In July, 1911, the German cruiser _Panther_ appeared off the coast of
Morocco, at Agadir, for the alleged purpose of protecting German
interests, of which no trace existed in that quarter of the globe. The
incident was ultimately closed by the cession to Germany of the French
territory to the south of their Cameroon colony, which was subsequently
incorporated with it under the name of New Cameroon. The transfer was
made in June, 1913. Under French domination, three military stations,
garrisoned with a total force of four officers, twelve non-commissioned
officers, and 200 native troops, had been sufficient to preserve order,
but the new rulers had their own ideas as to the military requirements
of their growing Empire. We read in _Jahrbuch über die Deutscher
Kolonien_ (1913) that the German defence force numbers 185 Europeans and
1,550 natives, while it was the intention of the Government to form an
additional corps of mounted infantry, to establish a stud farm for the
breeding of troop horses, and to arm all the troops with 98·3 carbines.
Since the declaration of war in August last, Togoland has capitulated to
the French and British, and the German Cameroons are now being
systematically and successfully invaded by the allied forces. The
political future of these territories is, as yet, undetermined, but
however they may be ultimately allocated, German domination in West
Africa, with its blundering mismanagement and bumptious militarism, is a
chapter of colonial history that is closed for ever.
THE EXPLORATION OF THE INTERIOR.
Although the commercial activities of the tribes inhabiting the African
Mohammedan empires, and the construction of trade routes connecting
Senegal with the Red Sea, had opened up the Soudan to Europeans, the
territory which since 1884 has been known as German Cameroon was
practically unexplored at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In
1822 an English expedition succeeded in reaching Lake Tchad and
exploring its western and southern boundaries. This discovery was
supplemented in 1851-52 by Barth and Overweg. Barth went from Kuka to
Yola, and discovered the upper course of the Benue. He penetrated
further, through the country south of Lake Chad to Bagirmi. In 1854
Baikie went up the Benue, as far as Djen, about fifty kilometres from
Yola. Rohlf’s journey in 1865-67 and Nachtigal’s in 1869-74 are of
little importance. In 1879 began the activity of Edward Flegel, who, on
the steamer _Henry Benn_, navigated the Benue as far as Garna. Of much
greater importance were the explorations of the Benue district in 1882
and 1883, the southern limit of which was marked by the towns of
Ngaumdere, Banjo, Gaschaka, and Takum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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