THE FRENCH SOUDAN. 
131 
j Habes were at war with the Peuhls who, coming from the valley of the 
Niger, had little by little driven them back to the mountainous region. 
Bl Hadj Omar had attached to himself these sedentary populations 
upon whom one could acquire more hold than upon the Peuhl shep- 
j herds. He fixed the capital of Macina at Bandiagara at a certain 
distance from the Niger, and it was during a revolt of Peuhls that the 
celebrated prophet was killed. The result of all these different actions 
was a great affection on the part of the Habes for the family of El Hadj 
Omar, whom they considered their Liberator. Under these condi¬ 
tions Colonel Archinard thought that it would be suitable to place on 
the throne of Macina a member of the great Toucouleur family ; he, 
therefore, gave the crown to Aguibou, a son of El Hadj Omar, conse¬ 
quently a brother of Ahmadou, and who for the last four or five years, 
when he was governing the province of Dinguiray, gave fairly satis¬ 
factory proofs of his friendly attitude. 
The 5th May the Colonel quitted Bandiagara, leaving as Resident 
with Aguibou, Captain. Blachere, who lately died, and has been re¬ 
placed by Lieutenant Bouvreau and a strong company of tirailleurs. 
It may be hoped that tranquility will not be disturbed in that region, 
for the Peuhls, under the chief Ah mat-Sala, accompanied the French 
column in its march upon Bandiagara. 
On returning towards Segou, Colonel Archinard made his way to 
Sansanding, and there, as at Segou, he had to proceed to a re-organi¬ 
sation of the country, the fama Mademba not having been able to 
impose his authority upon his subjects. The kingdom of Sansanding 
was materially reduced, and the territories of Segala, of Monimpe, 
and of Mampala form, with Sokolo, the new district of Sokoto. 
From Sansanding Colonel Achinard passed to Segou, where he re¬ 
sided from the 19th to the 23rd May, to Bammako, where he arrived 
on the 29th May, and he was at Kayes in the middle of the following 
month. It was on returning to France, it is to be remembered, that 
he was attacked at Podor with an attack of bilious fever which so 
seriously shook his health. 
Results of the Campaign, 1892-93. 
The campaign of the north-east happily completed that of Colonel 
Combes, and the effect of the rapid intervention in Macina and the 
deposition of Ahmadou dissipated a very threatening invasion which 
was preparing afresh on the side of Segou, Finally, the installation 
of the French at Djenne, where there is a post commanded by Captain 
Gauteron, commandant de circle, the establishment at Mopti of the? 
Niger flotilla, under orders of Lieutenant de Yaisseau, Boiteux, give 
the French a preponderant situation in the valley of the Niger. 
The region of Macina has entered into the sphere of the direct 
French influence, and it is well-known that it is at Macina where the 
key of Timbuctou is to be found. The great Saharan town, where, in 
spite of all that has been said, an active commerce is maintained, can¬ 
not exist without Macina, which supplies all its provisions; it cannot 
do any trade without Djenne, which the productions introduces of 
southern Soudan and concentrates the productions of western Sahara. 
