1879. ] Geography and Travels. 53 
Sobat to Bahr was over territory never before traversed. The 
negroes along the line of march were frightened by them and 
made no attempt to attack the party. The elephants have gradu- 
ally learned to live on leaves and grass as the wild elephants do, 
and keep in first rate condition. Col. Gordon consequently ad- 
vises travelers to the interior from Zanzibar to use elephants, and 
thus avoid the necessity for a host of porters—a never ending 
source of delay and annoyance. 
The Abbé Debaize, for whose scientific mission to Central Af- 
rica the French Government has ‘apportioned a sum of 100,000 
francs, reached Zanzibar early in June of last year. After the in- 
evitable delay in obtaining porters and supplies, he started at the 
head of a caravan of 400 persons from Kikoka near Bagamoyo, on 
August 6th, and was last heard from at Mpwapwa, on Septem- 
ber ist. He has a good knowledge of Arabic, Coptic and of some 
East African languages, and has recently received instructions in 
Natural History from Milne-Edwards and from Capt. Mouchez, of 
the Paris Observatory, for astronomical observation. 
The Belgian East African Expedition sent out under the aus- 
pices of the International African Association, at Brussels, after 
very great delay and several changes in its corps ‘caused by the 
death of two and the resignation of other members), and now 
conducted by M. M. Cambier, Wantier and Dutrieux, set out 
from Bagamoyo on July 4th. The Expedition included probably 
over 500 natives, of whom, however, 325 soon deserted with a 
large quantity of valuable goods. Leaving his companions to 
obtain other porters in place of the deserters, M. Cambier pushed 
on by a route half way between those of Mr. Stanley and Mr. 
Price to Mpwapwa. On August 13th, he started for Urambo in 
Unyamwesi where he contemplates founding the first of the 
“stations hospitalières et scientifiques.’ Dr. Dutrieux had reached 
Mpwapwa on August 26th 
Ten Catholic Missionaries from Algeria also departed from 
Bagamoyo, on June 16th, 1878, and arriving at Mpwapwa on 
July 27th, separated—one party going to the Victoria Nyanza 
and the remainder to Ujiji. These missionaries have been prac- 
ticed in the use of scientific instruments. 
The Academy states that the London Missionary Society has 
heard of the arrival of its Tanganyika mission party at Ujiji. The 
march from Urambo, the capital of Unyamwesi, occupied but 
eighteen days, and the news “ reached London in the short space 
of seventy-eight days, of which forty-five only were required for 
the transmission of the letter from Ujiji to Zanzibar, a distance 
of some 650 miles, and yet but eight years ago Dr. Livingstone 
was looked upon as lost, though he was residing at the former 
place 
Committee of the African Exploration Fund are about to dispatch : xe 
Mr. Keith Johnston, the leader of the expedition which the aos 
