An Extract from ‘My Experience in Cameroons during the War’

Abstract

It was on the night of the 11th August 1914, when news of a great war in Europe reached us at Mbua2 (a town in the South Cameroons, about nine weeks or more from Duala,3 (or Kribbi) and that preparations were being made between the allied forces of the British and French for a war with the Germans in the Cameroons. Being a native of Cape Coast and a British subject employed in an English factory/ it occurred to me that I would fare badly at the hands of either the German soldiers or the natives should this news be authentic. The inevitable trend of events was evident if war really broke out, the natives being mostly cannibals, would attack all aliens, irrespective of race or colour and eat their flesh before any assistance from the German Government could be obtained. My agent was stationed at Njassi,5 four days from Mbua, and until I heard from him, my sole duty was to remain at my place. There was hardly any signs of agitation noticeable in Mbua between the 12th and 14th August, but on the 15th the natives could be seen running hither and thither, with spears in their hands, removing their belongings to the bush, mysteriously disappearing and returning in a similar manner, with a seeming stern resolve to finally eradicate all foreigners. These wild ignorant people had long waited for this with wariness, and nothing could afford them a better chance than such an event. In a short time the whole country was thrown into a state of commotion so that by the 18th instant no woman or child could be 1A full text of the writings of J. G. Mullen in the Gold Coast Leader is available in the on-line version of this issue o? Africa. The full text includes 'My sojourn in the Cameroons during the peaceful days: half hour's talk with Billy' (1919), the 'prequel' referred to in my introduction. The original grammar, spelling and layout have been preserved throughout the full text and this extract; sic has not been used. Many of the spelling errors would have been introduced after the submission of the manuscript: they are consistent with the efforts of a typesetter to decipher handwriting. 2Mbua (or Bua) is south of Baturi and east of present day Doum?.