THE ARAB NAPOLEON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11197, 20 August 1898, Page 8

THE ARAB NAPOLEON.

■~'.... 'CONQUERING AN, EMPIRE; : : ■ Tjje Liverpool correspondent, of.■;the Lon : don Daily Chronicle states that- the. rumours: :of a startling, kind have* Wegn" reaching Him : 'from .the .Niger..through < privateAsources. for; : 'some'; we'eksVpast, pointing tb;^h'e^ccirirenee: ' iof- events 'in -theyvast \Monanimeda'n i; States * ! •southof Lake Tchad which arebourid to have; ' •far-reaclimg effeciis''lihrqugli6u|" Ithp.>s;loham-; ■ ';.hiedan' .'world :o/:::\yestem.;:,Ceti,trar;::^fri,ca. ; "Briefly,' Rabah, the "Arab Napoleon; .the ci devant follower of, Suleiman !?übeir, -.th.c; conqueror of".Baghirrni and Borripn,-,whose, career is one of the most fascinating in African annals, has invaded the Fulani or Foulah, Empire of Sokpto, and;after suffering, a serious, reverse at .'the hands of the .Sultan,-has emerged victorious from the and captured Kano,. the great metropplis pf-.the. Western Central Soudan, wherelie now'reigns; supreme. The Sultan of Sokoto, ,bowing. ; to; the inevitable, has recognised his great enemy: as King of Kano. The event dates back-: several months, and has been known for some' 'time to the officials of the Royal Niger Com-; pany. and the British Government; in fact,, if my-information is correct, the Sultan-ot Sokoto was advised by the Royal Niger Com--pany .to recognise Rabah.- The career ot' Rabah is very varied: After driving out the Sultan of Kuka (at the end of 1894), and; subduing a portion at any rate of the Bor--nuese, Rabahrested awhile at ■ Kuka, which he made his', capital. He subsequently threat-, ened Yolai capital 'of Odaraawa, the most; southerly province of the Fulani Empire, thus :seriously menacing British influence'on the Binue. A secret mission organised, or at any rate approved, by the British Government, staved off "the clanger, and what relations have existed between the" Niger Company and Kabah from that time forward have been satisfactory.; But- the restless adventurer could not remain, quiescent. .He invaded the Sokoto Empire, marched upon. Sokoto city, ana was defeated, owing mainly to the. want ot ammunition. Recovering, he advanced_Aipon Kiind, overthrew the Fulani forces, and (took possession-of the city. \ Much additional formation will be' necessary before' ah adequate estimate can be formed as to the results which are likely to follow from this startling event, but in addition to the growth of Ka-: ball's power and prestige, which .the capture or Kano-must necessarily bring with it, one iact stands out prominently, the Fulani 1^ has received a terrible blow. For nearly IUU years, ever since Othman Fodio overthrew the old Hausa States, about ISO 2, the Fulani have beeif the dominating factor in this part ot Africa, which they converted to Mohammedanism. Alien in race, superior in intelligence and organising power, they seemed to have ruled at tlie time of their early successes with a rod of iron, but power has generated indolence, wealth,' aud. demoralisation; and of late years the Fulani havo greatly deteriorated, and the military genius of Kabali : has apparently been too much in Kano. me I Arab • Napoleon has secured a rich prize. London is not more known throughout ttie ! Continent of Europe than is Kano througuout the Soudan. Clapperton and Bath have i left records of its marvellous' richness and prosperity. Monteil, who visited it m IJSJ4, estimates .the fixed population at oO,"w»

Robinson, who went there 18 months afterwards, at 100,000, while the former desms ;hat the number of people who pass 'through t in the course of a year exceed two millions. Eano is the great emporium of the kola nut, md exports quantities of specially-manu.-iactured cloth dyed a deep indigo. purple, ivhich is famous throughout Africa from Tripoli to.Lagos. ■ ..'. .; '