436 
THE FRENCH SOUDAN. 
I informed him, besides, that I should inflict on him thirty days of simple 
arrest, limiting his punishment in consideiation of the unhappy situation in which 
he was placed. 
M. Boiteux replied to me in an insolent and angry tone, employing such ex¬ 
pressions as :—‘ Nom de Dieu! . and declaring that he had not been 
beaten, but that he, on the contrary, since the affair of Kabara, had marched 
against the enemy, which he had put to flight, &c., &c. 
I had no wish to continue a conversation so impertinent, and I gave M. Boiteux 
orders to rejoin his gun-boat. 
I inflicted an additional punishment of fifteen days of simple arrest (the maxi¬ 
mum allowed me by the decree of 20th December, 1892), on M. Boiteux for 
having replied insolently and rudely to the reprimands which I administered to 
him. 
The flotilla being directly under the orders of the Governor, I have the honour 
to submit to you the facts above stated. 
I am, &c., 
Bonnier.” 
The following events are best related in Captain Philippe’s full 
report published in the Journal Officiel :— 
“ Timbuctou, 21st January, 1894. 
Captain Philippe, Commanding Troops, Timbuctou, to Governor of Soudan. 
I have the honour to send you a full account of the disastrous affair which has 
just taken place. 
As you know, without doubt, the column embarked on the Niger in boats for 
Timbuctou was composed of: the Lieut.-Colonel Commanding ; all the staff from 
Kayes; 5th company, taken on at Mopti; 2nd company ; 11th company; artillery, 
6 guns. The second column, proceeding by land, was formed under the com¬ 
mand of Commandant Joff re : Spaliis ; 10th company; 12th company ; the rest 
of the artillery, and all the horses. This column, which I look for with im¬ 
patience, has not yet arrived. 
On the morning of the 10th January, the column under the Colonel arrived at 
Timbuctou; the artillery, the 2nd company, and the convoy being still some 
distance in rear; these groups did not arrive until the 13th. On the 12th, in the 
morning, the Lieut.-Colonel left, en reconnaissance , towards the Touareg camps, 
at three days’ march from here in the direction of Goundam. He took with him 
his staff, Commandant Ilugny, the 5th company, and a detachment of the 11th. 
The Europeans were mounted on donkeys. He left me the command of the place, 
as the senior Captain, with the remainder of the lltli company, to await the 
reinforcement of artillery and 2nd company. 
After having taken the camp of the Touareg chief, on the afternoon of the 14th 
inst., and a number of cattle, learning that the Touaregs were to be found at some 
distance from there, the column again marched out at 3 p.m., leaving a section of 
the lltli and a section of the 5th company, under the command of Sub-Lieutenant 
Sarda, to guard the cattle. 
Towards night the column arrived at an encampment, evacuated, or appearing 
to be so. At 4 a.m., on the 15th, the Touaregs, concentrated at a short distance, 
surprised the column whilst asleep and not properly watched, in the camp where 
they had taken up their quarters on arriving, a camp which they considered ad¬ 
mirably suitable in the circumstances. 
No reconnaissance of the neighbourhood had been made. 
Eollowed by numerous armed men on foot, the Touareg horsemen reached the 
piled arms before the cry c dux armes ’ had been raised; the sentinels, placed at but 
