...
NJpvertheles h< Portugi ese, stubbrrn
as they ar.-, did not respect long the
law. in view of the fact that they remai.
ned in business up to the present moment dealing in human flesh, forced
abour and other forms of bondage.
It is known that until 18<*) the Portuguese sphere of Influence, south of the
Save river, was limited to a few scattered traders and missionaries whose principal purpose was to prepare the road
for exploitation and domination by the
Portuguese army. Only after the British
ultimatum in 1890 did the occupation
become a reality. From this date onwards the Portuguese imposed their authority on the African. They refused to pay
tributes to African princes.
Nevertheless, some chiefs did not
sympathize with the Portuguese attitude
Then Occurred a series of assaults, out
of which the Portuguese defended themselves and succeeded through bribes
to subordinate certain chiefs who later
moved to the Portuguese side and fought against the chiefs who would not
accept the foreign domination. This is
what happend to the chief of Marra-
cuene in 1894. who fought the Portuguese
in the battle of Marracuene where the
Portuguese suffered a great defeat. Later
the Portuguese obtained the help of the
subordinate princes and lackeys of the
Lourenco Marques district and a few
Angolans (according to Portuguese history). Thus, in February, 1895, the army
of chief Marracuene, under the command or general Magaia. gave way. having to face such a great proportion of
forces, calculated about 6,000 well equipped men. However, the expedition was
not terminated. They marched toward
the north to Gaza, where the forces of
King Ngungunyana dominated. King
Ngungunyanas forces fought the enemy
Jn the valley of the Incomari river at
Magul, where a fierce battle took place,
which was won by the Portuguese.
In the same year, a column under
the command of Captain Mouzinho de
Albuquerque landed at Inhambane. As
always the motto "divide and rule".,
the Portuguese succeeded to subordinate
the chiefs of Inhambane and of Mucho-
pes through false promises, to permit
the passage towards Mandlacaze, where
King Ngungunyana lived. At this stage.
King Ngungunyana was in war with
King Xtpenanyane of Muchopes, and
since the latter wanted to free himself
from his neighbour enemy, he thought
it was opportune to unite his iorces with
those of the Portuguese Captain Mouzinho de Albuquerque, whom he figured
was a friend. Together they went in
search of King Ngungunyana, whom
they found in his palace in the company
of the queen and prince Godlde alone.
After this betrayal, general Magigwana
attempted lo revenge In vain over his
king in the battles of Chaimite and
Coolela. where this general lost his life,
terminating therefore, the campaigns of
the south of the Save river.
The famous King Ngungunyana
arrested - the news reached King Ma-
combe I, of Barue. Niassa district, in the
following year. King Macombe I, swore
vengeance against the Portuguese, and
for this he declared war and invaded
the colonialist fortresses A number of
combats took place. The war lasted
about twenty years as it was only in
19i7 that peace was restored and Macombe III fled to Rhodesia, where he
spent his last days, while the Portuguese
were engaged with the Germans in the
great First World War.
In the end of the war of the Ma-
combes, terminated the armed conflicts