Observers' Field Reports 77 



day heat, a tent-fly over a thornj- bush furnished shade while resting. Here our highest 

 temperatures were encountered temperatures between 49 and 50 C. being recorded 

 under the observation tent at one station. During this stage of the expedition the marches 

 were generally commenced at 5 in the afternoon and continued to 1 or 2 a.m., then resumed 

 at daybreak and continued to 10 a.m. 



On the night of April 19, after a short night-march of 6 hours, we entered Gao on the 

 Niger, and camped in front of the official barracks. In the interval between April 20 and 

 23, caravaneers were dismissed, unnecessary' equipment and camels were sold as far as 

 possible, and steps were taken to proceed to Timbuktu bj^ water. Through the kindness 

 of the captain of Gao, two suitable pirogues (native canoes) were found and hired. The 

 larger of these was practically a house boat, 30 feet long, its middle portion being covered 

 with a roof of withes to which matting was tied. In this we lived and kept the instruments. 

 The smaller one was loaded with provisions. When we were ready to embark, 7 camels 

 remained undisposed of. At the river side two more were sold, and Isa ben Saad, caravan 

 chief, directed to take the others overland to Timbuktu. 



At 3 p.m. April 23, we were afloat and mo\ang up the river, with a crew of 8 blacks 

 on the living-pirogue, and 2 men in the provision canoe. The river was very low and prog- 

 ress was ordinarily made by poling, or towing from the shore. Deep stretches of water 

 were paddled over. A feature of the river was the large amount of bird-life. Stepping ashore 

 some minutes before dark a single discharge of the shotgun would not infrequently bring 

 3 or 4 ducks. At night the boats were tied up and we slept on the river bank. On several 

 nights the hippopotami came up to 15 or 20 feet from the sleeping-places, making so much 

 noise as to disturb our sleep. Not infrequently several herds of these animals would be 

 passed in the river in a single day. Nearly every warm, sandy stretch of beach or island 

 was full of sunning crocodiles. Altogether the most striking feature of the river trip to 

 Timbuktu was not merely the bird-life, but the wonderful amount of all wild life. Mag- 

 netic stations were occupied at Bourem, Bamba, and Yoro. 



On May 11 we arrived at Cabaret, the river port of Timbuktu, Timbuktu itself 

 lying 17 kilometers north of Cabaret and not on the river. On the 12th, with asses for 

 luggage-carriers, we passed from Cabaret into Timbuktu. It being reported that we 

 were on foot and on the Cabaret road with an undignified jackass-caravan, the oflficers from 

 Timbuktu sent horses from their own stables to meet us, so that the entry into Timbuktu 

 might not be made ingloriously. It was the first of many kindnesses by the officers of 

 Timbuktu. We were lodged by the civil administrator in a large mud house reserved 

 for travelers and were assigned a guard whose duty it was to protect our property. 



]\Iail, accounts, and monthly reports were now brought up to date. Then, in pur- 

 suance of instructions, the computations of the magnetic observations made in the desert 

 were completed. Moreover, it was highly advisable that the routes to the coast should not 

 be undertaken until the rainy season was over, on account of the dangers of the climate. 

 In the interval between the last of June and July 11, intercomparison of the two instru- 

 mental outfits carried by the party were obtained preparatory to separation of the observers. 

 Diurnal variation observations (dechnation) were also made, but not throughout the night 

 hours; the almost nightly "tornades" created too great a danger to the instrument. 



On July 20, all necessar>'work having been done, the party was separated, in accordance 

 with the instructions of September 16, 1912. Mr. Saw\-er took charge of the work to the 

 coast by way of the upper Niger, railway, and Senegal River route. With him went the 

 two Arab brothers, Joseph ben Saad and Isa ben Saad. I executed the work on the Niger 

 River route to the Nigerian coast, accompanied by the European interpreter of the trans- 

 Saharan party. 



It has seemed best in this report to analyze separately the expenditure of time involved 

 in the trans-Saharan expedition. The time included between the date of arrival at Algiers, 



