Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-15
A MARCH ACROSS THE S0UDAN.
Explorer Monteil Travels Over Much Country
Never Visited Before.

NEW Yogk, July 1.-THE French ex-
plorer. Commandment Montell, has just
made the Most conspicuous journey accom-
piished in Africa for years. His enterprise
may be regarded AS an important geograph-
ical event. He has marched in little over
year from Sega SikUro, on the upper,
Nigar, clear across the Mohammedan coun-
ties south of the Sahara TO kan0, the great
market place of llaussa thence on TO kuka,
the capital of Bornu. on Lake Tchad'
whence he took his departure TO the south.
\ few days ago We heard of his arrival on
the Benue branch Of the Niger. The
details have been received only up TO his
arrival in kano, where he wrote letters
dated Jan. :, ls92. which give many facts
vt his interesting journey.
lie has accomplished much for the extern
sion OF French interests in the Mohammedan
States. lie has concluded treaties of com
merce with many of The chiefs. Nowhere,
he " rites, did we meet with serious mis-
fortunes OF impedincuts. Nearly every
where we had hospitable reception. We
left every place we visited amid the best
WISHES for our success and with our heads
in the air,
Monteil marched quite slowly because he
,lence knowing that in this way he would
accomplish more salts factory results Ill his
endeayor TO open up the country to France
He was six months IN crossing the 600 miles
that separate Waggaduga, the capital of
Mossi, from kano. the most important town
of the lIaussa State in the Sultanate of So
koto.
It was Il proud day for him when he saw
: -, / :. l.,
of the great northern bend Of that river. IL
was the first time the journey had ever
been made. Years ago Barth wrote II des-
criptiou of Say, but almost nothing has bceh
heard of the town since that time. Monteli
saws it is buried among fields of maize and
has IA large market, hut at present the town
is of little importance for European trade.
The course of the Nigsr below ii is not
easily nayigable. Nevertheless he regards
Say as an important market of the future
He was well received by the King of Say,
and made short sojourn III the city.
From this point three routes were open to
him eastward to Lake Tchad. The central
route was far more direct and shorter than
the others. aud he decided to take 1t, though
the people along this road had a bad reputa-
ton for plunderiAg caravans. At the end
of August last he crossed the Niger and
started through this illomcned country,
which goes under the name of Guerma and
Rabbi. He reached Bosso. the capital of
titcrma, in safety, but was unable to pre-
vent continual thrfts of goods, which were
seized now AMI then under the very eyes of
hi. men by audacious natives who immedi-
atcly disappeared i'll the jungle. In pass
Ing through this country east of Bosso,
Monteil was compelled for the only time to
USE firearms \ volley frightened the ma
tives into good behavior, and he then OBJ
tanned guides from the King.
About the middle of October last the
traveller arrived in the. city of Sokoto,
which has now lost much of its former I'M
portance He found the city spread over
large area. with Il wall of earth completely
surrounding it. The commerce of Sokoto
now amounts to almost nothing. The in
labtants have been nearly ruined by a
plague which carried off the larger part of
the cattle for hundreds OF miles between
the Niger and Lake Tchad. The people,
therefore, are III the greatest poverty. The
Sultan of S0koto WAS delighted with the
arrival of the expedition, of whose coming
he had heard week, before. Most of the
natives all along the route knew of the ex-
petition for some weeks before its arrival.
The party stopped few days at Sokoto
and then left for kano. which is twenty
DAYS journey further east. On November
% Montcil arrived in kano.
He says the city is much more important
than Sokoto. 1t is surrounded by wall
twenty-five feet high. The town contains
many large houses built of earth and ce-
meut. 1t has wide and well-kept streets
and an abundant supply of water. The
market i, very important. In this place
south of the great desert which we are apt
to think is beyond the reach of Western
civilization. Montcil found a large variety
of European goods. He saw many Arab
traders from Constantine and Iunis, and
especially from Tripoli. kano is the
terminal point of caravans from the A1cdi-
terranean.
Thus far his enterprise had been very
SUCCESSFUL, and it is presumed that the rs-
maindcr of his journey had equally good
results. though no details are known except
the fact of his safe arrival on the Benue.
Montell says he has made a thorough
study of the country through which he
passed in relation to its resources and
needs. All the commerce south of the Nj
ger he says, should belong to France. II
will not be difficult to establish markets in
all the large towns. He regards 1t as I'M
portant that the Niger between Segusikoro
on the west, down past Timbuctoo and Say.
should be opened to navigation. He thinks
France should take military possession of
this part of the great river and open it to
commerce.
The Niger below Say has been visited
by ONLY a single European, Mungo Park.
Bartll visited Say on his journey from So
koto to Timbuctoo and gathered all the in
formation he could collect concerning the
lower course of the river, but it is believed
we still have very erroneous ideas about 1t.
Then Barth turned north. ascending the
river to Timbuctoo, and we have not since
his day received any information from that
part of the Niger Valley until Monteil Wis