MULLAH'S FOLLOWERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 430, 12 February 1909, Page 5

MULLAH'S FOLLOWERS.

SHELLED AND DISPERSED. (by TELEGisA.rn press, association—copyright.). London, 'February 10. Owing l to ,ono of the tribes. imploring the, cruiser -Philomel's protection, the . cruiser shelled; and dispersed the> Somaliland Mullah s followers, .and thereby dispelled a growing belief that. Great Britain did not intend to .protect-the friendly natives.' '..

In August. .1899,'. the ■ Mullah raided British territory, proclaimed himself tho Mahdi, and : Oooupied .Burao. - Ho was .- defeated near Ber- , liostile"operations till anoint British and Abyssinian 'expedition was organised in 1901. ,: •."•Abyssinia had ; attempted the . task by ■ herselt,- in; 1900, but without result.: -*r expedition succeeded in breaking the ,Mullah s power - for: thotime, being,- but the leader, himself , evaded capture. ..The operations S? , OTCr a yw? ™ towards the end of i 9D2 i, a "£ r ,» ,BeverA defeat' had : been suffered : ;by tho ; -British- force at- Erego;' on- Ootobrn: 6, .oiving to,.,tho.cowardice of;-tho,:riative levies, a •fresh expedition .was,,decided, upon, with- tho coop'pration of Italy; ivDuring the .whole', of 1303 the fighting lasted, , with 'occasional .success for :,the bortiali.Sjjthough-thoy wero routed twice by. tlie i Abyssmians—onco •by ! their owir countrymen,; and times by the British; under ■Brigadier : General :'.Mannirig, . 'snd'. the Italians. ■ MajorrGeneral; Egerton. was appointed to the '?SP»S« , S»®P? ,I d.-ia' June.-1003. In January; 190 i, the Mullah was .defeated, .with severe loss, at;, Jiaballi, ,liis , followers were and lie, .lnniself . ne.d.. . In June the . expeditionary force.was withdrawn; and. Colonel .(local Briga-dier-Goiieral) .'Swayne'. assumed full civil and military control over the protectorate. The cost of'.the expedition to the end ; of the-financial year 19034 ,'was,-stated to . - :In .December,. 1901;--the,Mullah was• assigned 'a- : 'settled, sphere, .in return 'for wnicn concession ho agreed to koep the peace. . For, rieaTly three ;yearS;he has;been comparatively qnjet,- .