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The Project Gutenberg eBook of French

enterprise in Africa
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
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Title: French enterprise in Africa

the personal narrative of Lieut. Hourst of his exploration
of the Niger

Author: Hourst

Translator: N. D'Anvers

Release date: September 14, 2023 [eBook #71649]

Language: English

Original publication: London: Chapman & Hall, Ld, 1898

Credits: Galo Flordelis (This file was produced from images

generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRENCH

ENTERPRISE IN AFRICA ***
FRENCH ENTERPRISE IN AFRICA

The Exploration of the Niger

LIEUTENANT HOURST.
 French Enterprise
in Africa
T H E P E R S O N A L N A R R AT I V E O F L I E U T. H O U R S T
OF HIS

Exploration of the Niger

Translated by

Mrs. ARTHUR BELL (N. D’Anvers)

AUTHOR OF ‘THE ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF ART,’ ‘THE SCIENCE LADDERS,’ ETC.

WITH 190 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAP

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, Ld.

1898
[All rights reserved]
Richard Clay & Sons, Limited,
London & Bungay.
 TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

The appearance of this brightly-written record of an adventurous

voyage down the Niger, from Timbuktu to the sea, such as has never
before been accomplished, is just now peculiarly opportune, when
attention is so much concentrated on the efforts of the French to
extend their influence in Africa, especially in the Western Sudan.
The author of the Exploration of the Niger is, of course, greatly
prejudiced against England, and his jealous hostility to those he
habitually calls “our rivals” peeps out at every turn, but for all that the
work he has done is good and valuable work, adding much to the
knowledge of the Niger itself, its basin, and the various tribes
occupying the riverside districts. It is remarkable, that in spite of
much opposition Lieutenant Hourst managed to keep the peace with
the natives from the first start from Timbuktu to the arrival at Bussa.
Whilst the footprints of too many of his predecessors were marked in
blood, he and his party passed by without the loss of a single life,
and in this most noteworthy peculiarity of his journey, the brave and
patient young leader may claim to rank even with that great pioneer
of African discovery, David Livingstone.
True the Lieutenant owed the good relations he was able to
maintain with the chiefs to a fiction, for acting on the advice of a
certain Béchir Uld Mbirikat, a native of Twat, whom he had met at
Timbuktu, he passed himself off as the nephew of Dr. Barth, the
great German traveller, who had everywhere won the love and
respect of the people with whom he was brought in contact.
Assuming the name of Abdul Kerim, or the Servant of the Most High,
the Frenchman solved all the difficulties which threatened to stop his
progress by the simple assertion that he was the nephew of Abdul
Kerim, as Barth was and still is called in the Sudan. “I was thus
able,” says Abdul Kerim, “to emerge safely from every situation,
however embarrassing,” explaining that the natives do not
distinguish between different European nationalities, but simply class
all together as “the whites.”
Apart from this initial falsehood, of which the Lieutenant does not
seem to be in the least ashamed, his dealings with the natives were
marked by perfect straightforwardness; every promise, however
trivial, made to one of them he faithfully performed, whilst from the
officers under him and the coolies in his service he won the utmost
devotion and love. He deserves indeed very great credit for the ever
ready tact with which he turned aside rather than met the difficulties
assailing him at every turn, and Dr. Barth would have had no cause
to be ashamed of his relative if the young gentleman had indeed
been his nephew.
Lieutenant Hourst’s chapter on the much misjudged Tuaregs is
especially interesting, and, most noteworthy fact, full of hope for the
future. He attributes their many excellent qualities to their reverence
for their women. The husband of one wife only, the Tuareg warrior
looks up to that wife with something of the chivalrous devotion of the
knights of the Middle Ages, presenting in this respect a very marked
contrast to his Mahommedan neighbours, of whom, by the way, the
Frenchman has the lowest possible opinion; charging them with a
total disregard of morality, beneath the cloak of an assumed religious
zeal. On the so-called marabouts he is especially severe, giving
many instances of the evil influence they exercise over the simple-
minded natives.
It would be unfair to the author to spoil the interest of his narrative
by any further revelations of its contents; suffice it to add, that in
spite of his all too-evident bias against the English, he is unable to
deny that he was kindly treated by the individual members of the
Royal Niger Company, with whom he came in contact. His only wish,
he naïvely remarks, is that some of the warm-hearted men who
welcomed him back to civilization had belonged to his own
nationality. There is something truly pathetic in the plea with which
the courageous young explorer winds up his record of his year of
arduous work, and yet more arduous waiting, hoping against hope
for the instructions from home which never came. He knows, he
says, that all the countries suitable for colonization—Australia was
the last of them—are already occupied by “our rivals,” but there is
still room, he thinks, for French “colonies of exploration,” where
talented young men, unable to find a career in their native country,
may usefully employ their energies in turning the natural wealth of
French acquisitions to account. That is all he hopes for; but he
cannot help adding a few touching words of appeal to the French
colonial authorities, asking them to cease from sending out
expeditions only to abandon them to their fate, taking no notice of
their requests for instructions or for help.
Reading between the lines of this record of a brave struggle
against terrible odds, it is only too easy to realize that the policy of
prevarication of the French Government in all matters colonial is a
well-considered policy, as astute as it is unfair, alike to the gallant
officers in command of abortive exploring expeditions as to the
“rivals” so cordially disliked.
Nancy Bell.
Southbourne-on-Sea,
October 1898.
 WASHERWOMEN OF SAY.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE. vii

