The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-14
DEATH OF sAMoRY.
4 Man Who Once Lorded 1t Over 100000
People in West Africa

a Man Who Once Lorded 1t Over 100000
People in West Africa.
The Emir Samory, who has cut larger
figure in the affairs of West Africa for
the past twenty years than any other ma
tive. has. just died, prisoner in the
hands of the French at Libreville, in the
Gaboon region. His prestige and power
had been waning for some years. About
two years ago the French caught their
old enemy near the northern border of
Dahomey, carried him to the coast and
kept him under guard, so that he might
do no more mischief. They were very
happy over the downfall of Samory who
had given them more trouble for many
years than all the other native poten-
tates in West Africa together.
Samory was a slave when he was a lit
tie boy. The chief who owned him gave
him as ransom to another chief, for a
woman who had been taken captive. Sa-
n.ory's new owner was an important per-
sCpage in West Africa, the Marabout So
ry Idrah!na, and as his little slave grew
up he attracted much attention from the
Marabout and from everybody else in the
country who had anything to do with ma
/ tive politics: for Samory became a young
man of great intelligence, courage and
talent for intrigue. He was so bright
that the Marabout made him his chief adj
wiser. Samory always looked out for No.
l in very keen and able manner. One
his fortunes, and so he deserted his old
master and Joined forces with more
powerful chief 1t was a sorry bargain
for the latter, for in few years Samory
turned against him, defeated him in bat
tie and took the whole country into his
own keeping. He was now a Prince on
his individual account with a throne of
his own, and he began to enlarge the bor-
ders of his dominion.
i Samory's career of conquest was bril-
hantly triumphant. He compelled one
petty chief or knglet after another to
beg pardon for the resistance they offer
ed and proclaim themselves the vassal of
the great Samory. He set out to con-
quer about 100 little States in the interior
or West Africa and carried out the job
with great thoroughness. By the time
he got through he was the absolute mas
ter of 100000 people in the western Sou
dan and lorded it over a country east of
Liberia ard Sierra Leone that is larger
than most of the States of Europe.
But Samory was not satisfied with the
empire he had carved out for himself.
He wished to be master of the whole
western Soudan, and on account of this
ambition he got into hot water with the
French. He would push into the terri
tory they claimed the upper Niger,
and they would drive him back Then
the French would push up the Niger into
Samory's realm. and he defeated many a
French expeditions: for it was long before
the French sent a party against the pow
erful native that was adequate to cope
with him. 1t was not till 1891 that they
} finally dealt him series of blows that
D greatly damaged his prestige and strip
ped him of considerable territory.
The conflict waged for years after that
2 Samory gradually losing all he had gain.
ed, until in the last stage of the struggle
: he was driven from pillar to post, a mer.
e hunted fugitive. The French flag nov
9 floats over all the territory that Samor,
acquired, and the old Emir probably wei
: ccmed the end that has come at last. H
had lost everything that made life desir
able.