I 20 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
the way we had to travel through Nyaserera’s country, and between bands of 
sullen-looking warriors on either side of the narrow path. They would probably 
have attacked us but that an escort of Sikhs had come out to meet us from 
Fort Lister. 
At this place I held meetings with many chiefs, and 
endeavoured to detach from Nyaserera his relations and 
allies ; and this diplomacy proved so far successful that 
when later on Lieut. Edwards arrived from Fort Johnston 
he had only Nyaserera to fight, and subdued him after a 
brief campaign. 
Later in the year further troubles broke out in the 
Mlanje district, with the chief Mkanda, whose subjects 
had been concerned in recent road robberies, and who was 
continually kidnapping women for the slave trade. I took 
advantage of the arrival of the second detachment of 
ioo Sikhs to bring Mkanda to his senses, but I thought 
at first it would be sufficient for him to be made aware 
that the Sikhs were encamped in the plain on their way 
to Fort Lister, while the collector of the Mlanje district 
(Mr. Bell) visited Mkanda in the mountains with a small 
escort and delivered an ultimatum, to which I believed 
Mkanda would submit. Mkanda, however, was very in¬ 
solent, and his men commenced attacking Mr. Bell's escort. 
To protect themselves in retreating the escort set fire to 
some houses and loose stacks of grass for thatching, and 
succeeded in reaching the main force encamped in the 
plain. They then com¬ 
municated with Captain 
Johnson at Fort Lister, 
and awaited instructions as to further pro¬ 
cedure. Mkanda took advantage of this tem¬ 
porary inaction to attack the Scotch Mission 
station on the borders of his territory. The 
missionaries took to flight and Mkanda’s men 
gutted and burnt most of the houses, and 
succeeded in carrying off several guns and a 
quantity of ammunition. Fortunately the up¬ 
rising spread no farther, and the other Yao 
chiefs did not join in, though Matipwiri sent 
out skirmishers to see what he could do in the 
way of highway robbery. 
Mkanda’s men also intercepted and slew 
several Atonga labourers on their way to a 
European plantation, but after several days’ 
hard fighting among the crags and precipices 
of Mlanje, Captain Johnson succeeded in 
capturing all Mkanda’s positions, and Mkanda 
fled. 
His near relation Kada, who had remained on our side during this struggle, 
succeeded him in the chieftainship. Most of his people returned when peace 
was made, and were allowed to settle in the plains instead of amongst the 
SIKH SOLDIER IN UNDRESS 
A SIKH SOLDIER IN 
FIGHTING KIT 
