Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-28
-an,r ARMv IN AFRICA.
anoared Thousand soldiers in the
One - Continents Interior.

One - Continents Interior.
,,,xcroN, Aug. A.-Secretary OF
y As payard is in receipt of dispatch
sl''F i o Leone giving accounts of the
rom -' MS of an army Of 100000 men in
po'tl. Nor of Africa. The dispatch is
Ns ~ ruly IA last, and was sent by
da'e' s+otes Consul Lewis. MIR. Lewis
UDi''I nave the honor to bring to the
saw tine Department OF State the fact
po'o' .,traordinary movement among the
o. ~ -,,,adans Of the Nigritian regions,
A's3ing from Timbuctoo to the West
sA" n appears that in 1880 Mandingo,
Coasl. somildu. of unusual intelligence
nail7 orerry. conceived the idea that he
s0u saIed of God to wage war Tor the
Wa r~ossion Of paganism and the opening
s0Pg-.osd, to the coast, which in certain
.ls..cts have been for generations sub
g,,ad 10 excessive DlackmalI ana TO the
lee.e95. Of vagabOnd tribes. During
Plunuel'fTa years he has collected an
,tue loot and horse, OF about 100, 900
army Wohammedan youth, wherever he
meu' 4ocL 10 his standard, anxious NOT
goes. sacure the reward IN the hereafter
OHIl Tod IN those who fight for their re-
Ir bnt TO carry off the rich spOils of
which these expeditions that battle
W. tbp faith are sure to win.
"i u. 't ia said that SamudVs army is divided
~ .brae Dortions. One, operating near
NV 5aad.warers Of the Niger, recently
ule ~ certain French troops from the
M l,S rogions Of Boure, of which they had
sol' o1 nossession. Another portion is
an arat,6q in the region east of Liberia,
oI.d Nv suppressing the disturbing ele-
Anu NC unfetter trade and introducing a
ilnaTIedge OF religion and letters is, in
30 sense. opening. the way for negro i'm
Unirrents OF intelligence and energy from
,nariea to push out from the Africa
american republic to the healthy and
fertile regions Of the interior. In another
ronsa II Is forestalling the whole region
~ Vobammedanism and making it diff
.'lt If not impossible. If indeed it Is de-
o;rohle 10 convert that country to the
Saits imported from America by the lmmi-
grants. -..,ou 80 49,. -
,-oeebinp the coast a few miles north
vest of Sierra Leone. 1t has secured the
.uhmission by force or voluntary surren-
5sr NJ all the tribes on the way for 500
miles back. The largest and most impor-
tant pggan kingdom on this side of the
yi5aT was S0olima, of which Talaba, a
large commercial city, was the capital.
Far the last sixty years the Fulah MOham-
medans have been trying by diplomacy
and bv arms TO subdue this city to the
faith. but it has always successfully re-
sisted both diplomat and warrior. Sa-
mudu's army in overwhelming numbers
surrounded it and called upon the King to
surrender and profess Islam. This he re-
fused do. The town was then invested,
and after a terrible siege of five
months, the King assembled the
royal family and principal chiefs in his
powder-bouse and informed them that he
could hold out no longer, but having TOR
more than 200 years belonged to the ruling
element he was determined for himself
sud family to die rather than come under
MOhammedan rule. He gave the chiefs
their choice either to die with him or go
out Of the town and give themselves up to
the enemy. They decided to die with HIM.
He then set fre to the powder and they
we're all blown up. Thus ended the 500
lima power, which for more than seven
generations had influenced the trade and
politics Of extensive districts and had
4 commanded the principal highways to the
coast.
Another very important achievement of
this army is the destruction OF the Hooboo
pOwer-an irresponsible organization
which for thirty years has been a source
0tannoyance and loss to caravans pass
ing from the interior to the coast. The
HOob0Os are described as renegade Fulahs
IN rebellion against the King of TimbOO.
The roads have now been cleared of these
thieves and murderers, so that an unpro-
ieeted child or female may travel IN safety
all through that district.
These operations will not be without q
slutary effect upon American commerce,
l0F there is IN that country an increasing
demand for American productions, and
many OF the articles produced by the
people are valuable in American trade.
samudu's army is now only few miles
nom the coast northwest Of Sierra Leone.
HIS not known here what steps the gov
eminent Of Sierra Leone will take in view
q Inc proceedings of this force from the
INTERIOR but il is believed that a judicial
cooperation with them on the part of the
Dullsl authorities would effect great
goa Tor the freedom and permanent Sc
e0fity Of trade in the regions neigboring
70 the colony.