The New York herald., 1867-05-15
NEW YORK HERALD WEDNESDAY MAY 1sa7-TRlPLE snEEE

III SHEET.
EQUATORIAL AFRICA.
Mr.. Ds ChniiIu,s Lsctsre Before the Society
for the Advancemenc Of Science and Ars.
Last evening Mr. Du Chain delivered, o. me cooper
institute before the ASSOCIATION for the OF
Science ana Art an interesting narrative OF his expert
encss and adventures in Equatorial Africa Those who
have heard this gentleman speak In public can form
ds Of the pecuares OF his style or Of their attsac
tion for those who prefer the conversational TO the d.
dactc form Of lecture Nothing be simpler or mors
unpretentous than his manner, and at me same time
more effective. His English though not what is called
broken. Ia full OF Galcsms Nevertheless he rarely
at o for words TO express his ideas with accuracy and
there undercurent Of humor pervading them that
adds very much TO his popularity with his audienoe&
From the 70 the close Of his discourse he
manages not only 70 keep their attention alive but 70
excite their rsbty By the quanness and pu ngency Of
his saes. which half Engish half French in their
Character There one thing TO be said Of his lectures
which cannot b. said OF many other entertainments Of
similar kind that they aImos. integbe and At
tracsive 70 young people 70 adua He 70 have
natural love Of children and takes especial pains TO
make himself understood BY them, often addressing
them directly, e II he considered them the most i'm
poant portion Of his audience When he hst presents
himself feeling Of surprise experienced the small
fragile looking figure which has faced many psrils and
encountered many hardshps in the Of science
Mr Du Chau il considerably below the middle height,
with STOPPING shoulders and head always bent forward
IL in the attitude Of listening His features regu-
tar his forehead unusually high and expansive and his
eyes full OF fire and intelligence Tho merry half mock
ing smile that continually playing about his mouth
gives an idea to that he is amusing himself with
their creduy and doubt has had much 70 do with the
unfair criticisms that have been written upon him on
both sides OF the Atlantic As regards the matter OF
his narratives there is question that It Is substantially
correct While the sceptics in regard 70 them in
general persons without any scientific education the
leading scientific minds Of the age have concurred In
supporting the accuracy Of his statements. Having
made these few predatory remarks concerning the
lecturer who introduced to the audience by MI.
Grscom we shall proceed lay before readers
tho lecture itself -
Society for the Promotion Of Science and Art TO appear
before you to give brie outline OF my explorations IN
Equatorial Africa come with some dfidence before
you for speaker; besides, feel that the vast
OF the theme is TOO great for course OF Two ec
Nndness upou % the best sndcavors Of poor traveller
who you, will try his best 10 recount to you
some of the incidents Of his travels In the country
travelled always foot, and made large collections
stuffed and brought out more than two thousand BIRDS
of which sixty we're new to science. killed one thou.
were stuffed by me and sent home with moro than
eighty skeletons. About thirty Of those quadrupeds
ia 1859 had also twenty gorilla skins and skele.
tons besides chimpanzees and collections Of in
sc,s ,r reptile: s,.a and shells ior nOea =, not ns ss
nor such co,ec,ions Now will try to the best OF INV
ability, to give you birds eye-view Of the physical
Of fhe tribes which inhabit Il NV explorations have
demonstrated that Equatorial Africa, from the west
have been This immense forest did not stop there but
was seon 4, far As nv ewes could reach ana The natives
Ma rovsr hoard -,,era n andad The breadth ~ this
c;g.nc forest erands north ana south OF ina eousor
sxa - tSras decress IN each side Eaw and than
the srt sss Of everlasting foliage and how sratssuIy
INV ewes met them no one can Conceive unless he has
lived IN mcb solItude A. Certain distance from n
coast ths mountainous REGIONS beyond Il rise aimoss
parallei with n This range OF rounains seems almost
eri the whole Of the coast Of Alre.. Between
nloed q low and marshv and several rivers are found
/ the princua ones being the Benito the NUM- Mexias
| Caboon Nazareth Monda and Fernand-yaz me four
northern rivers are short on Of their
being on the rst tableland rhe Naxareth the Mexias
/ Which il forned by the Rembo 0kands and Rcmho
| NgonyaL The lowland is aMuyial and has no doubt
,n sns % q ~ snS 2,
this immense belt OF woody country further
ploralions alone can show but suppose VIII be seen
TO be more than one thousand miles in length indeed
should moi be surprised II reached the lake regions
OF Eastern Africa Tue Mexss and the Nazareth are
portion Of its waters into the Fernand-vaz, chiefly
through the Npououngy Thus those three rivers are in
mouths OF Ogobs and they FORM with the
vening low ands whch undoubtedly auvial depos-
its very complicated network Of creeks
swamps and dense forests for which have proposed
the name OF s.Deta OF the Ogobai" nv Explorations
in this labyrinth werc exceedingly tedious and resulted
only in the knowledge that ihsargs is entirely
when The rivers and Their divergent creeks are
swollen tho whole counry overfowed and that the
land is covered with immenss forests Of PALM there
hainy found nooa NJ The custonarv
Land aud water tenantcd only by wild boasts ven-
omous reptiles and iniosrabls OF mosquitoes
In this great woody wilderness Ia scattered about
and divided into great OF tribes found and
struck by the absence Of those species of animals
which found In almost every other part Of Africa
On reflection did not wonder at thia for tho country
now visited was wholly unlike those parts that had