Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-17
EyGLAND's EwPossEssioN.
Rsum,, or a relish Expedition 10 the Cameo
room sisanssins.
n. n Mall f,a zefte

room Mounsafus.
iPan-Maii Gazette.l
A Pole named Rogozinski some TWO
years ago organized Polish expedition
TO West Africa. He was then called
Shulx this mothers maiden name peihg
Rogozinski), and had served as an oliicer
in the Russian navy. BY lectures ana
other means he got sufficient money to
start the expedition as an independent
Polish national undertaking. The part
he has played on the banks oil the
CAMERON was explained in letter 10
the school-directoro fFernando Pc, Senior
Antonio Borges Silva, to the editor oil
the Courier Tarshorsl-i. which waspub-
lished on November 90, 1884. The
following are extracts from Silva's let
ter Months ago the German Govern
ment decided to found colony IN the
Bay of Biafra. For this purpose DIR.
Nachtigal appeared with a gunboat and
took possession of. the Batanga terri
tory. the CAMERON river, and Bimbia,
as the commissioner of the German
Empire. DR.. Nachtigal proposed to
annex likewise the CAMERON noun
tains, on which are situated the pos
sessions of the Rogozinski expedi-
ton. But Rogozinski forestalled
the purpose Of Germany on the
whole coast-line to Calabar. On his
return from a recent visit to- Ga
boon he heard of Germany'S plans; he
decided TO exert all his influence with
the chiefs TO Illustrate the endeavors of
Germany. with which nation he does
not sympathize. But as DR.. Nachtigal
would probably act without delay,
nothing remained for him but to induce
another nation to forestall the Germans.
The nearest at hand were the English.
whose representative resides at BOnny.
Rogozinski at once placed the matter
before the British agent and succeeded
in convincing him that it would be
to the interest of them both. but es-
pecially that Of England. to put
the mountains under English pro-
tectorate. RogOzinski advised I'M
mediate action, if they wished
to secure the territory. and offered to
exert all his influence with the chiefs
if he were supported by an English
gunboat. While waiting for reply
Rogozinski and ZanikollsFi, well ac-
ouainted with local alta X. made a
treaty with one of the loca, tribes by
which part of the country came into
their possession. The other tribes
were persuaded to make direct treaties
with England. Meanwhile the English
gunboat Forward brought the answer
of Consul IIewett. who accepted Rogo-
zinskis proposals. and asked him 10
execute his plans. Consequently Rogo-
zinski signed treaty in which he
placed the territory acquired by him
under the protectOratc. but reserved
for himself the local administration.
Then hc visited the mountains and made
similar treaties with the chiefs. In this
way the coast districts between Veto
ria and Calabar have been made mac
ce>Siblc to Germany. Scarcely had this
been done when. on it, return. the Eng
lish glmb0at met the German war-ycS-
sells Leipzig and Move, with DR.. Ma
chtieal on deck. He stccrcd toward
those places. but to the delight of your
cOuntrymen. thcy came too late. lthad
been high time. for had hc been a day later
the Germans would have had therway.
The region stretching from Victoria To
Bonny is a fertile tropical coast, re-
markablc chiefly because Of the noun
tain which rises almost directly from
the sea. These hills. which will afford
hereafter a great sanitarium for the west
coast. are in very striking contrast Ia
the rest Of the coast line. The noun
tain rises 400 meters above the
sea. and It's ycrdant slopes afford
the only place along the coast where
plantations could be made. although
even here il is doubtful whether Euro
pcans could work on the land. The only
German factory on the right o. the
CAMERON river is that AT Bimbia, but
it is not included in the territory re-
Gently annexed by the German Govern
ment. As Victoria. however. is the eX-
treme southern limit of the British pro-
tectorate. Bimbia may be considered as
practically German. At present the
German possessions in the Camcroons
are in Il state of desolation