The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-26
FRANCE TAKES TIMBUCTOO.
80, roRCE OCCUPIES TINE FORBID
Hh ~ ,ITY WITHOUT a FIGHT.

p.,or. We. More Thsr Ore waite
w.. a, the tIty NJ = Time-The story or
-. F.v Europeans Who Visited tho
-, n, Disguise - Frances Foothoid.
n.rs Ian. 25.-A despatch to the journal
-. n,bots from st. Louis. Senegal says that a
r..b military column has occupied the city
I,Tiu,buctoo. The French force. II adds, oc-
.,oJ the city without resistance. The paper
eup.,o,t stress upon the Importance OF tho
r'.,ch occupation OF the city. Timbuctoo. II
~. ont IS the chief religious city OF the
p.,.,n soudan. and Ia the leading trade GEN.
,,s Of that vast territory.
r,-,buctoo has long been famous for It's in
,,,nitalty TO tho white race. For twenty
..vsn Years after Barth spent some time in
T,,buctoo no European entered the city until
NJ oskar LEM visited the place In 1870. He
snblished in German the story OF that remark
mi. tourney. The history OF the visits Of
,bas men to- Tmbuctoo Is interesting. and
may be summed w briefly
IN 1s3O Paul hilbert. French sailor. fell into
A.. hands Of the Arabs through a shipwreck
:, ina Atlantic cunst. and was taken to Tim
vn,,,o AZ n slave. The master into whose
lands he finally fell took him to Morocco
-hsrs he d Ell in bondage. lie left no record
n
sontributed nothing to the history OF African
discovery.
ysarly two hundred years elapsed before n
vpropean was again in Timbuctoo. In 1925
,bs English Government commissioned Major
A q Latng to make u journey in Africa for tho
.,poration OF the Niger River. lie started
from Triroli. crossed the desert. and reached
Timbuct 30 in August 1876. A month later no
was murdered u lew miles north OF the city
- L. -. a IA nra y aCnr fnf nah
bvt the record of his visit to the city was
nsyer recovered Timbuctoo was still un-
Known to the world except through the re-
pPTr Two ~ years later. in is2S. Rcn6 Caill6. n
Frenchman. reached the city, and he Is the
frst European who ever threw any light upon
tbs MYSTERIOUS town. He was taken every
Where FOR a poor pilgrim. and in that Euise. in
the train OF . caravan that was lourneyingto
where he spent some time. He finally Joined
another caravan and crossed the desert to
Tanger in Morocco. His. return to Paris was
Of tho Geographical Society. under. whose
auspices his work in three volumes. Journal
Ola visitto Timhpctoo and JennG in Central
taken very copous notes. and had managed
with great tact to support his disguise.
lers Of all time entered 1imbuctoo in 1853 and
spent over seven months in and around the
town. lie collected an astonishing amount Of
minute information about the country. town.
and people Alter his visit no European or
christian saw Timbuctoo until July l. 1880,
when Dr. LEM. in the garh Of Nohammedan
traveller first saw the city. lie remained
there only three weeks and q part OF the time
h. was i'll Of fever: but lie collected great
deal o. information and devotes over fifty
RACES Of his book to tho city.
Timbuctpo lies nine miles north OF the Niger
River and about 200 feet above the sea. The
only verdure is four or Ave sirkly little trees.
The town Is not hralthiul Numerous pools OF
stagnant water between the city and the Niger
breed ievers. The town has grown since
d. - Ntp.a IttN Gl,.as I
estimates the population Mt 10000. The only
public luildinEs are the mosques. and no Eu-
ropenn has ever entered them except Gallo.
Schools are connected with the MOSQUES. and
here also are col Elections OF manuscripts. many
oi them doubtless OF much historical imnor-
lance. though Barth translated and published
habtants can read and write and know a
large part NJ the Koran by heart. some OF the
SAYS that II he could have spared the m oney
h. might have purchased some very interest
Ing manuscripts. 1t was a. pity that no had TO
HUSBAND his resources for his further Journey.
The population Is composed OF various ele
ments. Moroccan Arabs are the most sub-
stantial AMI important element. Most OF them
are very dark in color on account Of the large
OF negro blood in their veins. Light
colnred women are very rarely seen. There is
In Tlmburtoo "a great mixture OF people from
al over the western Soudan and the negro
countries south Of II. the western Sahara and
the Mediterranean States. Tim uctoo is big
mar ket, meeting place OF traders whore the
PRODUCTS OF the south are exchanged for those
Of the north. 1t was never the chief town OF u
large country. 1t il not Joined In interest and
political bonds with the regions around II. 1t
j. market place. an important one to be sure.
but stu II has no prospect. apparently OF do
Weeping into u large city Ike some OF the cap
itals OF tho Souhancse States until European
firmly fasten unon II.
Or ] en2 believed that il France gained the
A'candrnry for which she was striving on the
middle Niger and firmly established herself at
she would make the place the cen:
ta OF enormous influence Tor the spread Of
Western civilization and the extension 81 her
trade. II Frame expects To enlist any part ot
The native populRca in her work she must
keap her eve chiefly upon the Fulhe. whose
Influence IN the western and central SOudan
does not yet appear TO have reached its highest
point,
since DR.. Len2s visit the French. descend
n: tho Niger in agunboat. have twice reached
The enNtrpn~ Of the town. Lying on the
boundary between the SoudHn and the Sahara,
Tlmhu'too has a most favorable situation. and
now that France has achieved her ambition
read TO complete ascendancy ia that part OF