JOURNEY FROM ASHAKA TO MAIFONI 225 



Bauchi, invited Attahira to take refuge in his city and 

 set up his standard, to which there flocked all the outlaws 

 and malcontents of the country, and soon the place became 

 a hot-bed of sedition. It therefore became necessary to 

 suppress the seeds of rebellion, and for this purpose troops 

 were drawn from all parts of the Protectorate. 



The force was composed of about 500 men of the Northern 

 Nigeria regiments ; sixty mounted infantry under Major 

 Barlow ; one millimetre, one seven-pounder and two maxim 

 guns under Captain Henvey ; the whole under the command 

 of Major Marsh. Meanwhile, the defences of Burmi had 

 been strengthened, all the seven gates having been barri- 

 caded save that on the south side, where a second trench 

 had been dug in addition to the one that ran all round the 

 walls. At the foot of the latter, holes had been made to enable 

 the defenders to escape within the town. The construction 

 of double trenches revealed a degree of ingenuity unexpected 

 in the natives, and leads one to beheve that there must have 

 been some ex-soldiers of our own or of the French forces in 

 the service of the Sultan. Previous to the attack all the 

 women and children had been sent away, and it is said that 

 there were at least 10,000 men in the town. The majority 

 of the defenders were armed with bows and many of the 

 arrows were poisoned ; some used throwing spears and others 

 " dane " guns and rifles. 



The attack was made at eleven o'clock on the morning 

 of July 27. The troops formed square 300 yards from the 

 town and the milHmetre opened fire on the southern gate. 

 It is a pity that this point had been chosen for the assault, 

 as it was the only one at which an enfilading fire could be 

 I p 



