lion
landing at Bonaberi, across the river from Duala, capitulated after
some desultory fighting. The wireless station at Duala was found to
have been wrecked, but the British took several hundred prisoners,
captured 8 merchantmen with valuable cargoes and the German gunboat
_Soden_, which was at once put into commission in the British navy.
While the British were successful around Duala, a French force by sea
from Libreville, French Congo, escorted by their warship _Surpris_,
attacked _Ukoko_ on Corisco Bay, south of the Cameroons, during which
the armed vessels _Khios_ and _Itolo_ were sunk.

The Allies had captured the chief port and controlled the coast, but
the most difficult work lay before them in the mountainous and almost
roadless region still to be conquered. The retreating Germans
occupied a defensive position on a river at Japona, where on October
8, 1914, a French column came up with them, forced a bridge, and
compelled them to continue their retreat.

On October 8, 1914, Colonel E. H. Gorges, commanding a British naval
and military force and four field guns, sailed up the Wuri in launches
and found the enemy intrenched near Jabassi. The British made a
spirited attack, but were driven back by the accurate fire of the
enemy. After a flank attack failed, the order was given to retreat,
and the British returned to Duala.

The Allies reenforced, and with two 6-inch guns resumed the attack on
October 14, 1914, when the German batteries were soon silenced. After
a brisk engagement the infantry occupied Jabassi, taking ten European
prisoners. Minor successes won by the Allies at this time were the
defeat of the Germans at Susa, and the occupation of the region around
Mora, near Lake Chad by a Nigerian Regiment which had entered the
colony from the northeast.

Two columns of Anglo-French troops under Brigadier General Dobell,
with Colonel Mayer commanding the French colonial infantry, followed
the retreating Germans to Edea on the Sanaga River, some fifty miles
from Duala. Part of the road led through a thick forest where snipers
were concealed, who harassed the expedition at every step and were
dislodged with great difficulty.

On October 26, 1914, Edea was taken without resistance, and the enemy
retired to Yaunde, a station far in the interior. Mujuka, a station
about fifty miles from Duala, was occupied by the British a few weeks
later.

Early in November, 1914, General Dobell planned an attack on the
G