THE FRENCH EXPEDITION IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1620, 30 April 1879, Page 4

THE FRENCH EXPEDITION IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

Tho French Geographical Society (*>ays an English journal) will shortly hold a special meeJing at tho Sorbonne to welcome Lieutenant Savorgnan de Br<.zzi and Dr. Bdlay, ■who huvo just returned to Franco from their three years' expedition in equatorial Africa. The expedition wus undertaken for tho purpose of tracing tho course of the river Ogowai in the French settlement of Gaboon ; and at the end of 1874, Lieutenant Savorgmn do Brazz* and Dr. Bellay landed upon the went coast, accompanied by M. Marche, who lift.' been the companion of tho late Marqni.- de Compiegne in more than one of his journeyß, but who did not go very far with them. .Both the lieutenant and tho doctor were laid up with fever for gome time ; and it was not until August, 1875, that they loft the last of the European factories at Lambarene, the real starting point of their expedition, with an escort of twelve laptots (native Senegal troop 3in tho French service), under tho command of Quartermaster Humon. The course of the river Ogowai may be divided into three sectiona of about equal length—the upper, the middlo, and the lower. The middle section follows tho equatorial line, the two others bending about one degree southward, the one towards its source, the other towards its mouth. The goods and baggage had to be conveyed in canoes and upon the backs of the natives; but throughout the whole of their journey MM. de Brazza and Bellay had great difficulty in obtaining any assistance from the blacks ; and towards the end they encountered open hostility. Halting at Lope, a largo village situated on the Ogowai, about halfway between its source and the Atlantic, the travellers made a journey into the territory of the Fans, who seemed revy friendly ; and from thence to Doume, much higher up the river. Here M. de Brazza was struck down by illness, and the expedition remained at Doume till the spring of 1877. Above tbo falls of Poubara the Ogowai becomes a very insignificant stream ; and the expedition might have ended there, for tho question as to whether tho Ogowai communicated with largo inland lakes was settled in the negative ; but the leaders determined to explore the country bevond the source of the river. In March, IS7B, they vrero compelled to renounce the Borvico of the free natives and secure forty slaves, who were far more docile, and who were well rewarded for their work. After leaving the buain of the Ogowai, the expedition suffered a good deal from want of food and water, the country being devastated by famine; but matters mended when they reached the N'yambo, a stream (lowing eastward, which brought them to a large river, the Alima, not indicated upon any map. This river, which is nearly 200 yards broad at many points, and about sixteen feet deep, is, as they believe, one of the tributaries of tho Congo. They followed the Alima for some distance, partly on foot, partly in ennoefl ; but they wore attacked at various p iuts by the natives, and after three of the oscort bur* been wounded they felt it necessary to return their fire. Anxious to avoid a night ut/acl; on the river, M. do Br.izzi and Dr. Bellay disembarked their men, aid threw up some entrenchments, which were attacked the next day by tho natives, whom they succeeded in repulsing. Having onlv fifteen guns, and with their ammunition running short, thoy resolved, however, to abandon the course of tho stroam, which continued to nm eastward, and making towards the north thoy four.d the natives less hostile, but they could not obtain any prnvisir lis. After crossing several streams, all of which flowed eastward, tho expedition was obliged to separate ; M. do Brazza pursuing hie journey beyond the equatorial line, while D> Bellay and quarter-master Hamon awaited him at the falls of Poubara. M. de Bimzzj, made some progress in this direction ; but, the rainy season setting in and barri >g his furthor progress, he rejoined his companion in September, the expedition getting back to Gaboon at the end of November, The expedition had lasted three years, during fifteen months of which its members were cut off from all communication with the civilised world ; while for the last fire months they had to march barefooled, their legs covered with Bores, and half starved. But they can set against this tho fact that 800 miles of ground were covered, more than half on foot, and that the area of ground hitherto unexplored which ha:i been brought within the domain of geography is equal to that of Belgium.