strong that the Belgian forces moving from the Congo found it impossible
to invade the enemy territory from the west, and had to be moved in
large part northeast before they could strike south. Once there, with
their usual dash they did their work remarkably well.

[Sidenote: Seaplanes attack German vessels in the lakes.]

As soon as this northern column had reached Kigali, the capital of the
lofty Ruanda Province, the German forces fell back from the neighborhood
of Lake Kivu, and the remainder of the Belgian army was able to advance
from the west across the mountain barrier. Simultaneously, and in
coördination with their advance, strong British columns were moving
southward to the west of Victoria Nyanza. As soon as we had reached the
southern shores of the lake, a new concerted forward movement by the
British and Belgian columns was begun both from Victoria Nyanza and from
Tanganyika, where in the meantime the German armed vessels on the lake
had been bombed and destroyed by seaplanes, and Ujiji on the eastern
shore had been occupied. This movement did not stop until Tabora, with
the central railway, was occupied early in September, 1916.

[Sidenote: General Northey's advance across the mountain.]

At the same time a great movement was made in the south by General
Northey, who advanced from the line between Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa
across the mountains flanking the great plateau on the west. This is a
very mountainous region; but he got over the mountains, and moving
north, took Bismarckburg, Neu Langenburg, and afterward Iringa, where
our main forces joined hands with his. These advances, all carried out
with great skill and energy against very great physical difficulties,
were subsidiary to the principal attack, which was being executed from