KAMERUN

[s. 382] : A German protectorate in Western Africa, lying between Nigeria on the northwest and the French Congo on the east, extending to Lake Chad on the north, and having the Bight of Biafra for its western boundary, with a coast line of 199 miles. Its area is 191,130 square miles, with a population estimated at 3,500,000. The coast mountains over against the island of Fernando Po rise at one point to a peak of 14,000 feet, surpa ed on the African continent only by Kenia, Kilima-Njaro, Simen (in Aby in i a) and the lately explored Ruwenzori. Its lower portions are covered with a luxuriant vegetation of palms, acacias, fig-trees, kokas, plantains and other trees and shrubs. At a height of 7,000 feet are found ferns, gra es and heather. Springs are rare, none being found above 9,100 feet. The summit is bare, except for a few trailing plants sheltered in the hollows. The surrounding country is well watered by small lakes and rivers, with their confluents and deltas. But little of the region has been explored or brought under the influence of its European masters. In the summer rainy season (May to August) the rainfall is very heavy, and the season of the winter rains is characterized by squalls, tornados and dense vapors. The chief station and seat of government is Buea, beautifully situated on the mountain. Kameruns is a name applied collectively to a dozen populous villages on the east side of the Kamerun estuary. The chief inhabitants are of Bantu origin and speech. These include the lively, intelligent and daring but very superstitious Bakwiri, between the coast and the mountains; the industrious and equally superstitious Bakundu of the northern slopes; the communistic Balonga and trading Abo east of the Bakundu; the tom-tom beating and well-known Dualla of the Kamerun estuary; farther south the savage Bakoko and the Batanga, who are the most skilful boat-builders in Africa, and the Fangs, who are pre ing to the coast from the interior. In the northern portion of the territory the population is composed almost entirely of the Sudanese negroes. The first mi ionary operations in this region were undertaken by the BMS in 1858, when its mi ionaries were driven from Fernando Po by Spanish bigotry. At that time the mi ionaries found danger from the savages on the mainland le than that of the Europe ans who ruled the island. They transferred their work to the Basel Mi ionary Society in 1886, two years after the German Protectorate was announced. The PN 364 (1885) and the German Baptists (1891) also have stations. There are altogether in Kamerun 16 stations where mi ionaries reside, with 115 schools of various grades and about 2,500 native communicant Christians. 382