# Works of Jules Verne/Five Weeks in a Balloon/Chapter 44

CHAPTER XLIV CONCLUSION
The expedition which had fallen in with the travelers had been sent by the governor of Senegal. It was composed of two officers, M. Dufraisse, a lieutenant of marines, and M. Rodamel, a second lieutenant, with a sergeant and seven men. For the last two days they had been engaged in seeking the most favorable situation for the establishment of a station at Gouina, when they were witnesses of the arrival of Doctor Ferguson.
One can easily imagine the congratulations which were extended to the travelers. The French being in a position to testify to the accomplishment of the bold design, naturally became witnesses for Doctor Ferguson, when he asked them to testify officially to his arrival at the cataracts of Gouina.
"You will not refuse to sign an official statement, I daresay?" the doctor said to Lieutenant Dufraisse.
"I am ready, whenever you please," replied the latter.
The English were conducted to a guard-house on the bank of the river, where they experienced the greatest attention, and were well entertained. There was drawn ​up the official testimony, which is in the archives of the Geographical Society to this day.
"We, the undersigned, declare that on the said day, we saw arrive here, suspended to the netting of a balloon, Doctor Ferguson, and his two companions, Richard Kennedy and Joseph Wilson. The said balloon fell at a few yards distant from us into the river, and was carried away by the current over the cataracts of the Gouina. In testimony whereof we have hereto set our names. Done at the cataracts of the Gouina on this twenty-fourth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
"(Signed) Samuel Ferguson, "(Signed) Richard Kennedy, "(Signed) Joseph Wilson. "(Signed) Dufraisse, Lieutenant. "(Signed) Rodamel, Second Lieutenant. "(Signed) Dufays, Sergeant. "(Signed) Flippeau, "(Signed) Mayor, "(Signed) Pelissier, "(Signed) Lorois,Soldiers "(Signed) Rascagnet, "(Signed) Guillon, "(Signed) Lebel,
Here terminated the wonderful journey of Dr. Ferguson and his brave companions. They found themselves amongst friends, in the midst of hospitable tribes, whence communications with the French stations are frequent.
They reached the Senegal on Saturday, the 24th of May, and on the 27th they reached Médine, situated upon the river a little more to the north. Here the French officers received them with open arms, and extended to them all the hospitality in their power. It was found that the travelers could embark almost immediately in the steamer Basilisk, which was going down the river.
Fourteen days afterwards, on the 10th of June, they reached St. Louis, where the governor welcomed them heartily; they had by this time quite recovered from their fatigues. Joe told all who would listen to him that, "It was not much of a journey after all, and if anyone is anxious for excitement I would not advise him to undertake such an one; it becomes tedious at last, and indeed, ​without the adventures on Lake Tchad and at the Senegal, I verily believe we should have died of ennui."
An English frigate was about to sail, and the three travelers were taken on board. On the 25th of June they arrived at Portsmouth, and on the following day they reached London. We shall not attempt to describe the welcome they received from the Royal Geographical Society, nor the cordiality of their general reception. Kennedy set out for Edinburgh with his famous rifle to reassure his old housekeeper of his existence.
Doctor Ferguson and his faithful Joe are still the same, although change has come upon them; they have become friends—no longer master and servant.
The European journals were unanimous in their praises of the explorers, and the Daily Telegraph issued 977,000 copies on the day they published an extract from the journals of the voyage.
Doctor Ferguson read the account of the expedition at a public meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, and the Gold Medal was bestowed upon him and his two companions, for having achieved the most remarkable expedition of the year 1862.
The result of the journey of Doctor Ferguson was to confirm in the most precise manner the facts and statements reported by Barth, Burton, Speke, and others. Thanks to the still more recent expeditions of Speke and Grant, Heuglin and Munzinger, who ascended to the sources of the Nile, where they spread towards the center of Africa, we shall soon be able to confirm in their turn Doctor Ferguson's own discoveries in that immense territory comprised between the fourteenth and thirty-third degree of longitude.
THE END
Layout 2