The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-04
ExcURsIOMs IN rRoPICAL AFRICA,


A new phase OF tropical Africa this year
will be tourist excursions to regions whose
white visitors hitherto have bsen only sx-
plorers or pioneers in tho work Of develop
ment. IL is expected to give the traveller
both pleasure and OBLIGATION and TO supply
him with all tho comforts and oonveniences
possible In q new country. The routes will
be those having facilities Of steam trans
portation either on n or water.
The excursion from France Ia not Of an
c-d.2ary character. Several years ago
Captain Bonvslot. who discovered the
sources of the Niger. organized the Comite
Duplex, which aims to Gve special faoili-
ties to educated young Frenchnnen to visit
and study the colonies of their country. IL
will send out it's first excursion next fall to
tropical Africa. The season OF autumn 10
chosen as the most favorable time to travel.
Tho party will be taken through Sene-
gambia and along 900 miles Of the upper
and middle Niger, and there will be aide
trips TO hunting fields, where the Nimrods
may have a little big game shooting.
The Atlantic steamer will land the exour-
sionists at the port of Dahar. whore $4,000
blacks and whites are living on the most
western point OF the continent. They will
then travel by train to one Of the largest
towns in west Africa. st. Louis. the old
capital Of the colony, whose houses Inc huts
are tho homes OF $4,000 souls. The town
stands on an island in the Senegal River. a
few miles from tho ocean, and its terraced
hills have rows OF European houses whose
white n yellow colors contrast strikingly
with the green OF tropical v4cdure.
Then the tourists will embark on n OF
the Senegal River steamers. At low water
these river vessels can ascend only to Pudor,
about $50 miles up the river: but next fall
tho river will be in flood. the steamers will
ascend about 600 miles. and our exoursion-
lists will 60 ashore at Hayes. the starting
point Of tho railroad that will carry them
on to the Niger. The river banks at Hayes
will present q scene Of much animation. for
then the river will be deep TO the ssa. and
many men will DO loading and unloading
steamboats, and freight trains with goods
that have been awaiting the high river to
DO carried through by steam between the
Niger and the ocean.
France will not long submit TO this paraly-
sis Of trade In the season Of low water. A
railroad Ia to be built straight from Dakar
to Hayes, and then the upper Niger will have
through rail connections with the ocean.
At Hayes the tourists will taks the wait
ing train. which will carry them about BOO
miles through tropical forests and across
the grassy savanna 20 Bammako on tho
Niger. where another steamer will be ready
TO CONVEX them down that river. They will
steam down the Niger about 600 miles to
the long forbidden and mysterious city OF
Timbuktu, stopping at many settlements on
tina ~aU tn Wait Iar~A nattx,A Aa-Da noxw
coming into importance as collecting points
for trade. whore every steamer leaves many
bales OF European cloths and other goods
and loads on its return trip with palm oil.
agricultural products. the kola nut and rock
salt from the Sahara. which will be distrib-
uted throughout Senegsmbia.
h hunting trips will be made along this
stretch OF the Niger. and the haunts Of the
elephant. hippopotamus. lion. buffalo and
antelope will be visited. 1t 10 intended that
the trip shall promote chronological. Zoo
logical and commercial studies. The trav-
ellers will carry homo with them a lively
sense OF the vast wealth in natural
which these regions possess; and in Tim
buktu they will see tho quaintest Of the old
Mohammedan towns OF Africa and have
an opportunity for q little excursion into
the great northern desert. The cost of tho
round trip will be q little more than $1,000.
a large reduction on the ordinary price Of
travel in those new regions.
Another excursion by . Hsmburg-Amer-
lean steamer will start early in September
and spend about ten weeks in Zanzibar,
Oar es Salaam, HI capital Of German East
Africa, and the regions around Victoria
Nyanza, far inland. The party will take the
railroad from Togo for a pleasant week or
two in the comparatively temperate high
lsnds OF the Usambara Mountains, and then
the Uganda railroad will transfer them
quickly to Victoria Nyanza and a steamer
will carry them 10 the European settlements
around its 1900 miles OF coasts. It viii he
the first party Of tourists to see tho source
Of tho great river where the waters OF Vic
toria Lake pour over Ripon Falls and be-
anna the Nile