314 



8ENEGAMBIA 



KENLIS 



far from tlic north bank of the Joliba (Nicer). 

 These streams meet at Bafulabe, 700 miles from 

 the coast, and from there the united Senegal flows 

 north-west, west, and south-west, and reaches the 

 Atlantic some 10 miles !>elow St Lnuis. For three 

 months of the year (July-October) boats drawing 

 20 feet can get up to Kayrs, 40 miles below Bafu- 

 labe. The channel is, however, in those higher 

 reaches greatly obstructed by falls and 'iiarmv. -.' 

 and in its lower course it Ls studded with numerous 

 low, flat islands. Although the river is navigable 

 all the year round for altout 200 miles up, it is not 

 o serviceable to navigation as it might lie because 

 of a formidable bar that lies across its mouth. The 

 difficulties of the navigation are in part overcome 

 by a railway along the left bank of the river, 

 between Kaves and Dioulieha, a place 25 miles 

 beyond Bafulabe, and the French are continuing 

 the line to Bammako on the Niger, which is only 

 about 320 miles distant from Kayes. 



SKNKOAL, a French colony in West Africa, 

 consisting of various posts, towns, and territories 

 situated on both Itanks of the river Senegal, as St 

 Louis, Dagana, Medine, Bafulabe, &c. The popu- 

 lation does not exceed 135,500. The administrative 

 districts of the colony are under a governor. For 

 further particulars, see SKNKC AMIIIA. 



Keiiricaillbia, a territory subject to France, 

 situated on the west coast of Africa and embracing 

 the colony of Senegal uro|ier and various protected 

 states, as Cayor and Sal urn (along the Atlantic), 

 Damga, Bainlmk. Hun. In. and others lying be- 

 tween the Atlantic Ocean and the Senegal and 

 Gambia rivers the word ' Senegambia '( not used 

 by the French ) is compounded of the names of these 

 two rivers. Until 1890 Senegambia included the 

 region known as the ' llivers of the South '( Casa- 

 mance, Casini. Nunez, Pongo, and others), and 

 certain districts on the (iold Coast; but at 

 the date quoted the more southerly region 

 (Rivieres du Sud) was placed under a* separate 

 lieutenant-governor, who resides at Konakry on 

 the Dubreka, and the Gold Coast districts were 

 divided into two distinct and independent colonies, 

 the Gold Coast districts and the Bight of Benin 

 district*. On the other hand, farther mirth, 

 the French claim the Atlantic coast soutliwanls 

 from Cape Blanco to the mouth of the Senegal : 

 whilst inland they have extended their authority 

 over Futa-Jallon, Beledugn, ami Marina as far as 

 the Joliha (Niger). These several protected slates 

 of the interior are generally called collectively the 

 French Soudan, and are admini-tercil by an olliccr 

 under the governor of Senegal. Moreover in \ in ue 

 of recent treaties e.g. with flreat Britain in 

 August 1890 the vast expanse of the Sahara south 

 of Algeria and Tunis, right up to the Niger, and to 

 a line drawn eastwards from Say on that river to 

 Barruva on Lake Tsad, in recognised as being 

 within^ the French 'sphere of influence ;' and in 

 |vi| r, ,,. . \\orkrd her way down the Niger to 

 Tiinlinctoo. South of the Niger also she has fairly 

 begun to establish herself, for in 1889 Captain 

 Binger proclaimed in agreement with the nutnc 

 chiefs a protectorate over the Kong state-, an 

 hUMBM nic.i Mrrt.-hing almost down to the (Julf 

 of i:niiiea, fioni s So' to |o \. | al . Thus ,). 

 territory claim-l by France in this part of Africa 

 mis from Tunis to Sokoto and the Gulf of 

 Cuineit, and from the Atlantic ami the fiontiei of 

 Morocco to Lake Tsad. The only interruption- to 

 the continuity of thin vast area are the British 

 colonies of Gambia and Sierra Leone, Liberia, 

 certain Portuguese territories of no great extent, 

 and the numerous small colonies belonging to 

 dUbranl Kmopean powers on the Guinea coast. 



< )f this gigantic territory France actually occupies 

 little more than the colonies of Senegal, ' Kit-en* of 



the South,' and the two groups on the Gold Coast. 

