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Rh Bornu (with which it is closely connected) and a number of small emirates in the neighbourhood of Yola, which are similarly reunited to the emirate of that name. Farther south, the districts of Ossi- dinge, Tinto and Bamenda, which form parts of the Cameroon Province, are very little developed, but traces are being made for roads designed to connect them more closely with the neighbour- ing districts of Nigeria. Bue'a, which has an altitude of some 4,000 ft., though it enjoys an almost perfect climate for some four months of the year, has an excessive rainfall and the humidity resulting therefrom renders it of little value as a permanent hill-station. It is connected with Victoria by a light railway which was built to serve the extensive cocoa and rubber plantations opened and devel- oped by a number of German companies in its vicinity and in the country lying between the foot-hills of the Cameroon mountains and the sea. After the expulsion of the Germans in 1915 these plantations were kept up and managed by officers employed for the purpose by the Government of Nigeria; and it was intended that as soon as a convenient opportunity offered they should be disposed of by auction, the proceeds being credited to the repara- tions account. At Victoria the Germans had established a small but very beautiful and valuable botanical garden which the Gov- ernment of Nigeria is taking steps to maintain.

With the exception of the area covered by the plantations, the sphere occupied by the British in the Cameroons is very little developed. Internal means of communication are of the most primitive description ; sea communications with Calabar are irregu- lar; the population is not large; and the administration of the area imposes an annually recurring charge upon the Government of Ni- geria. In 1921 this amounted to 67,000. It was believed that the mandate for this territory would be issued in 1922.

During 1919-20 the French, who retained the name of Cam- eroon (in its French form), organized a regular administration. The mandated area was given financial and administrative autonomy, but to ensure unity of policy in common interests the commissioner of Cameroon had the right to a seat on the council of the governor-general of French Equatorial Africa. Cameroon was divided into 12 circonscriptions with Duala (pop. about 18,000) as capital. In May 1921 the capital was transferred to Yaunde a town of 30,000 inhabitants, occupying a compara- tively healthy and central position on the central .plateau, and 1 10 m. S.S.E. of Duala. A route for the extension of the railway from Duala to Yaunde was surveyed. In 1920 railhead was at Eseka, some 45 m. short of Yaunde. The revival of trade after the World War was slow; but in 1920 the combined value of imports and exports was roughly estimated at over 2,000,000.

See I. von Puttkamer, Gouverneursjahre (1915); E. Zimmermann, Neukamerun (1913) ; L. Hause, Durchs unbekannte Kamerun (1915) ; A. F. Calvert, The Cameroons (1917); G. Bruel, L'Afrique Equato- riale Franfaise (1918). Agood general map on the scale of 1/2,000,- ooo was issued by the French colonial ministry in 1920. (F. R. C.)

THE CAMPAIGN or 1914-8. On the opening of the World War, Cameroon was invaded independently by such troops few in number as the British in Nigeria and the French in Equatorial Africa had at their disposal. The German protec- torate was roughly triangular in shape, with its base extending from the estuary of the Muni E. to the valley of the Sanga and its apex reaching Lake Chad; with, in the S.E., two tongues of land running to the Congo and Ubangi rivers respectively. It enclosed on the S.W. Spanish Guinea, Nigeria lay on its N.W., elsewhere it was bordered by French territory. The centre and S. of the country are mostly covered with forest or dense bush; in the E. there is much savannah-like land; the northern part is generally clear of bush, but (save in the immediate neighbour- hood of Lake Chad), broken and open, mountainous and with many hill-posts, affording excellent means of defence. The German forces were scattered, but the greater part were about Duala, in the Cameroon estuary, and the chief port.

According to German official statistics the military force in Cameroon in 1913 consisted of 199 Germans and 1,550 natives, and the police force numbering 40 Germans and 1,255 natives. When hostilities began some hundreds of German settlers were enlisted, together with a number of sailors belonging to ships which took refuge in the Cameroon estuary. Considerable numbers of natives were also trained as askaris, and in the N. one or two Fula chiefs, with their levies, aided the Germans. Col. Zimmermann, an able and resolute soldier, was in command. The Germans endeavoured, with scant success, to provoke a jihad among the Moslem tribes in northern Cameroon. In general and especially in the coast dis- tricts the natives proved hostile to the Germans. As early as Aug. 8 1914 the Germans hanged two members of the principal native family of Duala for treason.

CAMEROON

Scale IM4..000.000

Nileso 50 100 200

Hostilities opened on Aug. 6 1914, when a small French force captured Bonga, at the Sanga-Congo confluence. The next day Zinga, on the Ubangi, was captured. This prompt action anticipated and prevented an offensive planned by the Germans. The opera- tions were directed by Gen. Aymerich, commander-in-chief in French Equatorial Africa. That officer next formed two columns : one under Col. Hutin advanced N. up the Sanga valley, the other under Col. Morrison advanced W. along the Lobaye, which joins the Ubangi near Zinga. Both columns were at first successful ; their objectives were Lomie and Dume respectively, posts in the centre of Cameroon. Almost simultaneously with the opening of Gen. Aymerich 's cam- paign in the S.E., Gen. Largeau l in the far N. unsuccessfully attacked the post of Kusseri on the Logone river (Lake Chad region). A second attack, on Sept. 21, was successful. Meantime a British column from Nigeria under Capt. R. W. Fox had crossed the frontier (Aug. 25) and had attacked but failed to capture the hill-fort of Mora which was held by Capt. von Raben. Largeau now sent a French column under Col. Brisset to cooperate with Capt. Fox. On Dec. 12 Brisset occupied Marua, a town S. of Mora, and by that date the whole of the Lake Chad region of Cameroon had been cleared of the Germans except the fort of Mora, where the situation remained unchanged to the close of the campaign. For the most part the British were content to blockade the place, though between Aug. 23 and Sept. 15 1915 unsuccessful attempts were made to storm it. Mora had the advantage of a good water supply.

On the same day (Aug. 25 1914) on which Capt. Fox invaded northern Cameroon, two other British columns 2 invaded Cameroon. One, starting from Yola, attempted to capture Garua (Aug. 30), failed, suffered heavily and was compelled to fall back on Yola. Among the killed was the commander, Lt.-Col. P. Maclear. Reor-

fanized and placed under command of Lt.-Col. Webb Bowen, the 'ola column later in the year cooperated with Col. Brisset. The other column, which entered Cameroon in the Cross river district, suffered a severe reverse at Nsanakang on Sept. 6, being surprised by a German force brought from Duala and sustaining 168 casual-

'Gen. Largeau (1869-1916) had been a member of the Marchand Expedition to Fashoda and later took a leading part in the conquest and exploration of the central Sudan. It was as commander of the French forces in the Lake Chad region that he directed the French operations in northern Cameroon, later giving Gen. Cunliffe loyal support. In Oct. 1915 he returned to France. He was killed in command of a brigade at Verdun March 26 1916.

2 The operations on this side were under the direction of Col. Sir F. D. Lugard, governor of Nigeria.