COLONEL MONTEIL. 775 way inland on this side. Captain Binger had explored the country between 1887 and 1889, making an adventurous journey from tlaeNiger through Mossi,Gurunsi andtheKongmountains tillhe at last reached the sea at Grand Bassam. He was the first European to visit a great part of the country through wdaichhe journeyed,and on the way he had made treaties with the Fulah and Negro kings of each district he visited. He made a second journey to the Kong country in 1892, starting this time from the coast. At first the chiefs in the hinterland of the Ivory Coast had been friendly to the French explorers, probably not realising that they came to annex, as well as to map, the country. But there weresoonsigns of growing mistrust and hostility, and these increased as Samory and his armies were forced back from the Niger into the Kong country. In March, 1893, Captain Marchand (afterwards made famous by his going to Fashoda), moving inland from Grand Bassam, sound his way barred by the Chief of Tiassale. He attacked the town and took it by storm. During the summer he madea very complete surveyP the hinterland and the routes to Kong. In the autumn of 1893 Colonel Monteil was sent to GrandBassam to organise an expeditionagainst Samory's forces inthe Kongmountains. Captain Marchandwas attached to his staff. The troops were: five companies of Senegalese, two of Haussas, a battery of mountain guns, and a troop of cavalry (Spahis). Before advancing into the interior, Monteil had to deal with a rising of the negro tribes near the coast, which was suppressed at the cost of considerablelosses tothe column. It was not till February, 1894, that he began his advance. The column could now put in line of battle 345 rifles and two mountain guns. On March ist the vanguard of the expedition, under Captains Marchand and Desperles, came in contact with Samory's advanced posts. It was fiercely attacked during the night of the 2nd,and forced to soil back for more than a mile. On the 3rd,Monteilcame to the rescue with the main body, droveback the enemy, occupied the town of Lafiboro, and next day forced the crossingof the BeRiver. During a two days' truce ;but as the French terms amounted to unconditional surrender, the Emir refused them. At the worst he could retire into the fastnesses of the Kong mountains, whichnow lay closebehindhis army.

Monteil had heard that Samory's household, his wives, children,and slaves, were a few miles away at the village of Dabakala, and he resolved to surprise the place by a rapid march. The very day the negotiations were broken off he started for Dabakala with hiscolumn. But the enemy were on the alert. Towards evening the French wereattacked on all sides in the woods near the village of Sokala. Formed in a small square they sought desperately, but the enemy did not desist from the attack till long after nightfall. The column had lost heavily, and was encumbered with a large number of wounded, among whom was Colonel Monteil himself. Next day he began to retire towards the coast. Day after day as the column retreated it was continually harassed by the enemy. Monteil,carriedin a litter by his men, still retained the command, and when fighting began he was generally with the rearguard. Many of the native porters had fled. Those that were left were chiefly employed in carrying the sick and wounded. The enemy only gave up the pursuit on the 29th, and the column re-entered the Ivory Coast protectorate after having narrowly escaped a terrible disaster. Colonel Monteil was recalled to Paris to explain his failure,which was really the fault of the Government that had sent him to attack Samory with a mere handful of men.

The result of this unfortunate expedition was to save the sailing prestige of Samory, and to enable him to largely augment his forces and consolidate hispower in theKongcountry. The French lethim alone for a while,devoting their energiesto schemes for pushing down the Niger from Timbuctoo, and bringing into their sphere of influence the countries on its eastern bank along its great tributary the Benue. The newlyconquered kingdom of Dahomey was made the base of operations for exploring expeditions into the same region, the leaders of which brought back with them portfolios full of treaties with the local chiefs and kings accepting the protectorate of France. thenext weektherewere almostdaily skirmishes, the column pushing its way slowly to the northward. Late on the evening of the 10th the town of Dioulassou, where Samory had collected a large quantity of stores of allkinds, was surprised by the French. On the 12th the Emir sent envoys to negotiate, and there was But these operations were being carriedonin countries where the French had to meet the competition of the British, who were working for the same object and on verymuch the same lines. The English colonies on tlae West Coast