Evening journal., 1905-05-27
THUMPING A KING

OF ming DgutnpOo. Iue bfltlSn hau /
had possession Of that coast for thirty
years, but more in name than in fact. |
Their authority was supreme wherever
settlements had been made or ports |
opened but up the numerous rivers /
and back from the coast the native |
chiefs held full sway
Oyampoo was a man about forty I
years old and chief of the Adamawa I
tribe. He began making war on other /
tribes as soon as he had been elected /
chief, and Ot forty he was cock of the /
walk for 800 miles around. In twelve |
years he had licked nine tribes and /
brought them under his rule.
Traders had visited him and sold him |
firearms and taught him how to use
them, and deserters from whale ships
and men-of- war had found refuge with
him and taught his troops the white
mans drill and built forts TO defend
his capital on the water side Cannon
and ammunition were wanted for those
forts. and so one day when a French
survey brig came up the river she was
seized and disarmed and her crew
made to shift the guns and instruct the
natives in their use.
Oyampoo wasn't cruel, but he was
ambitious. He had just got his forts
IN working order when the British gov
ernment sent a gunboat up the river TO
knock them about his ears and humble
his pride II wasn't a success. He
sank the craft in half an hour, and
such of her crew as survived were held
prisoners for months.
He expected the British to fight. and
there was a glad song I'm his heart
as he saw their ships in Imagination
sailing up the muddy old Calabar to
give him battle. Within a distance of
seven miles he erected nlne forts and
FIVE or six earthworks. lie counted up
and found that he hadn't cannon
enough, and he sent a fleet of war
canoes down 20 the gulf TO see what
could be scoOped in. AS luck would
have It, merchantmen laden with
military supplies for Cape Coast Castle
had put in there in distress, and her
capture was an easy job. There were
twelve cannon among her supplies, and
these went up the river TO be mounted.
while her 1000 muskets went to arm
1000 more of the kings fighting men.
According TO Oyampoo. things were
coming his way and he was leading the
] procession. but there was a little cloud
( forming on the horizon which was be-
yond his ken. The British had their
| hands full elsewhere on the coast just
then, but they finally got around TO
take the kings case under advisement.
| All needed particulars were learned
from traders and deserters. and when
an expedition finally set out it knew
what it was up against.
Oyampoo had posed as a strategist,
and he had had the advice Of other
posers, and yet they made a fatal mis-
take. All the forts had been built on
! narrow islands in the river. with
deep channel flowing on each side. and
the batteries I'm front Of the town were
protected only by himsy earthw0rks
and could be taken in reverse. The
depth Of the river was well known,
and the exact location Of each fort WAS
mapped out. -Four men-of-war, accom-
panied by two transports carrying
1900 infantry, made up the expedition,
and when it had gathered at the mouth
Of the river Oyamp0o sent word down
that he would demolish fl on sight As
a matter Of form he was asked TO sur
render, and he returned word that he
would have the ears Of the commander
Of the expedition.
II was thought best TO make an OBJ
ject lesson of Oyampoo and 10 make
a fair stand up fight Of il. The ex-
/ pedition. therefore. advanced up the
river with wind and tide one morn
ing about o'clock, and word was
sent 10 the king Of its coming. SalvOs
were fred and hurrahs given, and by
and by The head OF the line appeared.
Two OF the fighting ships took one
( channel and two the other. and in this
. way all the forts were taken in re-
verse. The transports did the same.
and the rifle fire poured into the en-
brasures. and the roar of the forts was
enough. alone to drive the natives from
the guns.
OF the fifteen mounted cannon not
more than three were fred more than
once. The big shells from the fighting
ships knocked the earthworks 20 pieces
and dismounted the guns, and the rifle
fire moved the defenders down by the
score The men-of-war sailed up to
the city without halt and with only
three men killed, and. anchoring in
front of the capital, they knocked it
into smithereens within half an hour.
What huts were not knocked TO pieces
were reduced to ashes in the confia-
grafton
The natives did not run away like
towards. On the contrary, they fought
I'm a way to compel admiration and yet
without a show When flesh and blood
could stand it no longer they broke
and fled, and the victors landed and
finished the chapter 1t was three days
before syampoo could be induced
to come forward and take a little
fatherly advice. He had lost his king
dom. his capital and his armament,
and he had had 500 Of his army killed.
He was told what would be expected
of him in the future. and his written
declaration was taken that he would
forever bear allegiance 10 the British
crown.
In three short days he was reduced
from boastful and powerful ruler
to a contrite and badly frightened sub
ject. and the lesson was one he never