The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-18
FRENCH WORK IN AFRICA
WHAT EXPLORERS VOULET AND
CHANOINE ACCOMPLISHED.

Tomas-The Tuaregs Likely TO Give
Country Found.
The extraordinary story which was
published yesterday in Paris of the cir
cumstances attending the death OF Lieu
tenant-Colonel Klobb and Lieutenant
Meunier in the French Sudan has now
been officially confirmed, and it is, we
fear, no longer possible to hope for the
honor of the French army that it may
prove to be untrue. Colonel Klobb had
been entrusted by the French Govern
ment with somewhat unusual mission.
Some time ago Lieutenant Peteau, an
officer attached to an expedition under
the command Of Captains Voulet and
Chanone, made series of grave char
ges against the leaders of the eXpedi-
tion. These charges have never so far
as we are aware, been officially fornu-
lated, but it is known that they involv-
ed an abuse of their powers and acts
of gross cruelty committed against the
natives A preliminary inquiry was at
once held by the French Resident at
Say, and by Lieutenant-Col Grave,
COmmandant of the Eastern Soudan.
The result of this preliminary inquiry
was so far to substantiate the charges
that the Government instructed Colonel
Klobb who was In military command
of the northern district of the Soudan.
to proceed with all haste in pursuit of
the Voulet-Chanoine Expedition, to In
terrogate the inculpated officers, and to
conduct an exhaustive inquiry into the
charges made by Lieutenant Peteau.
1t is now reported that Captain Voulet
and the other officers of the mission gave
orders to fire on Colonel klobb and his
companions; and the French Govern
ment finds itself face to face with an
incident of the utmost gravity.
Both these officers implicated in these
extraordinary proceedings have had pre-
vious African experience. They were
ASSOCIATED together in 1896 in an expedi-
ton which resulted in the establishent
of a French protectorate over the coun-
tries Of Mossi and Guruns Captain
Noulet is an officer of the Marines and
Captain Chanoine, who is son of the
well known general of that name, be-
longs to regiment of Spahis. 1t was
Captain Voulet who was in command of
the French forces which came in contact
with Captain Donald Stewart, the Brit
1sh Resident at Kumassi, during the
troubles in Ashanti Hinterland.
1t was in July of last year that Cap
tains Voulet and Chanoine were entrus
ted with their present mission. They
were ordered to continue the work
which had been begun by the unfortu
nate Captain Casemajoux, who had been
assassinated together with most of his
tn ~, r>f
the chief of that place. Their main OBJ
ject was to explore the country lying
between Say, on the Niger and the wes-
tern shore Of Lake Chad, north of the
boundary line fixed by the Anglo
French agreement of last year. In Oc-
tober last the members Of the expedi-
ton Were at Jenne on the Niger. On
the 18th Of that month, Capt. Chanoine
with 800 tiralleurs started to cross the |
Niger bend by land, while Capt. YOU
let, with the remainder of the expedi- |
ton and the stores and ammunition set
out for the same destination by the riv- |
err. Capt Chanoine has given an in |
teresting account of all his journey |
across the Niger bend He traversed |
the mountainous country of Bandagary |
which forms the line of division be- |
tween the middle Niger and the Volta. |
He describes this country as in habit |
ed by an interesting race of mountain
eeers, who live in isolated villages to |
which access is sometimes only possible |
by means of ladders. These people, who
call themselves Tomas" are pagans,
extremely industrious, and display
much more foresight than most of the
tribes inhabiting the Soudan. They are
almost all armed, and take the greatest
care of their weapons. The Fulah mis-
sionaries have never succeeded in CONVEX
ting them, and their attitudes towards
the French appears to have been one of
armed neutrality. They do not attack
the French, on condition that they are
left practically in complete indepen-
dence. After leaving this mountainous
region Capt. Chanoine proceeded in an
east south -easterly direction to Wahi-
guvua, the capitol of the Yatenga coun-
try. He crossed a large sandy plain
named Same, thinly peopled in the
north but with dense population fur
Their south. The Samos are, Capt. Cha
nome says, savages as compared with
the mere civilized inhabitants to be
found further north. They have not
vet submitted to French rule, although,
mandant of this region has for two
|
years past been reporting that their re-
belions were at an end 1t is significant,
In view of the charges which are now
brought against Cap. Chanoine and his
leader, that he ascrbes the fact that the
Samos have not submitted to French
rule, to the too tender methods that
have been employed in dealing with
them. AT Wagadugu, the capitol Of
Mossl, Capt. Chanoine with much pomp
and ceremony, invested number of ma
lives with decorations which mad been
awarded to them by the French Gov
eminent for services rendered during
the expedition of 1867 Mossi he de-
scribed as a country of exceptional rich
ness. The climate is healthy, the soil
excellent, and there are large herds of
sheep and cattle, as well as horses and
donkeys in abundance. But the people
are incorrigably lazy, and only cultivate
the soil to an extent which will satisfy
their immediate wants. From Waga
dugu Capt Chanoine's column passed
through northern Gurma to Say, where