Group items tagged

Firearms and gunpowder had originated in China and spread throughout Eurasia before reaching Africa.

firearms supplied by Portuguese and Arab-Swahili traffickers in exchange for slaves and ivory were central to the state of Lumpungu (in today’s Democratic Republic of Congo) in conquering surrounding chiefdoms and create a centralized state structure, in the third quarter of the 19th century. 32

Most weapons imported at that time were handguns, typically smoothbore, muzzleloading, flintlock muskets. 1

A few military historians have argued that the weapons imported during the slave trade were not suitable for military use, including slave raiding. 46 Rather, it has been argued that, the weapons were used for non-military means, such as guarding crops.

Firearms were well spread in East Africa in the second half of the 19th centu

According to primary data, Italy and France made very large profits from supplying weapons to different Ethiopian kingdoms through their protectorates

By the early 1880s, almost all soldiers in Ethiopia carried firearms. 75 The literature illustrates how large-scale small arms imports were made available through international trade and alliances between foreign representatives and national and regional rulers. Merchants and transit points were also evident phenomenon of small arms trade at the time.

Mediterranean Sea.

fierce storms

Portugal’s exploring aims were largely commercial. The Portuguese wanted to find a sea route around Africa to the riches of Asia. Like other European powers, they wanted to trade directly in valuable Asian spices. The older trade routes to Asia were becoming increasingly blocked to them.

The Portuguese wanted to end Muslim control over northern Africa. That desire was one of several reasons why Portugal explored the continent in the 15th century. Spreading Christianity in Africa was another motive for Portuguese exploration, along with scientific curiosity. They also sought great wealth.

The Portuguese also wanted to establish trade with western Africa. Gold, ivory, and African slaves had long been traded across the Sahara to Muslims in the north.

By the time Henry died in 1460, his navigators had explored the coast as far south as Sierra Leone. For a time the Portuguese were busy fighting the Moroccans, and few exploring expeditions were sent out. John II became king of Portugal in 1481. Under John, the Portuguese once again began exploring Africa regularly

stone pillar

For the next 15 years, Livingstone was constantly on the move in the African interior. First, he ventured north of Cape Town into the Kalahari, a vast dry plain. By 1842 he had already traveled farther north in the Kalahari than any other European. In 1844 he traveled to Mabotsa to establish a mission station. Along the way he was mauled by a lion, and his left arm was injured. The following year Livingstone married Moffat’s daughter Mary. She accompanied him on many of his travels.

Modern exploration of the Nile basin began when Egypt conquered Sudan starting in 1821. As a result, the Egyptians learned more about the courses of the Blue Nile and the White Nile. A Turkish officer, Selim Bimbashi, led three expeditions between 1839 and 1842. Two of them reached the point in what is now South Sudan where rapids make navigation of the Nile difficult.

The Catholic mission movement in Africa which had started in the late fifteenth century and was given new direction by the foundation in 1622 in Rome of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide by Pope Gregory XV, nearly collapsed under the impact of the French revolution and Napoleonic wars in the late eighteenth century, when many religious houses and congregations in Europe were closed down. It recovered in the first decades of the nineteenth century and revived the work of evangelization in Africa.

The vast African continent was always present in Lavigerie’s thoughts. From 1867 until his death in November 1892 the immense African interior remained the principal object of Cardinal Lavigerie’s zeal and from the very beginning he planned an apostolate south of the Sahara. Cardinal Lavigerie, as Professor of Early Church History at the Sorbonne, knew well that Christianity had had a very long history in Africa due to the existence of the ancient Churches in Egypt, the Roman Africa, Nubia and Ethiopia.

The missionary movement which was far from successful during this early period as far as Christian conversion was concerned, met with huge success in another field. In most regions of sub-Saharan Africa outside the reach of Islam, Africans were introduced to written literature through Christian propaganda, the very first books in their own African language were produced to advance the Christian cause. Missions of all denominations disseminated education in their attempt to win converts and to train African catechists. ‘Transforming Africa by the Africans”, was the formula advocated by Cardinal Lavigerie in his instructions to the White Fathers. “The missionaries must therefore be mainly initiators, but the lasting work must be accomplished by the Africans themselves, once they have become Christians and apostles. And it must be clearly noted here that we say: become Christians and not become French or Europeans.”1 1 Missionaries were therefore asked to adapt themselves to the Africans, to strip themselves, as much as possible, of the cultural elements peculiar to them, of their language in the first place. It was believed that without effective and active communication it was impossible to pursue the conversion of the Africans.

