The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-05
CALABAR CANNIBALS.
THE WAR OF KING AMAcHREE AND AN AFRICAN
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES KILLED AND KATEN-
BRITISH INDIFFERENCE-HosTILE ATTITUDE
OF KING ia IA.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD

BRITISH OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ATTITUDE
OF KING IA IA.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD
LONDON, Dec. 4. 1879.
The conflict which has broken out in New Calabar.
West Africa. is between King Amachree, Of New
Calabar. and his followers on one hand.
and powerful chief, called Will Braid. and
his adherents the other. Some time since
the King Of New Caabar died. and tho accession Of
Amachree to the throne has not given general satsac
ton. During the conflict mentioned in the previous
despatch quarter shown to the wounded or
prisoners. who Immediately killed. and
in many eaten by the lower classes
of natives. 1t was thought that the British
naval commander would not interfere unless
English factories were threatened destroyed or
British subjects molested. Bonny is suffering
almost equally with New Calsbar. and the trade of
the district is almost at standstill. King ia ia is
also reported to be collecting forces war material
to join in tho struggle. In such an event the
inhabitants of the three rivers would be drawn
into the conflict. Her Majesty's ship Dido
outside the bar at Bonny ready to enter send
in boat in case of necessity. The number Of Her
Majesty's ships will shortly be increased [The
OF this conflict is the OF the great Afr
can war fought between the native princes, Oko
Jumbo and ia Ja ten years ago. The same chief
tains and subchiefs who took part in that conflict
are in arms to-day. ia ia has grown DID,
but the martial spirit is still strong in
him. He has forgotten the defeat he suffered at Oko
Jumbo's hands, and is Us ready for mischief Of
old. Tho former quarrel originated in the rival
claims Of tho two great "houses'. of Bonny, re-
spectively headed by Oko Jumbo and ia ia. The
King, very young man. was mere nonentity
between them. Bonny town is situated on
tho east bank OF the Bonny River. and the
principal approach to 1t is through creek. On the
banks between the town and the river are various
Enclosures with houses of wood or sheet iron,
the property of British merchants. containing
various kinds Of cargoes and stores. Here
the belligerents had been making their prep
arations. Oko Jumbo's side had mounted
over three hundred guns of various calibres
from six FOUNDERS to thirty-twos. with three sixty
eight FOUNDERS and hundreds Of men armed with
snider and English rifles, The defences consisted Of
kind Of sunken earthworks, strengthened at inter.
vals with casks full of mud and sand
and masked by the various houses and in.
closures among which they were prepared Tho
guns wero laid to fire flush with the
ground their carriages being sunk in the EARTH At
the rear of the principal houses were large pits,
covered with planks. in which the women and chill.
dren were placed in comparative safety ia JAS de-
fences much the same, but he had not quito so
many heavy guns and his earthworks were not quite
so strong. AS tho fight was imminent
the "King' fed to Juju town. On September
ID, at dawn, man belonging to ia JAS side
blew horn in the market place. This was at once
followed by gun from Oko Jumbo's side and
promptly answered by ia ia. The fight then became
general Some houses riddled. Others were
demolished. The din indescribabe. ia Jas
war canoes bombarded the neighboring village. In
the afternoon Oko Jumbo opened fire from
hitherto masked battery, which enfiladed
ia Jas lines and wrought havoc. The
bush round tho town swarmed with sharpshooters
In the evening George Andorrogu. bravest Of ia
subchiefs made dashing sorte. His men got con-
fused in the dark. panic ensued. and they fed to
their lines ia Ja escaped during the night. After
the battle the beach strewn with shot. In tho
town the horrible. The air was loaded with
the stencil Of human flesh. Many bodies were still
roasting in the burning houses. The temple,
with its monumental pyramids OF human
skulls was blown into fragments. Oko Jumbo
went In triumph to the British agent
to explain the cause of the war. Suppose ia
ia pull hat for me-" he said. "war be done. Suppose
ia ia no do so, make him." Such was the battle
OF Bonny fought in 1862 and there is little reason to
doubt that it has just been refought ON about the
same principles and by almost the same combatants1