Correspondence on "Subversive Juju in Mambila Area"
No. B. 1681/17. 6th January, 1939.
No. B.1681/23. 7th January, 1939.
No. B. 1681/26.7th January, 1939.
No. E.P. 17193/21.10th February, 1939.
No. B. 1681/37. 12th March, 1939
No. B. 1681/47. 6th April, 1939
Sealy-King
10.12.38.
The District Office,
Bamenda Division,
Bamenda,
6th January, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
Buea.
Subversive Juju in Mambila Area.
With reference to my telegram No. 5/B. 1681 of 3rd January, 1939,
the Makka movement has apparently been active since the beginning
of November though the first news I had of it was a report
received from the Assistant District Officer, Gashaka, on the 9th
of December as a result of which I sent you my telegram No.
748/B.1681/3 of the same date.
2. On the 10th December, I received a letter from the Baptist
Missionary at Mbem as a result of which I thought after
communicating with you that it would be best to visit the areas
concerned. The Missionary, Mr Paul Gebauer, who knows these areas
well and was of great assistance throughout, had been away in
Buea during November and reported the matter immediately on his
return to the Station, Mbem. Had he not been away I should have
heard of it earlier. No one else in any of these 3 areas thought
of reporting it. There is no literacy and the Native Court
Clerks, who are aliens, said that they had not been instructed by
the Native Authorities to do so.
3. A brief description of the 3 areas concerned, Mbaw, Mfumte and
Mbem would perhaps make things clearer. These are 3 of the 5
areas in the Division that have no Native Authority. They are
those referred to as 'primitive' in paragraph 38 of the 1937
League report and about whom further information is required this
year.
4. The 3 areas adjoin one another, Mbaw to the South Mbem North
of Mbaw and Mfumte North of Mbem. All occupy the North-East
section of the Division and border on the French Mandated
Territory to the South and further North the Mambila area of the
Gashaka District, Adamawa Province. They are remote from
Headquarters. After using motor road to Kumbo, Banso area,
(nearly 70 miles) it took me 4 days to reach the nearest Mbaw
village. The Mfumte Native Court situated at Lus must be over 150
miles from Bamenda Station. Mbaw lies in a low steamy plain and
is reached by an abrupt and precipitous descent from the Nsungli
Plateau above it. From Mbaw one rises up high again to Mbem and
Mfumte whose people live in wild inaccessible mountain country,
mostly moorland.
5. The 3 areas have had a more chequered history than almost any
other in the Division. In pre-Government days they were subjected
to devastating raids from the Fulani and after that severe
handling by the Germans. After the war they were handed over for
a period to the French Administration and then to the Northern
Provinces of Nigeria being finally incorporated in the Bamenda
Division in 1924. They then joined a court with the Nsungli
people (themselves now subdivided into 3 areas) and then the
three of them shared a court situated at Mbem. As a result of
further Intelligence inquiries each of these 3 areas was given
its own Court these new courts date from June, 1935. No Native
Authorities were appointed and subsequent reports emphasised the
backwardness of the people. The members of the Courts are the
Village Heads and all extended family Heads. The above details
are given briefly to show that these people are remote from
Headquarters and the Mbem and Mfumtes extremely primitive. Fuller
details as regards the administrative and judicial progress in
the Mbaw and Mbe areas will be found in my letters No. N.A.
123/62 of 4th January, 1939, and No. N.A. 125/49 of 4th January,
1939, respectively.
6. The Makka movement came directly from Mambila in the adjoining
Gashaka District. It seems to have spread also to French
territory. It was flourishing in Gashaka some time before it
entered this Division. Details of it and its purpose have been
very hard to obtain as the people were very reticent nor did I
see one of the dances as they stopped dancing as soon as I
approached my vicinity. Most of my information comes from the
Baptist Missionary, Mr Gabauer, who saw several dances and has in
fact taken a cinema reel of one which however, has been sent away
for development.
7 It is certain that the movement has been far less troublesome in this Division than in Gashaka. I met the Assistant District Officer, Mr Percival, during my tour and he says that the Makka activities resulted in unprovoked attacks on Bororo cattle-owners and refusals to pay tax. The headquarters of the Assistant District Officer are at Yola and he only travels this area for 2 out of 3 months in the year and it was, therefore, fortunate that his visit coincided with the outbreak of this movement as his activities and presence on the other side of the border had almost certainly something to do with mild manifestations of the cult on this side. The rumour that the European was leaving the country was also prevalent and entered this Division.
