THE NEW EXPLORATION OF AFRICA.
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How an Expedition, Equipped with Eight Creeper-track Vehicles, has Almost Completed a Journey through Central Africa and to the Extreme South.
THE aeroplane and the creeper-track motor vehicle are adding so largely to man's equipment and increasing his facilities that the earth's inaccessible places are no longer inviolable. Amundsen has made a marvellous reconnaissance of the Polar region and a still more marvellous return, and it is inevitable that he will use the knowledge and experience gained on his initial flight to such good effect that his next attempt will be more successful.
Scarcely one whit less marvellous is the crossing of Central Africa in a few short months by a group of eight Citroen creeper-track cars. It is obvious that there is no other form i)f transport that could have accomplished the feat, for the first part of the journey over the sandy wastes of the Sahara would have required the employment of camels, but although after the Niger was left behind oxen or donkeys might have been used for some parts of the journey, the only practical means would have been porterage had it been available and capable of organization; which it would scarcely have been. Certainly no •wheeled vehicle, so one imagines, could have done what the CitroenKegressehas been able to do, although, of course, it is never safe to dogmatize, particularly with no personal acquaintance of the country. •
mission first crossed the Sahara, arriving on the Niger on November 18th, and at Lake Tchad days later, December 13th.
Following the line of the 'Chart and the Oubanghi, it then reached the Belgian Congo and ventured as far as Stanleyyille into the very heart of the" immense regions of Central Africa, where the equatorial forest seemed to provide an insuperable obstacle for mechanically driven vehicles. Setting out from Stanleftille, however, Messrs. Haardt and Audouin-Dubreuil and their companions determined to reach British East Africa. They arrived there after crossing Lake Albert, disembarking at Butiabwa, where they had a cordial reception from the authorities of the Uganda Protectorate.
The mission then moved towards Victoria Nyanza, reaching this beautiful lake district on April 19th. The explorers saluted in their Minds the British flag which has flown over this magnificent country for the past 67 years, for it was on April 9th, 1858, that Victoria Nyanza was discovered by John Hanning Speke, who also two years earlier, accompanied by Richard Francis Burton, discovered and crossed for the first time Lake Tanganyika.
Taking advantage of the free hand allowed them
by . Mr. Andre Citroen, Messrs. Haardt and .A.udouin-Dubreuil then decided to split the expedition into four groups, each with two vehicles. They not unjustly considered that, by so doing, they would be able to make a more comprehensive survey of the best routes from Central Africa towards t It sea.
The first
group, in charge of Louis AudouinDubreuil, crossed the colony of Kenya, visited the Ripon Falls —which are the source of the White Nile and which were thus named in 1858 by Speke In honour of Count Ripon (who was then the President of the British Geographical Society) — plored the buttresses of Mount Meru, skirted Kilimanjaro. and reached the coast at Mombasa.
This section left the main expedition at Kampala (north of Victoria Nyanza) just as the rest of the convoy were making for Entebbe with a view to crossing'
Lake Nyanza and, having disembarked at Mwanzai carried on towards Tabora.
At Tabora the second group, in charge of Commander Bettembourg, broke away and commenced their trek towards the Indian Ocean. This section crossed the most interesting parts of the Tanganyika territory from west to east, not by following the railway line, but by keeping considerably to the south during the first part of the journey, and to the north during the second part. Having followed, in the opposite direction, the road taken by Stanley when the great explorer went to seek Livingstone, Commander Betternbourg arrived at Dar-Es-Salam on May 14th.
The third' group, in charge of G. M. Haardt, came down by the west coast of Lake Nyassa into the Portuguese :territory to the south of this lake, reaching the sea 'at Mozambique. The route taken by this groun is almost impaSsable in the wet season, and this year's, rainfall has been more than normal. Despite the deluged forest, and despite the size of the rivers which it was necessary for him to cross—sometimes by rafts, sometimes by rough bridges built on the spot—M. Haardt pursued his route and achieved his object. He arrived at Blantyre on :Tune 2nd, and then retraced his steps to Zomba, where he was received by Sir Charles Bowring, the High Commissioner for the Protectorate. This reception was all the more welcome after the fatigues and dangers of his journey. He then .re-entered Portuguese territory and was expected to reoch the coast about June 15th.
Through to Cape Town.
The fourth group, entrusted to Engineer Charles Bru11, made towards Lake Tanganyika, but before embarking he made a pious pilgrimage to the village of Ujiji. where Stanley found Livingstone in November, 1871, just when it was believed in Europe that the great traveller was dead. M. Brun crossed Lake Tanganyika between Rigoma and Albertville. No traveller could see Tanganyika for the first time without experiencing a feeling of deep emotion. Memories come uppermost in the mind, not only of Burton and Speke. but also of the immortal Livingstone, a type of methodical, energetic and chivalrous Englishman whose whole history is one great example of tenacity of purpose and self-denial. This great traveller saw Tanganyika for the first time on
March 14th, 1869. No one who has read it can forget the magnificent description which Livingstone gives of this incident./ Passing through the south oi the Belgian Congo by way of Kabalo, .Bukama, Elizabethvilleand Sakania, M. Brull came, farther, on, into British territory, and he will cross the whole of Rhodesia from the north, skirt Bechuataland and, going into Cape Colony, will make for Cape Town. This section of the mission will thus have ad opportunity of ascertaining the progress made by South Africa since the heroic days of Cecil Rhodes and Jameson. Moreover, this will be the first time that an entire crossing of Africa has been made from north to south by motorcar.
Even the sea will, not stop the efforts of the Citroen Central African Expedition. When the various sections have reached the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic they will not feel that their work is completed unless they reach Madagascar. one of the brightest jewels in the crown of the French colonial empire. Messrs. Haardt, AndouinDubreuil and their companions have, therefore, decided to finish their wonderful journey by crossing over to this famous island. The first three groups of the mission will meet at Maiunga. Having climbed the plateau of Emyrne and reached Tananarive, the capital of Madagascar, the groups will meet M. Brull at Tarnatave, from which pointthe Whole expedition will return to France.
By this sporting performance, of which we have given a bAef outline, our French. friends have given a fine example of bravery,, tenacity and enterprise. The British public is always willing to pay homage to these qualities in men of any nation and will unquestionably applaud the efforts' of these pioneers of African exploration by motorcar, while to M. Citroen every honour will be due for his enterpriae and financial and moral support given to a mission which must do much to throw light upon what was once the Dark Continent.
Messrs. Haardt and Audouin-Dubreuil have written and published a most interesting and informative book dealing with their pioneer journeys by creeper-track machines to Bourem and Timbucktu, and every reader thereof will look forward keenly to the next volume, which will deal with the experiences and give the imprEssions of the country gained upon this, the latest, expedition.