| CHAPTER I |
| PAGE
|
| Reasons for the journey — Selecting a
servant — Preparations — The Sierra Leone Railway |
| [17]
|
| CHAPTER II |
| Bush scenery — A night at Bo — The
Frontier Force at Daru — Mendi and Kissy carriers — Cotton-growing
— Secret societies — Poro and Bundu societies — Marriage customs —
The Liberian frontier |
| [23]
|
| CHAPTER III |
| Shooting in the grass-country — An
unfortunate mishap — Doubtful pleasures of a journey — Sources of
the Niger — A curious frontier rock — Bush fires — Bird life |
| [34]
|
| CHAPTER IV |
| The Harmatan — Native burial rites —
Koranko superstitions — The Anglo-French frontier — Solitude of a
Customs post — A change of scenery — Smuggling — A change of
carriers — Intoxicating liquor — The Upper Niger — A splendid
spectacle — A good highway — Native music |
| [42]
|
| CHAPTER V |
| Faranah — The Malinkés — Castes — Big game
on the Mafou River — Native methods of hunting — Trapping — Ground
nuts — The native trader — Kouroussa — Native types — French
gardens — Native dances — Beehives — Fruit |
| [55]
|
| CHAPTER VI |
| Samory and the Sofas — The Sofa wars —
Desertion of my “boy” — Kouroussa and Kankan — Native horses — An
inhospitable reception — Kankan — Trade at Kankan — The rubber vine
— Native telegraphy — Personal adornment |
| [67]
|
| CHAPTER VII |
| Hippopotami — Game in the Wasulu country —
Lazy carriers — In pursuit of elephants — Fetish haartebeest —
“Red” elephants — A fetish altar — Braimah’s juju — Charms and
tests |
| [78]
|
| CHAPTER VIII |
| Mamadu’s new hat — Tribal marks —
Unreliable guides — A lonely prospector — Bolting carriers — A
local chief — More trouble with carriers — Hunting eland —
Sand-flies and mosquitoes — The headman’s duty — Undesirable
presents — Jomongonas — A magnificent view — Jilingé — Gold —
Superstition of the River Fie — A Niger ferry — An unappreciated
delicacy — Fishing on the Niger |
| [89]
|
| CHAPTER IX |
| Kob — A West African road —
Characteristics of the Moors — The influence of Islam — The French
Soudan — Kangaba — Hospitality — A picturesque market — Vexatious
delays — African punctuality — A new acquaintance — Uncomfortable
marching — Shea-butter — Its uses — A native toothbrush — Arrival
at Bamako |
| [106]
|
| CHAPTER X |
| Bamako — The Bambaras — An animated scene
— The Kati Plateau — Dinner with the Governor — Government House —
Game in the “Bend” of the Niger — The Senegal-Niger Railway —
Bamako market — The hotel |
| [120]
|
| CHAPTER XI |
| Koulikoro — Niger Navigation Service —
Rapids on the Niger — The Hourst Expedition — An explorer’s death —
Horse-breeding |
| [133]
|
| CHAPTER XII |
| On a river launch — Salutations —
Crocodiles — An evening halt — Camping on the bank —
Tobacco-growing — Cotton-growing — Garrison mess life — Irksome
travelling — An enlightened ruler — An excellent shooting-ground —
A holy city — Kadis — Architecture — Sails of grass — Picturesque
pilots — A strike in the engine-room — Flat country |
| [143]
|
| CHAPTER XIII |
| A land of inundations — River transport in
the Macina Province — The “King of Mopti” — Mopti — Prospects of
the rice trade — Shooting wart-hog — Native huts — The protection
of egrets — A lion as a pet — A dangerous joke — Scarcity of wood —
The white ant — The driver ant |
| [157]
|
| CHAPTER XIV |
| Fulani cattle — Lake Dhebo — Duck shooting
— Teal — A tough bird — The Niger River winds — Towing a barge —
Niafounké — The edge of the Sahara — Stalking birds — Sheep-farming
— Developing the wool trade — Raided by a leopard —
Ostrich-farming |
| [171]
|
| CHAPTER XV |
| Game on the Issa-Ber — Hiring a canoe — A
leaky craft — Borgou grass — Fish tanks — Sebi — Tracks of lions —
