FRENCH COLONIAL EXPANSION 145 
began. At that time, 1890, the outposts were El Oued, 
Touggourt, Ouargla, Ghardais, and Ain Sefra.! El Golea 
and Hassi Inifel were now occupied and fortified; and be- 
tween 1892 and 1895 the line was pushed forward one hun- 
dred to one hundred and fifty miles. A series of forts con- 
necting the French outposts were erected and the railway 
extended from Ain Sefra to Duveyrier. In 1898, Foureau 
with Commandant Lamy set out on the great mission which 
was to bring him to Lake Chad and to a junction with the 
missions from Dahomey and the Congo in 1900. The ““Mis- 
sion Flamaud,” two columns proceeding southeast from the 
Sud-Oranais and occupying the oases of Igli, Gourara, 
Aougerout, and Timminoun, joined the third, coming south- 
west from Algeria, successfully in securing control over the 
oases of Tidikelt,! Touat, and In Salah, in May, 1900, 
General Serviére occupied Adghar in Touat during August 
of the same year; and by 1901 he had completed the 
subjection of the whole region of the central oases. On 
July 20 of that year, the Convention of Figuig was signed 
with Morocco, which confirmed these holdings to France, 
awarded Figuig to Morocco, and provided for a codperation 
in the policing of the Morocco-Oranais frontier. Thus the 
French protection over the central Sahara and a direct con- 
nection with the Sudan via the desert were practically com- 
plete. 
A magnificent colonial empire has been in this manner 
won for France. The lion’s share of West Africa, the west- 
ern Sudan, and the Sahara, together with a large portion of 
the Congo region, have passed under her control. To these 
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis are now joined, so that her 
protection extends over an area almost as great as the 
United States excluding Alaska. From the earlier experi- 
ence of France in Algeria and the Far East, it was inferred 
1 See map on p. 247.