Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-09
AFRICA'S IVORY COAST
OF FRANCE IN WEST
ERIN PART OF DARK CONTINENT.
Gallo Writers Call Their Colonies "the
New Transvaa"-History of
the French Claims.
From Chambers Journal.

The French colony of the Ivory Coast IN
attracting good deal of attention and in
terest is of two-fold character-political
and private or commercial. The political
Interest is due to the activity OF France in
West Africa, where she is establishing
posts and building railways. and so ac-
qutring a strategical position that Is re-
garded by those who pay attention to these
things as threatening British power there
with extinction. The private or commercial
interest Is due to the reported discovery of
gold In such quantities and formations
that French writer's have already named
the Ivory Coast 1.-The New Transvaal," and
the British Spectator is already to the fore
with his sovereign in the hand for two In
the bush"
The Ivory Coast stretches In a fairly
straight line for a distance OF 24l miles
along the northern shore of the Gulf of
Guinea. Looked at on the map. II has the
| republic of Liberia (the old Grain or Pepper
COAST on the left or west side. and the
British colony of the Gold Coast on the
right or east side. Inland 1t merges toward
the north into the French Soudan toward
the northwest into French Guinea, and to-
| ward the northeast into Dahomey which Is
| also French. The course Of the Cavally
river was made It's western boundary by an
agreement with Liberia in 1894 and the
course of the Tanoe river for a short dis
lance from the sea was made its eastern
boundary by agreement with Great Britain
signed at Paris on June IA, 1898, and rati-
fed twelve months later.
Admiral Fleuriot de Lansle
The French claim to the Ivory Coast
dates from 1912. when Admiral Fleuriot de
Langle made a treaty with some Of the
native chiefs-notably with Amatifou, king
OF Krintabo-whereby they placed them
selves under French protection. The fol-
| lowing year the French built Fort ASSUME
| and Fort Nemours. In the vicinity of Grand
Bassam. the capital. and SO began to make
| their occupation effective" In 1853 an
| other fort was built further west, along the
coast at Tabou. These forts were, how
ever, worse than useless, for the natives
were too peaceful to give any employment
| to the garrisons: and the soldiers. con-
| Of self-indulgence (Which kills anywhere,
| but especially in West Africa. The high
| mortality thus invited brought such dis
| credit upon the country that all thought OF
its development was abandoned. Interest
| in 1t, however. was revived through the
| stimulating discoveries QSS7-S9 of the ex-
plorer, Col Binger. who Is now governor
general Of French West Africa. These dis
coveries. besides showing the Ivory Coast
to be fabulously rich In mineral and veg
| etable wealth. proved what was of perhaps
| greater importance in the eyes of the
French government with its aspirations
| for colonial expansion-namely the prac-
ticability of linking up the Ivory Coast
with the French Soudan and the other
|
| steps in this linking up process were the
| occupation of Timbuctoo in 1894. the juno
| ton of the Ivory Coast with Senegal in
| 1890. the overthrow of the Soudanese chief.
| Samory In 1898. and the junction of the
| Ivory Coast with French Guinea in 1899.
| Junction With French Guinea.
This last step-the junction of the Ivory
Coast with French Guinea-is perhaps the
most complete Of all by reason of the excel
| lent highway that connects the two colo
MES. In connection with this we have to
| explain that on the confines of Liberia, in
the bush of Tabou. dwell the Tepos, war
| like tribe. who early in 1899 exhibited hos
| tility to French authority. French officers
| accordingly led their Senegalese troops
| against them. and were met by fire from
| the Tepos. pieces of pot legs and of iron
pots being used as bullets; and French
| doctor and ten Senegalese were killed. To
prevent the Tepos from followoing GUS
| tom attributed to them Of eating their dead
and buried foes. the french placed the
slain senegalese in hut and set 1t on fire.
| thereby consuming the bodies. The Tepos
| defeated. and Grabo. their capital. occupied.
| the French burned four of their larger
| towns imposed fine of fifty bulloocks. and
| also condemned them to two months hard
labor in making q road round the back OF
Liberia. This is the highway leading to
French Guinea. which is destined to play
! an important part in the opening up of the
| rich region OF the Cavally.
Nature Of the Tepos.
| The character of the Tepos as reflected in
the foregoing is quite different from the
| character attributed by travellers and pros
pectors to the natives generally. Winwood
Reade. celebrated West African explorer.
| considereI his treasure chest safer in the
| hands Of the humbest Ivory coast carrier
| than II would have been in England. Bin
| ger, too, found the natives not only honest.
| but also peaceful and inoffensive. True,
| they are supersttfous. They believe, for
| instance, that the white man has an attrac-
| ton for gold-that gold is drawn to him:
| consequently on approaching mine they
paint themselves white that the gold
| may not run away as 1t is supposed to do
| from the black man. Sometimes, too, in
| escorting prospectors they have prepared
for the journey by sacri..Xing dogs, pigs.
| goats and fowls. The natives number about
| 10000 Besides gold washing, their en-
| pigments include fishing Cat which they
| are very expert). discriminating. matmak-
| ing, pottery making, rubber collecting and
palm oil trading.
| The coast tribes have a good smattering
| Of English. Every white man is John"
| and the generic name for food is Chop"
| This is easily accounted for when 1t Is re-
| membered that for over a century the bulk
Of the trade has been in English hands.