4 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



them as they went through the country, till their own native 

 soldiers were glutted with the debauch of murder and lust 

 and turned their rifles upon the wretched officers. The 

 survivors from the wreck of the expedition under Joalland 

 and Meynier eventually reached Lake Chad and joined with 

 the forces of Gentil and Foureau. 



Thus Chad has for years been the goal that has called 

 forth the efforts of rival men and rival nations in the race of 

 exploration, and round the subject of this water desert a 

 history could be written of the ambitions of men, of their 

 strength and their weakness, of heroism, of horror, of failure 

 and of success. 



Now, as Chad was made the chief object of our enterprise 

 it determined the nature of the Expedition, for it was neces- 

 sary to take boats for the exploration of the Lake. And 

 this, in turn, decided the route, for of course we should have 

 to use the riverways as much as possible to get the boats on 

 to the Lake. Then in my mind having got them there it 

 occurred that a way out might be found across the con- 

 tinent eastwards, for an explorer never cares to come back 

 upon his tracks. Studying the waterways with this object 

 in view revealed a wonderful river system right away to the 

 Nile, and my imagination was at once fired with the idea of 

 crossing Africa by boat. At the same time the possibihty of 

 linking the Eastern fauna with that of the West, and of 

 proving its affinity engaged my attention and claimed a 

 great part in my speculations. 



In talking over my scheme with my brother, I found 

 him very keen to join in the venture, and this, of course, 

 gave me great encouragement, as he had many quaUfications 



