The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-19
CROSSING THE SAHARA.


CROSSING THE SAHARA.
Foureau Expedition and Its Expert
ences in the Desert.
Mr.. f. F>ureau, one of the most
tireless and intrepid explorers of the
SahaEa, recently returned to France
from his tenth expedition among the
sand wastes and Gases of the desert.
On this journey he led the largest
party that ever crossed the Sahara.
1t was a Government expedition and
was equipped regardless of expense.
The party was to travel through the
country of the hostile Tuaregs, and,
as it was on a political mission and a
fair rate of speed was desired, great
pains were taken to make, the expe-
dition SO strong that the natives could
not seriously impede it's progress The
Government, however, could take no
precautions against the overwhelming
heat reflected from the sand wastes.
1t could provide no relief Tor a scanty
water supply, and the party was real
ly embarrassed by it's unusual size on
account of the inadequacy Of the In
frequent wells to provide sufficient
water. So the expedition was long
time in crossing the desert TO the Su-
dan.
bureau set out with $50 Algerian
soldiers, under the orders of Com
mandant Lamy and five other officers.
The entire personnel numbered about
zoo men, and 1000 camelS carried their
equipment. 1t started from Wargla,
a little south of Algeria, and the ex-
petition made an imposing appearance
as it marched out of the fertile OASIS.
But it was terribly decinated by the
hardships of the desert march before
it reached the southern edge of the Sa-
hara. Mr.. Foureau has just given La
Geographic the story of his journey
and it is interesting as the expert
ences of a large expedition in crossing
the Sahara.
AS the great caravan turned it's back
on MARCIA in October, 1898, it saw the
desert sands stretching ahead, while
behind it were hundreds of thousands
of date palms watered from the wells
that are scattered over the oaoSis. The
route led nearly straight south across
the large sand eXpanse Of the Erg and
into the country of the warlike Tua-
regs, who killed Colonel Flatters in
1881. When the expedition reached
the scene of the tragic death of Flat
tiers they had penetrated the desert for
720 miles south of Wargla. So far the
journey had been fairly comfortable,
but it recalled the horrible sufferings
of the fifty-nine survivors of the Flat
and many of his men had been killed.
reiterated for over two months, during
which they often had nothing to eat
except human flesh and nothing to
drink but blood. Only thirteen of
them survived their terrible hardships
and staggered into Wargla at last.
A little farther south, however the
sufferings of the Foureau party began
in earnest. There was not sufficient
water for SO large caravan. The
men, of course, had all they required,
but scores of the camels died every
day. Their baggage was added to the
loads of the other animals. carried for
some days, but this could not long
continue. 1t was found necessary at
last to build a little earthwork and
leave within it a part of the baggage,
under guard of soldiers. The earth
work was named Fort Flatters.
The rest of the party pushed on over
regions now sandy, now merely rock
strewn and barren, until they came to
| Iferonane, where it became necessary
to procure more camels. The Tuaregs
dared not attack SO strong a party
and were keeping out of the way. A
few of them were caught and released
upon their promise to return with
camels, but nothing more was seen
| of them. The men in one of the VIII
lagos one day made bold to attack the
: oOl were SpeGdtly dElNen OIL,
and Foureau felt himself warranted
on account of this assault in march
ing against the town and Selling all
! the camels and donkeys he found
| there. This considerable addition to
| the number of his transport animals
/ enabled him to send a party back to
Fort Flatters, and in a short time the
! men and supplies left behind rejoined
the main party.
| About half of the journey across the
desert was yet to be made, and the
most trying part of it was still ahead
The natives, warlike as they are, fled
upon the approach of so large a body
of invaders. Foureau had the great
est difficulty in replenishing his food
supplies, though he paid handsomely
for every pound Of millet and other
food that was brought to him. Some
| OF the people, stimulated by the large
prices offered, succeeded in smuggling
a few sheep, clabbered milk and
ground nuts into camp during the
darkness of the night. But the camels
continued to succumb under their
hardships. For days at a time moth
ing but dried-up wells were met, and
the party was sometimes reduced to a
lew drops of water for each man.
When the party finally arrived at Tin
der, the end of the journey, on the
northern edge of the Sudan, it had
Deen travelling very slowly and pain
Iuliy, with long pauses at large wells.
Tor thirteen months, and had proven
quite conclusive that, though a
| large caravan secures comparative i'm
munity from attack by the desert
nomads, 1t incurs perils that are even
lore formidable on account of the In
ased dlfhculty of procuring water
q food for large parties.-New
ssrk Sun.