This concern for African languages developed by both Catholic and Protestant missionaries laid the foundations for literature in African languages reduced into written form. Christianization went with reading and writing, with the rise of African literatures.

The schools they established were often boarding schools because missionaries believed that in an atmosphere of the boarding school far removed from the traditional cultural influences of their homes, new converts would more easily give up all or most of their traditions. The school system promoted Western values and desires. Missionary schoolmasters provided a total culture pattern, including church attendance, Christian morality, table manners, etc. All this led to the segregation and alienation of converts from their families and their societies.

I still had to get my ivory down the Sab;. I first went up to Nonz:ant,ans by the old route and then retllrned to Chiluana to alrange for a boat.

Umzila had managed to get goods vforth lOOOZ from a Portuguese into his hands, and had given him back in es:change ivory not worth more than 2501. The interview was a brief and altogether unsatisfactory one, and led to no practical result.

A

Not a single observation for latitude appears to have been made between Kirenji and the Tanganyika, although this country has been traversed very many times by European travellers.

, has been laid down from a rough Ms. map prepared by the traveller. Mr. Moir, in a note written on the face of his map in 1883, states that Mom- bera's is laid down from actual observations made at that place in let. 11 ° 37' S., and 30 ° 50' 30" E. ; that Mr. Stewart and himself subse- quently took lunars at the place, the result agreeing within a few miles.

at night, on the 19th, they camped close to Kambomba's town, which lies at the foot of the hills, immediately to the west of Mount Parasinga. There are between four and five hundred huts, and many sheep, but n~> cattle, as the tsetse abounds in the Loangwa valley.

On the 15th the road led through a level country and past severn} villages, the inhabitants of which were armed with bows and poisoned arrows.

"pelele,"

Most of the villages are inhabited by Basenga. It then climbed the hills to the village of the chief Chifungwi, a little thin man,

wana Hill, where Arabs trading in slaves and ivory, have a station, lies within this district.

with a small head, who wore anklets and Bracelets of brass-wire and beads. His people are Wasingwa, but Mangamba and other villages belonging to him are inhabited by fugitives from Unyika, who fled from the dreaded Merere.

Mombera to Kambomba, 27 h. 6 rain. 76"06 miles. Kambomba to Kirenji,. 41 ,, 22 ,, 112'59 ,, Kirenji to Karonga, 18 ,, 14 ,, 54"17 ,,

The western shore of Lake Iqyassa is partly based upon information collected by Mr. Donald Munro during a land journey from Bandawe to Karonga (Aug. 18-30, 1884).

The Luweya forms a small delta, enclosing two swampy islands, fringed along its lake shore by sand-banks about 600 feet wide, which are thickly covered with native huts, Ngombo's people occupying the southern, and Makambiro the northern island. The southern arm of the river (Lnweya-mufwa) leaves the main stream about 2 miles from the lake; it is 30 yards broad, 3 feet deep, and has a slow current. The dimensions of the main branch are similar, but its current is stronger. The northern arm (Chintechi) resembles a swamp rather than a river. The people who crowd the delta live in daily dread of the Mangone, against whom the swamps afford a certain measure of security. Their exhalations, on the other hand, are a source of much disease, and the many recently covered graves in the villages afford evidence of this.

The three rocky islands (" Chirwa," Chirupumbu, and another) in a broad bay to the north are crowded with huts, some of them upon piles. The adjoining mainland has a poor soil, notwithstanding which cassava i.~ cultivated, and food appears to be plentiful.

Leaving this bay, Mr. Munro climbed over steep hills, rising to a height of 1500 feet, and then returned to the lake, which he reached near a small bay dubiously called "Magwina" (" crocodile "). Wretched huts of fugitives cling to the hill- sides further to the north.

Patowtow is a beautiful little harbour, extending about half a mile inlaml, and bounded by steep hills. It affords excellent shelter.

