The New York herald., 1875-12-10
Niger 70 Lake Tchad and to the soudan, those yster


Niger 70 Lake chad and TO the soudan those mysteri
Gus regions ab0undng In ivory.
capable OF producing all that goes to make up the
rches oi India. from the Himalayas 10 the fortune
favored isle OF Ceylon, the Soudan and Equatorial
Africa are on all sides inaccessible Europeans, who
however are making great efforts 10 penetrate them
on the east on the south and on the west there are
immense distances 10 be travelled over there are
Warlike nations and murderous climate; impassable
regions bar our passage The desert alone presents US
an open door and Notwithstanding its eight hundred
leagues the Sahara offers greater rapdty and security
Tor commercial relations
Difficult is the passage OF the desert the route Is
forbidden us by the tribes that nhabt itbrgands OF
Fezzan on the east Moors the west and Touaregs in
the centre, IN the heart Of the Hoggar Less anatca
than the Others and animated by nobler sentiments
the latter are more capable Of understanding the bene
nts of civilization II is for us then to make them the
Intermediates for communication between the Soudan
and Algeria When they know they will
longer look upon us conquerors but benefactors
With regard 10 the distance that have 70 be-
tween Tonggourt and Ghadames, the have
ceiyed up TO the present touching the political condition
OF that portion OF the Sahara which must traverse
Is Oh the most nature ana everything tends
TO encourage the hope that our expedition will be
success. The fatgues and the prvatons will be great
bur all danger seems 70 be removed Official protection
will follow us to the farthesI limit Of French territory
the localities overrun by the nomsd Chaambas and the
Souaas We SHAH lind our guides and our camel drivers
at Tonggourt-the same who accompanied NJ. Largeau
on his lrst expedition and who having their families
in the Of the Souf will find their interest
conduct us back 10 their homes and therefore, TO our
own territory
forgot 70 say that during the last week we have got
two new and excellent travelling companions NM.
Louis and Octave Say. NJ LOUIS Say ensign in
the navy ami has obtained leave OF absence hall pay
Tor year for the purpose Of accompanying Largeau
He will give him the benefit OF his professional know
ledge determining the latitude and longitude OF the
principal points Of the first stage of Journey and
VIII prepare the ground for the succeeding ones that
~ TO say,
EXPLORATION OF THE HoGGAR,
which he will undertake along with Nj. Largcau on
return from Ghadames NJ Octave Say, who is only
twenty years old has just finished his term OF year
as volunteer III the army and wishes TO accompany
his brother on his drst Journey | may be permitted
here TO make reflection with regard to the conduct OF
these two young men. Under the Empire the youth Of
France came to Africa to win their epaulets and help
to found ''the Arab Kingdom To-day they come
here TO sustain honest work and develop our CONNER
cal relations IL is consong TO see the nephews OF
republican Minister take part in this movement,
voluntarily pretcrring the atigues OF the desert TO
the snecures of the Ministry. AS am here in Africa
let me recall the exploration Of the Ogaway in Gabon
an enterprise quite recently undertaken by NJ. De
Brazza, colleague and friend OF NJ Louis Say 1t is to
be hoped that success Will reward the attempt Of these
two young officers, and that one more will be added
TO the many obligations we are under TO our naval
service
had seen NJ. Largeau before his arrival here
As had been told IN Paris, found him a of
ergy and tenacity of purpose, learned as he is
modest and OF unquestonablo courage HIS first Jour
ney 10 Ghadames undertaken immediately alter the
formidable instruction OF 1872, was beset with dan
ger of the gravest kind At Constantine it was believed
he would never be seen there again. especially he
ventured into the basin Of the gharghar just the
time when the two explorers, our countrymen, MN.
Dournaux Duperre and Joubert assassnated.
Like Rene Cale, in 1928, NJ. Largeau made his first
His suerings were terrible In ascending the dried up
bed OF the gharghar his last pair of shoes
TO fragments by the sharp stones lett by the stream
but he continued his journey not 10 be in of
water dismountng from his camel the better to
tinue his observations, and marching bareooted
Mr. Largcau possesses the most profound knowledge
Of the history and customs Of the populations the
desert He speaks Arabic with ease and has made
some re4erkable Iransallops q poetry from that Ian
guage III word he is explorer Of the same stamp
as those who before him have unveiled the mysteries
Of Central Africa.
l have already made you acquainted with my fifth
and last travelling companion, ri. Faucheux, who ac-
companies amateur than trader
though he has had the good sense 10 bring with HIM
pretty large pack IL is needless TO say that the best
feelings of fraternity prevail among u.s. and that
shall be able to mutually sustain and help each other
in the trials that we may have 70 bear.
have now become sufficiently acquainted with
TOWN OF CONSTANTINE
to be able to leave II without regret fortnight
familiar with all its byways say the byways because
outside Of the French quarter which cuts
the town in two from the gate Of FL Kautara
to the Nalee gate the Arab quarters which far
more important than ours. formed entirely
of crooked, toruous, narrow, almost impassabe lanes
open overhead vauted which make the antique Crta
the most incxtrcable labyrinth that one can well i'm
agine. In these quarters during the whole day and
portion of the night there regns the most extraor
dnary animation, and Of character which is strictly
local But what misery Is visible among the Arabs
Numbers OF them march around even in the winter
which s cold herc-dirty and ragged, with bare feet
covered with mud have already been able to study
several types, from the Arab with calm and contem
superstitous and whose facc-less handsome and less
hne-refects greater intelligence With the latter the
eye is lively and the face speaks; IL Is
that we shall assimate In the Moorish cafes
l have jostled negroes from the Soudan, aud stray
ing through the lanes my curiosity sometimes
imprudent and always ndiscreet, led me to catch q
glimpse OF Moorish ladies, who veiied themselves i'm
medately on seeing me. | have also assisted at the
feast OF the Ramadan. which lasts three days, during
which the Mussulmans give themselves up TO the
most complete orgie the signal for which had been
given ut dawn the day on which the fast ended by
of a urpu from la Kug.
bah have heard the marabouts explain the Koran
and interested myself IN the mmicry OF the Arab
story teller, around whomss always grouped an at
tentiye and numerous audience. The story teller
takes the place OF the book Later the latter will
kill the former. In the meantime story telling is
carried everywhere and incessantly particularly
Africa, where legends prevail TO greater extent,
perhaps, than anywhere else.
shall say nothing OF the famous ravine here, which
is too well known TO need any description from me-
of the riyuet called the Rummil which flows the bot
tom of IL and is crossed by leapng from rock to rock,
between the base OF the formidable precpico which is
capped by the Kasbah and the rocky heights OF Sili
Msd. IL was here that the Arabs used to throw down
aduerous women, preciptating them from height Of
500 feet.
At this point Ilcave of my correspondence for the
present Two wagons from the train have TO take
our baggage and bring IL lar Biskra In another
hour shall be route Batna, where shall ar
rive tomorrow morning. Under my window two mag
nhcent regiments, the Third Zouavcs and the THIRD
Native Trailleurs dehling. The bugles sound ia
Casquete,n for to this day II is by the well known
ran ia Casquette Pere Bugeaud that the bugler
all hearts, announcing in remote posts to the
soldiers and cooniss the arrival or the welcome
who brings souvenirs OF homo and the latest from
native land