The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-23
THE FRENCH EXPEDITION IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA.
From the London Pail Mall Gazette. |

lFrom the London Pail Mall Gazettcl
The French Geographical Society will shortly hold
special meeting at the Sorbonne to welcome Lieu.
tenant Savorgnan dc Brazza and DR.. Bellay, who
have just returned to France from their three years
expedition in Equatorial Africa. The expedition was
undertaken for the purpose Of tracing the course Of
the River Og6wai in tho French settlement Of
Gaboon and at the end of 1874 Lieutenant Savorgnan
de Brazza and Dr. Belay landed upon the west coast
accompanied by NJ Marche. who had been tho com.
panion OF the late Marquis dc Compiegne in more
than one OF his journeys, but who did not 20 very
far with them. Both the Lieutenant and the Doctor
were laid up with fever for some time and Il was
not until August. 1885, that they left the last of the
European factories at Lambarene the real starting
point of their expedition. with escort of twelve
laptots native Senegal troops the French servce
under the command of Quartermaster Hamon The
of the River Og0wai may be divided into three
sections of about equal lcngth-the upper the mid
die and the lower. The middle section follows the
equatorial line the two others bending about one
degree southwark, the toward its source the
other toward its mouth. The goods and the baggage
had to be conveyed in and upon the backs Of
natives; but throughout the whole Of their
journey NM. do Brazza AMI Bellay had great diff
Guilty in obtaining assistance from the blacks and
toward the end they encountered open hostility,
Hating at Lope. large village situated the
Ogowai. about half way between its source and tho
tory Of tho Fans who seemed very friendly and from
thence to Doume, much higher up the river. Hero
NJ dc Brazza struck down by illness. and the
podition remained at Doume till the spring 1877
Above the falls Of Poubara the Og0wa becomes very
insignificant stream, and the expedition might have
ended there. for the question to whether tho
Og0wi communicated with large inland lakes was set.
tied in the negative but thu leaders determined to ex-
piore the country beyond the of tho river In
March, 1878. they were compelled to renounce tho
services OF the free natives and to secure forty
slaves who were tar moro docle and who were well
ftprl m inO fha haoi in of
the Og6wai the expedition suffered good deal from
want Of food and water the country being devas-
tated by famine; but matters mended when they
reached the Nyambo. stream flowing eastward,
which brought them to large river the Alma not
nearly two hundred yards broad at many points
and about sixteen feet deep is they be-
They followed tho Alma for some distance. partly
on foot, partly in canoes; but they attacked
at various points by the natives. and three Of
the escort had been wounded they felt it necessary
return their fire. Anxious to avoid night attack on
the river, NJ dc Brazza and DIR. Bellay discmbarkcd
their men and threw up some entertainments, which
attacked the next day by the natives whom they
succeeded in repulsing. Having only fifteen guns,
and with their ammunition running short. they re-
solved however, to abandon the course of the
stream. which continued to run eastward and max.
ing toward the north. they found the natives less
hostile. but they could not obtain any provisions.
After crossing several streams, all Of which
flowed eastward. the expedition was Obliged to
beyond the equatorial line, while DR.. Beilay and
Quartermaster Hamon awaited him ut the falls Of
PouDafu. M dc BraZZa made some progress in this
direction; but the rainy season setting in and bar
ring his further progress he rejoined his
panons in September the expedition getting back to
Gaboon ut the end OF November. The expedition
had lasted three years, during fifteen months Of
which its incmbers were cut oH from all communica-
ton with the civilized world while for the last i've
months they had to march barefooted, their legs
covered with sores. and half starved But they can
set against this the fact that 800 miles of ground were
covered. than half foot and that the Of
ground hitherto unexplorcd which has been brought
within the domain OF geography is equal to that Of
belgium.