The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-27
FRENCH AND ENGLISH FIGHT.
Conflict Said to Have Taken Place in
Hinterland, Africa.

London, November 26.-Late in the day
rumor was received at the British col
onial Office to the effect that there had
been a collision between the British and
French forces at Nikki, which is said to
have been captured by the French
troops. The officials of the colonial office,
however, consider the report to be highly
improbable as, they explain, the British
police in the Hinterland who are very
limited in numbers, had strict orders to
avoid any collision with the French.
1t is understood that the French forces
had been instructed not to come Into con-
fiict with the British.
The British forces in the Hinterland,
it is further stated, are being reinforced
considerably.
Berlin, November ga despatch to the
Frankfort Zeitung from Rome, reports
that a sanguinary conflict has taken place
between the French and British at
Nikka, near the Lagos Hinterland.
Paris, November 26.-M. Lebon, the
minister of the colonies, has received no
information OF collision between the
British and French troops at Nikki in
the Niger region, and discredits the re-
port. illN
CAOS OH L hOO DIN.
A conflict between the French and Brit
ish forces in the Lagos Hinterland has
been anticipated for some time past.
Both countries have been hurrying troops
into the disputed territory.
The trouble is of about 30 years stand
ing, dating from 1863 In 1870. France
and Great Britain opened negotiations
for the settlement of their respective
frontiers in West Africa, and it was de-
cided in substance, that French influence
and authority should be confined to the
north of the line, and that Great Britain
should have the country south of this
line.
The outbreak of the Franco Prussian
war interrupted the negotiations, and
there was considerable opposition in both
countries to the cession for any territory,
and during the next five years difficulties
frequently occurred.
The French. however. seemed to have
chosen to disregard this fact ard have
dispatched armed expeditions, not only
to Nikki, but to Broussa, which has all
along been acknowledged to be within
| the sphere of British influence. Besides
this, the French have raised question
as to whether the right bank Of the Niger
below Say is properly included in the
British sphere, under the Say Barua
treaty, and to Settle these and other
questions in dispute, commissioners repre-
senting Great Britain and France are
now tardily beginning to deliberate in
Paris.
Finally it was decided to appoint conn
mlssioners to reconsider the whole mat
ter, q meeting in Paris was arranged and
as a result in the next ten years, four sep
arate agreements were concluded.
One dealt with the territorial limits of
Sierra Leone, the second arranged num-
Der OF disputed points regarding Gambia,
Suerra Leone the gold coast, and Lagos;
the third agreement drew line between
the shperes of the two countries in the
Niger region, running from Say on the
Niger to Barna on Lake Cha and making
"a detur SO as to include the kingdom of
Sokoto in the British sphere; and these
agreements settled the interior frontier
Of Sierra Leone, relinquishing the Hin
terland to France.
But since these agreements were arrived
at, further difficulties have arisen owing
to the failure of the boundary commits
sioners of Great Britain and France to
agree among themselves as to the frontier
| lines, ard especially as to the interpreta.
ton OF the Say Barua treaty principally
owing to the absence of any boundary
line to the southwest of Say, where the
competition of the British and French
has been very strong. The British Niger
company which was first in the field,
concluded a number of treaties with ma
tive chiefs, bringing the whole of the
Borgu and Dahomey Hinterland within
the british sphere. This was during the
foil of 1894.
In the meantime the French were try
ing to establish great African empire to
extend from Algeria to the basins of the
Congo and Upper Nile. But, for this
purpose, it was essential to secure Hin
| teriand of Lagos and Canotville, in
Northern Dahomey, became the base for
despatching number of French expedit-
ions into the interior, with this object in
view.
The British Niger company, however,
getting wind of the French plans, de-
spatched Capt. Lugard, now Major Lug
ard, to Nikki, the capital of Burgu. for
the purpose of negotiating treaty with
the native ruler, md the English officer
was fortunate enough to reach there be-
| fore French officer, Commandant De-
| coreur, who was bound for the same place
and with the. same intention. although
| the latter had the start, and Lugard se-
cured his treaty and carried it away three
weeks before Decoreur arrived at Nikki.