THE FAUNA OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA. 289 



the volume of "Proceedings" for 1855, which we have already 

 quoted, we find that at the meeting of the Academy held on the 16th 

 October of that year — 



" Mr. Cassin announced that Mi\ Du Chaillu was about to return to "Western 

 Africa for the purpose exclusively of geographical exploration, and the collection of 

 objects of Natural History. Arrangements have been made to secure, for the 

 Cabinet of tins Society, the collection of Birds especially, and also of some other 

 objects. Mi". Cassin explained the general design of the exploration, which was to 

 pass from Cape Lopez, 1° S. lat. towards the supposed source of the Congo river, 

 with the intention of attempting to reach its source. 



" Mr. Du Chaillu had already penetrated farther into the interior of this part of 

 Africa than any other white man. The coast is unknown farther inland than from 

 twenty to twenty-five miles, except to slavers, there having been no exploration of 

 that part of Africa, Mr. Du Chaillu had been on the Rivers Moonda and Mouni, 

 had traced the latter to its source, and had ascertained the existence of high moun- 

 tains, probably a continuation or spur of the Atlas range, and much further south 

 than is to be found in any published maps. 



" Another fact ascertained by him, is the existence of a very populous nation, 

 of marked Negro character, known as the Powein Nation, which he estimates at 

 from five to seven millions. Their country extends across from the sources of the 

 Moonda, probably to the sources of the Nile, and the nation is probably that men- 

 tioned by Bruce, as occasionally descending the Nile. It is a warlike and cannibal 

 nation, engaged in agriculture, not wandering, resembling in this respect the 

 Ashantecs and Dahomeys. It displays the highest degree of civilization yet observed 

 among the true Negroes, presenting an analogy to the Feejees among the Oceanic 

 nations. Mr. Du Chaillu possesses peculiar advantages as an explorer. He has 

 lived long in the country, is entirely acclimated, speaks well two of the languages, 

 and understands thoroughly the Negro character. He proposes to proceed merely 

 with convoys of natives from each tribe successively to the next. 



" At the suggestion of Dr. Leidy, a Committee was appointed to solicit contri- 

 butions from the Members of the Academy to aid the expedition." 



Such appears to have been the origin of M. Du Chaillu's second 

 expedition, of which he has given us an account in his much- canvassed 

 " Explorations and Adventures." From them we gather that our 

 explorer left America in October 1855, the very same month in which 

 Mr. Cassin made the above given communication to the Academy ; 

 and that he remained in Africa until the 8th of June 1859, so that he 

 appears to have been absent on this expedition, upwards of three 

 years and eight months. 



Our opinion on the merits of the volume, which contains the 

 record of M. Du Chaillu's adventures during this period, may be stated 

 very simply. "We have read M. Du Chaillu's pages with great 

 interest, and have derived much instruction from them. We believe 

 his narrative to be true, or as true as the narrative of any traveller of 

 M. Du Chaillu's stamp — drawn up as it lias probably been from rough 

 and imperfectly kept notes, assisted by the efforts of a rather vivid 

 imagination and a not very perfect memory — is ever likely to be. M. 

 Du Chaillu has no doubt made a chaos of his dates. The birds dis- 

 covered during the Cape Lopez expedition, which, according to his 

 book, appears not to have taken place until 1857, were certainly safe 

 in the stores of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, on 

 the other side of the Atlantic, in October 1856 ; and were worked out 



