San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-18
REMARKABLE LITTLE WAR
England Defined by Two Puny
Tribes IN West Africa.

FROM the New YORK sun.
The cable brought news Thursday
last that the British have begun their
war on the Jebu and Egba tribes,
who have brought the large trade OF
Lagos to a stand.still. The natives
were badly defeated i'm the first
battle, which was fought on Jebu
soil.
These two tribes have been engaged
in a remarkable attempt to block the
entire trade of the most fourisning
town in West Africa. The English
colony OF Lagos is upon the coast OF
the Cult of Guinea. Its capital,
Lagos, contains $1,000 people, and is
the most populous town on the west
coast. Its trade is very active for an
African town Last year Lagos Inn
ported commodities worth about $2,-
500. 600 while it's exports amounted to
about So 100000. The trade wac less
than lie would have been had it not
been for the hostility of these two
trou olesome tribes.
Lagos derives most of it's commerce
from the rich and populous country OF
Yoru ba, whose borders is about eighty
miles inland. It's population is be.
tween 100000 and 100000. The
people are peaceful and devoted to
agriculture. Yoruba happens to be
separated from Lagos by q small re
giOn inhabited by the warlike tribes
of the Egbas and Jebus. These tribes
were formerly slave catchers, who
supplied ships along that coast with
human cargoes to carry beyond the
sea. Since the suppression of the
slave trade they have lived in part by
collecting palm oil and rubber In the
forests. Their chief source. of In.
come, however, has been levying q
heavy tax upon the commodities
passing through their country to and
from Yoruba. This tax has often
amounted to more than double the
value OF the goods. This, of course,
has been q very serious obstacle in
the way of development of British
trade. The English colonial admins
tration has repeatedly sought to in.
duce the chiefs to impose q more rea-
sOnable tax. The tribes. however,
were opposed to any reduction, and,
as the British could not secure . lesser
rate unless they went tc war to OBJ
tain It, the authorities in London have
preferred to let commerce endure this
heavy exactioD rather than take
violent measures to do away with it.
Early last year the Daheysnmos
began to plumber the little kingdom
of Ilaro, whose ruler WAS a vassal of
the Egg bas, and his capital the large
and well-known town of ADeOkuta.
His people appealed tor protection to
the Egg bas against the Dahomeyans,
but the Egbas replied that they were
very busy themselves keeping the
warriors Of Dahomey at q respectful
distance, and they had no energy to
spare In defending Ilaro. Then the
people of Ilaro turned to the Cover
nor of Lagos and begged for British
protection. Mr.. Denton. the secre-
tary of the colony and Governor pro
tenn. thought this was an excellent
opportunity to increase the territorial
possessions OF the colony, and so be
formally annexed on paper the King
dom of Ilaro. The Egba chiefs pro-
tested vigorously against this decis-
ion, but in vain.
Then q few days later the English
thought it necessary to arrest an Egg
ba chief wEo had committed some
peccadiliO, and in the scrimmage that
ensued the Haussa soldiers of Lagos
killed seven of the Egba natives. |
These two incidents made q great
deal of excitement; and in the terri
tory of the Jebus, little farther east,
events. were occurring which stirred |
up there also great deal of bad feel
ing.
Mr.. Denton had been negotiating |
with the Jebus for reduction of the /
tax on trade. The discussion became |
SO warm that Denton suddenly de. |
cided that his health was in danger,
and he made uDdignified haste In
reaching the coast. Then the new |
governor of Lagos, Mr.. Carrier, who |
had just arrived, sent an envoy to the |
king of the Jebus. who agreed to send |
q mission to Lagos to treat with the |
English. In January last a conven.
ton was signed at Lagos Dy which |
the Jebus agreed, in consideration of |
payment of $500 annually, to re-
nounce their right to impose q tax |
upon commerce passing through their
country.
When the commission returned |
home with this document q storm
arose about their heads. The country |
absolutely refused to receive such
wretched pittance in exchange for the
right of taxation, which had been as
profitable as good gold mine. They
sent back word to the British that the
agreement had been extorted from
their ENJOYS and they would not &C.
knowledge 1t as binding. The Lagos
authorities answered that the agree
ment had been signed without any
compulsion, and that the Jebus must
stand by 1t.
Then the Jebus and the Egbas
turned to each other for sympathy,
aud finding that both had serious