Bohr El Ghazal: 1894—1897. 271 THE FRENCH ADVANCE INTO THE BAHR EL GHAZAL, etc.

(Taken from French sources.)* " When the Franco-Congolese agreement of 14th July, 1894, was concluded, the French had little difficulty in taking over the territory that had been occupied by the Belgians. Three companies of Senegalese tirailleurs— \n effective force 175 men each— formed the regular military forces, and to these were joined, after a while, the native militia that had been recruited by the Belgians. Captains Vermot, Ditte, and Hossinger successively proceeded to take possession of the fortified posts still in the hands of the agents of the Congo State, and it was thus that M. Liotard was able, on his return to the Congo, at the beginning of 189.5, after a seven months' absence in France, to occupy as Commissioner of the Republic, and Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Ubangi, the important centre Zemio, on the 10th July, situated at 248 miles from the confluence of the M'Bomu with the Welle. Consequently, he was able to control the N'Sakarras and Azande tribes, whose chiefs, Bangassu, Rafai, and Zemio, are now faithful allies of France.

" Once these territories were placed under direct French control, M. Liotard proceeded to carry out the initial programme of penetrating towards the Nile, and began to push forward the occupation of the Bahr El Ghazal Province, the rights over which, acquired by their treaty with England of 12th May, 1894, had been ceded to France by the Belgian Congolese.

" In February, 1896, M. Liotard, accompanied by Captain Hossinger, arrived at Tembura, where he was warmly received by the Azande Sultan. A post was established, and Captain Hossinger put in command. He was assassinated some months afterwards, Gth July, by a Senegalee belonging to the garrison. This did not modify in the least the political situation. M. Liotard had gained such an ascendency over the natives, that French authority was as firmly established as if it had been preceded by a vigorous military campaign.

"Moreover the personal influence of the Lieutenant-Governor impressed itself equally on his white fellowworkers.

" It was thus that at the beginning of 1896, French political action had penetrated beyond the ridge of the I" * B"'"' Congo Basin, and had made itself felt in the Bahr El Ghazal Province, that is, in the Basin of the Nile. Captain provincT— Marchand therefore had had nothing to do with this, as it was only on the 25th June, 189G, practically four months Marcliund after the occupation of Tembura, that this officer embarked at Marseilles. With him were Captains Baratier, Mis.sion. Germain, Mangin, Lieutenant Largeau, Naval-Lieutenant Morin, Midshipman Dye, Landerouin, interpreter Dr. Emily, 12 French non-commissioned officers, and 1-50 Senegalese tirailleurs. He had at his disposition two small steamers, the ' Faidherbe ' and the ' Due d'Uzes,' and three barges made of aluminium, the ' Pleigneur,' ' Crampel,' and the ' Lauziere.'

" On the 23rd July, 1896, Marchand disembarked at Loango, and set to work to send forward the members of his staff and his material. The task was difficult, as the tribes between Loango and Brazzaville were in rebelhon.

" On the 27th September, the head of the Mission arrived at Loudima, 155 miles from Brazzaville, in a dying condition. However, he pulled through, and on the 19th October he was on his feet again. The country had been pacified, and transports were able to get through, so that by the 1st March, 1897, Captain Marchand was able to leave Brazzaville and to reach the Upper Ubangi.

" Everything here was prepared for his forward march. M. Liotard having opened up on the east the road from Zemio to Tembura, had also freed the road to the north. To effect this, he had taken possession of Deim Zubeir, in June, 1897, formerly the residence of Lupton Bey when he commanded the Bahr El Ghazal. Thus Captain Marchand had the choice of two roads for reaching the Nile — the way by Zemio — Tembura, with the River Sueh for his flotilla, or the way of Zemio — Deim Zubeir, with the Bahr El Homr. Captain Marchand chose the first, and by tremendous exertions, lasting over eight months, all the material (boats, stores and ammunition) was concentrated near Tembura, in Fort Hossinger on the banks of the Sueh. This was in the last days of 1897.

" Marchand then chose Kojali as his point of embarkation. It is situated on the Sueh (about 50 miles N.N.E. from Fort Hossinger), and he connected it with Meref by a road over 16 feet wide and 99 miles in length — a gigantic work. He built a dockyard at Kojali, with slips, for repairing his boats; then, 4 miles above the confluence of the Wau and the Sueh, he built Fort Desaix,J near the old Kuchuk Ali, and, in order to connect this with Kojali, he established the 'Rapides' station (Rafili), latitude N. 6° 52".

" In the month of November, 1897, the whole mission was established on this solid base of operations, with the two gunboats ' Faidherbe ' and ' Nil,' and ten barges built of steel and aluminium.

" Marchand, from his headquarters, Fort Desaix, set himself to convert the pronounced hostility of the Dinkas * Translation from the " Bulletin de la Soci6t6 de Geographie de Lyon." t The highest navigable point on the River Mboku. + Now Wau.