PREFACE, vii 



higlily, published his disbelief in these interior explo- 

 rations altogether. A map is in existence, showing 

 the probable extent of my journeys according to Dr. 

 Earth, and it marks my various excursions as not 

 being in any case more than a few miles from the 

 coast. My visit to Ashira-land, and discovery of the 

 Ngouyai River, were thus considered pure inventions. 

 Dr. Petermann, the well-known geographer, in con- 

 structing his map of my journeys, published in the 

 ' Geographische Mittheilungen ' in 18G2, took into 

 consideration the doubts of Dr. Earth and others, 

 and though not so extreme a sceptic himself, believed 

 it necessary to move all the positions I had given of 

 places visited, much nearer the coast, so as to reduce 

 greatly the length of my routes. 



It must be recollected that I made no pretension 

 to close accuracy in my own map. I had no instru- 

 ments, and projected my route only by an estimate, 

 necessarily rough, of tlie distances travelled. The 

 circumstance of having been the first to explore the 

 region was, besides, a disadvantage to me, for I had 

 no previous maj), however rough, to guide me ; and 

 in travelling with negroes day after day, under the 

 shade of forests, often by circuitous routes, I was 

 misled as to the length of the marches I made towards 

 the east. I was therefore inclined to accept the correc- 

 tions of Dr. Petermann, who had studied well the sub- 

 ject, and adopted his mnp in the French edition of my 

 ' Equatorial Africa.' It was not long, however, before 

 fresh evidence arrived, which proved that Dr. Peter- 



