Eegaf by Chaltin, 14th February, 1897.

206 Congolese and French Expeditions.

under Baron Dhanis—composed of five white officers, four white non-commissioned officers, 806 trained riflemen, some guns, 250 porters, 50 Azande (Niam-Niam) riflemen, and 500 spearmen under their chiefs Renzi and Bafuka, arrived at Surrur at the end of the year, and left 1897. it on the 1st January. On the 14th February they reached the Nile at Bedden, aud their scouts came into touch with the Dervishes. On the 17th they attacked Capture of the Dervish position near Regaf, held by about 2,000 Chaltin, 7 men, and routed them with great loss ; later in the day they had another small action, and occupied Regaf, the Dervishes bolting to the north. Chaltin lost one white officer (Sarolea) killed and a few men, and the enemy lost nine Emirs, 200 dead, three guns, 700 rifles, and a large stock of ammunition and provisions. Regaf was found to possess a good landing-place, and was strengthened by earthworks. Lado no longer existed. A report from the Congo (June, '97), states that there are now 15,000 ( ! ? ) Dervishes at Bor, and that they have three European prisoners, of whose identity nothing is certain.* Chaltin himself had then about 1,300 men with him, and was mostly at a spot called Loka, on high ground, four days' march west of Regaf. He reported the soil to be poor, and that there was little prospect of trade. Captain Hanolet has now succeeded him.

Marchand As regards the French Expedition of over 400 men expedition. un(jer Marchand and Liotard, which started from the French Congo in 1896 with a view to penetrating into the valley of the Upper Nile, it reached the Sue River, an affluent of the Bahr el Grhazal, last autumn, and began launching two 5-ton gunboats. It is probable that the members will experience considerable difficulty in their task, in consequence of insufficient water for navigation till July, the sudd, and the pronounced hostility of the natives.

The Dervish supremacy in the Bahr el Ghazal and regions bordering on the Upper Nile has now been greatly diminished owing to their severe defeat at Regaf, and also owing to the necessity of reinforcing their threatened centre about Omdurman.

* One is reported to be an Englishman, by name Hackiff.

1898.