The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-05-03
THE END OF RABAH.
Black Napoleon's Head Stuck on
French Pole.
CNashiaatc- Post.l

~ aEIllllSEFffIf. E0Sk.1
Rabah the Blaf ,aeora of Central
Africa. is dead-is.-leu ,efore the power
of France, ana his tl-asd stuck on = pole
on the ramparts 3Jf the fort where he
made his last stand, looks with sightless
eyes toward the kmgdom Of BOrnu. The
command Of ri Eralile Gentle TO punish
Rabah. has just returned 10 civilization,
and reports not only the death of the
leader who has SO long been extending
his sway over the regions around Lake
ana the re-estabilsnmenL OF trencn rule
over the prOtectOrate which Rabah had
invaded ana conquered ana from which
ne had expelled sucn trenchInen as ne
did not Kill This King Rabah was a re-
lnarkabf5 man, natural-bOrn ruler who,
mad he not been defeated by the French.
would have built Up the most powerful
native kingdom in al Africa AS il was,
he had accomplished wonders. He made
his mistake in that he did not wait unrll
he was a little stronger before he sent
his defiance to the French.
The Lrst. heard of Rabah was when the
Dutch explorer, Mile Time, made q trip
to the region south Of TripOH. She there
met a great central african chief one
ZoubIer, who eFeigned over the region east
OF Lake Chad LOubier's first lieutenant
and the CHIEF OF his bodyguard was Ra-
pan For some mysterious reason IOu-
bier and Rabah were summoned TO Cairo.
That was before the MahdiSI rising, and
the khedive claimed Zoubier as his vas
sal Zoubier obeyed the summons, but
Rabah refused TO give himself into the
power OF the khediEe. Zoubier never re-
ne met there VIII probablS never be
known His son, SOleim2n, VINO succeed
ed him, was. ambushed and assassinated
seized. control OF the kingdom and nrrnIy
established himself
~ q - q
He was next heard from as an emir of
the mahdt When Ihartoum fell Rabah
was one Of the chiefs who led bis swarm
ing warriors into the city and participat-
ed IN the nurcer OF Gordon As Gordon $
at 0mburman, 50 now Rabah's head, al
Ter tH1entS-Slx years has been brought
70 the French at KOasseri- Rabah, after
ia tina ,Soudan. returned With his army TO
Bdhr-el-3azel and began building up
powerful kingdom for himself. He con
there, uniting with il the ancient king
dom Of kanem. BOruu has AN acreage
over 5,OG0,0G0- lis capital. Kahu. ON tie
western shore 81. lake chad. has a popu-
IN -Seudan. Wares OF All kinds reach this
city from Europe and Egypt over the
caravan routes E hioh run 80 EripOH, Fez-
zaIls morocco and A4glers. BY these
routes are sent n0rtHWard from -KaElll
Almost daily enVOys OF 1000. 200o and
even 45CG9 slaves. and great eargoes tof
African products.
IN this populous. busy and wealthy city
gained "a standing army OF 5000 infant
ry and 2 4arge- body or cavalry.
= "a, a ~ 9llileo ms army alIef European
Inelhoos and some OF The regiments
e9eR wore European uniforms Ii was
such an army IS never was before. His
cavalry was the most picturesque ia the
III amor OF the stFle Of the crusaders
sna mounted on splendid Arabian
Inc armor which they wore was in
many Instances the Genuine armor of
knights who fought and fen or were
taken prisoner in the Orient in the time
on me CrGsades- No man ever VIII be
able 10 tell the strange history OF that
arrnor-hOW Il was passed 1rOm hand 10
hand from civilization to- civilization.
from barbaris1n 10 barbarfsm finally TO
reappear on the EUtle bodies OF wild
Hghtlng men oenturies after i was first
ls Ilrst Wearers tell in tights for the
crescent against the Cross. s0f course,
lglnal afmor 70 go around among the
great body. 7of cavalry beat the Napoleon
81 AIrlca haq many cunning craftsmen,
rniIfetelly una each Warrior was fitted
out with a FUN iron harness ucklers,
shirt OF mail, greaves. eorslets, helmets
the field, with their arraor shining re-
Splendent IN the sun and thsdr gaudy
with them the very latest types OF ma
enc guns. Surely II is correct to sal
that such an army never was before.
themselves Kauuri-peOple of Highland
are expert IN the manufacture of pottery
ana metal ware. Their woven fabrics
are the finest in all Africa and their
trade with the, other native kingdoms of
Africa is immense.
Habah had heard Of Nanoleon and his
career, and ne modelled himself largely
upon the great CoEs5can lie made the
eminent, but he encouraged all the in
dIstrieS and promoted trade. He prepared
M ~, RIe l3 lsaIea q coee or laws and s.
ltot+sheo z regular system of taxation
ana d naIl0pa1 bank. He also forrau-
lated a system OF finance FOR an his do
guest as well as OF domestic prosperity
he oNerrah the Mauara kingdom ami
made it part Of his domains; hs carried
ms power TAR in the desert 10 the north,
and finally declared war upon the sultan
o. Baglrmi a large and prosperous ma
OF Rabahs domains was the powerful
suitanate OF SakotO, and-eto the east
tSl5Ilee t2e Slllfan Of Wadai, upon whose
ter, conquering Bagfrnf it was his plan
TO take these two other sultanates in de-
tallI and form them all into one great
Central African empire
=
but Ia invading BagIrnai Ra.bah ran
against the power of France and brought
about his own undoing.. When the pow
ers took a map OF Africa and drew per.
gu mar ks on It.. defiRang territory which
each ration should consider its own
Baslrni zen to France. Fhsre is a littIe
cQrnec OF German teTE tt0rV up sEhere
which on the map makes a wedge in be-
tween B4girm and B0rnU buf Rabah.
dlq not care foE that He took il all III
and made y his by the rignt of the sword
&c came Ike E5ilrlwlna ID mo river
Carl- wren rams netWeea Bornu and Ba-
slrTni, and en1pties into Lake Chad
ne = rencn had made n treaty with
the sultan of 8agirmi BIZ which they
took over 10 their own admins ira ton
ttfe state or Jra9uFa1lg ana establishes
mere = governor Tor their Central AZ
r3can protectorate. Raban drove The
treach prOteges from their capital ans
AAalt4 aE1CELEIlfleE. the E'T6TlT0
ms milirary aide. CAPTAIN solomon Brau
aTio most Of their companions. An the
region fell -UnGer the sway ~ the terri
Die haban- who nov set forth about con
souGatlns ms power, preparatory to
ma king fresh c6ruuests
M GeHtile' was on his way with q small
Iorce 70 strengthen the garrison at
Gaous2lg. but he had nor got further
Ih4n SsaoTa. a EU7-n on the upper Char
When a native sergeant. who had beal
m Jne trencn service. and had esca D5vl
from the camp OF Rabah where re had
been prisoner, came in and told aim Of
" hat nae happened fnal)le TO proceed
with his small force Gentle retired 10
GTlblngul, farther up the river 90 await
retilfprcerne ntsa and organize "a punitive
ee<flelltiolt-. - tte organized a comp ny of
sharpshooters under Captain RobiiI9t
and augmented his force as Oest he could
he W7S able only to get together 344 E.u-
Korean SoiG1erS, however. and with these
ana che native alIxiliaries which joined
him on the march he started down the
Chari At Tosbao they found the ruins
OF. the town and the burial places of Bre-
tonnet and ms cR[npantons- in arms. The
expedition pressed on down the Chari
partly by land sad party by water
There had been n small F'ray1ch sfaarr,er
rnnm nenr~