FROM THE NIGER, BY LAKE CHAD, TO THE NILE.’ 
[With 3 plates. ] 
By Boyp ALEXANDER,” Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade, F.R.G.S. 
Before commencing the narrative of my expedition across Africa 
T should like to make a few remarks on the object and composition 
of the expedition. 
The first work we wished to carry out was a systematic survey of 
a portion of northern Nigeria. Secondly, to explore Lake Chad and 
the rivers between the Niger and the Nile, with the idea of demon- 
strating the wonderful system of waterways that connects the west 
with the east, and I think this is fairly well shown when I tell you 
that in the three years which the journey took to complete, the boats 
were carried for only fourteen days. Together with these primary 
objects, special attention was to be given to tribal distribution and 
orthography of native names, and a careful study made of the distri- 
bution of the fauna to prove its affinity between the West Coast and 
the Nile. 
The party consisted of my brother officer, Capt. G. B. Gosling, 
Mr. P. A. Talbot, my brother Capt. Claud Alexander, and myself. 
With me I took my Portuguese collector, José Lopes. We were fully 
equipped with survey instruments. 
Captain Gosling was active in obtaining zoological collections, Mr. 
Talbot and my brother were responsible for the Nigerian survey, for 
which they had special qualifications, while I acted as leader. For 
the river work we took with us two steel boats, double keeled, 26 feet 
long and 6 feet wide, drawing 14 feet for 24 tons, and made on the 
Hodgett principle by Forrest Brothers, of Wyvenhoe. It took 
24 men to carry each boat, which was in six sections. It would be 
@ Addressed to the Society in the Chemical Lecture Theater, Victoria Uni- 
versity of Manchester, on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. Reprinted by permission 
from The Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society, Manchester, Eng- 
land. Vol. 24, part 4, 1908. <A large colored map, not here reproduced, accom- 
panies the original paper, showing the route of the expedition. 
> Lieutenant Alexander was killed April 2, 1910, by natives near Abeshr, in 
Wahdi, French Kongo. 
885 