8. Nearly all the villages of Mbaw and Mbem adopted the cult but only two in Mfumte, Kwaja and Bitui. The actual dance has been described to me by Mr Gebauer as follows.Large numbers of persons took part, both men and women and it was danced frequently for 3 or 4 consecutive days during which time all farming work and other activities ceased. The dance was to a drum and gradually as they danced themselves to excitement, persons began waiving their arms like windmills. Mr Gebauer stated that in the middle of the dance he has been among them and received blows from their arms, not because they wished to hit him but because they did not know what they were doing. Then the eyes of some of the dancers would become set in a fixed stare and they would begin to shake as if they were in the convulsions of an epileptic fit. These persons then fell down to the ground apparently insensible. Immediately anyone fell down anini (tenths of a penny) were showered on them. The reason this is obscure except that the anini were collected by a member of the society and later spent on drink.
9. When a person had fallen in the dance they were accepted as an initiate of the society. Such persons on recovery would appear to be endowed with supernatural powers and would go about the village denouncing persons as witches. In some places this cause a certain amount of ill feeling and as mentioned below was the direct cause of stopping the dance in one village. In the village of Mbem a boy of about twelve who had CfallenD in the dance, was accepted as a sort of medium by the society and all the Makka orders and denunciations came from his lips. How much of all this was genuine and how much mumbo jumbo is not known but there was probably some of latter by the inner members of the society.
10. The objects of the society seem to have been to rid the place of witches but principally to cure sickness and even apparently in some parts to raise the dead, also to bring fertility to the crops.11. Mr Gebauer informs me that no hostility was shown to the Mission. Bands of people, however, in Mbem went about shouting that a new and powerful God had come to the country and he was informed more than once that he was not now of importance.
12. I had no difficulty whatever in obtaining full meetings of all village Heads and councillors in the Mbaw and Mfumte areas. Several villages were absent altogether from my meeting at Mbem though I saw them later.
The difficulty of getting into contract with the primitive people of Mbem has been mentioned in previous reports.
13. The Mbaw people were perfectly amenable. They admitted that Makka was a very bad dance and they promised that they would not allow it again. In some of the Mbaw villages in fact it seems to have been stopped by the Chiefs themselves before I arrived. In one of such villages one of the fallen dancers on coming to his senses denounced the chief himself as a witch. The Chief who is a man with a considerable amount of personality was so angry that he forbade the dance forthwith and was apparently obeyed.
14. After touring through Mbaw I proceeded to Mbem and it was in this area that the cult took most hold. The Assistant District Officer, Gashaka, reported that the movement was led chiefly by young men who had travelled abroad and who showed themselves inclined to be hostile to the constituted chiefs. But here all took part, young men and old alike.
15. In Mbem there had occurred the only case of assault that arose out of this movement. A native of the Mfumte area came to Mbem market and bought some meat. He was denounced by 3 members of the Makka society as having human flesh in his bag. He remonstrated that he had only bought some cow meat that was on sale in the market but was told they were members of the Makka society and knew these things, he was then set on and beaten with the sticks. He escaped to the mission not very much hurt. These three persons were tried in the Magistrate9s Court at Mbem and sentenced to comparatively heavy sentences as an example.
16. The village of Gom, some 3 hours walk from Mbem, was not at the meeting of which ample notice had been given while I was still in Mbaw. The Chief of Mbem who is President of the Court sent through a man to call them and this man found the whole village dancing Makka. They were too pre-occupied to take any notice and had to be sent for again. The village Head and a few of the Quarter Heads arrived and admitted they had been dancing.
17. The village of Gom is not far from the Mbaw Court and I had then been in the Mbaw area for a week and they must have known very well that I was there and had forbidden the dance. This is the only village that danced this dance while I was in the vicinity. I recommend that they be paid no 10% of the tax this year.
