Jules Alexandre Milz (10 September 1861 – 1 October 1902) was a Belgian soldier who was active in exploring the northeast of the
Congo Free State
''(Work and Progress)
, national_anthem = Vers l'avenir
, capital = Vivi Boma
, currency = Congo Free State franc
, religion = Catholicism (''de facto'')
, leader1 = Leopo ...
.
He traveled extensively in
Uele District, where he resolved the question of whether the
Uele River was the upper portion of the
Ubangi River
The Ubangi River (), also spelled Oubangui, is the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River in the region of Central Africa. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discharge ...
.
He was second in command of an expedition to the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
in 1891–1892, and took over command after the leader died.
Early years (1861–1888)
Jules Alexandre Milz was born in
Virton
Virton (; Gaumais: ''Viertån''; wa, Vierton) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. It is also the administrative centre of the district (''arrondissement'') of the same name, as well as the princ ...
in
Belgian Lorraine on 10 September 1861.
His parents were Jacques Milz and Joséphine Philippart.
He joined the 2nd Mounted Chasseurs on 20 August 1880, and was appointed second lieutenant to the 4th Lancers on 29 June 1883.
He entered the service of the Congo Free State in 1888.
Roget Expedition (1888–1891)
On 17 June 1888 Milz left
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, as an officer of the ''
Force Publique
The ''Force Publique'' (, "Public Force"; nl, Openbare Weermacht) was a gendarmerie and military force in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1885 (when the territory was known as the Congo Free State), through the period of ...
''.
He arrived in
Boma on 25 July 1888 and was assigned to the
Bangalas District
Bangala District (french: District des Bangala, nl, Bangala-district) was a district of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It went through various significant changes in extent. The eastern part very roughly corresponded to the present p ...
, where
Willem Frans Van Kerckhoven
Willem Frans Van Kerckhoven, or Guillaume François van Kerckhoven (28 January 1853 – 10 August 1892) was a Belgian soldier, explorer, colonial administrator who was active in the service of the International Association of the Congo and the sub ...
was preparing the vanguard of the
Léon Roget
Léon Roget (21 June 1858 – 4 February 1909) was a Belgian soldier and colonial administrator who was active in the Congo Free State.
He was the first commander of the ''Force Publique'', the armed force used to police the colony.
__TOC__
Earl ...
expedition.
The task was to establish entrenched camps on the
Aruwimi River
The Aruwimi River is a tributary of the Congo River, located to the north and east of the Congo.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, Vol. One , Vol. Two
The Aruwimi begins as the Ituri River, which rises near Lake ...
and
Sankuru River
The Sankuru River is a major river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its approximate length of 1,200 km"Sankuru River" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 10, p. 278. ...
for defense against Arab slavers.
Milz left Bangala on 24 October 1888 with the column led by
Francis Dhanis
Francis Ernest Joseph Marie Dhanis (11 March 1861 – 13 November 1909) was a Belgian colonial civil servant and soldier noted for his service for the Congo Free State during the Congo Arab War and Batetela Rebellion.
Early life and career ...
.
The column founded posts at
Umangi
Umangi is a village on the right bank of the Congo River downstream from Lisala in the Mongala province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
History
Umangi was among the posts founded in 1888–1889 by a Belgian expedition led by Francis Dhan ...
,
Upoto
Upoto was a village on the right bank of the Congo River, now a district of Lisala in the Mongala province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
History
Captain Hanssens of the International Association of the Congo
The International Asso ...
and
Yambuya
Yambuya is a community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the Aruwimi River, roughly due north of Yangambi. The river is navigable as far as Yambuya, but is blocked by cataracts further upstream.
Yambuya was made a base for the Emin Pash ...
.
On 8 February 1889 the column was at the confluence of the Aruwimi with the
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
, where the
Basoko
Basoko is a town on the Congo River in the Tshopo Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 47,970.
Notable people
*George Grenfell
George Grenfell (21 August 1849, in Sancreed, Cornwal ...
station was established, capital of the new
Aruwimi-Uele District
Aruwimi District (french: District de l'Aruwimi, nl, District Aruwimi) was a district of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo. It went through various changes in extent before being absorbed into other districts.
Congo Free State
Article 3 of ...
.
Roget took command there on 28 July 1889.
The expedition then founded the posts of
Bomane
Bomane is a village on the Aruwimi River in the Tshopo province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bomane was among the posts founded in 1889–1890 by a Belgian expedition led by Léon Roget.
Jules Alexandre Milz
Jules Alexandre Milz (10 S ...
, Bassoa and Yambisi.
Milz was put in charge of Bomane, then of Bassoa.
In April 1890 Milz and Joseph Duvivier accompanied Roget to found a post in Djabir (
Bondo) on the Uele.
