The Warwickshire Herald. — 1891-08-13 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE DISASTER TO A FRENCH ES.  An official telegram from M. de Brawn, 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 Baghirmi. The persons who accompanied M. Crampel were M. Biscarrat, a Frenchman, an Arab interpreter, and two Senegalese Sepoys. The rear-guard, commanded by M. Nebout, beat a retreat, and reached the French post xf Bangui, whence it was conveyed on board • gunboat to Brazzaville. The sad news, says • Daily Nemo correspondent, has been received with consternation 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 me, was to connect, by means of paper annexations, the French Congo with Lake Chad. and thus secure a route over French territory from the Congo to I Algiers. Another result of these annexations would I be to cut off England and Germany from any further progress towards the interior, and enable France I slowly, and without fear of intruders, to gradually extend her influence over the Mohammedan States oetween Lake Chad and the upper course of the I 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 af his companions he arrived at Brazzaville on ' August 15th. His escort included M. Lauziere, ivll esecond in ngineer, Man. ciN,emboont,mitinheaclif -pay I rtudent interpreter for Arabic, a Touareg, Ishekhad ag Rhali, and a Pahouin girl of 10. Niarinzhe, I whom M. Crampel had received as a gift from an African chief in 1587. There were besides 30 armed lenegalese and 223 native carriers. The expedition I set out from Brazzaville on August 18th, calling at the Belgian Catholic Mission of Kassel and the I English Protestant Mission of Bolebo. On September it reached Bangui, the last French outpost on the Oubanghi. ALMusy,who was in command of this I post, had been murdered several months before, and be coui B.y was in a state of great disturbance. M. Llrampel, after exercising terrible reprisals, and restablishing French authority, continued his journey aorthwards, concluding treaties with all the Chiefs in his way. The Committee of French Africa, a wivate society in Paris, had realised that M. Irampers Expedition would end in disaster if it lid not receive reinforcements, and a second expelition:was therefore sent out from France to over. ake him. It reached Brazzaville in time to learn I if the disaster, and did not proceed further. It is toped, adds the correspondent, that after this Hamster, which is not only a blow to French inluence, but to European prestige in general, the 'Totem of stealing marches in Africa over rival auropean nations will be discontinued. The toveted districts between the French Congo and Lake had were the "Hinterland" of the German awl leash coasts.  The captain of the steamer Alameda, which has I The seaman William Palmer, who shipped • arrived at San Francisco from Sydney, reports that hoard the steamship Zebra, of Hull, as William ' Lieutenant Philip Hodges, late of her Majesty's Brown, and was shot by a Belgian policeman al Navy, who was a passenger in the vessel, corn- Antwerp on the 4th, died at 3 a.m. on Friday mitted suicide by jumping overboard on the 14th morning in the St. Elizabeth Hospital. The ult., soon after the steamer sailed, death of this unfortunate man under such An extraordinary discovery has been made in the distressing circumstances has, says a correspon. parish church of Hemington, a small village on the ' dent, produced a most painful impression borders of Wiltshire and Somerset. A large swarm ' amens English seamen in this port. Stephen Green, of bees was noticed in the roof, and on two men the other seamen arrested by the police for assault, going up to dislodge them they were fiercely i is in prison waiting his trial, but he emphatically Meal ed,and it was only. after a sharp struggle that denies having been present when Palmer was shot. they succeeded in clearing out the insects. On a He is also from Hull, and is • married man with • march being made, one hundredweight of honey , family, and has been 15 years at era. The British was discovered secreted in this singular hive. Coneul-General has reported the sad oceurrence Is I the Foreign OfiSce. Messrs. 'rnachler and Co. announce • new series ' of illustrated historical books, to be called "Eng. For some tame past Poring for ironstone nu been land's Royal Children Series." its object is to In Progress OD the estate of 1..0rd de Ramsey, near attract children to the study of history by means the Abbott's Ript,on Station of the Great Northern of stories about children of royal blood, which shall Railway. On Friday, when a depth of 182 ft. had be both interesting and .true. The illustrations been reached. pyrites was met with, and Mr. ' are reproduced from authentic documents in the Beith, under whose superintencknce boring. is proIfritish Museum /cc. The first volume of the series will be "The Little Princes in the Tower," written needing, has no doubt that a main vein of ironstone by C. Lyeah, and illustrated by M. Smazgleed will be almost immediately struck. Some other Huntingdonshire landed proprietors are also pro. , Mina to sink for ironstone upon their properties. Bantantico. I  Messrs. William Andrews end Co., of Hull. will publish in a few days a volume entitled "Yorkshire Family Romance," by Mr. Frederick Ross. Illustration', still under the editorship of Mr. Francis George Heath, will commence an entirely sew series at ed. on August 15th, and continue thereafter as a mid-monthly. A volume of Daily Readings, entitled "At Odd Minutes," by Miss S. M. A. Hornby, with an introduction by the Bishop of Argyll, will be published by Mr. Elliot Stock van: ahrathr