18. From Mbem I went to Mfumte where only 2 villages were concerned.
19. It will be seen that the movement had no very serious consequences in this Division. The dance has been forbidden and the people warned that anyone dancing again will be prosecuted for conduct likely to cause breach of the peace while any assaults or other crime resulting from a further participation in the movement will be very severely punished. They were also given 3 weeks from the date of the meetings at the various court centres to pay their tax in at Bamenda. Practically no tax had been paid or collected. There was no question of any refusal to pay; they were merely otherwise engaged.20. Beyond the case referred to in paragraph 15 above no punitive measures were taken and I do not think that they were necessary. In any case no one had broken the law and the whole population was involved. The people were perfectly amenable everywhere and tax is now being collected. I should like to have spent a little longer in the area and visited some of the more inaccessible villages of the Mbem area who have not been visited for a long time and of whose villages of the Mbem area who have nor been visited for a long time and of whose villages I only saw a few representatives. I did not have time to do so, however, for as it is the League Notes and Annual report have been much delayed by this matter. I am nearly certain however, that this movement will not recur in Mfumte or Mbaw and I do not think that it will in Mbem either. Should it do so, mr Gebauer who was of the most assistance throughout will inform me immediately.
(Sgd) N.N.
For District Officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.
The Secretary,
Southern Provinces,
Enugu.
Subversive Juju in Mambila Area.
With reference to my Telegram No. 9/2466 of the 4th of January, 1939, I forward herewith a copy of the report referred to as received from the District Officer, Bamenda.
2. The movement had no very serious consequences in the
Division due - no doubt - to the fact that the District Officer
took immediate steps to quash it as soon as he received
information that it had visited the Division. It is clear from
the report that the movement is not universally popular and the
District Officer does not think that there will be a
recurrence.
3. I recommend that the proposal as set out in paragraph 17 of
the District Officer's report be carried into effect. It is clear
- I think - that the village of Gom must have known that the
District Officer had forbidden the dance. It would seem that they
wilfully disobeyed the instructions given and should therefore be
punished. The punishment recommended is - I consider -
suitable.
(Sgd) L. Sealy-King
Acting Resident, Cameroons Province.
THE DISTRICT OFFICE
BAMENDA,
CAMEROONS PROVINCE.
7th January, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
BUEA.
SUBVERSIVE JUJU IN MAMBILA AREA.
With reference to my letter No. B.1681/17 of the 6th of January,
1939, I arrived subsequently at Kishong in the Banso Area and was
informed by Mr. Zurcher of the Basel Mission that he had toured
the Mbembe area in October and found a similar play prevalent in
nearly all the villages. Mr Zurcher's English is limited and I
did not gather any very clear details.
2. He was emphatic, however, that the dance was a bad one and
should be stopped. He said that only women and children actually
took part. The chief feature appears to be similar to one of the
features of Makka that those who have 'fallen' in the dance on
coming to their senses denounce people as witches. Mr Zurcher
said that some of those so denounced ran away and lived alone in
the bush and he had heard of cases of suicide though of this he
could not be sure.
3. It seems likely that this movement as well as Makka is an
offshoot of the Tuba movement described in paragraphs 45 to 47 of
the printed 1937 League of nations report.4. While still on tour
I sent for the chief of one of the nearest Mbembe villages and he
admitted that his village and several of the villages near his
had been dancing this dance. He added, however, that the elders
of his village had come to the conclusion that the dance was
injurious and had stopped it. He thought that villages near his
had done the same but he could no speak for all Mbembe.
5. Mbembe is the remotest and one of the most primitive areas in
the Division and adjoins Mfumte. When I was in Mfumte I made
particular inquiries as to whether the movement had spread to
Mbembe but could get no information. Though the areas adjoin
there is no communication between them and they are divided by
inaccessible and for the most part uninhabited mountain country.
It seemed, moreover, unlikely that the movement had spread from
Mfumte as the Mfumte villages nearest Mbembe had not adopted the
cult. From inquiries now made it seems that the movement came
from the Northern Provinces and not Mfumte.
6. It is possible that the movement in Mbembe had now died down but it may not have but in any case I think that these people should have a visit. It was impossible for me to go there after receiving this information as I could not then have completed the Annual reports in time. Nor can I send Mr Harcourt just at the moment with the reports in time. Nor can I send Mr Harcourt just at the moment with the reports not yet completed as tax is now coming in and needs his full attention till I can take it over. As soon as the Annual reports are finished however, I think an Administrative Officer should visit this area. He will be away at least a month.