Mr. M'Ewan left Bandawe on April 7, 1885, and, having been joined by Mr. Munro, started from Mombera's on April 14. The travellers eneamped on that day at the foot of the Kabo Rock---a mass of granite covering an area of 160 by 80 yards, and rising to a height of 80 feet. Mount Parasinga, a prominent peak, was clearly visible, bearing 269", and during the progress of the journey proved a valuable landmark.

Five miles to

e north of it a river of similar dimensions, the Chiwetwi, enters the lake. The country hereabouts is well cultivated by people from the interior, who spend the rainy season until harvest time in temporary dwellings.

Ruali, the first village of Uchungu, stands upon the lake shore. Its houses and inhabitants contrast very favourably with what is to be seen among the Atonga to the south.

Commander Young

Not a single observation for latitude appears to have been made between Kirenji and the Tanganyika, although this country has been traversed very many times by European travellers.

latitude

Mr. Moir, in a note written on the face of his map in 1883, states that Mom- bera's is laid down from actual observations made at that place in let. 11 ° 37' S., and 30 ° 50' 30" E. ; that Mr. Stewart and himself subse- quently took lunars at the place, the result agreeing within a few miles.

with a small head, who wore anklets and Bracelets of brass-wire and beads. His people are Wasingwa, but Mangamba and other villages belonging to him are inhabited by fugitives from Unyika, who fled from the dreaded Merere.

On the 15th the road led through a level country and past severn} villages, the inhabitants of which were armed with bows and poisoned arrows.

"pelele,"

at night, on the 19th, they camped close to Kambomba's town, which lies at the foot of the hills, immediately to the west of Mount Parasinga. There are between four and five hundred huts, and many sheep, but n~> cattle, as the tsetse abounds in the Loangwa valley.

It then climbed the hills to the village of the chief Chifungwi, a little thin man,

Mr. M'Ewan left Bandawe on April 7, 1885, and, having been joined by Mr. Munro, started from Mombera's on April 14. The travellers eneamped on that day at the foot of the Kabo Rock---a mass of granite covering an area of 160 by 80 yards, and rising to a height of 80 feet. Mount Parasinga, a prominent peak, was clearly visible, bearing 269", and during the progress of the journey proved a valuable landmark.

Mombera to Kambomba, 27 h. 6 rain. 76"06 miles. Kambomba to Kirenji,. 41 ,, 22 ,, 112'59 ,, Kirenji to Karonga, 18 ,, 14 ,, 54"17 ,,

The western shore of Lake Iqyassa is partly based upon information collected by Mr. Donald Munro during a land journey from Bandawe to Karonga (Aug. 18-30, 1884).

The Luweya forms a small delta, enclosing two swampy islands, fringed along its lake shore by sand-banks about 600 feet wide, which are thickly covered with native huts, Ngombo's people occupying the southern, and Makambiro the northern island. The southern arm of the river (Lnweya-mufwa) leaves the main stream about 2 miles from the lake; it is 30 yards broad, 3 feet deep, and has a slow current. The dimensions of the main branch are similar, but its current is stronger. The northern arm (Chintechi) resembles a swamp rather than a river. The people who crowd the delta live in daily dread of the Mangone, against whom the swamps afford a certain measure of security. Their exhalations, on the other hand, are a source of much disease, and the many recently covered graves in the villages afford evidence of this.

The three rocky islands (" Chirwa," Chirupumbu, and another) in a broad bay to the north are crowded with huts, some of them upon piles. The adjoining mainland has a poor soil, notwithstanding which cassava i.~ cultivated, and food appears to be plentiful.

Leaving this bay, Mr. Munro climbed over steep hills, rising to a height of 1500 feet, and then returned to the lake, which he reached near a small bay dubiously called "Magwina" (" crocodile "). Wretched huts of fugitives cling to the hill- sides further to the north.

Patowtow is a beautiful little harbour, extending about half a mile inlaml, and bounded by steep hills. It affords excellent shelter.

Bwana Hill, where Arabs trading in slaves and ivory,

The country hereabouts is well cultivated by people from the interior, who spend the rainy season until harvest time in temporary dwellings.

Ruali, the first village of Uchungu, stands upon the lake shore. Its houses and inhabitants contrast very favourably with what is to be seen among the Atonga to the south.

Commander Young