Good wildfowl shooting — Tortures of a native saddle — Mamadu’s
horsemanship — A flat country — Fulani villages — Saraféré — Desert
winds — Niger canoes — Hardy hunters — Ancient fire-arms — Lion
shooting — The Fulanis |
| [184]
|
| CHAPTER XVI |
| Land near the Bara-Issa — Tuaregs — A salt
caravan — Stalking hartebeest — Lake Niangaye — The village of
Kanioumé — My runaway horse — Tracking elephants — Elephants
bathing — A stampede of elephants — A wounded elephant — Cave
dwellers — Sandstorms and rifles |
| [201]
|
| CHAPTER XVII |
| Bullocks — Pelicans on Lake Niangaye —
Stalking ostriches — Friendly Tuaregs — Lakes and swamps — By canoe
to Timbuctu — An intricate route — Horses of the Sonrhais — Kabara
— Timbuctu — A quaint desert city — A change of route — A steel
canoe — Yakubu — Explorers — Réné Caillé — Barth — Scenes in
Timbuctu — The Sonrhay empire — Mosques — Salt trade — Saharan
sirocco — Desert caravans |
| [217]
|
| CHAPTER XVIII |
| Preparing to cross the desert — Articles
for barter - My barge - My new “boy” — My crew — Stranded — A
miserable people — “Cram-cram” — Borgou — Bamba — Under sail — A
variety of game — The defile of Tosaye — The “Oued Telemsi” — A
curious coloured clay — Gao — A lazy class — Mosques at Gao — A
perilous journey — Giraffe |
| [233]
|
| CHAPTER XIX |
| Loading a camel — Water vessels — My
camels — My caravan — Nomads of the Sahara — Vegetation of the
desert — Country of the Kountahs — Line of wells — Rainfall — My
tent — Gazelle — Fowls of the desert — A trying march — Ill-used
animals — How to mount a camel — Moroseness of the camel — Vagaries
of the camel — An unpleasant feature — Uncomfortable riding |
| [248]
|
| CHAPTER XX |
| An unreliable guide — Relief — Typical
scenery — Game in the “oueds” — A dreary scene — The effect of the
sun — A breakdown — Kidal — Reorganization — A veiled people — The
Iforas — Tuaregs and Iforas — Iforas as camel-masters — Adrar — I
abandon my bath — The value of dates — French couriers — A solitary
post — Relics of the Stone Age — Relics of former nations |
| [263]
|
| CHAPTER XXI |
| The camel’s reserve store — Variations of
temperature — The Sahara by moonlight — Halley’s Comet — Wells of
Abeibera — Tea in the desert — Difficult bargaining — Enduring
donkeys — Saharan game — A dry well — Missing camels — In Ouzel —
An indifferent boundary — Unpleasant recollections — A change in
the desert — Saharan shrubs — Welfare of the camel |
| [279]
|
| CHAPTER XXII |
| The dreaded Tanezrouft — Camel saddles —
The wells of Timissao — A valuable plant — A night march — An
improvised shelter — Sandstorms — Enemies to sleep — Gloomy scenery
— The water supply — An exhausting struggle — The wells of Ahnet —
Instinct of the guides — Protecting the water-skins |
| [294]
|
| CHAPTER XXIII |
| The Ahnet or Western Hoggar — A bad
reputation — Tuareg highwaymen — A salt well — A barren region — We
reach Insalah — A dramatic entrance — Colonel Laperine — Insalah —
Its importance — Resources — Artesian wells — Varieties of dates —
Pasturage — The streets |
| [310]
|
| CHAPTER XXIV |
| Disturbing news — En route for
Algiers — A remarkable man — Horses at Insalah — Hospitality of
French officers — Slavery amongst the Arabs — An unusual sight — A
pathetic story — My own valet and cook — A precipitous track — The
“Great Erg” — Hassy Inifel — An incompetent guide — Lost — A useful
camel-driver — A hospitable Arab chief — An unappetizing menu — The
dates of Ouargla — Touggourt — A ramshackle coach — Biskra |
| [322]
|
| CHAPTER XXV |
| By rail to Algiers — A difficult project —
The resources of the Sahara |
| [338]
|
| Appendix |
| [341]
|
| Index |
| [343]
|