The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-08
MARCHAND AS EXPLORER.
HE DID ExoELJENT WORK DURING
HIS MANY MoNTHS I'm AFRIol.

Great Stream of Russians Making New
Homes Along the siberian R~ailroad-Th.
British Expedition to Study Life in MID
die Depths Of the seR-Armed Younr
Rumans Of Both Sexes in English Cities
LONDON. Oct 2S.-PuttinK on one side for
moment tho political aspect Of Major Mar
chAnd's expedition. no ono can deny that HI
has accomplished q piece OF work which en-,
titles him to q place In the front rank Of Afri
can explorers. In an article upon the French
view OF Fashoda. which Francis do Pressenso
the well-known French writer on foreign AZ
fairs. has contributed to the English press
there IL a plain story Of what Marchand hal
dono. Any one who has followed this uues.
tion and has used . map sufficiently to know
something OF the geography Of this portion oi
Africa win readily realize the arduous nature
OF what the Times called the promenade Of
eight or nine Frenchmen on Egyptian soil"
Without entering into do Pressense's pollti-
cal opinions. / Will take his simple and I'M
adorned account OF Marchand's expedition.
"Marchand embarked at Marseilles June 25.
1896. Accompanied by oapts. Baratier. Ger
main and Mangin, by Lieut.. Larjeau. Lieut..
Mort OF the navy. by Ensign DYE. by Interpre-
ter Landerouin, by DR.. Emily. by twelve
French non-oommissioned officers and 100
S~enegalese sharpshooters. he ~disembarked at
Loango on July rs. Delayed. owing to the
necessity Of cutting lie way through to Bras-
Eaville and Of fighting q native rebellion. and
also through the sickness OF It's chief. the ex-
petition did not set out for the Upper River
until March 1. 1897.
AT Kwaneo Marchandr received information
from Liotard that as the latter was going to
occupy Dem-Ziber. the former Mudirieh Of
Lupton Bey. he should follow the Tambura
and Bahr-el- Ghazal route. Unfortunate news.
for It meant q journey OF 900 kilometres
through the marshy lands Of that region. Fear
ing that he might land in a cul-de-sao at
Meshra-er-Rek Marchand determined to trans
port from the Mbomu to the Ghazal
the whole OF the dotilla carrying his provi-
sions. He divided his little troop into two
se~ctions-convoy and notilla. The road Sc
lected followed the course OF the Mbomu.
"Thls river. which 10 studded with dams.
rapids and falls in its lower reaches. enjoyed
the evil reputation OF not being naviGable. On
May l the first group began work on the hydroR-
raphy Of the lower watercourse, completing
the task In twenty days, making note Of the
falls OF Hansen. ZozobanRu. Trikawa, Tugou-
foura and BaRuass6. besides organizing port
ages with sections OF road ten metres wide.
and slides or chutes o constructed with the trunks
of trees atthe thirty other smaller falls. The Sec
ond group. which had gone on ahead. launched
boats and barges on the river. occasionally
hauling them ashore on rollers with the aid Of
100 or 1900 men. or at times navigating the
reaches OF water between rapids. where the
boats. &C.. were towed by heavily manned ma
tive canoes: they reached q point on the river
above BonRuche.
Their object was to reconnoitre the upper
course OF the Mbomu. Should It not prove
navigable. they would have to Cross 700 kilo-
metres OF forest. marshes and ~ravines. ar al
most superhuman task. Happily. the upper
Mbomu possesses a magnificent water stretch
or reach 800 kilometres In extent. where 1t
was feasible to steam as.far as It's junction
with the Ada. seventy miles from Tambura-
I. e.. in the basin Of the Nile.
o June l Capt. Baratier started with three
canoe to engage in hydrographic work. On
Aug. 3 he arrived. unimpeded. at the junction
OF the Mere. On Sept. 10 the flotilla reached
This point some 1900 kilometres from Brazza-
vile and 70 kilometres from the basin Of the
Nile. During this time Marchand. who had
wendell his way into the basin Of the rivers
Tondj and Jur. observed the political situa-
ton and pushed on as far as Lado. in order to
ascertain either the presence or the absence Of
a Belgian or English expedition coming from
the south.
1T now became necessary to discover the
pOlut u uOpdEGuIo Va VII clioblC NdtoIbs IL VI
der to open up o road between that point and
the terminus of the navigability OF the
Mbomu. Marchand himself, leaving Baratier
In command. proceeded. with q few sharp
shooters. In search OF the point where the
Such. below the falls over which 1t flows from
the high plateau. becomes nayigable on enter
ing into the valley Of the Nile. He embarked
on this river in o dugout. with his little es-
cort. and after q three days e~yentful naviRa-
ton arrived 100 kilometres further at the con-
fluent Of the Nawa.
Work was begun as soon as he had re-
Joined his men. A road. five metres wild and
16U Kilometres long. was opened In q months
time by 200 sharpshooters and 1000 natives.
from the landing place Of the Mere. navieable
terminus OF the Congo-M Boru- to
the landing place Of Kodjale. on the Such.
where the Such Wau-Bahr-el-Ghazal begin
10 be navigable. Kodjale became an arsenal
post. to which were added building slips. Fort
Desaix formerly Kutchuk-Al) was occupied
at the furthermost end Of the Such. Between
the two. lat. 9 degrees. 81 minutes N. the in
termedlary post Of the Rapids was created.
s I'm November. 1897, the mission was in
stalled on this solid base. with headquarters
at Fort Desaix. seven kilometres distant from
the former residence Of Gessi Pasha. The
Dinkas and their vassals. the Drouds. were
won over during the winter. In February
March. 1897. on q rumor coming to hand that
an expedition OF white men coming from the
south was near Adjak. skilful military meas
ures were taken. The chiefs Colo and Dim
just. surprised at this incursion. offered their
assistance. Lieut.. 3ouly died OF hematurio
fever at this juncture.
"On March 20 Capt. Baratier and the inter
prefer Landerouin returned from q most ar
duous reconnaissance from the BRhr-el- Ghazal
to the continent OF the Bahr-el-Arab and OF
Lake No; during the ten weeks which 1t lasted
he had established tan posts. II was on May
that MaTchand started for Fashoda. which
since then Is q matter OF history"
Mr.. Arnot Reid. who traversed the whole
length OF the Trans Siberian Railroad las far
a. 1t lie yet constructedl between Sept, % and
Oct. q. sends to the, Tunes a long aecoun t OF
the great work and of the wonderful popula-
ton movement that Is destined to be its most
striking consequence during the next genera
ton. He finds that even now the service Is in
sufficient for the traffic that offers, and there
Is general o~vercrowding In all classes. He
RtartAl from IrkutRk the panifal If AAataHn