The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-07-13
INGENIOUS PIONEERS.
lfeaehmen Driven to All Sorts Of Expcdl.
entGln the Depths Of AfrlcA.

White mel who bury themselves in
the depths of savage countries and at
tempt to carry on all sorts Of enter
triscs there, arc compelled, on account
Of their inability to procure various
supplies, to resort to all sorts of in-
genious shifts. A French expedition
was sent q few months ago far south
on the Niger River to take possession
Of a newly annexed region and to
build a fort at Siguiri, where the Tan
kisso River joins the Niger. While on
the march one day they came to tho
Kokoro River. II was too deep to ford
and native canoe for fcrrying the en-
petition acros we're out of the ques-
ton on account of the bulky nature OF
some Of the baggage: Various plans,
including a pontooh bridge, We're dis
cussed, but it was finally decided that
II would he most expeditions to build
n suspension bridge. The expedition
had among its stores 6,OO0 feet of tele-
graph wire. This wire was fastened to
trees on both banks and then passed
from shore to shore again and again
and stretched as taut as possible.
When enough wires had been stretched
to form a wide roadway they were
covered with straight boughs, and on
these was laid u mixture of grass and
damp earth. This completed the bridge,
and the little cannon and ammunition
and provision carts passed safely over,
to the great establishment of the ma
tives, who had flocked from far and
near to see the wonderful work. The
poor blacks were completely bewildcr-
ed BY the white mems ingenuity.
The expedition ut last reached the
Niger. 1t had II wagon loaded with
tools, and n number Of kegs of nails,
but for the rest it was compelled to de-
pend upon the country for the matcri-
ais to build the fort. There was plenty
Of stone for the walls, but no lime in
which to lay them. The first thingti
carpenters did vas to build soinc log
shops in the edge of the tiinbers. Then
they made u boat, and several men
were kept 1T work for days dredgin"
in the Niger for clam shells. BY bura.
ing the shells they turned them into
very fair lime, and so this necessary
article was supplied. For u mortar
bed they made a big trough out of a
tree trunk, and OF this they mixed their
lime and sand. They used the forward
wheels Of their artillery for carrying
logs.
of course it would never do to have
a thatch roof or amy otherinilammable
material enter into the construction of
their powder house. Its walls We're
built of stone. There was some differ
tnce of opinion as to what should be
done for II roof, but the question was
happily decided at last. Little store
houses were built for the supplies of
coffee and sugar, and then the tin boxes
that had contained these provisions
were unsolicited, and IL very neat tin
roof was made for the magazine.
They needed doors and window
frames for their log barracks, and for
these purposes they utilized quite IL
large number of wooden boxes i'm which
they had brought Il part of their sup
plies. Tho boxes were Knocked to
pieces and the lumber was carefully
husbandcd to make it go as far as pos
siblc. Some of the boxes, made of
very thin boards, were turned into
Venetian blinds, and they all contrib
utel to the comfort and convenience
of the colony.
The new corners were heartily well
coined by the Chiefs of the country,
who We're so glad to have the white
me1among them that they gratuitious-
ly furnished the services of over 800
men who assisted i'll building the fort.
Many men + now engaged in putting
up Autograph line from this new white
settlement to one of the French posts
on the Senegal river, and before very
long il is expected that Paris will be
able to get newsby telegraph and cable
from this little isolated fort far in the
interior of Africa OIL the very day it is
sent.