 These are estimated to have a total area of 165,000 

 sq. m. and a total pop. of 200,000. The people 

 In-long for the most part to the Penlh and Man- 

 dingo tribes of Negroes, and are in part Moslems, 

 in part fetich-worshippers. The ' French Soudan ' 

 has an area of probably 50,000 so. m. and an esti- 

 mated pop. of nearly 300,000. The principal geo- 

 graphical feature in these united regions is tin- 

 plateau (2000 to 4000 feet) of Futa-Jallon, from 

 its valleys issue many rivers that flow (e.g. the 

 Gambia) west and south-west to the Atlantic, north 

 to the Senegal, and east and north-east to the 

 Joliba (Niger). The villages of the natives are 

 chiefly planted beside these various watercourses. 

 Ground-nuts, gums, india-rubber, timber (incltid 

 ing 'Senegal ebony;' see DALBERGIA), and 

 other wild products constitute the bulk of the 

 exports, which reach an annual value of 662,000 

 (three-fourths to France). The imports (textiles, 

 liquors, and food-staffs) are valued at 1,120,000 

 (nearly half from France). St Louis (o.v.) is the 

 principal town in these colonies. The French first 

 settled in this part of Africa about the lieginning of 

 the 17th century ; but the settlements ( more than 

 once captured by the English and again restored) 

 languished until the ap]M>intment of General Faid- 

 herbe as governor in 1854. He began a most 

 vigorous line of action, subdued the Berber chiefs 

 who prevented the French advance inland, and 

 annexed their territories. This policy was pursued 

 in the same spirit by subsequent governors ; dis- 

 tricts were annexed and protectorates proclaimed 

 with extraordinary celerity, though the two power- 

 ful chiefs Ahmadou and Samory occasioned them a 

 great deal of trouble during the years 1887 to 1890. 

 See Stniiial el Niyer (an official publication, Paris, 

 1884) ; Faidherbe, Lt Soudan Francau ( Lille, 1881-85) ; 

 Annalet &nrgalai*es (1886) ; and Hull. Soc. de Gfot/ra- 



Seneschal ( Old French ; from the same roots 

 as the Gothic tint, 'old,' and A/.W/..V, 'a servant ; ' 

 compare marshal), a functionary in the household 

 of the Frankish kings corresponding to what in 

 England and Scotland was designed 'steward,' 

 usually rendered into Latin as senescallus. 



SeniKallia. See SINIOAGLIA. 



Senior, NASSAU WILLIAM, political economist 

 and ' prince of interviewers,' was born on 26th Sep- 

 tember 1790, at Compton in Berkshire, the eldest 

 son of the vicar of Dnmford, \Vilts, and from Eton 

 [Ms-eel to Magdalt-n College, Oxford, where in 1812 

 he t'>'ik a distinguished first-class in classics. In 

 1819 he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn; 

 during 1S2.V-30, and again during 1847-62, was 

 piofessorof Political Economy at Oxford; in 1832 

 wa-. appointed a Poor-law commissioner; and from 

 1836 to 1853 was a Master in Chancery. He 

 travelled much, and wrote much for the Kilinlnirgk 

 a- and other leading periodicals, his twenty 

 works including, besides treatises on political 

 economy, Biographical Sketches (1863); Esxni/x 

 en f-'i'-tiiin (1S64); Historical and Pkilotonhii-nl 

 ".i ( 1865); Journals, Conversations, and Essays 

 / /fit i HI) to Ireland ( 1868) ; Journals kept in France 

 ( 1H71 ) ; Conoersations with Distinguished Persons 

 iliirniii the Second Empire (4 vols. 1878-80); and 

 I'liiii-irxulitmx inul Jminidls in Egypt and Malta 

 (1882). He died 4th .June 1864. 



Scnlar. See HASTINGS. 



Snilis. a very ancient town of France, dept 

 of Oise, 33 miles NNE. of Paris. Its older portion 

 is surrounded by walls, flanked with towers, which 

 date from Roman times. The cathedral, a small 

 edifice, with a striking bell tower, is a beautiful 

 example of early Gotiiic (begun in 1155); Senlis 



iscil to be a bishop's seat in 1801. Here was 



