3-078-208 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Germans in East Africa - the Corvette Carola shelling Kilwa Kivinje, May 1., 1890. 'It will be remembered that, shortly after the German annexation of large territory on the East Coast of Africa, a place called Kilwa Kivinje, inhabited by an extremely lawless independent native tribe, was the scene of the murder of two representatives of the German Imperial East Africa Company, whose dead bodies were barbarously dragged round the town. Some Arabs sent down there by the German authorities at a later date were likewise put to death. The chastisement for this offence was long deferred; but on May 1, the German corvette Carola, commanded by Captain Valette, anchored about a mile and a half off the town, while H.M.S. Turquoise, Captain J. W. Brackenbury, C.B., commanding, had come down from Zanzibar to afford means of refuge to Indian traders, and took up her position outside the Carola. At sunset, on the same day, the Carola began shelling the town, and continued at intervals during the night, the purpose being to disturb and harass the natives rather than to destroy the town, as they were then keeping the Ramadan, in which Mussulmans are allowed to oat no food during the day, and consequently look forward to a good meal at night'. From "Illustrated London News", 1890.