FOUNDING THE PROTECTORATE 
i o i 
at night. Accordingly at nine o’clock, on the evening of the igth of October, 
1891, one hour after the expiration of the term given for the restoration of the 
slaves, we fired a shell across the river into Mponda’s town, perhaps a quarter 
of a mile distant. Mponda had no conception of the range of artillery fire, 
or the effects of incendiary shells. The return fire of his guns and his muzzle¬ 
loading cannon was harmless, as we were almost beyond their effective range. 
A few more shells soon set much of Mponda’s town on fire, and he called for 
a truce. This was granted, but he only made use of it to withdraw with his 
women and ivory to a strong place he possessed in the hills. His fighting men 
remained and we renewed the struggle, which we kept up till the early morning, 
when we landed on the opposite shore and drove the remainder of the defenders 
out of Mponda’s town, which we then destroyed. A great many slaves were 
found by us in the town, and brought over to our camp. Many of these 
wretched people had come from vast distances in the interior of South Central 
FORT JOHNSTON IN 1 895 
Africa. The following day Mponda asked for terms of peace, and peace was 
eventually concluded. He then informed us as to the whereabouts of the slave¬ 
trading caravans: Captain Maguire pursued these people, capturing seven of 
them and releasing large numbers of slaves. The terms of peace offered to 
Mponda were very fair, and he probably rather gained in power by coming to 
an understanding with us. For four years afterwards he kept the peace; then 
in the belief that we were going to get the worst of it at the hands of Zarafi, 
he unwisely went to war once more, with the result that he is now temporarily 
exiled from his country. 
Makandanji, the first chief with whom we had fought, acknowledged the 
supremacy of Zarafi, a powerful chief who dwelt on a very high mountain 20 
miles to the east of Fort Johnston. VVe knew little about Zarafi in those days, 
except that he had not long succeeded his mother, a famous woman-chief called 
Kabutu. Zarafi, imagining that we should follow the attack on Makandanji by 
an advance into his country, sent envoys down to treat with us for peace. We, 
therefore, on one day, concluded treaties with Mponda, Zarafi, and Makandanji, 
and seemed to have accomplished the pacification of South Nyasa. 
