The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-15
MERCHANTS EXPEDITION.
News of n PeriIOus March Through
Darkest Africa.

Brazzaville, Africa, January 81
Correspondence of Associated Press y
| have been waiting many days for
some authentic news from Merchand's
expedition. The leaders were at Brazza-
vile when l arrived on the coast, but
the road between Manyanga and Brazza-
vile, distance of about seventy-five
miles, was closed on account of petty
wars among the natives, and Merchand's
men could not get their transports to
Brazzavlle to proceed on their journey
up the Mobangi river towards the
quarter. AS last resort Merchand
road, killing n few hundred natives and
taking all their livestock for food.
In coming up from the coast we learn
ed that forty natives had stopped two
white men and their carriers at the
crossing of the Quelio river. We were
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 overlooked the rivers and
creeks, so when the natives stopped us,
we loaded our rifles before them, ad-
vanced threateningly and told them that
the first one who interfered would be
shot. We passed through the blockade
with carriers and supplies without any
difficulty. Upon arriving at Brazzaville
we found Merchand making preparations
to go to the relief of the men at Quello
river crossing. This was the pretext for
declaring war against the natives. The
details of the battles were received from
one of his soldiers who returned here.
The first skirmish was with chief
named Mobyalla, who, or some of his
tribe, killed a French soldier year ago.
Merchand'S men marched on the village
Mobyalla showed resistance, but his
flint locks were not equal to modern
rifles. Mobyalla was wounded His
head was cut off and brought to Rrazza-
vile. The natives say over 100 men
were killed in this village, but Mer-
chand's soldiers assert that the number
was not more than twenty-five or thirty.
After the battle the village was burned
Continuing their march, the villages
along the Manyanga road were surround
ed at night, and as daylight appeared
the natives were awakened by the blast
of trumpet, and as they came out of
their huts they were shot down on all
sides. Village after village was destroy
cd i'll this manner, no quarter being
given. The natives used clay balls in
their old muskets, having burned them
dry to about the consistency of brick.
In shooting they do not put the gun to
the shoulder or look along the sights.
but point at the object as one would
with a stick. and then fire. Several of
Merchand's men were struck by these
clay balls, but were not wounded seri-
ously.
The expedition consists of fourteen
white officers and 1863 black soldiers
from the western Soudan, called Sene
galese, but are by right Soudanese.
They were at Longioa, on the coast.
July 4. 1896. Merchant and some of
the white officers came direct to Brazza-
vile, but the remainder did not succeed
in getting here till January IL. Prepa.
rations are now making to continue fbe
march up the Mobangi river.
Capt. Dhanis has charge of force
which is marching to the Equatorial |
AXE and the source of the Nile on Henry |
III. Stanley's old track up the Aruwimi |
river. Capt. Dhanis is the man who had |
charge of the expedition of the Congo |
States that cleared the Arabs out in the |
Upper Congo back of Stanley's station !
He it was who killed Tippoo Tepson and
Rashida, Tippoo's nephew and
governor of Stanley Falls. Rashida.
who is now prisoner on the Kassia
liver. n thousand miles away. is closely
and has no hopes of escape.
Another expedition under the leader
ship of NJ. Gentle, which started ont
rom here some time ago, is blockaded
IN one of the small rivers which empties
nto the Mobangi, which are its tribu-
aries south to the Congo. The latest
word from him is that his expedition
$ short of provisions.
The object of the Merchant expedition