12 
LAND es? WATER 
September 19, 1918 
With a Motor Convoy in German East Africa 
A GERMAN HUNTER'S BAG 
This photograph was taken from a German at Dar-es-Salaam. 
IS there anywhere to sleep ? " 
Tliis was our first question when we reached Voi on 
the Uganda Railway at midnight, having just arrived 
from Zanzibar, after a long hot journey up country. 
Rain had been falling iorseveral hours, and everything 
was soaked ; but we found an empty tent beside the line, 
and dumped our baggage down inside. 
The Swahili boys from Zanzibar soon got to work, prepared 
our beds and rigged up mosquito nets, while we looked about 
for something to eat. After a bit we found a small Greek 
cook-shop and had some boiled eggs and coffee for supper. 
The boys found some shelter under a table, and spread their 
grass mats, and we got inside our bags and were soon asleep. 
Not for very long however ! A party of South Africans, 
hunting about for somewhere to spend the night, came upon 
us and, when they saw the mosquito nets, thought we were a 
hospital. They had great contempt for nets, and threw down 
their kits and went to sleep. Next morning they were badly 
bitten and we were not. / 
Five a.m. found everybody on the move, preparing for the 
train journey to 'Mbuyuni along the new military line. 
When everything was aboard, we took our seats in a cattle 
truck. The distance from Voi to 'Mbuyuni was sixty miles, 
and we travelled at the rate of five miles an hour ! An iron cattle 
truck in a tropical climate is hardly a pleasant means of trans- 
port, for the sun beats down upon the top and sides until they get 
burning hot. Europeans travel inside, while natives sit on 
the top. It is certainly cooler up there, but the ashes from 
the engine make it unpleasant ; besides, it is no easy thing 
to hang on. The niggers sit .back to back, and cling on by 
their toes ! 
To us, fresh out from home, the country seemed very won- 
derful as we went forward across vast plains, towards Kili- 
manjaro, 20,000 ft. high, with its everlasting snowcap, loo 
miles away. No wonder Kaiser Wilhelm wished this mountain 
to belong to Germany ! Under British rule it will probably 
become one of the touring centres of Africa. Situated as it 
is near a good railway from the port of Tanga, it can be reached 
in about ten hours. No human being has ever climbed to 
its summit. Men have been above the snow-line, but have 
never set foot on its top. 
Before leaving Voi I heard two good stories about the 
place. In the early days of the war, before we had many 
troops in the country, when the Germans were attacking the 
Uganda line and threatening Nairobi, the station-master, a 
Goanese, learned that thirty Germans were marching to 
assault his railway. Acting on his own initiative he sent a 
telegram to the G.O.C. : " Thirty Germans marching to 
attack my station. Please send one rifle and thirty rounds ! " 
History does not relate what reply he received, but it does 
relate the answer sent to a railway transport officer upon 
another occasion. The R.T.O. wired to the G.O.C, who was 
100 miles forward at Moshi, and full of his own troubles: " My 
station is being flooded out. Inform what I shall do." He 
received the following reply : " Stop the rain or move the 
station." 
On reaching 'Mbuyuni 'we found a large camp situated on 
the top of a hill. The Germans had made a stand here, but 
liad been driven out. Forty miles of pipe line had now been 
laid down, and there was a good water supply. The R.N.A.S. 
camp was close beside the line, and this unif, like every other, 
was badly supplied. 
' Next day Nanson and I trained to Moshi, and then motored 
on to old Moshi, 5,000 feet up Kilimanjaro. Nanson had an 
interview with (jcneral Smuts, and we learned what our 
orders were to be. 
Every one was glad to hear that we were to operate with 
General van Deventer, " The Flying Dutchman." Joppe 
van Deventer, as his men called him ; "van Splosh " as we 
named him, and this name stuck to him throughout the 
campaign. 
Our camp was now like a hive of bees. On May 
loth, Fliglit Sub-Lieut. Gallihawke . was sent off with a 
walking party and two hundred porters. He took one 
machine-gun with him, and his white men were all armed. 
His objective was Kondoa Irangi, 200 miles away to 
the South, for van Deventer had forced his way through the 
Germans, and had seized this place with his mounted men. 
It was a great strategic move, and a great surprise to the 
Huns. Every one had run very short of food on the way 
there, and various commanding officers had heliographed to 
"van Splosh": "My men have no rations. What shall I 
do ? " And the reply had come back : " The same as I am 
doing ! " 
On May 14th, Flight Sub-Lieut. Brown and Lieut. Cherry 
Kearton, 25th Fusiliers, who was attached to our squadron 
for, photographic duties, set off with another party. 
The first party was to prepare an aerodrome at Kondoa 
Irangi, and to carry through oil and petrol for the aeroplanes. 
The second was to establish an aerodrome near Lollkissale, 
half way to Kondoa, and to take with them large supplies of 
oil and petrol, to enable our machines to fly from 'Mbuyuni 
to Lollisskale, 130 miles, replenish their tanks and fly on 
another 90 miles to Kondoa Irangi. 
We knew that the motor transport section woul(J be the 
next to set out, and from May 14th to i8th we were busy 
TRANSPORT IN THE BUSH 
General Smuts watching motor transport at a 
typical river crossing in German East Africa. 
