BRITAIN AND FRANCE IN AFRICA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11254, 26 October 1898, Page 3

BRITAIN AND FRANCE IN AFRICA.

RIVAL CLAIMS.

The British claim to the territory surrounding Fashoda was defined in 1890, when Great Britain notified the Nile Valley to be within the British sphere of influence. Germany was persuaded to recognise this by receiving Heligoland, she agreeing to abandon some slight claims in South Uganda and Zanzibar. France made no protest at this juncture, but remained passive. She, of course, can say that she reserved whatever rights might accrue to her. In the middle of 1897 the French expedition under Captain Marchand was said to be at Tambura with a force of 50 men. To arrive there he would have to detour north, then follow the River Sue down to Meshra er-Rek, and on to the Nile, striking the river above Fashoda. Captain Leotard, the Lieu-tenant-governor of the Übangi, was sent specially to organise the Upper Übangi and the Mbomu line as a base for an advance into the Nile Valley. The expedition, it was thought at the time, would be delayed by want of food, as the country had been wasted by war. At this time, too, Captain Marchand was taking reliefs for Captain Leotard, who was journeying eastward from Dem Suleiman to Fashoda, and was compelled to fall back. Captain Marchand retreated to Serruo, 150 miles south of Dem Suleiman, thus destroying Captain Leotard's lino of communications along the line of advance. The route to the south, up to the Sue Valley, and then down the river, left open a way of communication, however, and this must have been the one eventually followed.

It was in September, 1897, that Captain Leotard moved from Semio towards Dem Suleiman, making a post at Djima; Captain Marchand about the same time left Semio for Tamburra and Jur Ghattas. Lieutenant Lye, at this time also, expected to launch the steet sectional gunboats on the Bahr-01-Ghi—al, and in addition to this 2500 rifles were distributed among friendly natives. Captain Marchand does not appear to have encountered much obstruction on his march towards the east, in which direction he struck the Nile at Bor, below the area leased by the Belgians. By an agreement made by Lord Rosebery, a lease of the west bank of the Nile was made in favour of King Leopold for life. This was in May, 1894, and in accordance with its terms a force of 100 Belgian troops proceeded to Dem Suleiman, but were compelled to retire through lack of provisions: The French then compelled the Belgians to renounce the larger portion of the lease. At the. end of 1894- the Belgians defeated the dervishes, who had crossed into the Congo basin, and subsequently routed them close to Regaf, where the Belgians still remain. The Belgians were invited by England to occupy Equatoria, owing to a strong French force having concentrated along the Übangi and Mbomu, whence they contemplated marching into the Nile Valley. This expedition, whose advance was checked hy British remonstrance, contained 500 Senegalese sharpshooters. Marchand succeeded in launching the sectional gunboats and made his way to Fashoda.

Egypt, under British tutelage, claims that her sphere of influence extends up to the divide between the Nile, and the Congo basins, but the boundary line of the Egyptian possessions, as laid down by Sir Samuel Baker, extended up to Lake Albert Edward on the equator, and inoluded a considerable area on the Congo basin. ;■ From Lake Albert to Lado is 190 miles. Thence to Fashoda is 550, and from the latter place to Khartoum is 390 miles. By river, of course, the distance is much greater. From Khartoum steamers go up to Regaf, 900 miles by water, then navigation is stopped by the rapids. From Lado te Fashoda is a marshy and unhealthy _ district, but thence down to Khartoum it is muoh healthier. Since the end of 1897 tho British protectorate of Uganda has been extended to Lake Albert. ■