Eight miles down the road from Mnero Mission Station, to the east and slightly to the south of that place, lies Ruponda, where yet another large food depôt was known to have been established by the enemy, and this was now the Column’s immediate objective.

Having quitted the banks of the Mbemkuru, the British troops were once again dependent upon water-holes, but the country was here less arid than it had been further north between Narungombe and Nahunga; and at Mnero itself, and thence all along the line of march eastward and southward, a sufficient, and at times even an abundant, supply of water was available either in existing water-holes or to be obtained by digging.

With the quitting of Mbemkuru Valley and the push to the south upon which No. 1 Column was now embarked, the second phase of the advance may be said to have ended and the third phase to have begun.

CHAPTER XII
LUKULEDI

The position at this moment was approximately as follows. After the taking of Nahungu on the 28th September it had become evident to the British Command that it was not possible to feed and supply all the troops assembled in that area, and the Nigerian Brigade was accordingly given a week’s rations, and with Major Pretorius acting as its guide, was bidden to march across country, by such tracks as it could find, to join up with “Linforce” on the Lindi-Massassi road. This was a somewhat perilous adventure, for, though the Nigerian Brigade carried with them only a week’s rations, it was anticipated that this cross-country march would probably occupy a period of at least ten days. The area about to be traversed, moreover, was very little known, and no exact information was forthcoming concerning the numbers or the disposition of the enemy’s troops between the Mbemkuru River and the Lindi-Massassi road. In Major Pretorius, however, the Nigerians possessed a tower of strength. This remarkable man, who in peace-time had been a professional elephant-hunter, not only knew the highways and byways of British and German East Africa more intimately than any other living soul, but had established over the native population a species of hypnotic influence. Though von Lettow-Vorbeck had placed a price upon his head, and though from time to time some unusually daring person had the hardihood and the imprudence to attempt to earn it, the gang of native toughs and scalawags whom he gathered around him and who aided him in his scouting, regarded him with an almost superstitious reverence and served him with unshakable fidelity. On this occasion he piloted the Nigerians across country, by footpaths and through the bush, for a distance of more than fifty miles as the crow flies, and brought them safely to their destination, though in the course of their march they had one very severe encounter with the enemy in which one of their battalions sustained heavy casualties.

Ever since they began their march inland from Lindi, the troops composing “Linforce,” with which the Nigerian Brigade had now joined up, had experienced persistent and very effective resistance from the enemy in the difficult, hilly country through which the Lindi-Massassi road runs; and at the time of the arrival of the Nigerians they had only succeeded in progressing along this highway for a distance of about thirty miles from their base. The enemy troops opposing them, like those which were resisting the advance of “Hanforce,” were based upon von Lettow-Vorbeck’s General Headquarters, which, as we have seen, were established at Massassi; and to the security of this place the advance of the converging British columns was now presenting a constantly increasing menace.

Von Lettow-Vorbeck, at the time of the arrival of No. 1 Column at the mission station at Mnero, was reported to be at Ruwanga, a spot in the centre of the base of a roughly isosceles triangle whereof the sides are formed respectively by the Mbemkuru River and the road from Mbemba to Ruponda. He was said to be occupying a strongly fortified position, and to have with him not less than ten companies of troops. The nearest British force was No. 2 Column of “Hanforce,” which was operating to the left and east of No. 1 Column; and it was confidently anticipated that von Lettow-Vorbeck would reinforce Ruponda now that that important food depôt was threatened by the occupation of Mnero.

On the arrival of No. 1 Column at the last-named place, on the 9th October, the 25th Cavalry pushed on towards Ruponda, and at 8 p.m. the Gold Coast Regiment followed in their wake, with orders to support them and to get as near to Ruponda as might prove to be possible. The rest of the Column was to march at 2 a.m.

At 1 a.m. on the 10th October the native guides with the Gold Coast Regiment reported that Ruponda village, which was said to be occupied by the 8th Schutzen Company, was only a short distance ahead. No trace of the 25th Cavalry was found, however, and it was supposed that they must have left the main road and that they must be camping somewhere in the bush.

At 5 a.m. orders were received by the Gold Coast Regiment to march upon Ruponda at 5.30 a.m., acting as the advanced guard of the column, and about the same time touch was at last obtained with the 25th Cavalry, who reported that Ruponda was occupied by the enemy and was being held against the column’s advance. This was confirmed shortly afterwards when the advanced guard of the Regiment was fired upon as it drew near to the village; and I Company and the Pioneer Company thereupon moved forward to the attack, the remainder of the Regiment simultaneously making a flanking movement in order to occupy some high ground on the north-east of Ruponda.