Introduction xxi 







travelled, rifle in hand, during the past fourteen years. 

 In 1880 he travelled through Tunis. Algeria, and 



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Morocco; from 1886 to 1890 he wandered from the 

 Ivory Coast to the Niger, thence to the French Congo, 

 making a stay in Dahomey; and in 1891, entrusted 

 with his first mission by the Minister of Public 

 Instruction, he left the Cape for the Zambesi, and, 

 after crossing the Orange Free State, the Transvaal 

 and the Ga^a countries, passed through unknown or 

 little - known regions, which he described from a 

 sportsman's point of view in a work no less interest- 

 ing than this entitled Mes Grandes CJtasses dans 

 I'Afrique Centrale. These were difficult journeys ; 

 but not so difficult or important as his recent travel. 

 Though crossing the African Continent may not 

 nowadays be considered an extraordinary under- 

 taking, in comparison with certain more difficult 

 feats of exploration which have been accomplished in 

 recent years, it is one of which any traveller may 

 be proud. What made the journey so noteworthy 

 was that M. Foa was able, not only to shoot an enor- 

 mous quantity of big game (to carry out, in fact, his 

 main object), but also to study in a most thorough 

 manner the natural history of the countries through 

 which he passed from various points of view, and 

 to make important geographical discoveries. More- 

 over, the journey was remarkable from this point of 

 view alone : with the exception of the descent of 

 the Congo, it was accomplished entirely on foot : 