7. There are, however, other outstanding matters of which the most urgent are:
The question of Bafawchu farmland - my letter No. B.574/78 of the 6th of January, 1939, refers. The opening of the new Fungom courts which were approved last May. Your endorsement No. 1798/38A of the 8th of June, 1938, refers. This was also one of the areas affected by dysentery and no inquiries or investigations have been made.
Great difficulty is being experienced in the collection of Jangali and it does not come in by the time you receive this letter and Administrative Officer should go and see about it as the cattle are migrating to new pastures. I fortunately passed through the main cattle areas on my return to the Station and took certain steps which I hope will prove effective but I could not stay long.
8. Of the above I consider that a visit to Mbembe should take priority over the Bafawchu matter seeing that they have asked for a review by the governor and for the reasons given in my letter on this subject. As regards the Jangali an Officer going to Mbembe would have to pass through the main cattle areas and he could attend to this en route though it would delay him considerably and prolong his absence from the Station. Mbembe have paid no tax to date.
9. Mbembe were visited during February of this year but unfortunately the Administrative Officer was sick all the time. They were not visited at all in 1937. The Senior District Officer wrote in paragraph 355 of his 1937 League Notes:-
C255. Three attempts to visit this area during the year were frustrated by sudden transfers and lengthy investigation of the embezzlements by the Treasury clerk in Banso. The proposals of the 1934 Intelligence Report received approval towards the end of the year, and the new organisation will be introduced at an early date. The need of prolonged touring emphasised by the writer of the report and approved by His Honour in his comment is difficult to satisfy, but will be given more attention it maybe hoped in 1938D.
10. If I were remaining in charge of this Division I should try and visit this area myself after completing my Annual reports but I believe Dr Jeffreys is returning in February and I should then in all probability not be in the Station when he arrived. I recommend, therefore, that a visit to Mbembe be given priority over other matters and that Mr Harcourt proceed there as soon as he can be spared. May I have your instructions by telegram please.
(Sgd)? ? ? ?
District Officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.
THE DISTRICT OFFICE
BAMENDA,
CAMEROONS PROVINCE,
7th January, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
Buea.
SUBVERSIVE JUJU IN MAMBILA AREA.
With reference to my letter No. B.1681/17 of the 6th of January, 1939, it seems likely that this movement is an offshoot of the Tuba movement described in paragraphs 45 to 47 of the 19437 printed League of Nations Report. I discussed the matter with the Assistant District Officer, Gashaka, and he was of the same opinion.
(Sgd)
District Officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.
Telegram from District Officer, Bamenda, to the Resident, Buea dated 6/2/39.
B.408/807 x You 222/1380 of 6th x cannot give exact balance as expenses Tovey Schofield French railway not received yet x have wired Addition to find out x approximate balance twenty five pounds of which have allowed fifteen pounds for Jeffreys but cannot estimate that exactly x of remaining ten pounds seven required.
Harcourt's transport Bamenda from Mbwat where he is now -
similarly cannot estimate except very approximately what further
required as depends on conditions in areas x Harcourt nor
visiting x at present occupied Jangali and consider should then
proceed Rom and Gom Mbem area re Makka thence probably Mbembe
same purpose x these primitive areas have been under travelled
and under administered and in circumstances consider they should
be visited x request further ten poundsx
EXECUTIVE BAMENDA.
10th February, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
Buea.
SUBVERSIVE JUJU IN MAMBILA AREA.
I am directed by the Acting Chief Commissioner to refer to
your letter No. 2466/21 of the 19th of January, 1939, and to say
that His Honour does not approve the punishment proposed in your
paragraph 3.
In His Honour's opinion the proper line of action was that
defined by the District Officer himself in paragraph 19 of his
letter No. B.1681/17 of the 6th of January, 1939, addressed to
you, and if it was impossible at the time to prosecute individual
offenders His Honour considers that matters should rest.
The whole or part of the 10% may of course be withheld in the
event of further delay in payment of tax.
2. I am to add that His Honour considers that Mr Swabey has written a full and interesting report on the movement, and to ask you to report should any recrudescence of the movement occur.
(Sgd) E.N. Mylin
Acting Secretary,
Southern Provinces.
BAMENDA,
CAMEROONS PROVINCE,
12th March, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
BUEA.
