xxvi After Big Game in Central Africa 



left bank of the Congo, and, when near Tampa, took 

 train on the recently constructed Congo Free State 

 railway, which brought him to Matadi. 



The main scientific results of this three -years 

 journey, in addition to those which I have already 

 mentioned incidentally, may be roughly enumerated 

 as follows: 800 astronomical observations with sex- 

 tant, theodolite, chronometer ; three years' observation 

 of magnetic declinations, meteorology, and tempera- 

 ture; six thousand miles of mapping; the collecting 

 of many natural-history specimens, including large 

 and small mammals, birds, fishes, insects, shells, etc., 

 for French museums ; the taking of ethnological notes 

 on 150 different tribes; and the preparing of forty 

 vocabularies. 



Such is a brief account of M. Foa's journey, 

 the scientific results of which were considered 

 of such importance that the Paris Geographical 

 Society presented him with its grande medaille 

 d'or. The Brussels and the Antwerp Geographical 

 Societies awarded him medals, and the King of the 

 Belgians gave him a decoration. 



My resume, though inadequate (owing to limitation 

 of space), will suffice to give the reader an idea of the 

 difficulties which had to be overcome almost at every 

 turn, and will make him wonder that any time at 

 all was found for sport. M. Foa killed nearly five 

 hundred head of big game. As I have already said, 

 sport was his main object in crossing Africa ; and 



