The party was
under the command of a notorious ruffian named Lazim, whom I had known
during my former exploration.
Upon arrival in the Umiro country, during the night after a forced
march, he sent a detachment of 103 men, together with about 150 natives,
to attack the villages by a surprise at dawn, and to capture the slaves
and cattle in the usual manner.
The party started at the early hour of first cock-crow, while the main
body under Lazim waited for the result.
Hours passed, but the company did not return. A few shots had been heard
in the distance.
The country was clear and open, but nothing could be seen. There was no
lowing of cattle, neither did the heavy clouds of smoke, usual on such
occasions, point out the direction of burning villages.
Presently, drums were heard in every direction, the horns and whistles
of the Umiro sounded the alarm, and large bodies of natives rushed
across the plain to the attack of Lazim's main body.
They had just time to form, and to post the men around the strong cattle
kraal, which they had occupied, when the stream of enemies came down
upon them.
Upon the open plain, the Umiro had no chance in attacking so well
defended a position, and the muskets, loaded with heavy mould shot, told
with great effect upon the naked bodies of the assailants.
The Umiro were beaten back with some loss, and the slave-hunters held
the position, although in a state of terror, as they felt that some
terrible calamity must have befallen the party which had started to
surprise the villages.
After dark, a Bari native cried out to the sentries to let him pass.
This was a wounded man of their own people, the only survivor of all
those who had left the main body on that morning.
The Bari described, that the Umiro, having gained information of the
intended attack, had lain in ambush within high withered grass, in which
they had awaited the arrival of their assailants.
The slave-hunters were advancing as usual, in single file, along the
narrow track through the high grass, unsuspicious of an enemy, when the
Umiro rushed from both sides of the ambuscade upon them.
Taken by surprise, a panic seized the slave-hunters, very few of whom
had time to fire their muskets before they were speared by the pitiless
Umiro, who wreaked wholesale vengeance by the massacre of 103 of Abou
Saood's men and about 150 of their allies.
The main body under Lazim were completely cowed, as they feared an
overwhelming attack that might exhaust their ammunition. The Umiro had
now become possessed of 103 guns and several large cases of cartridges,
in addition to those in the pouches of the soldiers.
