Weekly News. — 1891-04-16 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE GERMAN CADIEROONS.  The doubts entertained in Berlin as to the correctness of the news in the Liverpool Join-nal of Commerce, to the effect that Dr. Zintgraff's expedition to the interior of the Cameroons had been annihilated, are well founded. The report, says a Berlin correspondent of the Standard, is only an exaggeration of the circumstance, which has been known for weeks, that Dr. Zintgraff has lost several German and native members of his expedition. The official Reichsanzeiger publishes the following account of the expedition: -Dr. Zintgraff, accompanied by Lieutenant von Spangenberg, left the Cameroons for Baliland, to explore the inland regions, for the purpose of science, in the beginning of last winter. He was f-dlowed by a commercial expedition fitted out by the firm of Jantzen and Thormahlen. Both expeditions stopped at the station of Baliburg, which Dr. Zintgraff had founded on a previous expedition. He entered, as on the former occasion, into friendly relations with the Chieftan Grarega of Baliland, and effected ' bloodbrotherhood ' and an alliance with him. This led to commercial relations between the Bali people and the Cameroons. The Chieftain of the neighbouring Bafutis opposed the expedition. He murdered two native messengers of peace sent to him by Dr. Zintgraff, and resisted the further advance of the expedition. The warlike Balis believed they could force the Bafutis to yield; they set on foot all their forces, and were joined by Dr. Zintgraff's expedition, and by the Commercial expedition. On January 31st the united forces succeeded in storming and burning down Badanz, the capital of the Bafutis. In the afternoon, however, when the Balis had spent most of their anununition, the Bafutis advanced against them in force, and a sanguinary engagement followed. It is true that the Bafutis suffered the heavier loss, and more than 500 men were killed, but the Balis and the two German expeditions had to retreat. Dr. Zintgraff lost about 170 natives, and unfortunately Lieutenant Spangeuberg, Herr Hume, and two gentlemen of the commercial expedition were also killed. Dr. Zintgraff remained, without being molested, at the station of Baliburg for a fortnight longer. As the Bafutis had then retired, he returned to the Cameroons for ammunition. As soon as he has the necessary reinforcements he will return to Baliburg. and continue the expedition."  A Tinier telegram says that the disturbance on the Miranzai border threatens to become very serious, but it is impossible to form an accurat, estimate of the trouble without fuller information regarding the tribes involved. • • • • •  „„. A serious explosion of gunpowder has taken place near the Sultan of Zanzibar's palace. Four persons were killed and many were burnt beyond recovery. The cause is unknown, but it is supposed to be the use of naked lights in a dark godown while giving out powder for Ramadan.  What is being said about our big guns reminds us of a story. One of her Majesty's ships collided with another while clearing out of the Portsmouth docks, and had her bowsprit carried away. The captain promptly notified the disaster to the Admiralty in a despatch worded as follows—" My Lords, I regret to have to inform your lordships that H.M.S. —, while leaving the harbour, came into collision with another vessel, and her bowsprit has been carried away. Awaiting instructions from your lor.lshins. I have the honour to remain," &c. Promptly come an Admiralty wire in reply:— "Report wiv • :7 ..way buNA spi , and where it Las I,een .•