New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-20
MOVING ON LAKE TCHAD.
THE LAST GREAT MOVE IN THE PARTITION
OF AFRICA.
Brussels. September z.

&c the scramble for Lake Tchad. 1t is not the
lake, of course, that is the chief object of de-
sire, but the vast territory of which it is the
centre. AS yet that territory is free game for
European land-grabbers, and it is the only con-
siderable region in all the continent which is
thus free. 1t can scarcely yet be said to have
been visited by explorers, and as a whole is al
most unknown. Yet it is so extensive and is
believed TO be so rich as 10 attract strongly the
acquisitive attention of the Powers who have been
dividing the rest of Africa among themselves.
Three European Powers have recently made ad-
vances toward taking possession of the region
One is England whose Royal Niger Company is
very directly concerned in the matter, inasmuch
as its possessions border on the coveted land
English agents have already made some sort of
O friendly treaty with the chiefs of Bornu, and
are even now negotiating with Wadai and Bagirmi
With these latter States, however, they have not
made much progress. The chiefs and people are
the most fanatcal in all Africa, and it seems
almost impossible to convince them of the good
faith of Europeans, or of the dcsirability of en-
terng into friendly relations with them The
Niger Company has also just confirmed and eX-
tended the provisions of the treaty with the Sui
tan of Sol1oto, whose Empire has been much re-
duced in size. 1t has concluded treaties of friend
ship with the chiefs of Adamawa, TO the north
east of the Cameroons, by which the passage OF
foreigners through their territories is forbidden.
This arrangement is said TO be directed against
the Germans, whom the English do not wish to
have as competitors in the Lake Tchad region
Nevertheless the Germans are very much in the
race. In last May German officer, Lieutenant
Morgen set out for the country around the sources
of the Binue while Dr. Zintgraf left Hamburg
year ago for the purpose OF establishing Dase
of operations in the Bali country on the route
of Adamawa, with the ultimate intention of pene-
tratng into the country lying beyond More
over. the Governor of the CameroOns General
Soden, has command of a staff of officers VINO are
making their way little by little toward the
northeast Both the Morgen and Zintgraif eX-
petitions were ill-fated. They were attacked
by hostile natives, and almost annihilated, their
survivors fleeing for safety TO the Outposts of the
Niger Company. These disasters have not dis
Outraged the Germans, however, but have only
made them more determined than ever to subju-
gate the country.
The most aggressive of the scramblers, however,
is France. Apparently she intends to annex
strip of territory extending from Algeria TO the
French Congo-a most ambitious project, includ-
ing the acquisition Of Bagirmi, part of Adamawa
and Bornu, and the whole basin of the Shari.
Matters in this direction have indeed gone so far
that a railroad from Algiers to Brazzavile is
seriously proposed Various French expeditions
are setting out from Senegambia, apparently with
the intention of crossing the Upper Niger, secur-
ing French influence in the unappropriated part
of that river, and pushing on to the countries
around Lake Tchad; while advances have begun
in the same direction from Algeria. Germany
has protested against any invasion of the "hinter
land" of the CameroOns, but the protest is not
regarded. Indeed, the English inclined TO
favor French advances there, against the Ger
mans.
Disasters have befalen some of these exploring
parties. The death of Paul Crampel has already
been announced. NJ. Forneau, who was the head
of another expedition, has just got back to France,
and he adds many dramatic details to the reports
already made Of his adventures. 1t was early
in March that he set out from OuassOn to follow
the NGoko River, branch of the Sangha. He
went by land, but part of the expedition went
by steamer on the river. month later they
were all at the Madomba, and April 5 they
reached the junction of the Sangha and the Kalle
Three days later he reached the site of former
settlement, where the Sangha divides into two
rivers, one the Massieba flowing toward the west,
the other the Iikelle, flowing TO the north The
steamer had preceded him here by two days
While il continued TO ascend the Likelle, NJ. Four
neau pushed on without noteworthy incident north
ward till May ].
At this date he had reached the banks of the
SOdi, which was defended by number of armed
men; but the river was crossed in an hour and a
half without accident and the company advanced
to village where pareys were held with the
chief, who seemed for the moment to be kindly
disposed! NJ. Forneau thereupOn resumed his
march, when of his escort was wounded in
the back by an unexpected assegai. A struggle
followed, and four natives were shot. NJ. Four
a.
slightly diminished force On the following days
the advance lay among peaceful villagers and was
uneventful, till on the sth and 9th large bands
of hostile natives became very troublesome. On
the 9th the expedition reached the village of
the chief, NIaourc, and encamped for the night
with assurances of friendship from the natives
But NJ. Fourneau distrusted them, and with rca-
Early the next morning attack was made
upon the expedition by some hundreds of savages,
armed with spears and assegais 1t was before
daybreak, and the Frenchmcn were asleep. When
the yelling savages charged upon them, they
sprang from their beds and began firing blindly A
few steps from NJ. Fourneau's tent NJ. Thiret was
killed by two terrible assegai wounds in the right
temple. NJ. Fourneau knocked down by
lance by which he was struck on the right brow,
but which fortunately glanced off. At that mo.
ment NJ. Blom rushed into NJ. Fourneau's tent,
also wounded by lance in the right side, and
fell down unconscious. The Senegalese guard,
remaining firm at their posts fired the assail-
ants, and at last drove them back. On looking
around, NJ. Foumeau saw the bodies of seven men
Of the expedition, including NJ. Thiriet, twenty
eight carriers, and six Senegalese
N. Fourneau was almost blinded with blood from
his own wound. But he managed to dress the
wound Of NJ. Blom, and with the canvas of his
tent made a hammock TO carry him away in
Then. getting together almost all his merchandise,
he set fire 10 it, after having placed beneath
this lmprovised funeral pile the bodies of his men,
with The object Of preventing their being muilated
BESIDE this fire, he made another, in which he
burned the body Of NJ Thiret with his tent and