The record-union., 1897-04-12
He Burned Every Village on the Man.
yanga Road.
He Declares War Against the Ma
tiveS and Kills One of Their
Chiefs, Destroying Their Villages
and Giving No Quarter-He is
Operating With Captain Dhanis to
Attack the DerViShes on the Nile,
and Also Checkmate English At
tempts to Occupy the Territory.

BRAZZAVILLE (AfricO, January
1.-(Correspondence of the Associated
Press).-I have been waiting many
days for some authentic news from
Merchand's expedition. The leaders
We're at BraZzaville when 1 arrived on
the coast, but the road between Man
yanga and Brazzaville a distance of
about seventyfve miles, was closed on
account of wars among the natives and
Merchand'S men could not get their
1900 loads up to Brazzaville to proceed
on their journey up the Mobangi Riv-
er towards the equator. AS last re-
sort Merckand burned every village on
the Manyanga road, killing a few hun
dred natives and taking all their avail
able food In coming up from the
coast we learned that forty natives
had stopped two white men and their
carriers at the crossing of the Quello
River. We We're in no mood to be
stopped, as our food supply was nearly
exhausted, We having been delayed on
the road by severe rains which had
overfowed the rivers and creeks. SO
when the natives stopped us we load
ed our rifles before them, advancing
threateniEgly and told them that the
first one who interfered would be
shot. We passed through the block
ade with the carriers and supplies
without any difficulty.
Upon arriving at Brazzaville we
found Merchand making ready to go
to the relief of the men at the Quello
River crossing. This was preteXt of
declaring war against the natives. The
details of the battles We're received
from one of his soldiers, who returned
here. The first real skirmish was with
a chief named Mobyalla, who, or some
of his tribe, killed a French soldier
about a year ago. Merchand's men
marched on the village. Mobyalla
showed resistance but his flint locks
We're not equal to the modern rifles.
Mobyalla was wounded and his head
was cut off and brought to Brazzaville.
The natives say over one hundred men
We're killed in this village, but Mer-
chand's soldiers assert that the number
was not more than twenty-five or fifty.
After the battle the village was burned.
Continuing their march, the villages
along the Manyanga road were sur
| rounded at night and as daylight ap-
peared, the natives We're awakened by
came out of their huts were shot down
on all sides. Village after village was
| destroyed in this manner no quarter
| being given.
The natives used clay balls in their
old muskets, having burned them dry
| to about the consistency of bricks. In
shooting they do not put the gun to
| the shoulders or look along the sight,
pointing at the object as one would
with a stick and then firing. Several
| of Merchands men We're struck by
| these clay balls but were not wounded
| seriously.
! They arrived at Loango, on the coast.
. July "a, 1896. Merchant and some of
the white officers came direct to Braz-
zavile, but the main body did not sue
coed in getting here until January 18th.
| Preparations are now making to con-
| tinue the march up the Mobangie
| River.
Captain Dhanis has charge of a force
! which is marching to the equatorial
lakes and the source of the Nile, on
| Henry M. Stanley's old trail, up the
| ArumwimWi River. Captain Dhanis
| is the man who had charge of the ex-
| petition of the Congo State that
cleared the Arabs out in the upper
| Congo, back of Stanley Falls station.
He, it was who killed Seffo, Tippoo
| Tbs son, and captured Rashd, Tippoo
| Tbs nephew and Governor of Stanley
| Falls. Rashid is now a prisoner on
| the Kassia River, thousand miles
away, is closely watched and has no
| hopes of escape.
| Another expedition under the leader
| ship of NJ. Gentle, which started out
| from here some time ago, is blockaded
on one of the small rivers which emp
| ties into the Mobangie, where it turns
south toward the Congo. The latest
| word from him is that his expedition
| is short of provisions and his position
| critical.
| The object of the Merchant expedi-
| ton is to march to the headwaters of
! the Mobangie, cross over to the head
| waters of the Nile and attack the der
wishes or Arabs, while Captain Dhanis
| will attack them from another point
| The expeditions, while endeavoring to
conquer the Arabs, will also look after
| the French interests in this section
and checkmate. the English in attempts
to occupy the territory.
| If the plan is successful, it will con-
meet the French Congo with Lake
Tchad.
DANGER OF A CUTOFF.
| The Mi