They established the
Ibembo
Ibembo is a village on the Itimbiri River in the Tshopo
Tshopo is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. It is situated in the north central part of the country on the Tshopo ...
station on the
Itimbiri River
The Itimbiri River is a right tributary of the Congo River, which it joins above Bumba. At one time it was important as a navigable waterway for transporting good from the northeast of the country down to the Congo.
Course
The Itimbiri River or ...
, where they left Duvivier in command.
Milz went on with Roget to the Go rapids, then overland to the
Likati River
Likati River is a river of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a tributary of the Itimbiri River.
It flows through Aketi Territory in Bas-Uele District.
It was referenced in Congo Shadows by John B. Franz.
At Libongo, northwest of the tow ...
where they founded the
Ekwangatana
Ekwangatana is the location of a post established by Belgian officers in what is now Bas-Uélé province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Location
Ekwangatana is near the present settlement of Djamba where the Rubi River and Likati Rive ...
post.
They entrusted this post to an African officer.
They returned to Ibembo, then went NNE towards the upper Likati and Djabir, crossing the
Tinda River Tinda River is a river of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It flows through Aketi Territory in Bas-Uele District
Bas-Uele District (french: District du Bas-Uele, nl, District Beneden-Uele) was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Dem ...
basin.
They founded Mopocho between Ibembo and the Likati on 23 May 1890, which they also entrusted to an African officer.
On 25 May 1890 they crossed the Likati and on 27 May 1890 reached the
Uele River opposite
Sultan Djabar's village.
Sultan Djabir signed a treaty with Milz and a post was established on the site of the former Egyptian zeriba of Deleb.
Milz began construction of the station while Roget, guided by Sultan Djabir, tried unsuccessfully to join
Alphonse van Gèle
Alphonse van Gèle, also written van Gele or Vangele (25 April 1848 – 23 February 1939), was a Belgian soldier who served as the Vice-Governor General of the Congo Free State from December 1897 until January 1899.
He established the Equator S ...
in
Yakoma.
Roget had gone north as far as Mbili and Gangu, having heard that the country downstream was too dangerous.
On 9 June 1890 he returned to Djabir.
Roget left Djabir in July to return to Basoko, the Pool and Boma, leaving Milz in command with instructions to attempt the liaison with Yakoma.
In July–August 1890 Milz and his assistant Mahutte and Sultan Djabir led 100 fusiliers and 400 lancers in an attempt to push through the non-submissive people along the right bank, but were forced to return to Djabir after nine days.
In September Milz had to repel an attack by the Arabs under
Kipanga-Panga.
There are conflicting reports about who took the initiative, but it seems that Van Gèle heard of the presence of a European in Djabar on November 18 and set out via a roundabout route up the Uele, reaching the village of Gamanza on 2 December.
The next day he met Milz, who was coming to meet him.
This resolved the Ubangi-Uele question.
Milz and Van Gèle heard that the Arabs were operating in the lower
Bima River
The Bima River is a river of Bas-Uélé province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is a left tributary of the Uele River.
Course
The Bima flows through the Poko, Bambesa and Buta territories and enters the Uele River near Malengweya ...
and on the
Rubi River and set out for that region.
In December 1890 they succeeded in expelling the Muslim traders.
Nile Expedition (1891–1892)
When Milz's term was over he went to
Stanley Pool
The Pool Malebo, formerly Stanley Pool, also known as Mpumbu, Lake Nkunda or Lake Nkuna by local indigenous people in pre-colonial times, is a lake-like widening in the lower reaches of the Congo River. .
There, in March 1891, Van Kerckhoven asked him to return to the Uele to become second in command of his expedition to the Nile.
Milz accepted and was in Basoko by 26 March 1891.
At the start of July most of the Van Kerckhoven expedition had gathered in Djabir, consisting of 15 Europeans and 500 Africans of the ''Force Publique''.
The vanguard, led by
Pierre Ponthier
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, set off upstream on 7 July 1891.
In August Milz was sent to visit Sultan Semio to obtain his help for the expedition.
Milz sent Van Kerckhoven a message on 25 November announcing that Semio was now an ally, and on 25 November Milz and Semo arrived at
Bomokandi
The Bomokandi River is a river in the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, ...
camp with 600 soldiers and 500 porters.
Orders were given for the march to the Nile.
Ponthier, Semio and his soldiers would go by land, while Milz would accompany Van Kerckhoven with the provisions by water.
The columns left on 12 December and rejoined at
Amadi on 22 December, where they started to build a post.
On 30 December 1891 Van Kerckhoven, Milz, Ponthier and others left Amadi and headed south.
They were at the Mbe-
Bomokandi
The Bomokandi River is a river in the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, ...
confluence on 1 January 1892, where Ponthier fell sick and had to return via Djabir to Boma.
After having obtained the submission of the main chiefs of the region, who had given them enough canoes, the expedition returned to Amadis on 24 January and moved out on 29 January.
