§ QUESTION—OBSERVATIONS.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYMy Lords, seeing the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his place, I beg to ask him whether he has received any information as to a statement which appears in the newspapers of a repulse of British troops in the neighbourhood of the Colony of Sierra Leone?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Lord KNUTSFORD)My Lords, a telegram was received from Sir William Quayle Jones, the Acting Governor of Sierra Leone, on Saturday last in the afternoon, from which we learnt that Tambi was attacked by the police force on the 18th. It failed to force its entry, and returned to the station from which it had started. I regret to say that Captain Robinson, commanding the Royal Engineers, and one of the police were unfortunately killed in action; Major Browne, Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, and eight police were severely wounded; Major Moore, Captains Landy and Cockburn, and 13 police were wounded. The Acting Governor was to leave for Kukuna yesterday, accompanied by 50 police, and he proposed to ascertain from the Chiefs there who are friendly whether they would be prepared and ready to furnish levies, and, with the assistance of the Sierra Leone Frontier Police, to capture Tambi. Perhaps, my Lords, I might assist you by stating some further details about this expedition. Carimoo, whose stronghold was at Tambi, has been for a long time raiding, much to the disadvantage and loss of the tribes, on the south of the River Scarcies. He has recently established himself at Tambi, the place we have endeavoured to take, and which is within the British sphere of influence. Last May Major Moore went up with a few police into the country with a view of settling matters, and it was hoped that he 1306 would be able to make some satisfactory arrangement. But when they got to Tambi, after Major Moore had explained to Carimoo that the mission was a peaceful one, the party were fired upon—one policeman was killed, and Major Moore, Captain Campbell, and several police were wounded. My Lords, it was absolutely necessary to take some measures in respect of this most unprovoked outrage, and those steps would have been taken at once but for the fact that the rainy season had arrived and nothing could be done at the time. A scheme of operations was afterwards prepared by Major Moore and by Major Browne, the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, who had had considerable experience in native warfare. This attack on Tambi has unfortunately failed; but it is hoped that a satisfactory result may still be secured by the combined action of native forces with the police. I may add that authority has been given to the Acting Governor, if it should be thought necessary, to employ West Indian troops to support the attack.