St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-25
MOhammedans, One Hundred Thousand
Strong, Attempting to Suppress Pa
ganism in Africa.
King of Soolima and His Chiefs. Rather
Than Surrender, Blows Them Up
With Powder.
Chief Abal Decapitated and Parts OF
His Body Sent TO His Suffer-
ing Victims.
The Caroline Islands Imbroglio-.
Cholera Rapidly Increasing at
Marscilles-
War in Africa.

hASHlNGION. w aug. -f-0cecISJary OF
State Bayard is in receipt of dispatch
from Sierra Leone, giving accounts of the
movements of an army of 100, 600 men in
the interior of Africa. The dispatch is
dated July II last and was sent by United
States Consul Lewis. Mr.. Lewis saws: |
have the honor to bring 20 the notice of the
/ department OF state the fact of an eXtraor-
dinary movement among the Mohammedans
OF the NigTitian regions, extending from
TmbuctoO TO the west coast. 1t appears
that in 1850, MandingO, named Samudu,
OF extraordinary intelligence and energy
! conceived the idea that he was called By God
70 wage a war for the suppression
OF Paganisn, and for the opening of the
roads 10 the coast. which, in certain dis
tricts, have been for generations subjected
| To excessive blacknail and to the plunder-
ing of vagabOnd tribes. During the last
/ five years he has collected an army, consist
/ ing, foot and horse, Of about 100, 900 men.
! MOhammedan youth, wherever he goes,
/ flock 10 his standard, anxious 20 secure the
reward in the hereafter promised TO those
who fight for their religion, and to carry off
the rich spoilS Of time which these expedi-
tons that battle for the faith are
SURE TO WIN.
IL Is said that Samudu'S army is divided
| into three portions and one is operating
I near the headwaters of the Niger. This
] portion recently drove certain French
troops from the gold regions of Bourse.
Of which they had taken possession, and
/ are now besieging BammakS. large town
on the Niger, occupied about three years
/ ago by the French. who have erected fOrtiti-
cations there. Another portion of the
army is operating in the regions east of
/ Liberia and by SuppreSsing the disturbing
clements, Untettering trade and introducing
/ a knowledge of religion and letters, is i'm
one sense opening the way for negro immi-
grants OF intelligence and energy from
America 10 push out from the Africa-AmeTl-
can republic TO the healthy and fertile regions
of the interior. In another sense il is fore
Stalling the whole region for MOhammedan-
/ ism and making it difficult, if not impossi-
bic. ii, indeed. ii is desirable, to convert that
country to the faith imported from America
/ by the immigrants. The third portion of
the army is approaching the coast a few
miles northwest of Sierra Leone. Ii has
secured the submission by force or vOlun-
tary surrender of ali the tribes on the way
for 500 miles back. The largest and most
| important pagan kingdom in this region OF
the Niger was SOOlima, of which Falaba. a
: large commercial city, was the capital. For
| the last sixty years the Fulah Mohammed-
ans have been trying by diplomacy and by
arms to
sUBDUE THIS CITY
TO the faith. but IL has always successfully
resisted both the diplomat and the warrior.
Last year Samudu's army in overwhelming
numbers surrounded il and called upon the
| king TO surrender and profess Islam. This
he refused 10 do. The town was then in
vaded, and after terrible siege OF five
months the king assembled the royal family
and principal chiefs in his powder house
and informed them that he could hold ont
no longer, as his resources were exhausted,
but having for more than 200 years be-
ionged to the ruling element he was deter
mined for himself ard family to die rather
than come under MOhammedan rule. He
gave the chiefs their choice, either
TO die with him or 60 out of the
town and give themselves up to
the enemy. They decided to die with
him. He then set fire TO the powder and
| they were all blown up. Thus ended the
SOolima power, which more than seven gen.
eratiOns had influenced the trade and pol
tiles of extensive districts, and had COM
manded the principal highways to the coast
Another very important achievement of the
army is the destruction of the HOObOO
power, an irresponsible organization. which
for thirty years has been q source Of an
noyance and loss to caravans passing from
the interior TO the coast. Samudu gave
orders to attack them in their
MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLD.
which until then had proved inaccessible to
the neighboring forces. They were sur
priSed. Their chief. Abal. was captured
and decapitated. and his arms and legs,
severed from the trunk, were sent to the
various countries whose inhabitants had
suffered from his predatory and murderous
proceedings. The HOoboOS are described
As renegade Fulahs in rebellion against the
king If TimbOO. The roads have now
been cleared of these thieves and murder
ers, so that an unprotected child or
female may travel in safety all
through that district. These operations will
not be without a salutary effect upon Amer
lean commerce, for there is in that country
an increasing demand for American pro
ductionS, and many of the articles produced
by the people are valuable in American
trade. Samudu'S army is now only few
miles from the coast northwest of Sierra
Leone. 1t is said 10 be their purpose now
to deal with the Timuch and Sherbro coun-
tries, whose constant wars keep the mari
time regions i'm such state of ferinent that
often the caravans have struggled through
distractions for hundreds of miles. They
find their greatest difficulty among the
coast tribes and often fall victims to the