RECENT EX r LOR A TJOXS TX KQ I : I TOni. I /. . i Fl;n . i sg 



result, jirobably, of liis rapid niarchiii;,'. Tlicso travelers were M. Mau- 

 rice Versei>iiy, who luis sinee (lied of lever, fiie liarou de Hoiiiaiis, and 

 ]\I. Sporek, ail artist, accompanied by an escort of 20 riflemen and i;?0 

 carriers ensaired at Zanzibar. Tliey secured a large collection of weapons 

 from different tribes, of indigenous seeds, flowers, and timber, of skins 

 of various mammalia ; also a live leopard and a large number of photo- 

 graphs, and of water-color and other drawings. They traveled 4,000 

 kilometers on foot and L',000 by boat, and their very com|»lete itinerary 

 of their travels contains much interesting geographical information. 



The ex])lorers left Zanzibar on July (>, 1895, sailing thence for ]\Iombasa. 

 Thence they crossed a barren, rocky country and reached Lake .Tipe. wiiere 

 they hunted a while. They ascended the sloju; t)f the Kilimanjaro to the 

 (ierman jiost of Moshi, at an elevation of 1,200 meters. The Kilimanjaro 

 is an imposing mass, nearly 0,000 meters high and covered with eti-rnal 

 snows. The confluence of the rivers Tsavo and Useri was located and 

 the party crossed to the north of Kilimanjaro, a volcanic country en- 

 tirely uninhabited, and passed by Lake Ngiri. Taking an entirely new 

 route, they made for the English post of Kikuyu, across the plains of 

 Kapotei, where they "successfully hunted elejiliants, rhinoceros, zebras, 

 and antelope. These jilains were entirely devoid of vegetati<jn and their 

 rivers were dried up. Kikuyu was reached in November, at which 

 time the ^lasai" were in open rebellion. This Ijrave and fearless tribe is 

 known and feared from the Kenia to German East Africa. They are 

 tall and well-built, are mostly naked, wear their hair long, and smear 

 their faces and shoulders with grease and red clay. They wear war feath- 

 ers a'oout the head and carry spears and shields, but while warlike and 

 nomadic they raise some cattle. It was at this time that an English 

 caravan, composed of 1,200 Wakikovns, was attacked by the Ma.saV, 

 who killed 700 of them. A Scotchman, named Dick, who was traveling 

 with another caravan, left Kikuyu the day before the three French 

 travelers, but hearing of the massacre he fell back and .sent a letter to 

 Kikuyu for assistance, which was refused. The French men joined forces 

 with him and they were furiously attacked by the ^hisai in tiie Kedong 

 valley. The attack was repelled, but Dick was killeil. 



Leaving the Kedong valley, the party passed to the east of the small 

 lakes Naivaslia, Nakuro, and Elmeteita, and on December "> reached 

 the English fort of Ravine. The next tlay tlu-y crossed the deep ravine 

 of the Eldoma river, jxissed the .Man foothills to the country of the 

 Wauandis, across the north of the Kavirondo country, to theNzoia river, 

 from the banks of which the Victoria Xyanza could be seen. Tlie Usoga, 

 a ricii anil thickly inhabited country, was next pa.ssed ami the Nile was 

 reachetl. The Ripon falls, about SOO meters wide and 10 meters high, 

 were greatly admired. Crossing the Bay of Napoleon brought tiie travel- 

 ers to Uganda, where the natives are sulliciently civilized to iiave built 

 roads and bridges. Their capital is Meiigo, which the.travelei-s K-ft on 

 February 22, 1890. Passing by Lake Mitiana, which is more of a swami> 

 than a lake, Lake Ruherou was reached. Itli(>s to the northeast of Lake 

 Albert Edward, which is itself to the soutiiwcf^t of Mount Kuwcn/ori. 



