The morning call., 1894-02-11
THE MASSACRE AT TIMBUCTOO.

Inc story OF the french campaign IN
IImbuctoo reminds the reader of Gives
operations from Madras. The belligerents
are propOriiOnately unequal in force. but
European skill and valor enable the
weaker army to hold the stronger in check,
and as in the Carnatic the French and
English use the natives to wreak their
spite against each other.
Timbuctoo itself is not place of much
consequence. except inasmuch as it stan c 8
on or near the confluence OF the Niger and
the TOlba. 1t contains a population of
some %, 600. In days gene by it was a
center of Mohammedan prOselytlsm, and
| through the efforts of its missionaries il
converted the African tribes to the Mos
lem faith. Latterly its population has
consisted of Arabs of various races,
TuaregS, Mandingoes, Fullahs and a few
Jews interested in the trade of the Niger.
This motley crowd has been chiefly sup
ported by the slave trade. Several cara
van routes leading to Morocco pass through
the place. and before the French came
Timbuctoo accumulated from time to time
wealth enough to make it worth the while
Of the Arabs of the Soudan to raid it.
Last year the French stormed the place
anu BcIu IL dS Il vase VI OptI HRAlDst
the territories abutting on the Sahara
1t seems that they have encountered the
fate which has befallen the English in the
realm of Matabele in South Africa. They
have taught the natives how to fight, and
simultaneously some one, who is re-
puted or English origin, has supplied
them with breech-lOading rifles. They
have thus become warriors not 10 be de-
spised even by the flower OF the French
army. Other men of their race, on the
other side of the Soudan, showed that
they were no mean adversaries. They
were inspired by the ancient Moslem con-
tempt for death; they charged the English
with perfect recklessness, and though
their losses were enormous they did not
lose all their battles. as poor Hicks Pasha
found to his cost In the affair OF Deem
Der 10 the Arabs seem to have surprised
the French command during the night and
tC have cut it off almost to a man. An
other detachment fell back swiftly on
Tim buctoo.
The incident will only prove tempo
rary check to the conquest of West Africa
by the French. More troops will lie sent
to Fort st. Louis and to the mouth of the
Niger. and the French will maintain their
fOothold. The new French policy of COL
onizaton will have fair trial. The domi-
nant IN inds al Paris have learned lesson
from the English and propose to Galicize
their African conQuests by making the
natives self-governing. 1t is a curious
experiment. Self-government is something
quite new to the races of the Soudan, and
it is not easy to discern how they will
doY . han alxraa
better than holding them in subsection by
the sword.
The French campaigns in Cochin China
have tended to confirm the general opinion
that the French are not success as
colony builders. The people of Anam are
no more French than they were when
Captain de Riyiere visited them. 1t would
seem that the Tonquin business must end
sooner or later in an evacuation. after
vast loss of life and treasure. But the
case is different in Africa. There the
French have admirable and impregnable
bases TO operate from in Algeria and
Senegal. The Arabs and the descendants
Of the Berbers acquiesce cheerfully in the
status of French citizens. They would
fight for the tricOlOr as bravely and far
more willingly than the HiDdostanee would
fight for the Union Jack. Thus with
patience and perseverance the French NAV
be enabled to connect their possessions on
the west coast Of Africa with those on the
north coast. and build uD in course of time
a new France as much larger than the old
France as the United States is larger
than England. Such little incidents as
the one of last December, when 300 French
soldiers are said TO have lost their lives.
are unavoidable casualties Of the under
taking