Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-06-25
The Germans Defeated In Africa.

The most stubborn resistance to the ad
vance of the white race into Africa ha
been offered by the natives who live be
hind the German possessions at Came
rooms. About three years ago, the ex.
lpedition of kund and Tappenbeck, wht
We're on their way to Adamaua and Ben
ue River. was driven back with great loss
and for many days the explorers and the
panic-stricken carriers fed through tn,
jungle, beset at every moment by ene-
mics concealed in the tall grass, who now
and then brought down flesh victim
with their poisoned arrows. The cable
now informs us that the punitive expedi-
| ton sent out from Cameroons to punisf
| the natives who inflicted such terrible de-
feat upon Or. Zintgraff's expedition in
January last, found that the natives had
cruelty tortured the prisoners they took
before executing them, and that many OF
the prisoners committed suicide in order
to escape torture.
Only meagre details have yet been pub
lished of the terrible experience of DR.
Zintgratf. He started from Eameroons
| last fall with a very large expedition for
| the purpose of establishing the German
| pretensions to Adamaua and the adjacent
regions. In his party were Lieut.. Won
| Spangenberg, the traders Jantzen and
ThOrmahlen, with other white men, be-
| sides five hundred native carriers. The
expedition safely reached the German
station of BaIiburg, which DR.. Zintgraff
had founded on previous expedition.
Friendly relations had been established
between the Bali tribe and the Germans,
and trade had been opened between the
Bali people and Cameroons. Just be-
yond tie Balls, however, lives the hostile
chief of the Bafuti, who sent word to the
whites that they would not be permitted
to travel further east. He murdered two
messengers whom Dr.. Zintgraf sent to
him with offers of peace. The warlille
Balls told the explorer that the Bafuti
could be reduced to submission, and of
'ered to re-enforce his expedition by 5000
warriors and sweep the enemy out OF the
road. The offer was accepted, and on
Jan. 81 last stubborn battle took place.
the result of which was that the chief
town of the BafiIti fell into the hands of
the white men aid their allies and was
burned to the ground.
On the next day. however, when the
Balls had exhausted nearly their entire
supply of ammunition, they were attack
ed by the enemy. who We're estimated to
number 10000 men, and, after a terrible
battle, DIR. Zintgratf and his army were
driven pell nell from the field. 1t is
known that the Bafuti suffered loss of
at least 500 men. but the loss ofZint graft
army was still greater OF his own force
of 500 men nearly 200 were killed or left
on the field. Among the dead were
Lieut.. Won Spangenberg and Messrs
'Thiebe and Nehber of the trading compa- |
ny. The cable despatch speaks of Ger
mans among the prisoners taken by the |
but this is probably an error, as |
it is believed no living white men fell into |
their hands.
After this terrible reverse DR.. Zintgrafr |
remained for fourteen days unmolested in
his station at Ballburg, and then re trea ted |
to the coast, in order to equip an expe-
dition to punish the natives who had |
him. 1t is the expedition he
raised and despatched to the interior,
which returns with the report that unfor-
tunate members of his party who were
taken prisoners had killed themselves to
avoid torture. But the cable despatch |
ioes not tell half the story of the party
that was sent from Cameroons to avenge
The defeat of the earlier expedition. eAll
we know of it is contained in q few lines
sent by cable from the mouth of the Niger
River.
1he avengers were themselves most
terrible defeated. in SPITE of their super
or weapons. The white leaders of the
expedition were killed to a man, and
hose of their unfortunate followers who
escaped the overwhelming onslaught of
he enemy, struggled north to the Benue
tiuer. where thev we're found in woful
blight by British traders and taken down
o the sea. This years sad record of
German fighting in the unknown lands
,ehind Cameroons is the most surprising :
md appalling chapter in the history of
European dealings with African aborig-
mes. For the first time the savages of
africa have offered successful resistance i
lot to poor explorer with handful of
nen, but to large and well ll-organized
expeditions, equipped and sent out by a
European Government and fully prepar-
d, it was believed, to find way or make
ne. The cheap muskets made for the
African trade, and reputed to be more !
angerous to the men who fire them than 1
o any one else, have at last had their day I
f triumph.
When the complete story of these trag-
; events is known, 1t will not be surpris-