in 



AFRICA. 



The North African *n*iUrlrB, oonduoted by Mem. Hiohard*on 

 (darr aroMxdt. Uarlh, and Overwex, i* OB* of the moet important to 

 fcitotetinr of Africm ever undertaken. Thi* expedition originated 



|k* Ant of theev mtlMnea, who, after having returned from his 

 travel* in the northern portion of the Sahara, in 1845 and 1846, 

 iverament to Mod him out for the purpoM of 

 trcatie* with the chief, of the dewrt-regions 

 . and Lake Tchad (or Taad). Upon the propowi of 

 Mr. A. Petermann, and through the lively interest token in it l.y 

 CfcevaUer Bunara, Baron Humboldt, Mid Profevor Hitter, it was 

 that Dr. Barth and Dr. Orerweg, two Germane 

 Mr. Richardson for the purpoee of nuking scientific 

 Lord Palmer*ton sancUooc.1 this proposal, and moat 

 the two travellers iwcuniary assistance, in addition 

 ia their own private means and to the granU from the Geographical 

 Society in Berlin and the King of Pruaak, 



The three traveller* departed from thi* country at the Utter end of 

 1*4, and arrived in Tripoli in the beginning of the following year. 

 Previously to *tarting from that place, the mountainous region to the 

 outh wa* thoroughly explored and surveyed by the two Germane 

 within a radius of to 60 mile* from the town. This region i* dia- 

 ^B--^-. in three divisions, u the Yofran or Jebcl, the Gharion, 

 and the Tarhooah. [Tmwou.) An unexpected degree of cold was 

 I the** excursion* ; on one day the thermometer, before 



, atood a* low a* W Fahrenheit, and on the 2nd and 3rd of 

 February, the now obliged the traveller* to remain in their tent*. 

 After their return to Tripoli, several week* were required for their 

 prvparatioas ; and the transport of the boat for navigating Lake 

 Tdutd atued ouonderable difficulty. For thi* purpoee a beautiful 

 wherry had been ooMtrncted by the direction of the admiral at Malta, 

 broad in the beam, and a* light a* a cork on water; but it was 

 neoBMary to take it to piece*, and aeveral camela were requisite to 

 eoavey it aero*, the burning lands of the Sahara. 



The traveller* *tertodat but on the 23rd of March, I860, the great 

 caravan having departed before them ; but the party formed a small 

 caravan of itaelf, having about 40 camel* laden with their effect* and 

 merchandise. Every jrrtiMir anutance wa* rendered by her Majesty's 

 enaeusi hi Tripoli and Murruk to the undertaking, ao that the 

 expedition started under the moet favourable circumstance*. 



The direction of the route to Munuk wa* almost due south from 

 Tripoli, beyond the Oharian defile, the country consisting of a 

 eoatUMaoo* table-land, of an average elevation of 2000 foot A* far a* 

 the well of Tabonlyah, many deep wadis intersect this table-land, and 

 the ruin* of several Roman monument* and columns were discovered 

 by the travellers. Southward of that place is a table-land, or Hnmadah, 

 an immense deeert of considerably greater elevation, and extending 

 for about 110 geographical mile* in the same direction. A* far a* 

 the eye can reach, neither tree* nor indications of well* are visible, 

 and the scanty vegetation which occur* is only found scattered in the 

 trifling irregularities of the surface. The ground i* covered with 

 nail stone*, pyramid* of which, erected with great labour, serve a* 

 road-marks to the intrepid camel-driven by day, while the polar star 

 and Airfare, are their guide* by night After six long -day* journey, 

 the expedition reached the southern edge of thi* table-land, whirl. 

 descend* in perpendicular wall* to the Wadi el He*al Following the 

 JiniBt for about 80 geographical mile*, the traveller* came to the 

 Wadi Shi'ati, over another plateau of equally diurnal aspect It i* 

 composed of a black sandstone, the disintegration of which form* a 

 dark yellow sand, covering the inequalitie* of the stony mi-face, from 

 which stand* out prominently the black rock, in high cones of the 

 moet tantestie forms, strikingly resembling baaaltio rock*. They 

 readied Murauk on the Cth of May, and remained there till the 12th, 

 H***ia*; much important information respecting the countries 

 "1 nation, to the wrath. Murxuk i* very unhealthy and dangerou* 

 for European*, but happily none of the party raftered during 

 ' 



