3-075-049 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Dispute with Portugal: an Englishman in the "Tronk" (prison) at Delagoa Bay, 1890. 'At a time when the Portuguese doings in South-East Africa have provoked so much comment and dispute, the seizure of the Delagoa Bay Railway, on June 29 last year, is perhaps worthy of being related. The following narrative is written by Mr. Wallis Mackay, who furnishes our Sketches of the affair: "According to a manifesto issued earlier in the month, the railway was to be taken by the Portuguese on June 21, and Mr. Philip Knee, the general manager, with whom I was staying at his house on the hill above Lourenço Marquez, received notice from the Governor of Delagoa Bay that, if necessary, military force would be used, in seizing the train and line...Many of the railway officials, as well as the Dutch engineer, were immediately thrown into 'tronk,' or prison, including Mr. George Warre, secretary and interpreter to the British Consul. The timely arrival of H.M.S. Raleigh and two other gun-boats soon altered their position, and saved them the misery and suspense of possible removal to Mozambique, which is the terror of any foreigner who has the ill-fortune to offend Portuguese authorities in South-East Africa".' From "Illustrated London News", 1890.