, a threat to our 

 communications on the Mozambique side. Again 

 he hit us hard at Namirrue, where he had appar- 

 ently surprised and surrounded, on a little rocky 

 hill just above the Portuguese boma, a small force 

 of ours that included some Gold Coast M.I. I 

 doubt if in the whole campaign the German 



