Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-06-15
HUMPING A KING.

name IEdn III IdCl. 4AeII dutuOLlly
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 man about forty
years old and chief OF the Adamawa
tribe. He began making war on 9TH
er tribes as soon as he had been elect
ed chief, and at forty he was cock of
the walk for 500 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 ref
uge with him and taught his troops
the white mans drill and built lorts
to defend his capital on the water side.
Cannon and ammunition were wanted
for those forts, and SO one day when
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
government sent gunboat up the
river to knock them about his ears
and humble his pride. 1t wasn't
success. He sank the craft in half
an hour, and such of her crew az sur
vived were held prisoners for months.
Heexpected the British to fight, and
there was a glad song in 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 nine forts
and FIVE or six earthworks. He
counted up and found that he hadn't
cannon enough, and he sent fleet OF
war canoes down to the gulf to see
what could be scooped in. AS luck
would have, a 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 mus
kets 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
little cloud forming on the horizon
which was beyond his ken. The Brit
ish had their hands full elsewhere on
the coast just then, but they finally
got around to take the kings case
under advisement. All needed par
ticulars were learned from traders and
deserters, and when an expedition
finally set out it knew what it was up
against.
Oyampoo had posed as strategist,
and he had had the advice of other
posers, and yet they made fatal mis-
take. All the forts had been built on
narrow islands in the river, with a
deep channel flowing on each side,
and the batteries in front of the town
were protected only by fimsy earth
works 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,
accompanied by two transports car
rying 1000 infantry, made up the
expedition, and when it had gath
cred at the mouth of the river Cyan
poo sent word down that he would
demolish it on sight. AS a matter of
form he was asked to surrender, and
he returned the word that be would
have the ears of the commanner Of the
expedition.
1t was thought best to make an OBJ
ject lesson Of Oyampoo and to make
fair stand-up fight OF it. The ex-
pedition, therefore, advanced up the
river with wind and tide one morning
about s o'clock, and word was sent
to the king Of its coming. SalvOs
were fred and hurrahs given, and
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 reverse.
The transports did the same, and the
rife FIRE poured into the embrasures,
and the rear of the forts Was enough