Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-08
CONGO EXPRESS FROM PARIS.
Ii Aboard fer Tinssuk.u, the Niger,
Lake Tchad and Z arkest Africa!

EEeli Aboard ter IIrabuktu, the Niger,
Lake Tchad and darkest AfricaI
FL From the Orleans station in Paris
lks1lere departs at lo.22.P. NJ. on the oath
each month train that more de-,
Earvedly than any American express
a&ght bear the name of Twentieth
Ikhtury Limited. But the romancers
f1ho make the French railroad time
Lles with more precision and hardly
less fancy have called it the Congo
express" For the traveller who boards
this train the uttermost regions OF tho
| world become instantly stations along
the railroads or ports of call upon til,
rivers of an Africa which today guards
few secrets from the curious.
L Literally the Congo express runs
4 only to Pauillac, the port of Bordeaux.
tand stops beside the quay on the fol-
'flawing morning II leave it's passengers
for the mail steamer which waits Yet
l the train journey is the first stage in
Fthe excursion, that simple and rapic
feNeuI'sion by steam, by train and boat,
l.to Timbuktu, to kurussa to Bangui,
TO the Niger, the Senegal and the Con-
lgo. From Paris TO the center of Afri-
IRA the traveller has the comforts of
ect ok S tour. the luxury of first class
eaI riages on express trains and of
slaterooms in river steamers.
tstrom the orleans station to the dock
| at KabaEa. the Niger port of Timhuk-
tn. the fortunate traveller need spend
no mores than three weeks. From
| Paeillae to Dakar in Senegal, the port
TO which the steamers of South Amer
| lea and South Africa alike come, the
| voyage is but eight days, and beside
| the splendid quays at Dakar there
| awaits another express train to take
| hlna 10 St Louis, a: the mouth of the
| Senegal, a railroad trip Of 165 miles
that takes but eight hours.
IT. Louis. again. In the stage of
high waters, the river steamers, large
and comfortable boats. start on the
three days rIyer trip TO hayes, at lle
| head of navigation on the Senegal, 300
miles from st. Louis Here again the
steamer gives way to the locomotive
and another special train stands ready
to carry travellers and mail alike to the
| Niger, a journey OF $50 miles made III
TWO days with a night of rest at d
comfortable tbtel IN the hills. At Ko-
iko,o. on rhsSNiger, the stern wheeler
IMAGE meets, .sle train, ready to depart
| IN the 500 nIE river trip to Timbuktu
1t is not an. expensive journey, this
trip frcrn Paris to Timbuktu. for the
tirket from the Seine to the Sahara
Nth food itictided. on all the steamers
costs less tikn $3.50, and if the tourist
desires % extend the iourrc.
continue down the Niger. beyond the
great bend to Ansongo, $50 miles fur
Their. for $3.50. At Ansongo begins the
great road to Lake Tchad, to W1da
| ard to the very center of Africa. thu
only portion of the whole eontinena
which remains dark and is still
closed to the mere exeursionist.
TmbuktG is hut q side trip after al
in this grand itinerary of the Congo
sFexpress. Ii tho traveler remains on
4 the steamer at Dakaf, two days later
Il he may land at Konakry and find
there an express train which will take
\ him to the Niger at Kurussa in two
days. The distance is 1861 miles and
The fare $50. By shls route his jour
,, ney from the Seine to the Niger will
consume but two weeks and require
but two changes. from train to steam
.ers in France and from steamer to ex-
press train in Guinea
Il Guinea is also bur i port of call. the
steamer continues by the Ivory coast
with its neW railroad already complet-
/, ed beyond The shore forests. by Daho-
mey with its line ..aeading back again
/, toward the Niger 400 miles to the
north and completed for nearly half
the distance If the traveller persists
with his steamer heAwill come at last
to Matadi on the Cohgo, the end of his
l leo 10 .,
, African express, thfse time a Belgian
:, train, which. will carry him to Brazza-
| Vile, above the rapids of the Congo.
, where a whole fleet of French river
steamers call. In aacomfortabie boat
of 600 tons he may now pursue his
: journey, up the Congo and the Uban-
, CHI to Bansui, IL days from Brazza
: vile, or up the Sangha to Nola. on the
i eastern froster of the German colony
:, of kamerun.
At Bangui the comforts of European
travel end abruptly. Only for the ad
, venturous are the further stages along
the road the French Nave cut to carry
II provisions to the Tchad and Wadai
: But for the really venturesome that
J road is safe and not too difficult or
long, for six days of comfortable
march will bring him to the banks of
the Shari river at Fort Crampel. From
Fort Crampel each month there de-
parts fiotilla Of small boats whale
:, boats, the timetables call them In
contrast 10 the native pirogue, which
in 1.sdays attains Lake Tchad itself.
/ From Paris to Timbuktu Is three
weeks Journey from Paris to Banghi.
Il