Monseigneur,
By the letter which Your Excellency did us the honour to address to us, dated the 2nd of April last, you manifest a desire to receive information of any intelligence which may reach us upon the subject of the enterprises formed by the Society, and especially upon the discoveries which relate to the interior of Africa.
We consider it our duty to communicate, without delay, to Your Excellency, the news which we have received within the last two days. A Frenchman has been fortunate enough to penetrate into central Africa. He even appears to have resided for some time in the city of Timbuctoo. Having quitted in 1827 the banks of the Rio-Nuñez, he travelled eastwards to beyond the Dhioliba, crossing the high mountains of the upper Senegambia. He afterwards followed the course of that great river, and embarked upon it opposite to Jenné. After a month’s navigation he landed at Cabra, the port of Timbuctoo. Having made all the observations in his power, he entered the great desert of Sahara, across which two months and fourteen days toilsome travel brought him to the Tafilet, whence he proceeded to Tangier. There, M. Delaporte, his Majesty’s Vice-Consul, administering the general Consulate, received him, relieved his immediate necessities, and procured him a passage to France on board one of the vessels of the state.
This interesting traveller is named Caillié. He had been at the Senegal since 1824: it was in the month of April 1827, that he repaired to Kakondy upon the Rio-Nuñez; where he joined a caravan of Mandingo merchants. This situation is the more deserving of notice, as before his embarkation he had undergone a serious illness which detained him five months to the south of Jenné. The total length of his route is from twelve to fourteen hundred leagues, a thousand of them through regions nearly unknown.
Such is the substance of the letters we have just received from the traveller. The reception he experienced from the Vice-Consul, a gentleman well versed in the languages and relations of Northern Africa, has determined that of the Geographical Society, which has hastened to present him with marks of encouragement.
We hope, Monseigneur, that this news will interest Your Excellency, that you will honour this traveller with marks of your approbation, and that you will recommend him to the Minister of the Marine, that he may obtain from him the assistance of which he stands in need to facilitate his journey to Paris. All his resources have been exhausted in a laborious journey of sixteen months. He is the first European, who, after having penetrated into this part of central Africa, has returned in health and safety. The Geographical Society takes credit to itself for having directed the attention of travellers of all countries to the interior of this continent; but it rejoices to find that it is a Frenchman, who has first attained the glory of success.
We are &c.
Signed Baron Cuvier, President of the Society; Viscount Siméon, Vice-president; Jomard, Vice-president of the Central Committee; De Larenaudière, Secretary.