The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-02-05
THE CAMEROUNS
A Country That Is Giving Ger
many Much Trouble.
An African Territory About Which the
English Government Is vitality Con-
cernsd-The Dispute About
Its IkountiarIsa.

"Battle in the Cameroons," says re-
cent cable. What and where are the
Cameroons? This from the New York
Herald will clucidate a little:
The Cameroons is territory on the
Blight of Biafra, West Africa, one
hundred and fifty thousand square
miles in extent, and with an estimated
population of two millions. 1t has .
coast line of one hundred and twenty
miles between the Campo river and the
Bio del Rey, is bounded on the north
east by a treaty line running north
east to the east of Yola, on the upper
Bcnuc, and on the south by line rum
nin% inland, due east from the mouth
of the Campo river, to about the me-
ridian of longitude fifteen degrees east,
which may be regarded as the eastern
or inland limit of the so-called ''pro-
tectorate."
In 1892 there were one hundred and
sixty-six whites, of whom one hundred
and nine were German and thirty-one
English. 1t became a German pro-
tectornte in 1884. and is placed under
an imperial governor, assisted by
chancellor, two secretaries and q local
chants. The country Is fertile, and
numerous valuable African vegetabls
productions grow in profusion. Plan
tations of cacao and tobacco have been
farmed by a company, and numerous
factories carry on an active trade in
ivory and palm oil. On January l,
1888, an import duty was imposed on
European goods, and from this the
revenue is mainly derived. The chief
town is Cameroons, and in the South
Batanja, Bimbia and BalSundu Town
are other important trading stations,
and Aqua Town and Bell Town are the
principal native settlements. The inn
ports and exports are quite large.
In April last, Mr.. Henry NJ. Stanley
wIotc to the peace association letter
in which he attributed the increase of
trade in 1892 at African ports under
German administration to the growing
practice among German merchants OF
importing into Africa small arms and
ammunition. These materials Of war,
he said, were sold To the slave traders
and do inestimable damage. Mr.. STAN
ley iuculpated also the Portuguese in
his charges. He appealed to the Euro
pean nations to suppress the traffic in
arms carried ou by the Germans and
Portuguese. Unless this step be taken,
he added. all efforts. to stop the slave
trade would be useless.
In February German expedition.
which was under the command of
Freiherr Won Stetten, proceeded from
the caneroons coast up the river San
nara to Balinga. whence it travelled to
the thiclsly populated district of.Tikar
and reached Ngaudere and Yola.
Treaties were concluded with the ma
tive tribes in the districts passed
through. This reappenrance on the
coat. the Kreuz Zeitung pointed out,
was peculiar in view of the statement
made by members of the expedition
that Lake Tchad was tn sir goal. 1t is
fact. though at present an inexplica-
BILE one. that German expeditions fail
to reach the more casterly portions OF
the Iiinterland of the Cameroons. Tho
expedition returned in September.
! England and Germany had long
dispute about the boundaries of the
Cameroons. which was settled in May
last. The third section of the agree
ment reads: 1.-The German colonial
engages not TO allow
uny trade settlements to exist or be
erected on the right bank Of the Rio ,
del Rey Creek or waterway. In like
manner the administration of the Oil
rivers protectorate engages not to al
low any trade settlements to exist or
to be erected on the western bank of
the Baltassy peninsula from the first
creek below Arsibon's village to the
sea and eastward from this bank to
the Rio del Rey waterway"
According to the German view the
new agreement is purely fiscal one,
intended to enable the British and
German administrations to cope with
the widespread smuggling, which was
especially detrimental to the Gamer
oons There had been no question OF
the frontier laid down by the
provisional agreement of 1890, which,
in consequence of disagreement be-
tween the two governments, left the
Rio del Rev out of count and settled
the frontier as straight line running
from the upper end of the waterway
to the rapids of the Cross river. But
this indefinite upper end" has DOW
been fixed as above set forth. Much
was expressed in Berlin at
the pledge given by the English gov
ernment not to allow trade settlements
on the Bakassy peninsula. which other
wise would have afforded an exosllsnt
base for contraband operations