The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-16
All England Dsfed BY Two Puny
Tribes In tho West Of
Africa


The oable brought news Thursday las
Nhat the British have begun their war Of
the Jsbu and Egha tribes, who have breugh
the large trade Of Lagos 10 ! s~tsndstill
The natives were badly defended In the frs
battle. which vas fought on Jsbu soil.
These two tribes have been engaged In
remarkable attempt TO block the entir,
trade q the most fiourishinR town in Yves
Africa. The English colony Of Lagos ii
upon ths coast Of the Gulf Of Guinea. III
capital, Lagos, contains $4,000 people Ani
10 the most populous Town on the west coast
lts trade ID very active for an African town
Last year Lagos imported comm0ditisi
worth 81. 500, 900. while iss exports amounted
TO shout e8.OOO.OOO. The trads was lesi
than II would have bssns had II not been fol
She hostility Of the two troublesome tribes,
Lagos derives most Of III from
the sich and populous country Of Yorubs,
whole southern border 10 aboutsighty milel
inland. III population 10 between 3.OO0,O0t
n 100000. The people are peaceful and
devoted TO agriculture. Doruba happens
TO be separated from Lagos BY . small re-
Rion inhabited BY the warlike tribes Of the
Eobas and Jebus. These tribes, says the
New York Sun, were formerly slave oatoh-
ers, who supplied ships along that coast
with human cargoes 70 sarry beyond ths
sea. Since the suppression Of ths slave
trade they have lived in part by collecting
palm oil n rubber In the forests. Their
chief source Of income, however. has been
isvyine . heavy tax upon the commodities
passing through their oountry 10 and from
Yofuba. This tax has often amounted to
more than double the value Of the goods.
This. Of course, has been Q very serious OBJ
stacle in tho way Of the development
OF British trade. The English colonial
administration has repeatedly souRht 10
able tax. The tribes, however, wsrs op-
posed 70 any reduction. and g the British
could not secure = lesser rate unless they
vent to war to obtain IL, the authorities in
London have preferred to let commerce on
dure this heavy exaction rather than take
violent measures 10 do away with il.
plumber the little kingdom Of Ilaro. whose
ruler waI . vassal Of the Egbas, and his
capital the large and we'll known town of
AbOokuts. His people appealed for pro-
tecsion 70 the EkbRs against the Dahomey-
ans, put the ERbas replied that they were
very busy themselves keeping thu warriors
q Dahomey q : respectable distance, and
they had no energy TO spare in defending
1laro. Then the people of Ilaro turned to
the governor of Lagos and begged for
British protection. Nj. Denton. the SEQ
rotary OF the colony and governor pro tenn,
thought this was An excellent opportunity
to increase the territorial possessions Of
the colony. and 10 he formally annexed on
paper the kingdom OF Ilaro. The Egba
chiefs protested voeifsrously against this
decision. but in vain.
Then few days later The English thought
y necessary to arrest an Egba chief who
had committed some peocadillo. and in the
ct Lagos killed seven Of the Egba natives.
These two incidents made q great deal of
excitement; and in the territory of the
Jebus. = little farther east, events were 90
curing which stirred up there also q great
deal of bad feeling.
the Jebus tor a reduction of the tax on
trade. Tho discussion became so warm
that Denton suddenly decided That his
health Was In danger and he made undiQni-
fed haste in reaching the coast. Then the
new governor Of Lagos, Mr.. Carrier, who
had just arrived, sent IN envoy to the king
the Jebus. who agreed to send a mission
January last a convention was signed at
Lagos by which the Jebus agreed, in con-
Of q payment of So, 800 annually,
their right TO impoee q tax
upon commerce passing through their
When the commission returned home
with this document : storm arose about
their heads. The country absolutely re-
fused to receive snHh a wrstched p~ittance in
exchange for the right OF taxation, which
had been as profitable as a good gold mine.
They sent baok word to the British hat the
agreement had been extorted from their
and they would not acknowledge it
M hirdSnr ~ fFho 1,onoo onkhAptksaos~ ,m
swered that the agreement had been signed
any computation, and that the Jebus
must stand by il.
Then the Jebus and the E,gbas turned to
each other for sympathy, and finding that
had serious grievances against the
They thought the best way to hurt
he British was through their trade. and so
hey proclaimed far and wide that hence
'orth not q pound of merchandise would be
permitted to pass through their territory to
he British coast. and that any trader from
he coast who Dame into their country to
larry goods to Yoruba would be killed.
Beginning with the first week in Febru-
Try last. every road through the country
Ind all b navigable waterways were
by hundreds of men. Trade BIZ.
ween Lagos and tho interior was entirely
mt of. Four millions Of people were de-
rived Of trading advantages with the port
Nk1oAS YOWS1 W tWOlistAc ONtoAuOy tClutHs
u course it was only a few weeks before
be merchants of England began to be
'adly hurt by the situation. The chambers
commerce Of Manchester, Liver pool,
Glasgow, and Bristol appointed
to meet in London March II in
TO discuss the situation and decide
pon q remedy. At this meeting prompt
md energetic measures were advised. The
merchants were in favor of an immediate
xpedition against the belligerent tribes.
he question came up in parliament, and
lete there was q division Of opinion.
ome of the lawmakers were in
of a military expedition. Others
7ere OF the opinion that the
office should negotiate with the ma
ives and offer them a reasonable payment
Or she privilege of passing through their
to the trading centers beyond. The
was very slow in meeting the
'ishes of the merchants, who were natural
I impatient because all their interests in
were at q standstlll.
Al last, however, the governor of Lagos
as authorized to send an expedition
the natives. and the result OF the I
rat fight has been the repulse Of the two
'ibes. We do not know yet whether this
attic will end the trouble. II Ia ptobable. /,
that the English will soon be able !.
} dictate terms n that the tribes will !.
nd IL would have been much better 10 :
ave kept out Of q war from which thew Z
ere certain to emerge defeated and TO be I
,mpeiled to accept any terms the British \
Moose to offer. Z
nucklen's Arnica salvs. \ .
The best aAlve in the world for ants. 1