Notes on the History of Vumba, East Africa

Abstract

TiaE Mohammedans, as is well known, displayed, for some centuries after the death of their great prophet, a remarkable activity in attemiipting to subjugate and, at the same time, to evangelise the world.Thus, the Moors predominated in northern Africa an(d extended their conquests to Spain ancd to other countries in southern Europe; the Saracens drove the Byzantine emperors from their Asiatic dominions and made themselves masters of the places held sacred by the early Christian Church; and the Arabs ancd Persians emigrated to and colonised variou's parts of India and Africa.A few of the latter people, coming from the plains of Shirazi, settled, abolut the time King John ascended the throne of England, near the mouth of a river on the mainland of the east coast of Africa, almost opposite Pemba (a large island( north of Zanzibar), and some fifty miles souith of Mombasa, the capital of the East Africa Protectorate and the terminus of the Uganda Railway.This river, the mouth of which divides the British and German spheres of influence, is kinowni by the name of Umnbce, wlhilst the district watered by its delta is called Vwinba.1To the present day, on the banks of the Mchamalale2 stream (one of the arilms of the Umba river), in an almost impenetrable jungle between Vanga3 and Jasin,4 are to be seen the remains of what formerly mlust have been a large city.This I The Uiniba river rises near Mlalo in the Usamlbar a hills, a range runniing at right angles to the coast from Tanga (a town thirty miles south of the Anglo-Germall frontier) towards Kilima Njaro, tlle highest mouLntain in Africa.The name is believed to he taken from the Kiswahili, or native word, Afaztmba, meaning sea-urchins, which are found in lalge quiantities on its banks, whilst Vumba is tlhought to he a corruption of Kaumbca viitngu, to make pots, the soil being particularly adapted to pottery work of all kinds, large qualntities of eartlhen utensils being shipped from the neighbouring ports to Zanzibar, Pemba anid Mombasa.The Portuguese, it would seem, origilnally called the district Utmba, i.e., the country of the UImba; it is, therefore, possible that both Vumba and Unmba are derived from the samle root.' Wasin (frequently written Wassein) is an island off the British coast not far from Vanga.For a description, vide page 284.2 Kigomeni is a small fishing village in German territory, near Jasin. 3Gasi, commonly, but erroneously, spelt Gazi, is situated half-way between Mombasa and Vanga.From 1837 to 1895, it was the seat of the elder or el-Khelani branch of the Mazrui (or, to use the correct Arabic form, Mazaraii) chieftains. 4 Takaungu, the seat of the younger branch of the Mazrui, is a town some thirty miiiles north of Momnbasa.6 Vide Blue-Book No. 6 (1896).Correspondence concerning the recent rebellion ih East Afica.Ibid., p. 12. 7 Ibid., p. 52. 8 Pongwe is the name of a part of Vumba Ndogo.The meaning of the word, whicl is pronounced by the natives P'ongwe, is unknown. 9The Mohammedans reckon from the higra or era of the fligbt, which took place on Friday, July 16th, A.D. 622.The year contains 35411 days.-TheIndian Calendar.10 Bin (Arabic ibn) means son of; binti, daughter of." Alati is a contraction of the Arabic Alui. 12 The Wadigo and Wasegeju are the principal native tribes inhabiting the Vumba district.According to tradition, the Wadigo, one of the numerous allied clans known collectively as the Wanyika, or desert people, who fringe this part of the African coast, were already settled in the country when the first of the Sultans of Vumba Kuu was chosen.They are believed to lhave come fromn Digi and Kirau in Shungwaya, the native iiname for the plains lyilg on the left This content downloaded from 62.122.73.

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