The flotilla was on the Bomokandi on 2 February 1892.
Milz, Gustave Gustin, Clément-François Van de Vliet and Semio, who had traveled by land along the south bank of the Uele, were attacked by the .
They continued, making contact with the local chiefs and selecting sites for new posts, and reached the confluence of the
Gada River with the Uele on 18 March, where they chose to build a new station at the village of Mbegu, named
Niangara
Niangara is a town in the Haut-Uele Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying on both sides of the Uele River. It is the headquarters of the Niangara Territory.
The town has a hospital operated by Médecins Sans Frontières.
As of ...
.
Van Kerckhoven arrived there on 25 March 1892, and Jean-Hubert Cloesen was placed in charge of the post.
On April 7 the vanguard continued its march, leaving Van Kerckhoven, who was bedridden, behind in Niangara.
Milz and Van de Vliet, who had come from Niangara to Bomokandi, left Bomokandi on 22 April and reached Mbittima on 2 June.
Semio was sent in advance to prepare the populations.
On 6 June Van Kerckhoven, Milz, Montangie and Van de Vliet left Mbittima by canoe.
They reached Surur on 10 June and decided to go up the
Nzoro River
The Nzoro River (or Nzaro, Obi, Zoro) is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a right tributary of the Kibali River. It is used to supply hydroelectric power to the Kibali Gold Mine.
Course
The Nzoro River originates in the extr ...
, but found it blocked by rapids, which were called the Milz Falls.
The column was divided, leaving 200 of the less able-bodied men at the foot of the rapids, while the others went ahead in search of the Gustin-Semio advance guard.
On 11 July Van Kerckhoven and Milz left by land along the south bank of the Nzoro through difficult country, with the soldiers carrying their loads for lack of porters.
They reached Tagomolanghi on 25 July 1892.
Van Kerckhoven died in Djebel Watti on 10 August 1892.
He was accidentally killed by a shot from the gun his boy was reloading.
He was buried there and Milz took command.
Leaving Mount Beka on 12 August 1892, the expedition soon reached the Khor Arave, a tributary of the Nile.
They made camp and sent a scouting party towards the Nile.
On 19 August Milz was at Mount Lehmin, among the
Kakwas.
On 24 August he found the Kibbi River, where he set up a camp named Fort Lehmin.
He continued northeast, and reached the old Egyptian zeriba of Ganda where he installed Gustin.
In October 1892 he reached
Wadelai
Wadelai was a boma at a narrow point on the Albert Nile in what is now northern Uganda. There were several shortlived colonial stations there, the first being the final chief station of Emin Pasha when Governor of Equatoria. Wadelai gives its na ...
on the Nile to the north of
Lake Albert.
He enlisted soldiers of
Emin Pasha
185px, Schnitzer in 1875
Mehmed Emin Pasha (born Isaak Eduard Schnitzer, baptized Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer; March 28, 1840 – October 23, 1892) was an Ottoman physician of German Jewish origin, naturalist, and governor of the Egyp ...
whom he found remaining in the region, but they proved unreliable.
Under pressure from the Mahdists he was forced to withdraw.
Milz made his way west towards the
Dungu River.
He left Semio in Ndirfi, and continued towards Faraki on the upper Dungu.
He set up the
Faradje
Faradje is a town in the Haut-Uele province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the administrative center of Faradje Territory. It lies on the Dungu River.
It had a population of about 25,000 in 2009. It has dirt streets, a police sta ...
post a small distance upstream from Mundu.
On 18 December 1892 he reached the Dungu-
Kibali confluence, the head of the Uele, where
Florimond Delanghe
Florimond is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Florimond Cornellie
*Florimond de Beaune
*Joseph Florimond Loubat
* Count Claude Florimond de Mercy
* Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau
*Florimond Ronger
Florimond is a g ...
was waiting to take over command of the expedition.
Milz began to develop a post that was named
Dungu.
Later career (1893–1901)
On 20 January 1893 Milz officially handed over command of the Nile and Haut-Uele posts to Delanghe.
He went with Delanghe to Niangara, which he reached on 17 February.
He returned to Boma on 23 October 1893, and embarked from
Cabinda on 28 October.
Milz was appointed captain of the 1st Regiment of Guides.
On 30 June 1900 he left again for Africa, charged with a special mission to delimit the Belgian-German border in
Kivu
Kivu was the name for a large "region" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko that bordered Lake Kivu. It included three "Sub-Regions" ("Sous-Régions" in French): Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema, correspondin ...
.
He returned to Europe on 27 July 1901.
He died in Brussels of
angina pectoris on 1 October 1902.
Notes
Citations
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Milz, Jules Alexandre
1861 births
1902 deaths
Belgian soldiers
Congo Free State people
Deaths from coronary artery disease