INTRODUCTION. xxi 



quite so vividly affected as I am, I shall be surprised if they 

 do not gain a better knowledge of Central Africa from their 

 perusal, than they would by reading many of the histories of 

 travel elaborately got up for the press. The descriptions, too, 

 which Emin Pasha gives of the people and their habits and 

 customs, are life-like and extremely accurate, and coming, as 

 they do, from one who has lived in the country so long, they 

 are far more valuable than accounts written by travellers, 

 whose knowledge of the various languages is necessarily very 

 slight, and who are liable to make many mistakes owing to 

 the intervention of an interpreter. Moreover, it is almost 

 impossible for an ordinary traveller rapidly passing through a 

 district, to become intimately acquainted with the inner life of 

 the people with whom he only sojourns for a few days. 



In order that the reader may follow Emin Pasha's wan- 

 derings with ease, I append as a note a summary of his 

 exploratory expeditions, which Mr. Pavenstein of London has 

 had the kindness to draw up for me, and a reference to Mr. 

 Pavenstein's admirable map will greatly facilitate an intelligent 

 appreciation both of the extent of the Equatorial Province and 

 of Emin Pasha's numerous journeys.* 



* Summary of Emin Pasha 1 s Exploratory Expeditions, 1S76-87: — 



With Gordon Pasha up the Nile and to Mruli. First mission to Uganda, with 

 Nur Aga (Mruli to Rubaga and back), June to September 1876. With Gordon 

 Pasha to Nyamnyonga and back, September 11-18, 1876. Mruli to Masindi, 

 Magungo, Lake Albert (Kibiro), and down the Nile to Khartum (arrived 

 November 1876). 



Lado, up the Nile to Magungo, and via Kiroto and Masindi to Mruli, July to 

 August 17, 1877. 



Mission to King Kabrega of Unyoro, September 13 to October 30, 1 87 7. 



Second mission to Uganda, November 29, 1877, to April 8, 1S7S. 



Mruli to Magungo, April 13-28, and back to Lado. 



To Shambe and the lower Bahr-el-Jebel, June and July 1878. 



Second visit to the lower Bahr-el-Jebel, and examination of the obstructions 

 in the river, November 21-25, 1878. 



Dufile to Faloro and Patiko and back, December 27, 187S, to January 8, 1879. 



Visit to Lake Albert, March 1879. 



To the western shore of Lake Albert (Lur) and back to Dunle and Lado, 

 October to December 1879. 



