THE FRENCH SOUDAN. 
121 
Mademba, had established his head-quarters in the village of Dose¬ 
guela, situated some 20 kilometres to the north of Sansanding, and his 
horsemen had ventured to approach within a few hundred yards of the 
town itself. 
On the 25th June, Commandant Bonnier ordered an advance upon 
Doseguela by the contingents of Bodian and Mademba, supported 
by some Senegal tirailleurs under European officers, amongst others 
Lieutenant Marchand (just returned from Sikasso), Lieutenants Szy- 
mansky and Poittevin, Sub-Lieutenant Biffaud, of the Navy, and Doctor 
Grail. On the following day a fight took place under the walls of 
Doseguela, the marauding bands of Bougouni and the Toucouleurs of 
Oumarel Samba were speedily put to flight ; Oumarel Samba was 
slain, and an attack was then made on the fortified village itself, which 
was held by insurgent Bambarras. A breach having been made by 
the artillery an assault was delivered and, in spite of a desperate resist¬ 
ance, Doseguela was at last carried by storm and captured. The chief 
of this village, Niene Taraore, in company with 4-0 of his most faithful 
followers, blew themselves up with their magazine, and El Hadj 
Bougouni, fled away to the north and re-entered his own dominion. 
The enemy lost over 800 slain ; whilst the French on their side lost 16 
natives killed and 120 wounded, including two European officers. 
Thus in less than two months, under the lead of an active, energetic, 
and intelligent officer, well backed up by his trusty Lieutenants, the 
double insurrections which threatened the French possessions of Segou 
and Sansanding had been extinguished. This brief summary of an 
acute phase in the Franco-Soudanese affairs, in which some French 
Quintus Curtius of the future will discover innumerable acts of heroism 
and self-devotion, indicates how necessary, in dealing with Africans in 
such a country, it is to act with rapidity, firmness, and resolution, to 
strike quickly and hard, without giving the enemy any time to reform 
and rally after he has once been defeated. The French now fully 
comprehend how to deal with these Soudanese, as our Indian officers 
are accustomed to deal with the natives in the numerous petty fights 
on our Asiatic frontiers. 
The Campaign of 1892-93. 
From what has before been related, it can readily be imagined that 
the general outlook of French affairs in the Soudan in 1892 was not 
altogether too promising. In fact, the situation w T as somewhat critical. 
On the south, where Samory was hostile, it was necessary to undertake 
a campaign under very arduous conditions, for Kerouane, the base of 
the French operations, is at least 600 kilometres from Kayes, the capital 
of the French Soudanese establishment. Towards the east the Tieba 
problem was still unsolved, and to the north-east again new complica¬ 
tions were to be feared, for it had been ascertained that the people of 
Macina had taken an active share in the affairs in Segou, and it was 
known that Ahmadou, who had become very powerful in Macina, was 
on the eve of recovering the government of that Toucouleur kingdom 
by deposing his brother Mounirou. 
The Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, M. Jamais, was per- 
