The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-02
rnAxcr ADHAxc1xe 10 ruAn
The Country and People that Must Wear
the Yoke OF Depen dence.

Ec0pNc VICAR
the Yoke OF Dependence.
Tho French garrison at Tlemcen. on the
eastern frontier OF Algeria. have received
orders to travel about $50 miles. little east OF
south to the oasis Of Tuat in order to prevent
the occupation Of that country by the Sultan OF
Morocco. The oasis Of Tuat Is a fertile little
strip along tho Wady Saura. Tho name. how
ever. is extended to half dozen GASES
In that region. stretching from the
Gourara In the north to the Touareg
country in the east and the great
sandy waste Of Igidi in the west Frances
forward movement to these GASES means that
she has begun in earnest effectively to occupy
the Sahara. largo part Of which was assured
to her by last years treaty with Great Britain.
1t will also procipitate the question OF race
supremacy In the Sahara, and as the Tuat
oases are supposed to contain some thousands
OF lighting mon 1t Is possible that they will
not submit to French domination without
struggle.
These oases are very imperfectly known.
having been visited by only two or three white
men. In 1925 Major Laing. on his Journey
south to Timbuctoo. passed through Tuat
1t was before the fanatical hatred Of these
desert tribes had been excited against Euro
pcans. and for this reason ho was permitted to
pass unframed through the country. In 1881
France sent two army officers. Colonieu and
BURN. on mission to Tuat, but they got no
further than Gourara. the northern boundary
OF the country. The natives would permit
them to advance no further. Three years
later Gerhardt Rohlfs, the distinguished
to spend more than month in the oa ases" Of
Tgat . He went there In a disguise which was
sertion that he was an envoy from powerful
sheikh further west, and that he was himself
osnd C. ths Ssm of se Ssr
Imentts ; and they told Of tho marvellous
Gu ne had end asserted that
the north was Turned back. He tried ii, vain
The only trouble IN the way is tho fanaticsm
Of the Inhabitants Tho routes from the Medi-
t terra s ut to Tuat are not dicult The sol!
Countless march the f VALLEY q at ese w Si
Gourara where the Tuat aS oases begin. t or
they chose. they might take still more direct
Goea to Tee ess aH route MRieh
quite rsp 9i from the TACT that at some
were carefully removed from the, road and
sn sSsd Ssyr about i59 sst vide Iris
are separated from one another by stretches OF
sand dunes or sterile mountainous lands. but
their people are Identical. Each oasis is ruled
by IT'S dJemaa; but the chiefs Of tho various
c com ,t WELD much influence Jointly
Berber extraction. with considerable inter-
mixture OF Arab; Touareg. and negro elements.
oil MSRsSmedaRs, their fierce "9S Ratred o.
the white race. chiefly on religious grounds
barrier against the extension Of white entoro
believing that they were to be- annihiiated BY
NJ ns hos ffNA trv{<
TO place, themselves under frances protec-
ton. They would not. however. accept the
the Government sent, Co!onieu and BURN to
reopen negotiations the French ENJOYS were
:, In 1890 tho people Of Tuat began to fear that
frances rage to possess new lands would soon
embrace their own country. They therefore
young negresses to tire Sultan OF Morocco and
prayed that ne take their land under his pro-
their spiritual suzerain. and he now promised
to make their fertile GASES. which CONNER
cially form the most important centre Of the
new political relat ionship. however. proved to
be merely nominal Foryears the, Sultan did
collect taxes. which is conclusive proof that no
did not seriously think Of anneNing the GASES.
DE was Isl, pr4liile In promises, but did ncthing.
nal extension Il fhe French frontier to the
minded him that he was their sovereign. and
that he take stops to protect them
against Franco. He accordingly sent ENJOYS
to the country. collected tribute from all the
families. and promised to expend the money In
Tuat from the French. This pro-
cedure has been repeated annually. much to the
Of France when she discovered It.
oases OF Tuat to be part Of hts dominion. In
anticipation Of this step, the French had sent
, garrison south to El-Golea, an important
caravan station in the Sahara. near the north
ern boundary Of Tuat. Now comes the news
that French force is to advance with all
haste to the GASES for the purpose Of forcibly
What the Sultan OF Morocco will do about
the matter remains to be seen. He and France
have been indulglng in a war Of words for
some months. It is likely. however. that he |
will not think Tuat worth the cost Of engaging
IN pitched battles with European power. AS |
'or France she has no alternative. She must |
occupy Tuat II she Is ever to have the control |
n the great Saharan regions. which sho |
claims. Tuat, besides being the richest clus- |
er of GASES In the desert, Is the most impor- |
ant centre Of trade. and Is an efrectual barrier
II Frances way as long as her people are able |
Q maintain their attitude of Hostility. It is |
likely that France will find herself compelled |
o teach tho Tuatans a severe lesson before |
hey bow their necks to the yoke which Is to be |
imposed upon them.
DRYING OUT THE BOOMERS.