SUBVERSIVE JUJU IN MAMBILA AREA.
With reference to my telegram No. 157/B. 1681 of the 11th of March, 1939, Mr. Harcourt visited Rom recently. The village of Gom was found after all not to have taken part in the movement again. Rom has 196 tax payers.
3. It appears that the Chief himself not only allowed the dance but actually ordered on his own responsibility and without consulting any of his council. He admits this himself and gives as his excuse that after attending my meeting at Mbem he wanted to inform all his people that the dance was forbidden but that they would not all assemble unless the prospect of a Makka dance was held out to them. he therefore ordered this and everyone danced all day and in the evening at the end he told them that orders had been given that the movement was forbidden.
4. It is extremely difficult to know what to di in such a case as large numbers of persons are involved and in this case could not be identified except for a few who were not adults; moreover unless it leads to violence which it did not in this case the law is not actually broken. The Chief has been fined £10 or one month under Section 249 (5) of the Criminal Code and has been given one month to find the money which is not very long time if the walk to Mbem and back is taken into account. This is a comparatively heavy fine for this part where the tax rate is only 1/-.
5. It is perhaps not our business to inquire how the money is collected but I should think it most probable that the Chief will be assisted by others, and if so I do not think it would be inequitable as considerable numbers apparently took part. The only really effective way of dealing with a matter like this seems to be collective punishment but I would not recommend this now as I do not think it will recur and with only one village involved it is not of much importance.
6. I recommend in addition that the chief, by name Nwunza, be suspended from sitting in Court for 3 months.
7. With reference to my letter No. B. 1681/23 of the 7th of January, 1939, Mr Harcourt left for the Mbembe area from Rom but I have not yet heard from him there.
(Sgd) M.H. Swathy.
District officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.
The District Office,
Bamenda Division,
Bamenda.
6th April, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
Buea.
Subversive Juju in Mambila Area.
With reference to my letter No. B. 1681/23 of 7th January, 1939, and paragraph 7 of my letter No. 1681/37 of 12th March, 1939, Mr Harcourt entered Mbembe on 23rd February, 1939, and left the area on 4th March, 1939.
2. No evidence of the Makka movement was found in the area.
3. Some village heads admitted the prevalence of the dance about three years ago, and appeared to identify it with Tuba, to which I reported in my letter No. B. 1681/26 of 7th January, 1939. They said that at that time, hearing that the District Officer who visited the Abong Native Court on the other side of the inter-Provincial boundary formed by the river Donga, had forbidden the dance, they also put a stop to it.
4. The Native Authority was told to make it known throughout the area that the dance was prohibited by Government. In the event of recrudescence of the phenomenon the Native Authority could itself prosecute offenders under Section II (2) of Ordinance No. 43/33.
(Sgd) M. Jeffreys
Senior District Officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.
Provincial Office,
Buea,
Cameroons Province,
The Senior District Officer,
Bamenda Division,
Bamenda.
Subversive Juju in Mambila Area.
With reference to paragraph 4 of your letter No. B. 1681/47 of
the 6th of April, 1939, a Native Authority may prosecute under
section II (2) of Ordinance No. 43/33 only if an Order is made
under section 8 of the Ordinance.
Such Orders do not require the Governor's approval but they must
be published in the Gazette.
Please see Circular No. S.P. 12 1937 (No. S.P. II473/164 of the
13th of April, 1937) forwarded over my endorsement No. 1892/38 of
the 4th of May, 1937.
(Sgd) ? ? ?
Acting Resident,
Cameroons Province.
The District Office,
Bamenda Division,
Bamenda
23rd May, 1939.
The Resident,
Cameroons Province,
Buea.
Subversive Juju in Mambila Area.
With reference to your letter No. 2466/39 of 30th April, 1939, I
suggest that a Native Authority, in the particular instance under
reference, could prosecute under Section II (2) and 8 (d) and
that 8 (d) neither requires His Excellency's approval nor any
notification in any Gazette.
2. 8 (d) is common Law and was common law before 1900, paragraph
4 Cap. 3 applies. A conviction then by a Native Authority under
II (2) quote 8 (d) would be sound in Law.
(Sgd) M. Jeffreys
Senior District Officer,
i/c Bamenda Division.