The herald., 1897-04-12
I FRENCH VALOR
Finds a Way Across the
QuellO
BALLS OF BURNED CLAY
CAN'T COMPETE WITH MODERN
REPEATING RIFLES
BALLS OF BURNED CLAY
A Merry Murder of Natives Paves the
Way to French Dominion in
Central Africa
Associated Press Special Wire.


BRAZZAvILLE, Africa, January 81
fCorrespondence of the Associated
Press.) I have been waiting many DAYS
for some authentic news from Mer-
chand's expedition. The leaders were at
Brazzaville when I arrived on the coast
but the road between Manyanga ana
Brazzaville, distance of about seventy
five miles, was closed on account OF wars
among the natives and Merchand's men
could not get their 5000 loads up to Braz-
zaville to proceed on their journey up the
Mobagnie river towards the equator. Afs
a last resort Merchand burned every
Village on the Manyraga road, killing
a few hundred natives and taxing all
their available food. In coming up from
fhe coast we learned that forty natives
had stopped two white men and their
carriers at the crossing of the Quello
river We were in no mood to be stop
ned as our food supply was nearly ex-
hausted, we having been delayed on the
road by severe rains which had over
flowed the rivers and creeks. So when
The natives stopped us we loaded our
rifles before them, advancing threaten
ingly and told them that the first one
who interfered would be shot We
passed through the blockade with the
carriers and supplies without any difii-
Guilty.
Upon arriving at Brazzaville we found
Merchano making preparations to go to
the relief of the men at the Quello river
crossing. This was a pretext of declar-
ing war against the natives. The details
of the battles were received from one OF
his soldiers who returned here. The first
real skirmish was with chief named
Mobyalla, ,who,or some of his tribe. killed
a French soldier about year ago. Mer-
chand's men marched on the village.
Mobyalla showed resistance but his
dintlocks were not equal to the modern
rifles. Mobyalla was wounded and his
head was cut off and brought to Brazza-
vile. The natives say over one hundred
men were killed in this village, but Mer-
chand'e 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 a t night and as daylight appear
ed, the natives were awakened by the
blast of a trumpet and as they 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 mus
kets, having burned them to about the
consistency of a brick. In shooting they
do not put the gun to the shoulders or
look along the sight but point at the OBJ
ject ae one would with a stick, and then
fire. Several of Merchand's men were
struck by these clay balls but were not
wounded seriously.
They arrived at Loango, on the coast
July "a, 1896. Merchand and some of
the white officers came direct to Brazza-
vile, but the main body did not succeed
in getting here until January 18th.
Preparations are now making to con-
tinue the march up the Mobangie river.
Captain Dhans has charge of force
which is marching to the equatorial
lakes and the source of the Nile, on
Henry NJ. Stanley's old trail, up the Aru-
mimi river. Captain Dhanis is the man
who had charge of the expedition of the
Congo state that cleared the Arabs out
in the upper Congo, back of Stanley
Falls station. He it was who killed Sef-
TO. Tippo Tbs son, and captured Rashid,
Tippo Tbs nephew and governor of
Stanley Falls. Rashid is now a prisoner
on the Kassia river, thousand miles
away and 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 empties
into the Mobangie, where it turns south
toward the Congo. The latest word from
him is that his eXpeditiorlsshorto of pro-
visions and his position critical.
The object Of the Merchand expedition
is to march to the head waters of the
Mobangie, cross over to the head waters
of the Nile and attack the Dervlehes or
Arabs, while Captain Dhanis will attack
them from another point. The expedi
tions, 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 viii.
connect the French Congo with Lake
Tchad.
O.