Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-10

AN AFRICAN KING.

whrcabo. king Of all the Bassas, died
at his head town In the interior Of Grand
Corah, a trading station Of Liberia Tue
Bassas are u very numerous and intelli-
CONT people, inhabi,ing large district
on the west coast Of Africa, and Whfe-
abo was ono u the most interesting char.
actors on tho coast. His father was
Boyer, who repeatedly waged war 10
prevent the America Libcrians from set
Ting At Grand BassA Boyer, however.
felra victim 10 the vengeance Of the III
bcrian lnws, and died a bloody death,
but not before no had insiillcd hatred q
tho civilized blacks IN tho mind Of HE
eon and heir.
After Doycra death Whrcaho attempt
Cd TO take con,rol Of tho government u
his tribe. bot he was prevented FROM do
ing % by his brother Taipu, who will DO
remembered by many old traders NJ
Tom WIN. For months tho Bassa say.
agra. In factions supporting respectively
Whrcaho aud 1aipu, engaged In u que
rilla war. Neither side gained any de-
cidod advantage. Taipu, however, had
always bosn more or less friendly TO tho
AmcrlcolLiborians 10 when tho NOR
chants Of Monroyia demanded that tho
troubles which interrupted trade should
end the Liberan government oxcrtcd iis
power for his benefit, with tho result
that Whrcabo WIS driven 10 on asylum
In tho bush. while 1aipu took his fathers
town. hia wives mud all tho Bassa ooun.
try.
raipu was not long permitted to enjoy
tho dignity which he had usurpod
Trouble arose from cruel,ics inflicted on
Liberals citizens by tho Vie people. a
warliko tribe farther north, aud diverted
the attention OF the Liberian government
from the Affairs u Bassa. This was
Whrcabo'a opportunity, aud he took adj.
vantage 81 H. lie cndoavorcd 10 Dust
his brother from power, aud success FOL.
lowcd.hls arms. II waA not many weeks
before the dead body Of Taipu. swaihrd
in many bandagcs, stood mummyliko In
n corner In his chief widows hut await
ing burial, aud Whrcabo began to rule
over the country.
Tho fact that Whreabo had secured
power In Basialand faye the Liboran
merchants excellent reason for alarm.
Almost all export articles. such as oil,
skins. camwood. ivory aud rice nro gath.
cred IN the Hasa district. and this fold.
controlled by chief hostile TO Liberia,
meant that all, commerce In this direc
tion would be- brought to disaster.
Events soon male itplain that whreabo
intended TO hold no peaceful rotations
with his civilized brothers. Ho looted
the factories sof Liberian merchants,
drove tho traders from their stations and
Issued an cdict that no produce Of any
kind was 10 DO sold TO Liborians By any
Of his people under pain Of instant
death.
The ''palaycr" ground IN whrcabo's
town became q thcater wherein were
Performed many bloody acts. Hundreds
Of the followers OF the dead Taipu daily
lost their heads, and for weeks the saw
age chieftain held high carnival with
death, until, feeling secure, be- gathered
his hordes around him and prepared 10
descend on Grand Bassn for tho purpose
Of driving tho Liberian settlers into the
sca.
The vios In tho north nj this time, en-
couraged by tho intriguing English Of
Sierra leone, were Offering such stub.
born resistance 10 tho Libcrinn forces
that tho Libcrian government found IL
impossible TO do anything for the relief
Of its citiEons Ia Basshland, aud II was
decided to issue an order that Grand
Bassa be abandoned and all Liborian cit.
izons leave tho country. On tho day
when IL had been determined 10 make
this order public there arrived IN the
port OF Monroyia, the Llborian capital,
the bari, Edwards, This vessel came
from England and brought beautiful
negress, who called herself Jaclnto Boyer.
From Jaointo's earliest day stirring
incidents marked hcI life. While little
more than AN infant sho had been stolen
from her parents, who were Mandingocs,
and sold to Portuguese slave tradcrA
Tho vessel which was bearing her to
Brasil was captured by nm English gun.
boat, and tho prov was turned toward
Sierra Leone, where the human cargo
was TO DO turned over TO tho English au.
thoritiea This SLAYER was wrecked be-
fore she reached her destination, and OF
all on board tho only ones saved were
tho officer in charge Of tho vessel and
Jacinto.
Shortly after the Englishman and ia.
cinto were east on the beach they were
discovered by the sayagos. and by them
were taken TO Boyer, ut his chief town
In the interior. Boyer was then IN the
midst OF his struggle with tho Liborians,
and the civilized man who fell into his
power was fortunate II no was killed
without torture.
Whom the Englishman was brought
into Boycr's presence ho raised his phor
10 strike him, but Jaolnto sprang for
ward and threw her littlo arms around
the intended victim.
"Noi mol King" she said, "giye m,
the white man." The sudden action Of
the little captive arrested Boyers arm
All tho Bassa women arooXtrumely ugly
aud the beauty OF the Vie girl 80 pleased
tho chief that he hesitated. Whnabo
then u lad OF ten yeags, was an inter
ested spectator, and whom the young
girl made her plea his precocious eye
discovered that she WIS fair, and struck
by sudden fancy to earn favor In hei
sight he joined her In petitioning hi,
father 10 spare the white mans life.
"Iho strange maiden shall be thy
wife, aud the white man be u slave "
both OF YOU was the answer Of Boyer
a few months after this Boyer was
killed, and his town was taken by the
Liberians Tho Eughshman was res
uued and returned to Europe with Ja
uin,o, There she was educated, and
when she grew into womanhood, despit,