Legation of
the United States,
Paris, June 18, 1880.
(Received June 30.)
No. 359.]
[Inclosure in No. 359.—From Galignani’s
Messenger, June 18, 1880.]
the trans-sahara railway.
A meeting of the committee on the proposed Trans-Sahara Railway was held
at the ministry of public works on Wednesday, M. Varroy being in the
chair. In his opening address, the minister gave a brief sketch of the
results of the labors of MM. Soleillet, Choisy, Pouillane, and Flatters,
and pointed out that these explorers had rendered great services to
France. After having laid stress on the pacific nature of their
missions, Mr. Varroy explained that the credit of 20,000 francs voted by
the chamber having already been exceeded, he intended asking for a
further credit of 60,000 francs without delay, but that he had not
wished to actually take that step without having previously consulted
the committee. Mr. Choisy, the engineer, was the next speaker, his
observations being chiefly confined to the consideration of the two
lines of railway from Biskra to El-Goléa, and from El-Goléa to Laghouat,
which, he said, would present no difficulty. He further advocated the
immediate establishment of telegraphs as a means of opening up the
country.
Colonel Flatters and M. Soleillet subsequently addressed the meeting, the
former reading a paper on his expedition. His force, it seems, consisted
of 105 men—22 of them Europeans—and he expressed belief in his complete
success on a future occasion when in possession of greater resources. M.
Soleillet remarked that having received the special mission of studying
the country, from a technical point of view, between Timbuctoo and
In-Salah, he had not been able to enter on his task, owing to having
been robbed in the Udrar. He gave some information in regard to his
expedition, and supported M. Choisy’s recommendations of the
telegraph.
After a short speech in the same sense by M. de Lesseps, it was decided
that the first and third subcommittees should meet to-day to hear M.
Soleillet.
