May 24, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



405 



the death of Tidiani, shortly after the departure of Lieut. Caron 

 from Bandiagara, with the death of the chief of Furu two days 

 after the passage of the caravan. He was therefore obliged to de- 

 part without having seen either Pegue or his capital ; at least, he 

 had received all assurances of Pegue's friendship for the French, 

 and his promise to permit the passage of any Frenchman, provided 

 he came alone, and not on horseback. There was no use men- 

 tioning- a treaty, and the situation was not favorable. 



If Samory was successful, he would reduce Niele to ashes. 

 Tiebe, in his turn, would do the same. An alliance between Tiebe 



It is divided into seven large parts and several suburbs, and con- 

 tains one grand mosque and several of less importance. It is un- 

 der the government of the family of Wattara. The fama is called 

 Wamoko-Ule-Wattara ; the chief magistrate, Diawara-Wattara ; 

 the religious chief of the population, a Musselman, is the almamy, 

 Sitafa-Sakhanoko. The chief products of industry are woven 

 goods and indigo dyes. At Marrabatu, one of the suburbs, there 

 are more than forty dyeing-establishments. 



To return to Capt. Binger, he was received with a good deal of 

 distrust by the people, who saw in him a spy of Samory 's. But as 



CAPT. SINGER'S JOURNEYS IN THE NIGER REGION. 



and Pegue was out of the question, because the former was de- 

 tested for his cruelty, and the latter would not accept the proffered 

 conditions. On the 3d of February, Capt. Binger left the village, 

 and, passing Nie'.e, started for Umaloko, in the country of Kong. 

 He was accompanied by one of Pegue's servants, who was to lead 

 him safely into the first villages of the country of Kong. 



On the 20th of February he arrived at Kong, having traversed 

 two great rivers from 40 to 80 metres broad, which, coming from 

 Sikasso, flow towards the south, and unite shortly before reaching 

 Kong. They form, without doubt, either the Aleka (Abka or 

 Akbo) or the Volta. 



Kong, situated in west longitude 6° 9' 43", and north latitude 

 8° 54' 15", is a city of ten thousand inhabitants, and lies in a large 

 plain at an altitude of from six hundred to seven hundred metres. 



the marabouts, the leading class, decided in his favor, his safety was 

 assured. 



From the latest news, dated at Kong, March 10, and received at 

 Bammako June 21, it was seen that Capt. Binger was to leave 

 Kong about the middle of March, and to turn northward to Bobo- 

 diulasu, where he was to arrive on the 6th or 7th of April. Thence 

 his route lay to Wongodugu. From Wongodugu he intended to 

 make his way to the Niger at Say, then to return to Kong by way 

 of Sansanne-Mango, Yendi, Salaga, and Ngottogo. From Kong, 

 finally, he wanted to reach the coast, passing through the capital 

 of Buntuku, the position of which was not accurately determined 

 by the English Capt. Lonsdale, who visited it in 1SS3. 



It is now ten months since we have had news of the enterprising 

 traveller. From the time of his departure at Bammako, up to 