the 12th of June they *n off for.Ohat, which they reached on 

 the 17th of July. The moet interesting result of this journey was the 

 ""IJ <* *r*cal curious sculpture, on the rook* of the Wadi 

 FeJWareh. One of than oonaM* of two human figures with the head* 



bird*, and a boll, armed with (pears, shields, and arrow*, and 



MB*** for .hild ; the other I* a fine herd of oxen going to a 



5 1 "!"' f"H. * akflfnDy grouped and executed. In the opinion 



t* traveller* the two work* Sew a Hriking and unmistakeable 



I""? _ to *| M sculptures of Egypt. They are evidently of much 

 1HJ wan many other culptured tableU found by the 



wWafc n*m*l* termed generally the principal objecta 



"y/*"** 1 * Oh**, after a *tay of acme days, for the 



* A* or Asben. They had to croes a vart deeert, totally 



r^S* 3L*L*?? n & {e * mil ^ * * in 



". the Ant inhabited place in Air, on the 22nd 



Air V* described by Dr. Overweg a* a 

 * *"%" tWe-land*, and deep-cut rocky 

 ?*" ***?* bro * d >r . * through the 

 JJJjl *t* H Wntegrated rock* and sand, they 



Iry I* here of much greater interest From 



AFRICA. H8 



Munuk to Ghat, and farther to the south, the prevailing fori 

 consist* of sandstone of various colours, with, throughout, the aaiuo 

 petrographical aspect of the rock*, the lame slope* of the mountains 

 and intersections of the valley*, and the *ame horizontal strata. At 

 Aggeri, about 70 mile* to the louth of Ghat, the entire scene auddculy 

 change*. The mountain* are now rounded, and strata forming pro- 

 jecting terrace* are no longer seen. Tbe travellers found thenweive* 

 all at once in the region* of granite, the whole country between 

 Aggeri and Air consisting of crystalline (so called) primitive 

 with mica-slate and enormous maaie* of granite in great 

 mountain-forms. From Ghat the general surface, of the country 

 continue* to rise, and at Selufiet the traveller* *aw around them the 

 highest mountain-iuainca mot with on their journey. After the 

 middle of August they experienced the influence of the Soodan rain* ; 

 the atmosphere then beginning to be humid, and the evening* or 

 morning* being accompanied by fog*. Frequent thunder-storm* and 

 heavy rain* also occurred. Under the influence of these rains the 

 aspect of the wadis became completely changed, luxuriant planta- 

 tions of palms being everywhere met with to the south of Taradahit 

 According to the native*, the rainy season lost* till the c 

 September. At Taradahit, near the frontiers of Soodan, the tn. 

 having accomplished the exceedingly difficult and dangerou* journey 

 acros* the Great Desert, believed themselves to be in perfect safety 

 from the attack* of considerable numbers of furious Tuaricka, who 

 had for some time followed their caravan, with the intent to murder 

 and plunder them. Between Taradahit and Selufiet, however, at a 

 place about 60 geographical miles farther to the south, on < 

 August, they were attacked the first time by 40, and the second 

 time by 100 armed men, mounted on camels. By their own 

 courage, however, and the bravery of the Kelowis, their compel i 

 their live* were saved at the expense of a high ransom, an 

 reached Tin-Tellust, the residence of the Prince Annoor, on the 4th of 

 September. By thi* prince, to whom they were strongly recommended, 

 they were very kindly received. In Tin-TeUust, which i* oituatod 

 in 18 34' N. lat, the traveller* staid till the end of November, and 

 collected a great deal of information reflecting Northern Africa. 



The inhabitant* of Tin-Tellust and the country around live entirely 

 on the productions of Soodan, in exchange for which they supply 

 Soodan with salt Every year the Prince Annoor take* to the south 

 from 2000 to 3000 cornels laden with salt, and return* with slaves and 

 provuuons. While the expedition remained at Tin-Tellust, Dr. Barth 

 made a successful journey to Agadea, the capital of the kingdom of 

 Air or Asben, which occupied him from the 4th of October to the 

 5th of November, of which be ho* Bent home a very valuable i 

 [AOADEZ.] About the end of November, 1850, the travellers 1. 

 on their route to Lake Tchad, and arrived at Damergu by the end of 

 December. Here the travellen separated, Mr. Richardson going by 

 the most direct route to Kuka, Dr. Barth southward to Kano, and 

 Dr. Overweg south-west to Mariadi audGuber, two state* of independent 

 Pagans, where the latter explorer wa* very kindly received, and 

 obtained much curious information. Kuka, the capital of Bornou, 

 had been fixed a* the rendezvous of the three travellers, and Dra. Barth 

 and Overweg safely met there again in April, 1851, but Mr. Richardson 

 unhappily died on the road to Kuka, at Unguratua, about 100 geo- 

 iri-:i].hical miles W.N.W. fmm that place, on the 4th of March. The 

 political objecta of the expedition devolving now upon the two 

 Heicutitic travellers, Dr. Barth, who arrived first at Kuka, presented 

 himself at the sheikh's palace a* one of the surviving ChriKtians who 

 had come from England to bring presents from her British Majesty. 

 Dr. Overweg also soon arrived. The two travellers were kindly received 

 by the sultan, and were assist^ I l.y him in all their object* and wishes. 

 Preparation* were now forthwith made for exploratory tours ; and 

 Dr. Barth started on the 29th of May on a highly interesting journey 

 to the ninth, in which he reached Yolo, the capital of Adamaua, 

 determined the upper count' of the river Tchadda, and returned to 

 Kuka on the 22nd of July. Dr. Overweg, in the meantime, hud put 

 the boat together, launched It on Lake Tchad, and named it the 

 ' Lord Palmeratou,' after the nobleman who had always taken a warm 

 interest in the expedition. Dr. Overweg embarked, and explored the 

 lake, visiting the Biddumaa, who inhabit the island*, of which there 

 are about 100 large one* scattered over the hike. He was the fint 

 European who had visited thi* independent nation. 



In September 1861 the travellen started on a highly interest- 

 ing journey to Borgu, a mountainous country lying to the N. I '.. < ( 

 Lake Tchad, about midway on the road to Egypt, and never yet 

 visited by European*. 



Mr. Petermann, in a communication to the ' Athentcura' respecting 

 the progress of the expedition, thus sums up what the travellen 

 had already done and what they intends! doing : 



" After the safe return of the travellen [from Borgu], and their 

 successful exploration of the eastern portion of the remarkable basin 

 of Lake Tchad, they will direct all their energies to the couth. 



" As regards this last stage of their gigantic journey, namely, fmm 

 Kuka to the shore m Ocean, which in the most important, 



a* well a* pr < .Hirult portion of it, Dr. Bartli )! 



from a mam of information respecting the intervening regions which 

 he ha* already collected, that a more southerly 

 of Lake Nyassi, will be much more practicable than a straight line 



