INTO THE UNKNOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 8

INTO THE UNKNOWN.

THOMSON'S TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

(Copyrighted.)

Joseph Thomson, the Scottish explorer, who conducted no less than five expeditions on the African continent, enjoyed the distinction of never having caused the death of a native, which distinction, as Sir Clements Markham truly said, "is a proof of very rare qualities in the leader of an expedition and places him in the very first rank of explorers."

His first visit to the Dark Continent took place in 1878, when he was appointed geologist and naturalist to the expedition which was sent out to East Central Africa by the Royal Geographical Society. Keith Johnston, the original leader of the expedition, died during the journey from the coast to Lake Nyassa and Thomson then took command. He was only twenty-one years of age at -the time, but he immediately proved that he was a born explorer and leader of men.

After reaching the northern end of Lake Nyassa, he proceeded to Lake Tanganyika by a hitherto unexplored route, and, travelling up the western shore of the lake, he solved a moot problem regarding the Lukuga outlet. He then struck out westwards, with the intention of travelling to the Congo, but he was compelled to abandon the project owing to trouble with his native carriers. During his return journey to thej eastern coast he discovered Lake Rukwa.

In 1881 he travelled up the River Rovuma on behalf of the Sultan of Zanzibar, who had engaged him to examine certain supposed coal beds, which, on investigation, proved to be deposits of bituminous shale, much to the annoyance of the dusky potentate. In the following year the Eoyal Geographical Society gave him charge of an expedition into Masailand, through which country ran the shortest route from the sea to the headwaters of the River Nile, but, owing to the savagery of the Masai warriors, no European had hitherto ventured past Mount Kilimanjiro. Thomson, however, succeeded in crossing the dreaded Njiri Desert and explored the eastern rift valley. Before retracing his steps he traversed the unknown country between Lakes Victoria, Nyanza and Baringo. His fourth journey was in West Africa, where, in 1885, he undertook an expedition on behalf of the North African (afterwards the Royal Niger) Company, and on this journey he did much to consolidate Britain's interests in Nigeria by his tactful dealings with the Sultans of Sok'oto and Ganda, with both of whom he entered into important treaties.

In 1890 he entered the service of the British South Africa Company, on whose behalf he travelled twice through the country lying between Lakes Nyassa and Bangweola and the Zambesi River, and he there entered into treaties with a number of native chiefs, which gave the company valuable political, trading and mining rights over a large section of the territory now known as North-eastern Rhodesia. On this expedition he travelled for over a thousand miles of hitherto unexplored country. . Thomson also made two African trips on his own account; the first being in 1888, when he spent a holiday in Southern Morocco, where he explored a portion of the Atlas Mountains; and the second in 1893, when he travelled through South Africa in an effort to regain health and strength, his constitution having been undermined by the hardship of his many journeys. His search for health proved" futile, and he died soon after his return to London in 1895, leaving behind him a record of successful travel which has been surpassed by few explorers.