OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 666, 17 November 1909, Page 7

OBITUARY.

A BELGIAN CONGO LEADER. iDy i'ilißraph.-l'roM AnsftclftUnn,-Oftfcyrljml ■ London, November 15. Tll ° ■ death is aiihounded of.; Baron Dhanis, the Belgian ,explorer and leader, who, in the .'nineties; fought the . Arabs of ' the Upper Congo. j.. ' ..... i . CONGO: WORK; OF .BAflOfo OHANIS. " Baron Dhanis Was one of-tfie foremost of the soldier-explorers, who extended,the Belgian rule on the Upper.CohW—a rule which;has latterly ■come 'into such, ill repute on account of the treatment of the natives. In November, 1892,' as Lieut; Dhtmis, ho aeVorely defeated thfe slavo liilder- Sfefu,: soli of. Tippoo Tib, and took nialiy prisoners. The: campaign. extended overcome months, Several battles ivete .foUglit, the Arab, strongholds of Nyangwo and Kasongo word and pradtically 'lriped out, hnd the pdfret of tha Afab edaVe traders,: #hicn had erccted a bar across: the Upper ' Congo.' was' brokon. -"."'.vr ;■ Long.prior, to'this, 1 eampaihi the .Congo free fetato hhd - seen the ; : ultiinhtfl i -fiefcessity ' df' ,tt stttiggle for supremacy with',tho • Afab,' power, but had felt, itself ,'tifiequal tb 1 the l tfi'Ski' ih'fect,' in 1887, Oh tho•sugg<stion oJ ; 'ttte lato'-Mr. H. At. Stanley,-- recdurs& 'was .hfiil to thd ■ bold expedient; of; appointing :TippoO ! 'Tib -governor "of . Stanley. 'FaltoiV atf thb_ >representative- 'of • '.King Leopold.' This . modus vivendi ' continued :• in operation for five years, maintaining,the Status quo until.the Free State was|in a'position, by means of .'Baron : Dhanis's expeditioni, to Oust tho Arabs, change .the trade rroutes, and divert traffic.down tho Congo. .. •; The Belgian- victories wore won largely with tho aid of native; levies, including the Batatelas.' In 1893 and again ,in 1897. the Batatelas revolted, in the latter caSd ihUrdfering several oftheir white officers. Baron Dhanis was. successful in '.two .or; three engagements with the mutineers, who were not finally dispersed till 1000. , / , • .