THE FRENCH SOUDAN. 
123 
These plans decided on, it remains to see how the operations towards 
this end were carried out by Colonel Combes. 
The expeditionary column, which included a company of the Foreign 
Legion, commanded by Captain Destenave, was concentrated on the 
line from Kita to Siguira. It arrived in this town on the 21st Decem¬ 
ber, 1892. There the column was formed which Captain Briquelot was 
to lead into the valley of the High Niger, and between the 24tli and 
25th of December the principal portion ascended the Niger in native 
canoes, which had been assembled for this purpose by M. Ballien, the 
commandant of the Siguiri district. The column arrived, on the 30th 
December, at Kankan, having passed many villages, all ruined and 
abandoned, but without meeting any obstacles beyond several of the 
enemy’s outposts on the crests of the neighbouring hills. 
The Colonel at once decided to take the line of the Milo, from 
Kankan to Kerouane, as the base of his operations. After having 
reconnoitred the river and ascertained the depth of the channel, he 
soon perceived that it would readily serve him as a road, inexpensive 
and safe, for rapid communication in canoes from Bammako to Siguiri 
and Kerouane. As all the information concerning the movement and 
numbers of the Almamy’s bands was of the most shadowy description, 
Colonel Combes made up his mind to come to close quarters with them 
as soon as possible; and, on the 8th January, 1893, two days after 
leaving Kankan, he reached Ouomi, an important strategical point 
on the left bank of the Milo. There two groups were formed : one, 
designated the column of the Milo, was entrusted, under the orders 
of Commandant de Gasquet, to guard the fords of the river between 
Kankan and Kerouane, and to keep open the passage for pirogues 
and lighters carrying supplies to the posts of Kerouane; the other, 
under the personal orders of Colonel Combes, was intended for active 
operations in the field. 
Operations of Colonel Combes against Samory. 
Colonel Combes left Ouomi on the 15tli January and arrived, without 
incident, at Konafadie, a large village situated south-west of Kankan. 
The principal bands of Sofas, commanded by Samory himself, fled 
before the approach of the French troops, apparently most unwilling 
to oppose any resistance to their advance ; in fact, the Almamy did not 
dare to meet the rifles of Coumbo, as they called Colonel Combes. 
Combes’ former operations against him, in 1885, had left so deep an 
impression upon him that he used to say of this officer that he was the 
devil in person. Those Sofas, who had also previously experienced 
defeat at his hands during the campaign of 1892, were themselves so 
terrified that Samory was forced to threaten death to any who should 
pronounce the name of Coumbo. 
Some prisoners brought in by the French advanced scouts were able 
to give accurate information to the Colonel concerning the dispositions 
and forces of the enemy, whose object appeared to be to escape from 
the French advance by the south-east of Kerouane, from the Gueleba 
and from the Nafana, where the Almamy had placed in safety his wives, 
his corn, and all his goods. 
