Trade with Europeans features prominently in the Ewale narratives, a development that is said to have split the early Duala settlers. According to many of the stories, Ewale and his brother, Bojongo a Mbedi, rowed over how to react to the European traders. One version says that Bojongo tried to fight them, while Ewale traded instead; according to another, the Europeans killed Bojongo.
The exchange with European merchants is a key aspect of the Ewale stories, which tells of a split among the early Duala settlers. The narratives describe how Ewale and his brother Bojongo disagreed on how to handle the European traders. One tale states that Bojongo tried to resist them, while Ewale chose to engage in trade; another account says that the Europeans killed Bojongo.