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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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NATIVE TROOPS OF THE} BELGIAN ARMY CUTTING ENEMY LINES OE COMMUNICATION 



The Askari is a daring and efficient fighter. Most of the soldiers are recruited from the 

 Bangala, the most intelligent of the Congo tribes. 



from Toa, about 20 miles up the coast, 

 reporting that an enemy vessel was 

 sighted coming southward. Prayers were 

 finished and the men ordered to get into 

 fighting rig (khaki shirts and shorts) and 

 to stand by their boats. 



At 1 1 the boats left harbor, accompa- 

 nied by the two Belgian boats, Netta and 

 Teuton, which were ordered to stand by 

 to pick up the crews of the Mimi and 

 Tou-Tou should they be struck, as one 

 shell hit would have been sufficient to 

 sink either boat. 



At 1 1 140 the German gunboat Kingani 

 (this being the vessel reported) was well 

 in Tembwe Bay, to the right of our depot, 

 and apparently had stopped ; but evidently 

 sighting our boats suddenly, the presence 

 of which on the lake the enemy had so 

 far been unaware of, the Kingani turned 

 to the eastward and made off at full speed. 



The British boats gave chase, and at 

 1 1 47, when within a 2,000-yard range, 

 opened fire with common shell. The 

 enemy immediately returned the fire, 

 aiming at the Mimi, which, however, drew 



