Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-26
A Terrified Chief.


During fifteen years residence in AT
rica in which time business led me from
place,to place, it was often my lot to fall
into curious adventures and see and hear
many strange things. In looking back
on this period it seems strange that no
great harm ever came to me but once.
My business had then led me to an
out -the:way place on the West Afri-
can coast close by the mouth of the
Cameroons River, and lying pretty near
~ opposite the island of Fernando Pc,
q place known as Bimleia.
Nc part of the coast could be more
beautiful. Situated on small island
in the middle of little bay, the land
lay all around me on three sides, rising
in perfect amphitheater Of hills
decked with all the grace and beauty of
q tropical vegetation, while in the rear
rose the Cameroons Mountain, fully
1900 feet into the blue sky.
In the early morning. when the first
rays of the rising sun shone upon it's
peaks, snow could often be seen glisten-
ipg there, while atnieht cool winds blew
down from the summit.
The villages constituting Bimleia
could be seen on every hillside and in
every dale, nesting in among groves of
bananas and forests of palms.
On one side of this high island was
40 outlook far over the sea sparkling in
the sunlight, great waves dashing on
the rocks OF that side, while on the
other the still water rippled quietly on
= beach of black sand fecked with
minute particles of yellow mica, spark
ling in the sands like specks of gold.
Indeed, many years previously, an
ignorant sea-cOptain was said to have
filed up small bottle with this sand
to take home for examination.
A ship when in port lay on this quiet
side.
The King of Bimleia and the sur
rounding country had many years be-
fore lived on this island with his family
and immediate retainers. A stronger
tribe on the Cameroons River having
trouble with Bimleia. one day drove
the king and his people off the island
since which it had never been inhab-
tied, being supposed to be under the
spell OF evil spirits.
At night none of the natives dared
land on the island even though in
habited by white men.
King William was fine old man with
white head and a white mustache, tall,
Thin, and stately. Many years ago he
had made trip to Rio de Janeiro in
the old slave times, and was quite
polished in his manners, being pleasant
and affable and fond of seeing white
mer.
He haG quite liking for all white
mans food in general, and for coffee,
tea and bread in particular.
He had fine set of chiefs about him
with but few exceptions. One called
Dick Bimleia was a good specimen,
we'll gotsup in point of dress, a twinkle
in his eyes, his beard in three braids, a
decisive expression to his countenance,
and distinguished for a peculiar habit
he had of crashing or grinding his
teeth every minute or two.
Within the memory of all who had
lived in these quarters, King William
had never been known to visit any
white man, being aperson of great dig
nifty, old, and rather timid about ven
turing on the water.
One day, however, he took it into
his head to visit me on the island, and
notified me OF the fact, appointing the
time.
This being 80 unusual an occurrence.
and, considering the circumstances,
such an honor, three small cannons
were ordered to be placed, one on the
point OF the island, one OF the head of
the road leading to the beach and one
by my house, below = veranda in the
second story, some sixteen feet up from
the ground.
Knowing that natives always over
loaded their guns, and might do the
same in this instance, causing the can
non to burst, I loaded them the first
time myself, showing them how to do
it, and what quantity of powder to
use.
The day came and the king started
from the beach in grand style in his
great war-canoe, with sixty paddles,
thirty on a side, the prov being of
carved wood in the shape of an ugly
alligator's head with open jaws and
staring eyes, an uncouth body, writhing
back like serpent's, colored black, red,
yellow and green, with festoons of dried
grass and deep fringes of the same all
over it.
In the center, on raised dais spread
with rich cloths. sat the king with his
two comely little daughters by his side.
holding up naked swords which
sparkled in the sunlight, willis flags
we're flying, horns sounding and his big
war.drum beating.
The guns were ordered to be fred
and OIL they went, one after another.
dro echoes reverberating from all the