Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/390

 382] FOEEIGN HISTOEY. [1899.

from Dar-es-Salaam to the lakes was about to be commenced, and met with the approval of the German Imperial Govern- ment. The native population numbered over 6,000,000 of inhabitants. The newly introduced hut tax yielded over 300,000 marks. Drought and damage by locusts had brought on famine which caused great mortality in the colony. .

British East Africa. — The chief result of the British expedi- tion under Colonel Martyr northwards from Uganda was the establishment of effective occupation as far north as Eejaf.

Colonel Macdonald's expedition arrived at Mombasa on their return from the country about Lake Eudolf early in March, having obtained a vast amount of very valuable information.

Sir A. Hardinge, her Majesty's Commissioner for the East Africa Protectorate, in September appealed for aid in behalf of the sufferers through famine in consequence of the failure of rain for three successive seasons in the Protectorate. The provinces of Ukamba and Sayyidieh exceptionally suffered. To relieve the victims of the famine the mission at Freretown under Eev. H. Binns had fed 500 to 1,000 of the natives constantly for twelve months.

Madagascar. — A rising of the natives took place at Ikongo on June 24, and some fighting was found necessary to suppress it.

The French Government made reparation to the Society of Friends for the seizure of their mission hospital at Antana- narivo in 1896.

General Galli6ni adopted measures to keep down rebellion and maintain order in the island. He erected a line of block- houses to protect the military road to Analamazaotra, and a ring of military posts around the capital.

The ex-Queen, Eanavalo, arrived on February 28 at Mar- seilles on her way to Algiers. She was not permitted to land in France.

Plague was raging in October among the Malagasy and Chinese in the island. The Sakalavas employed in constructing the Mojanga road had nearly finished it.

Uganda. — Bilal, the rebel Soudanese leader and the murderer of Major Thruston, was killed in action, and the band of mutineers was broken up and dispersed. On April 9 Kabarega was attacked on the east bank of the Nile by Lieut.-Colonel Evatt, and completely defeated. Mwanga, the ex-King of Uganda, with Kabarega, who was severely wounded, were captured and exiled to Kismayu on the coast.

The Uganda railway was making progress, and in April more than half the road to Lake Victoria was finished. A new route adopted had shortened the total length of the railway to 550 miles. The net expenditure on the railway in the year 1897-8 was 600,489Z. The Macupa railway bridge from Mombasa to the mainland, 1,383 feet in length, was opened in July, and named Salisbury Bridge. .

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