Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-04-27
A Fierce Tribe that Has Rspsllsd the Whites
Tor Csaturies. Nosg EaIanta.

Tor Centuries, Nov RsIants.
Madrid Special In New Yoak Sun
Lieutenant Luis SOrela has returned to
Spain, after his explorations in the
island Of Fernando Pc. It is not a
little remarkable that the interior Of
this island, which is only about thirty
five miles long and twenty-five miles
broad, lying only twenty miles from
the west coast of Africa, in the Blight
of Biafra, is to this day almost wholly
unknown. The reason is that the
Bubi tribe, inhabiting the interior and
the south coast, are among the most
unfriendly savages that the whites ever
encountered. Though Spain now uses
the island as a penal colony, the whites
90 not pretend to have any control over
the interior, and they venture only a
few miles from their two settlements.
In the early days of the white occu-
pancy the Bulb, on one occasion. freed
their island Of the enemy by poisoning
the creeks. M. Reclus, in the latest
volume of his Universal Geography"
says that the Bubi live in caves and
Impenetrable thickets; that they are
ready always to desperately defend
themselves with lances and arrows. and
that their remarkably savage dogs have
also been effective in keeping the
whites at a distance. No adequate
attempt to subjUgate them has ever
been made, and they have maintained
their independence within sight of the
hundreds of ocean steamers that ply up
and down the coast.
By the exercise of long patience and
tact Lieutenant SOreIa succeeded in
winning the friendship of this tribe. and
he lived among them for some time.
He says the chief reason of their hos
Utility to the whites is the superstitiOus
belief which they have held for ages
that their ruler viii inevitably die if he
is ever heheId by white man. It was
necessary for Lieutenant SOreIa to con-
vince the natives that this tradition was
erroneous before he was permitted to
see King BOtucO MOka. Success
crowned his efforts at last, and he had
several interviews with the king, and
did his best to impress the savage ruler
with the idea that it would be to his adj
vantage to enter into friendly relations
with the Spaniards. He found that
the king had very extraordinary notions
about white people, and the Lieutenant
most Of the errors which the king had
cherished respecting the Spaniards
and their country. In spite of his ig-
norance, Moka is quite a superior sort
Of a savage, and has made some i'm
important improvements in the condi-
ton Of his people. The natives of the
coast have been described as inferior in
all respects to the tribes on the neigh
boring mainland; but the Bubi of the
interior, SOrela says, are active,
athletic and intelligent, and better
fitted to receive civilization than any
other tribe he has met.
1t has been supposed that the in
terror of the island was covered with
immense forests, but SOrela says that
the heavy forests and exuberant vege-
tatiOn of all sorts disappear at an alti-
tude of 1000 feet, and that this lofty
interior consists of large plains dotted
here and there with small groves, in
accessible to the fevers of the coast,
and sPlendidly adapted to European
occupancy.