New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27
THE FRENCH ~ AFRICA.
CAPTURE OF sEGOU TOWERING AHNNpcr' :
COUNTRY R,IDTD-H>Lr-wAY STATION


While the French are fighting the Dahomans Al
Porto Novo they have an important success ~
another portion Of Africa. some hundreds 81 miles
north M Dahomev The town Of Serou. the religious
-entrc on the Niger River ard capital o. Ahmadou
the Marabout King son Of the Prophet III iiah!
omar has been captured by French column together
with tho royal treasure and the family oi AhnliH'i.
This exploit has been announced officially, though
n,r,icular. have rot yet been received. II Is ne"
e,cn toward the conquest u the African territory
which extends inland between the French colony OF
senegal and the longer mysterious city OF Inn
buctoo.
The kingdom Just captured founded about the
wear I-55 by Ahmadou Omar Of tie Tonco'lenr
tribe whose members have no other occupation but
that OF waylayinc and numbering travellers, as tcv
did lately with the Flathers expedition. Ahmadon'
after having been edu, ated at the Maabout school,
made the pilgrimage 10 Mecca. and returned by the
soudan road, experiencing many adventures winch
st added 10 b., rcnO"n OF sahouF.
Ue called around him in the Fouta Djallou, near the
Senegal. band, Of fanatical Taib>, or d''pcS' ana
promptly conquered for himself vast empire captur-
ing and burning negro villages and killing or ensav
.ng the inhabitants In l-j7 AhmafOu. at the head
Of an army Of 1000 men. bc,csed the French OUT
pot Al Medine on the Upper senegal River. The
fort commanded by Paul Hole. a mulatio, vas dc
Tended only by Europeans, twenty-five negro
soldiers and about thirty aptos, native mariners OF
ousy for many days. but IL without ammunition
and food when. alter having rcpulscd Numerous as
saults, il delivered by column under the com
msnd Of Colonel Fadherbc Ahmadou did not make
other attempts against the French possessions. lie
finally vanquishcd by the population Of MaSslhh'
beseged in Hamdallajh and killed.
Ills eldest son resided AT >cgOu, strongly ioriheU
town, situated on the left bank OF the Niger between
Banmoko and TimbuctOo. He was very powerful
ana the interest Of the French was 10 enter nv"
friendly relations with him While they were 's'tD
Nshing their line 0! outpo,tS connecting the Upper
Niger with the Upper senegal. The irst attempt
wa made from sos h 1866 By Nj. Mage, Lieutenant
I'd Inc navy who succeeded in reaching se3ou but was
eetdlcd There Tor eighteen months at the mercy ~
AMBIGUOUS capHteS Licuten3nt Mage finally con
tiGced with him treaty establishing iriendl, RELATIONS
pr'Neeh the African King and the Irench. similar
treaty was concluded aft-rward By the Galcn mission
Inc Inc OF French posts pushed "A, lar "A, lbihi
mok0, Dccauvlc railroad constructed ana gui.bodtN
could proceed far and lttlc further tlan
llnbuct"p AZ IamrOAD the French fDnnd lhci>clV'''
IN contact with AhmadOu ana on the frontier Inc OF
his kingdom II !, not known vet through what ci9-
cumstance> a column had t. be pushes toward The town
OF >eSou. which seems to have been captured without
strong resistance having been offered The authority
o. the sultan il is true had been gradually weakcucd
through his incspacity. and the inccssant quaIrels
between his faithful bn, fanatlcal Mussrman Tallhs
Ioucculeur- and his sofas, or native Save Solilrrs
The fart Is that the capture Of ~egou deals FrrDlc
blow 10 the prcdominance Of the mnrderons Toucou
leurs. whose warlike fsnsticsm offered the creates,
obstacle TO tie extension Of the civillzlng lnnuehcc OF
Europe In the soudan.