FIGHTING IN CAVES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10963, 4 May 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

FIGHTING IN CAVES.

PADDED i^OATS ; AG AINST

POISONED ARROWS,

In order to clear out a band of Tibuks from their stronghold of" caves, west of Lake Chad, a British force last December had to improvise padded coats out of blankets to resist poisoned arrows, and had to crawl into dark caverns fullvf fierce pagon robbers. The operations, news of which reached England only last month; -resulted, - says Reuter, m two oi the four officers being wounded, eleven men killed; and forty wounded. Our force was a company of infantry from Maifoni. under Lieutenant Chayujr — who twas wounded-— a company of mounted infantry , from . Dumjiri under Lieutenant Chapman, > and a detachment of infantry from Wonibe under Lieutenant Thompson— who was wounded— with Captain Booth as Political. Officer.. > The Tibuk stronghold was about three 'miles m circumference, great_ racks, piled, erie on the other, and honeycombed with crevices and caves from which the Tibuks, without exposing themselves, maintained a deadly fire of poisoned arrows. Two soldiers were killed at 200 yards. A- •-»'.' - I n 'ten days the officers and men, haying to crawl between the boulders, cleaned out each cave separately. As the British crawled over the crevices they cuuld hear the Tibuks talking m th_k caves below. Occasionally one would be seen, who, after firing his arrow, would disappear. The enemy's casualties are reported at 300. Most of the British force were hit by arrows.