Gurunsi, and the surrounding countries); and secondly, Borgu, which is part of the natural hinterland of Lagos. The French forces working from the French Sudan and from Dahomey were, when matters came to a critical juncture, in touch with each other as well as with their respective bases; our forces resisting them, almost non-existent at first, were up to the end disconnected. The object of this paper is to relate what took place during the final phase of the struggle in Borgu, part of the territory held by the Royal Niger Company. The story of the resistance offered in the hinterland of our Crown Colony of the Gold Coast is similar, but quite distinct. It constitutes by itself another chapter of history not yet written, but which we hope to write as soon as the facts are available. In 1894 Commandant Toutée started on a voyage, professedly of private exploration, and applied to the Royal Niger Company for leave to pass through territories under their jurisdiction; but as he was taking with him a considerable armed force, this request was refused. Accordingly he set out from Porto Novo on the Dahomey coast, and from Carnotville made his way north-east through the Bariba country, till he struck the Niger opposite Badjibo, a point about midway between Bussa and Jebba. Here he established a camp and fortified a position which he called Fort d'Arenberg. From this point it is possible to navigate to the sea, though not safe; no vessel is insured beyond Jebba. Above Badjibo the river is practically unnavigable for more than 500 miles. In the meantime a strong expedition, under Commandant Decœur, had been despatched in July 1894 from Dahomey northward, having for its main objects to secure a treaty with the chief of Gurma, a country lying to the north of Borgu and Togoland, thus cutting the Germans off from the Niger; and to obtain treaties with the king of Nikki, which, the French asserted, was the capital of Borgu. Borgu, comprising the riverine inhabitants of the right bank of the Niger from Illo southward to near Jebba, would, it was thought, give them a port on the navigable waters of the Lower Niger. Now the Royal Niger Company claimed both these countries, Gurma and Borgu. They claimed Gurma in virtue of treaty rights on the ground that it was a province of Gando, with which country they had a treaty. Moreover, Gando is itself a fief of the Sultanate of Sokoto, and by the convention of 1890 the Company had rights over all appanages of Sokoto. They claimed Borgu, first, on the ground that the Say-Barrua line, fixed in 1890, gave to Great Britain all included by a line drawn from Say south to the ninth parallel, up to which the frontiers were delimited from the coast; and secondly, on the ground that the king of Bussa alleged himself to be sovereign of all Borgu, and with this king they had concluded a treaty in 1890 and paid him a subsidy. But as the French asserted that Nikki, not Bussa, was the capital of Borgu, it was thought advisable to despatch Captain Lugard to secure a treaty with that town. Decœur's expedition did not make rapid progress. Borgu is a difficult country; its inhabitants, the Baribas, are a warlike, predatory people, whose chief weapon is the poisoned arrow. According to Mockler Ferryman, they came originally from Northern Africa, and profess not to be pagans, but to worship "Kisra, a Jew." At all events, their country was unexplored, and they had beaten back the wave of Fulah conquest which, sweeping over all the countries between Lake Tchad and the Niger, had surged across the river into Gurma and Illórin, Borgu's neighbours. Consequently, although Decœur left Dahomey before Captain Lugard sailed from England, the English officer, proceeding by water to Jebba, succeeded in organising a force, and reaching Nikki before the French. Marching by way of Kiama, he entered Nikki, and concluded a treaty there on November 10, 1894, then passed on southward to secure the Company's rights in Okuta and Ilesha. Five days later the French came on the scene. M. Ballot, governor of Dahomey, hearing of the English mission, had sent up two other expeditions. That under M. Alby was the first to arrive; M. Decœur joined him with a strong force (whereas Captain Lugard had been accompanied only by twenty-four men with arms, all recruits), insisted that the king of Nikki should accept the French flag, and wrote home to say that a treaty had been concluded on November 26, making no mention of Captain Lugard. Then the various French exploring parties pushed on hastily to the north, to anticipate Dr Grüner and Lieutenant von Karnap, who were on a similar errand on behalf of Germany. Flags of both colours were distributed freely through the country, and as the signing of each treaty was accompanied by a handsome gratuity, some chiefs did a profitable trade in the business. The ruler of Sansanné Mango accepted three within a space of six months. So ended in 1895 the first "race for Borgu," in which European expeditions hunted treaties from negro chiefs. The result was somewhat to discredit all such treaties, but to strengthen the Niger Company's claim to Borgu. Whether Nikki or Bussa was the capital of Borgu might be a matter of opinion; but in each place the Company had a prior claim. The French practically recognised this by shifting their ground and attempting to secure the country by what was called "effective ocсираtion," but in reality was open usurpation. In the end of 1896 two expeditions were organised by M. Ballot in Dahomey: one under Lieutenant Bretonnet, whose object was Borgu and the navigable Niger; the other, under Captains Baud and Vermeersch, which was directed to interpose