Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-04-11
THE CAPECoAsT DIAMOND Ds.

Cape Coast Castle (Jan. l4) Correspondence,
ofthe New York Sun.
= With the same caravan
we proceeded to Mejambljal, abou,
seventy miles from this place. Ap.
preaching Mcjambijah, We found it
10 be little camping ground crowd.
ed with tents, and situated IN the
midst OF far extending, barren plains
This place was thronged with Brit.
ish rougls, French rouse, and italian
lazzaroni. My experience in Bally.
rat fifteen years before was recalled
by the conduct Of the scoundrels
who infested the oasis OF Mejambijah.
One half of those who pecpled it nev.
er worked an hour, depending solely
upon their craft to earn moro by
swindling and robbing. Eacl, OF
those ruffians was armed with Bow
ie knife and brace OF rcvolve,s In
their hands the making Of our laws
rested and they constituted police
men and other officials from their
own class. Murder was literally
discounted to such a degree that to
disable a fellow being was gradually
attaining the prestige OF honorable
conduct.
The hardest workers were gener-
ally honest, but it was hard for them
to escape the tyranny Of the murder.
ous, thievish bushrangers who gov.
erned the settlement. On one occa.
sion the well conducted portion OF
the mining district of Mejambijah
were forced to resort to final meas
ures in order to protect their lives
and property.
The regular van from Cape Coast
Castle was robbed on the 1st inst
New Years Day. and large guam
tity of brandy and wine fell into the
hands OF the low dcspots oil Mejam5i-
l.jah. That night i'll their wild carous-
ais they attacked the camps Of the
most respectable diggers; but on
hearing OF the robbery OF the Cape
Coas, Castle van, the we'll conducted
settlers resolved upon massing, and
to determine the most efficient
means Of checking the criminal rule
of the roughs. Learning that they
were about to be alta, ,ked that night
(the lst inst.) J. the orderly party re-
solved upon making formidable
resistance to the Williams, and, once
for all. establishing equal terms at
the diggings. The well-conducted
people numbered about four hun
dred, and acknowledged as their
head a stalwart young freshman,
named Clarence Davis, from the
County Wexford. This Davis was
not alone a man of true courage, but
a temperate, honorable, and refined
Irishman.
On the eventful night over six
hundred roughs marched through the
settlement bowling a hideous medley
OF ribald songs in English, French,
and Italian. Their hoarse vells fill
ell the digglngs, and there were few
Of the we'll conducted miners who
did not anticipate wholesale murders.
the attack was made upon row OF
tents in which over one hundred
men were assembled. Among those
was Clarence Davis, and suddenly
as the first Of his men was harmed,
they confronted the murdcrons
hounds that had done so. In half an
hour nearly two hundred dead and
dying lay on the rude paths of Me-
jambijah. Among the dead was
Clarence Davis. lie boldly led the
respectable party, and fought his
way into tho midst OF the roughs be.
fore he fell, fatally wounded in the
right lung. On the following morn.
ing 1t was found that eighty seven
men had been shot and stabbed to
death. About the same number were
wounded. 1t was four days after
this fatal encounter that the next van
reached Mejambijah. It came by
way Of Camaroons, and was escorted
by a detachment of marines from
Her Majesty's ship Hart, lying at
Cape Coast Castle. The dead bod
les were buried, and all remained
unusually quiet until the rumor Of a
serious disturbance at Bonny, among
the Bonny and Opobo chiefs, drew
off large number OF the roughs
from Mejambijah, tor African Chiefs
offer rare bountics to Europeans who
Join them in time of war.
At Old Calabar l met an English
man, in November last, who was
actually suffering from the want Of
the neccssarics OF lite. THIS English
man was formerly Fwealthy dealer
in the sugar trade of Liverpool, and
tailed in 1864. Since that time cir.
cumstances went steadily against
hlm, until the African dirmond up
roar aroused his ambition. After
a0nae Aifficnltx he nrocnrcA loau