Zintgraffís Explorations in Bamenda, Adamawa and the Benue Lands 1889ó1892The following pages, initially prepared for limited circulation in 1961, contain brief extracts and summaries of those parts of Eugen ZintgraffÍs book Nord-Kamerun (1895), of most interest concerning the colonial Bamenda and Wum Division. ZintgraffÍs book, the first by a European about the Grassfields, has not been translated and is hard to get second-hand. In using these notes the following points should be borne in mind: ZintgraffÍs knowdie;ledge of Bali (Mungaka) and Hausa was very slight, and his discussions of character, motives and political institutions are consequently superficial and open to criticisms. He had no means of checking what he was told, or thought he was told. He had no previous knowledge of any similar culture and no training in ethnographical method. He was, however, a good observer, and his descriptions of tools, dress, weapons and the like, can be regarded as fairly reliable. Finally, it must be remembered that Zintgraff wrote the book to justify his own actions and to support that small but influential section of public opinion in Germany which favoured rapid imperial expansion. A full account of the actions and motives of ZintgraffÍs opponents in the Kamerun Governdie;ment and in the Colonial Bureau of the German Foreign Office has not been written: we only have one side of the story. But there are some suggestive points made in RudinÍs Germans in the Cameroons and others referred to in these notes. What is perhaps most striking about ZintgraffÍs account is the fact that the people of the Western Grassfields were not so isolated from one another or their neighbours as might be thought. A network of trade-friendships covered the country and big men exchanged gifts over long distances. These links must be set beside the insedie;curity due to raids and slave-catching, and are well worth investigation. |
Contents
NORDKAMERUN Berlin 1895 by Eugen Zintgraff | 1 |
BALI | 4 |
THE FON GAREGA | 6 |
THE FON AND HIS PEOPLE | 12 |
BALI LIFE | 16 |
DEPARTURE | 19 |
MANKON AND BAFUT | 21 |
THE MARCH CONTINUES | 27 |
REPORT TO GERMANY | 42 |
A NEW EXPEDITION | 46 |
RETURN TO BALI | 47 |
BAFUT AND MANKON | 49 |
THE BATTLE OF MANKON | 52 |
DISASTER | 54 |
REORGANIZATION | 58 |
A TREATY WTTH GAREGA | 59 |
TAKUM AND THE BENUE LANDS | 29 |
THE RETURN THROUGH ADAMAWA | 31 |
TAKUM BUM BIKOM | 35 |
BAMUNGU BABUNGO | 38 |
TO BALI VIA BAMBUI AND BAFRENG | 40 |
RETURN TO THE COAST | 41 |
THE BALITRUPPE | 62 |
PROGRESS | 63 |
ZIMMERERS OPPOSITION | 64 |
Selected Bibliography | 67 |
Selected Bibliography | 73 |
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Common terms and phrases
Adamawa African appeared armed arrived asked attack Bafut Bali Ball Bande Banyang believed brought building called Cameroon carried carriers chief cloth coast coming crossed difficult drinking English established European expedition fear Finally Fo Bessong force Foreign four friends Garega gave German gift give given Government Governor Grassfields greeted ground Gwalem hand Hausa head horn Hutter ivory Kamerun killed labour land looked M’bo Mankon Meanwhile notes Office palmwine party passed peace points political present provisions reached received recruit remarks river road route seemed seen sent servants side slaves spears station stay stood surrounded Takum thought Tita told took town trade tribes village wait wanted warriors wine women wore Yola Zintgraff