LADY EXPLORER'S ADVENTURES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12766, 22 June 1911, Page 3

LADY EXPLORER'S ADVENTURES.

PATHETIC PILGRIMAGE IN AFRICA.

ROMANCE AND SCIENCE

LONDON, April 10.

There arrive;! at Maidstone yesterday one of the largest piles of luggage which has ever been deposited on the railway platform—a'pile topped by a khaki tin bath—and a pretty girl A\;lio lias been where v.hite woman has nevo been before, on a journey in which romance and science were blended in a wonderful way.

Tho traveller was Miss Olive MacLeod, daughter of Sir Reginald MacLeod. She has just returned from Central Africa—a journey through partially unknown country in canoes, on horseback, and on foot, in lands peopled, by savage tribes who have hardly ever seen a white face before.

The romantic side of her journey 'is fairly well ifliown. She took with her a, marble cross, to place on the grave of Lieutenant Boyd Alexander, tho brilliant young officer who met his death near Lake Chad two years ago. There was a tragedy behind tho journey that Miss "MacLeod hardly cares to sneak about. BH.it tho other side of the journey was of the greatest interest also. Scientific data were obtained which will enable Miss MacLeqd,-young as she is, to dear up many points of interest concerning the interior of tho continent. "MACLEOD FALLS." Miss MacLeod, who was accompanied by Mr. P. A. Talbot, one of the Assistant District Commissioners of Southern Nigeria, and his wife, went jilonp; tho Niger and Benue, through Nigeria to the North Cameroon, and arrived at French. Übangi in October: This is her account of the journey, given to an "Express" representative at her father's house yesterday:— "After a great reception by the Lamido at Lere, a successful attempt was made to find the falls on the Mao Kabo, which—by the testimony of I''Touch officials and natives—had never been actually seen before, though Commandant Lenfant penetrated within a 6hort distance. The French authorities i-sked permission. to name them 'Les Chutes MacLeod.' '•'

After mapping this part of the river, the party proceeded through the Tuhuri lakes and down tthe Logone to Fort Lairry. They visited Tohekma, the seat of the independent sovereign of the. Hagirimi. and thence went on to Lake (had. Then came perhaps the most iiiterestino; part of their journey—the visit to the rocks of Hadj el Hamis. "These,'.' Miss MacLeod stated, "are extraordinarily picturesque, and are held in veneration for hundreds of miles aromid, and even at Mecca, as fcho spot on which Noah's Ark finally rested.;.' CLIMBING FEAT. Miss MacLeod and her companions ascended the highest peak, although the natives declared that the feat was impossible, and had never before been attempted They crossed Lake Chad in great steel canoes. "This," Miss MacLeod declared, "took eight days, of which five were spent without sight of land." Eventually the paity hit the railway and were taken through to Lagos. Altogether they went 3700 miles through that part of the continent which still deserves the name of "Darkest Africa," find, except for the comparatively .short railway journey, the whole of •the land distance was traversed on foot or on horseback. The results of the expedition, in which these two white women, took such a prominent part, are to be laid 1.-efore "the principal learned socities in London. Mr. Talbot. who accompanied them, lias been on~ several pioneer expeditions. "It is a curious fact." Miss~MacLeod pointed out. "that he was a member of tha first and second British parties to cross Lake Chad, for no Englishman ha? traversed it in the interval between the two expeditions."

Throughout half of this journey the marble cross accompanied the party— borne in various ways on their inarches, shipped in the great canoe, and finally placed on the lonely grave.