FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3148, 18 February 1911, Page 3

FIGHT WITH CANNIBALS.

BRITISH COLUMN’S SIX DAY’S ENGAGEMENT. Late advices from Onitsha, Southern Nigeria, says Renter’s Agency, thaib a small British force has been engaged for several days with cannibal tribes m tlie Awo country. A detachment of the Southern Nigeria Regiment under the command of Lieutenant D. Hay Thorburn (Scottish Rifles) was escorting Mr. Syer, the British Commissioner at Onitsha, throiigh the Awo_ country, about forty miles south-east of Onitsha, when the chief of the town or Awo began hostilities by a treacherous attack. Fighting went on from day to day, and when tliese advices left had continued intermittently for six days. Reinforcements were being hurried up to the asistance of Lieutenant Thorburn’s small column, lor other towns besides Awo were joining in the fray. The Awos are a very degraded.tribe of cannibals. They are armed with percussion ca'fi guns and some are believed to have Sniders. Their mode of fighting is adapted to their country. Their roads are blocked by trees thrown across them and these are vised as barricades for the defenders. Spikes of hard wood sharpened and poisoned are concealed under the grass and leaves of the paths.