Weekly News. — 1891-08-13 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

PEDITION.  An official telegram from M. de Brazza, Governor of the French Congo, announces that ths French explorer, M. Crampel, and his escort were, on April 9th murdered by the natives of a district lying between Oubanghi and Baghirini. The persons who accompanied M. Crampel were M. Biscarrat, a Irrenctunan, an Arab interpreter, and two Senegalese Sepoys. The rear-guard, commanded by M. Nebout, beat a retreat, and reached the French post el Bangui, whence it was conveyed on board $ gunboat to Brazzaville. The sad news, says a Deily IVetes correspondent, has been received with eonsternation in France. The disaster which has befallen the Crampel Expedition, upon which such great hopes had been founded, is a blow to the extension of French influence to the north of the Congo possessions. Its object, above everything a political esti, was to connect, by means of paper annexations, the French Congo with Lake Chad, and thus secure s route over French territory from the Congo to Algiers. Another result of these annexations would be to cut off England and Germany from any further progress towards the interior, and enable France slowly, and without fear of intruders, to gradually extend her influence over the Mohammedan States between Lake Chad and the upper course of the Nile. M. Crampel sailed from Bordeaux on March 20th, 1890, reaching the French Congo on May 6th. After long delays due to the inexperience of several of his companions he arrived at Brazzaville on August 15th. His escort included M. Lauziere. civil engineer, M. Nebout, a half-pay colonial officer, second in command, Mohammed Ben Said, a medical student interpreter for Arabie, a Touareg, Ishekhad Rhali, and a Pahouin girl of 10. Niarinzhe, Whom M. Crampel had received as a gift from an African chief in 1887. There were besides 30 armed Senegalese and 223 native carriers. The expedition set out from Brazzaville on August 16th, calling at the Velgian Catholic Mission of Kassai and the English Protestant Mission of Bolobo. On September 115th it reached Bangui, the last French outpost on the Oubanghi. M.Musy,who was in command of this poet, had been murdered several months before, and the coutt:y was in a state of great disturbance. M. Crampel, after exercising terrible reprisals, and reestablishing French authority, continued his journey isOrthwards, concluding treaties with all the Chiefs on his way. The Committee of French Africa, a private society in Paris, had realised that M. Crampel's Expedition would end in disaster if it did not receive reinforcements, and a second expedition:was therefore sent out from France to overtake him. It reached Brazzaville in time to learn d the disaster, and did not proceed further. It is !Moped, adds the correspondent, that after this disaster, which is not only a blow to French inSilence, but to European prestige in general, the System of stealing marches in Africa over rival European nations will be discontinued. The coveted districts between the French Congo and Lake Chad were the "Hinterland" of the German 11.14 13riti.-11 coasts.  The seaman William Palmer, who shipped ou hoard the steamship Zebra, of Hull, as William Brown, and was shot by a Belgian policeman at Antwerp on the 4th, died at 3 a.rn. on Fridair" morning in the St. Elizabeth Hospital. The death of this unfortunate man under such distressing circumstances has, says a correspondent, produced a most painful impression among English seamen in this port. Stephen Greco, the other seamen arrested by the police for assault, is in ptison waiting his trial, but he emphatically denies having been present when Palmer was shot. Be is also from Hull, and is a married man with a family, and has been 15 years at sea. The British Consul-General has reported the sad occurrence te tie Foreign Office.  A lawyer said: " I have just met a scounareuy barrister." "What a coincidence," said Jerrold. A young lady attending a party should have a female chaperon until she is able to call some other chap her own. Something in a Name.—" Why do you always refer to your valet as your 'retainer'?" "Because be always keeps everything he finds." He: "I think I'll have to use glasses." "WM wife: "Well, dear, you always did use them, but they never got Wither than your "