Arabi Wad Dafaalla arrived in the autumn of 1893 from Omdurman, with 1,500 men, to supersede Abu Girga, the latter having another 1,500 at Rejaf. Arabi on his arrival wrote to Fadl el Mula Bey, now in command of some of Emin’s former men, Dervishes and Congolese.inviting him to seize Baert[194] and his officers and to bring them to him, but Fadl had had enough of the Dervishes, and declined; 400, however, of Baert’s 900 natives heard of this and deserted en masse to the Dervishes, and some of whom, under Abu Girga, were penetrating in a W.S.W. direction, and had arrived in the Makaraka country. Fadl el Mula then took service with Baert.
Baert does not appear to have actually come to blows with the Dervishes here, but with his thoughts intent on establishing Congolese posts on the Upper Nile, and even on the Albert Nyanza, at Kavalli’s, he despatched four companies of Sudanese (400 men) under Fadl el Mula, to proceed to the Nile and there establish posts in the interest of the Congo Free State. The exact route of this party is not known; they appear to have gone first towards the Nile, in the direction of Rejaf, but hearing the Dervishes had re-occupied that spot and were close at hand in force, they retreated to Makaraka and Wandi. Fight at Wandi.Here they were overtaken and had a severe fight with the Dervishes, losing Fadl el Mula (killed—some say taken prisoner and executed) and about half their number, together with a large quantity of material of all sorts. 1894.After this defeat, which took place in January, 1894, the remaining 200 struck out for the Nile, and reached it about Muggi and Labore, but finding little food, drifted towards Wadelai, and arrived there early in February.
To refer now to Uganda for a moment.
Colonel Colvile was appointed Chief Commissioner in 1893, and arrived there on the 16th November of that year. Defeat of Kabarega.One of his first acts was to declare war against Kabarega, King of Unyoro, who had for some time been perpetually harassing Uganda, and on the second day of 1894 he occupied his capital. On the 2nd February Major “Roddy” Owen was despatched with a small party by boat to Wadelai, and on the 4th he arrived there, meeting at first with a hostile reception from the banks. He landed, however, hoisted the British flag, enlisted 50 natives (Luri) to protect it, Owen at Wadelai.and learnt from the natives that no white man had reached the place since Emin Pasha left it in 1888. The garrison had gone, he was informed, in April, 1893, to join the Dervishes. Hearing next day reports that a large body of “Dervishes” was approaching from the north, he retired, and arrived at Kibiro on the 11th.
From subsequent events it appears that these “Dervishes” were none other than the remaining 200 of Fadl el Mula Bey’s men, and had Owen remained another day he would have been able, no doubt, to bring them back with him into British territory.
As it was this event was only postponed for a short time, for Captain Thruston, who was sent to reconnoitre the western shores of the Albert Nyanza in March, found on the 23rd of that month the two Sudanese companies at Mahaji Soghair; to this spot they had drifted from Wadelai, not finding enough supplies at the latter place.
They were straightway enlisted by Thruston, and eventually brought back under the British flag to Uganda.
Events in the Bahr el Ghazal up to February, 1894.We must now take a glance at the Bahr el Ghazal, and endeavour to bring the history of that province, for the present, up to the beginning of 1894.
1886.The state of things in the Bahr el Ghazal since 1886 had been, on the whole, peaceable. On the death of Osman Ganu, Dervish commandant of Shakka, 1888. Abu Mariam.about 1888, the Emir Abu Mariam had succeeded him, and for three or four years little fighting had taken place. The country had relapsed into its original barbarous state of small native independent tribes, and Dervish influence, although nominally extending over the whole province, did not make itself felt in the direction of aggression.
Nothing worthy of record occurred until La Kéthulle appeared on the scene from the south. This officer had been ordered by Van Kerckhoven in 1891.1891 to proceed to Rafai’s, make friendly treaties with him, and obtain his assistance in furthering Van Kerckhoven’s expedition. He left Bomokandi in February, 1892.1892, and reached Rafai’s early in April. Here he was received in a most friendly manner, and made a treaty with Rafai on the 7th April. During the remainder of the year he established Congo posts up to the 7th parallel of north latitude, such as Alewali and Bandassi. Rafai assisted him to the best of his ability, and from December, 1892, to April, 1893.1893, accompanied him on an exploring tour viâ Yangu, Baraka, and the Upper Bali to Sango and back. La Kéthulle then returned to Yakoma, where a large expedition for the North was being organised by the Belgians, under Captain Nilis.