December 28, 1896, with three white officers, 100 Senegalese, and a number of porters. It between the German hinterland addition to repeated breaches and the Niger. Lieutenant of their treaties, had endeavBretonnet left Carnotville on is noticeable that he did not advance direct to Nikki and claim the benefit of the treaty: on the contrary, he turned west from Paraku and made a circuit to avoid what was theoretically a friendly town. He established posts at Bori, Bouay, and, after some skirmishing on the road, at Kandi. From Kandi he marched to Illo on the Niger, thence down-stream to Bussa, which he enteredby his own account, at the king's invitation-on February 5, 1897. Now a great deal had happened since Captain Lugard went out to Borgu in 1894. The Niger Company had complained of the act of aggression committed by Captain Toutée in occupying Fort d'Arenberg, and Lord Rosebery had said definitely that the place must be evacuated. France yielded, and Fort d'Arenberg became Fort Goldie. Further, it was notified to France that Bussa was under British protection, and an announcement to that effect was made in the 'London Gazette' in June 1895 In the face of this, Lieutenant Bretonnet's entry into the town was no less than an act of war, and the Niger Company would have instantly repelled the aggression, but their hands were tied. In the latter part of 1896 it had been found necessary to organise a force to punish the Fulah Emirs of Nupe and Illórin, who, in oured to bring about a general rising against the Company. They had solicited help from the king of Bussa; yet he had not only refused it, but had informed the Company of the plot. At this time diplomacy was still slowly endeavouring to solve the problem presented by the conflicting treaty claims in Borgu, and the French Government represented to the English that if the Niger Company had a considerable force on foot, they would be tempted to strengthen their claims by going in and occupying Nikki. Lord Salisbury's Government accordingly exacted from Sir George Goldie a pledge that he would not undertake any operations north of Jebba, which is the head of the navigable Niger. Nikki is well to the north of this point, and Bida and Illórin, the objectives of the expedition, were well to the south of it; and the pledge was accordingly given. Naturally it was taken as binding both sides to abide by the status quo. But just as the brilliant campaign against the Fulahs was practically decided by the victory at Bida on January 29, 1897, news came that a French expedition was at Illo, and shortly after a letter from the king of Bussa reached Sir George Goldie, stating that his capital had been occupied, and asking for assistance. In face of the pledge given to Government, however, nothing could be done by the Company, though they probably never expected that Lord Salisbury would continue to negotiate without insisting, as a preliminary to all discussion, upon the evacuation of a town over which a previous Government had expressly declared a protectorate. Lieutenant Bretonnet remained therefore in possession of Bussa, though not in peace. He was hotly attacked by the natives; but his Senegalese fought, as they always do, admirably, and he not only held his ground but extended his conquest. After considerable bloodshed he took Wawa, a town south of Bussa, and was met there by envoys from Kiama, where also he hoisted the tricolour. But the country, though nominally occupied, was not subdued up to July: Lieutenant Bretonnet was fighting continuously against what were described as "rebellions" in the different towns that had courted his alliance. Kishi, which lies on the direct road between Carnotville and Kiama, was occupied; but Nikki was still left untouched. In the meantime the BaudVermeersch expedition, which had set out also in the end of 1896, had been even more fortunate than M. Bretonnet. They reached Gurma without difficulty, and had the good fortune to find the king coping with a rebellion. In return for their help, which was effectually given, he placed all Gurma under French protection: this success bore fruit in the Franco-German agreement of July 1897, by which Germany resigned all her claims hinterland reaching to the Niger. Moving westward, to a Captain Baud got into touch with Lieutenants Voulet and Chanoine, who were coming from Wagadugu: this junction of French forces despatched from countries so remote as the French Sudan and Dahomey impressed the natives considerably, and brought levies of auxiliaries flocking in. Gurma was occupied in force, and the Voulet - Chanoine expedition turned westward again, leaving Captains Baud and Vermeersch to hold their acquisition. But in August the whole Bariba country rose against the Frenchmen. Lieutenant Bretonnet's garrisons had to fall back on his main force; and reinforcements were sent up from Carnotville under Captain Ganier, who, as senior, took command at Paraku, assisted by M. Vermeersch. By November they were strong enough to advance upon the heart of the resistance, and after a battle fought somewhat to the south, on November 6 they entered Nikki, this time as victors, and hoisted the flag there on December 10, and immediately opened communication with M. Bretonnet at Bussa. In the meanwhile Captain Baud, left in charge of Gurma, had struck across from Fada-N'Gurma to Say, where he met an outpost of M. Destenave's force from the French Sudan. He then proceeded to march upon Illo, whence Lieutenant Bretonnet's original post had been withdrawn. Marching south from this, he was surrounded by the Baribas; but after fight he succeeded in routing them, and the country was a severe |