The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-25

'%THHs +TT GIVE aaa ~ ss,eHS'
crlbed to the severity exercised by the
British toward the Ashantis, and to ru-
mors that orders have been received
from England to extirpate the Ashanti
tribes from their territory, which is
rich in gold deposits. Those who sur
vived the military operations, the ru-
mors said, were to be deported to ether
parts Of the British possessions in At
RIGA. The destruction of villages with
out regard to the women and children,
who are turned out to starve, and the
systematic devastation of the farms
and crops of the natives are, it appears
from the reports from all parts of the
interior, causing the native races whose
territory Is threatened with invasion by
the whites to prepare for resistance.
Even the Haussas, who have hitherto
been the source from which the Brit
ish have drawn their best fighting ma
terial in West Africa, are showing sym
pathy of alienation from the British,
and the missionaries who recently Wis
tied the Sokoto country and Kano were
very badly received and requested to
return. The reports of their reception
have been published and their demands
on the British government to bring the
chiefs of Sokoto and Kano to reason
have gone back, to Africa and created
no small stir. The Importation of the
more savage "a ces from Uganda, So
maitland and other parts of east Afri-
ca, of Jamaica negroes and of Sikhs
from India to take part in the subju
cation of the Ashantis has also con-
tributed to disturb the other native
races.
Matters are no better in the Sierra
Leone protectorate, which was not very
long ago the scene Of the massacre of
many missionaries, several Americans
being among them and where the ris-
ing of the natives against the hut tax
was put down only after great loss of
life on both Sides An English cores
pondent, describing the condition of
the natives and their sentiments to-
ward the British government, contrasts
it with the state of things In the neigh
boring French territories, which, UNI
like the French Congo, are under the
administration of French government
officials
In the French Soudan and west coast
instead of the hut tax, a
poll tax of twenty-five cents is levied
on all male natives in the country parts
and forty cents on those in the towns
between ten and fifty years of age.
The tax in French Guinea is, moreover
through the chiefs, who re-
ceive 20 per cent, of the total amount as
for their cooperation,
and this is In conquered territory In
the British protectorate, where the in
habitants were free tribes who had
beaten back every effort of the MandIn-
goes and Foullahs of Futa-D jallon to
invade the British settlements through
their territory, and who placed them
selves voluntarily under the British
lag, the engagements made with them
nave been set aside, and the hut tax Is
being collected by corrupt and tyranni-
eal native police under such circum-
stances that many of the natives, rath-
ar than pay SIPS, the amount of the
AK, burn their huts and take to the
oush or escape into the French terrific
".
In order the better to cope with the |
and the difficulties threat |
med, the British colonial office has d. |
'ected the prolongation of the Sierra |
leone railway to be proceeded with at |
nee. A section of the line has already |
been opened as far as a place called |
2olifunk, about fifty miles southeast of |
Treetown, and the extension to 30, |
lightly miles further to the eastward, |
las been begun. The gauge is two feet |
tx inches, and owing to the urgency of |
he case the road will be built in the |
Ightest possible manner and with tenn
,orary wooden bridges. The Gold |
coast railway, which already extends |
rom Sekondi on the coast to Parkway,
where there are gold deposits is to be
arried on to Kumassi The distance is
ne hundred and eighty miles and the
auge three feet six inches. The object
, partly commercial. partly military,
s. it is said that when it is completed |
roops from England can be in Kumassi
Il fourteen days
The Lagos railway is about to be
pened to Ibadan, the three long steel
ridges connecting Lagos with the
being finished. The line is |
ne hundred and twenty-5ix miles long,
{ three feet six inches gauge, and con-
ects Lagos, which has sixty thousand
opulation, with Abeokuta, of one hun
red and fifty thousand, and Ibadan, of
ne hundred and eighty thousand In
abitants. The further extension to
gbomisho. Ilorin and Rabbah ON the
Tiger Is under considera ton. This |
ailway also Is military as well as COM
lercial, and has in view the penetra-
on of the great, populous and fairly
vilized regions lying to the eastward
the Niger, of which Lokoto and {
amo are among the most important
eW York Sun.