I. AN ABORTIVE START 1

II. FROM KAYES TO TIMBUKTU 41

III. FROM TIMBUKTU TO TOSAYE 93

IV. FROM TOSAYE TO FAFA 151

V. THE TUAREGS 199

VI. FROM FAFA TO SAY 250

VII. STAY AT SAY 295

VIII. MISTAKES AND FALSE NEWS 356

IX. FROM SAY TO BUSSA 403

X. FROM BUSSA TO THE SEA; CONCLUSION OF OUR VOYAGE 446

EPILOGUE 498

INDEX 513
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

LIEUTENANT HOURST Frontispiece

WASHERWOMEN OF SAY xi
MARKET PLACE, ST. LOUIS 1
NATIVES OF THE BANKS OF THE SENEGAL 5
NAVAL ENSIGN BAUDRY 15
THE PORT OF DAKAR 21
PART OF THE DAKAR ST. LOUIS LINE 24
RAILWAY BUFFET AT TIVIWANE 25
THE QUAY AT ST. LOUIS 26
A STREET IN ST. LOUIS 27
BUBAKAR-SINGO 27
THE COOLIES ENGAGED AT ST. LOUIS 28
THE ‘BRIÈRE DE L’ISLE’ 30
THE MARKET-PLACE AT ST. LOUIS 31
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KAYES 32
ON THE SENEGAL 40
EN ROUTE 41
LEFEBVRE CARTS UNHARNESSED 42
LOADING OUR CONVOY 43
LIEUTENANT BLUZET 45
CROSSING A MARIGOT 46
WE ALL HAVE TO RUSH TO THE RESCUE 47
OUR TETHERED MULES 48
DOCTOR TABURET 51
ARRIVAL AT KOLIKORO 53
BANKS OF THE RIVER AT KOLIKORO 55
REPAIRING THE ‘AUBE’ 58
TIGHTENING THE BOLTS OF THE ‘DAVOUST’ 59
PROCESSION OF BOYS AFTER CIRCUMCISION 59
THE SACRED BAOBAB OF KOLIKORO 61
THE FLEET OF MY EXPEDITION 63
DIGUI AND THE COOLIES OF THE ‘JULES DAVOUST’ 65
MADEMBA 67
YAKARÉ 70
LARGE NIGER CANOES 72
THE TOMB OF HAMET BECKAY AT SAREDINA 76
SARAFÉRÉ 77
A MOSQUE AT TIMBUKTU 83
FATHER HACQUART 85
WE LEAVE KABARA 91
AT TIMBUKTU 92
DROVE OF OXEN 93
THE ‘AUBE’ AND HER CREW 95
INTERVIEW WITH ALUATTA 108
A LITTLE SLAVE GIRL OF RHERGO 109
TUAREGS AND SHERIFFS AT RHERGO 110
OUR PALAVER AT RHERGO 111
ARRIVAL AT THE VILLAGE OF RHERGO 113
TRADERS AT RHERGO 115
SO-CALLED SHERIFFS OF RHERGO 116
THE ‘DAVOUST’ AT ANCHOR OFF RHERGO 117
POLITICAL ANXIETIES 119
SAKHAUI’S ENVOYS 124
OUR COOLIES’ CAMP AT ZARHOI 127
OUR BICYCLE SUZANNE AMONGST THE TUAREGS 132
OUR PALAVER AT SAKHIB’S CAMP 133
THE VILLAGE OF GUNGI 135
OUR PEOPLE SHELLING OUR RICE AT GUNGI 137
SHERIFF’S HOUSE AT GUNGI 139
WEAVERS AT GUNGI 141
FATHER HACQUART AND HIS LITTLE FRIEND 143
LITTLE NEGROES AT EGUEDECHE 145
TAKING ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS 150
TOSAYE, WITH THE BAROR AND CHABAR ROCKS 151
THE ROCK BAROR AT TOSAYE 155
THE TADEMEKET ON A DUNE ON THE BANKS OF THE NIGER 159
PANORAMA OF GAO ON THE SITE OF THE ANCIENT GARO 169
PALAVER AT GAO 171
BORNU 180
BABA, WITH THE ROCKS ABOVE ANSONGO 181
THE KEL ES SUK OF ANSONGO REFUSE TO SUPPLY US WITH
GUIDES 183
DISTRIBUTION OF PRESENTS TO THE TUAREGS AT BURÉ 187
THE ‘DANTEC’ EXPLORING THE PASS 188
BURÉ 189
CANOES AT BURÉ 190
FLOCKS AND HERDS AT BURÉ 191
GUIDES GIVEN TO US BY IDRIS 192
PALAVER WITH DJAMARATA 195
TUAREGS 198
AN AMRI SHEPHERD 199
TUAREGS 203
A GROUP OF TUAREGS 208
TUAREGS 211
A TUAREG WOMAN 220
A TUAREG IN HIS NATIONAL COSTUME 223
TUAREGS 227
TUAREG HORSEMAN 232
MOORS AND TUAREGS 234
A YOUNG TUAREG 239
TUAREGS 245
AN AFRICAN CAMEL 249
AN ISOLATED TREE AT FAFA 250
FAFA 251
KARU WITH MILLET GRANARIES 252
THE LABEZENGA RAPIDS 253
THE ‘AUBE’ IN THE RAPIDS 258
THE ‘AUBE’ IN THE LAST LABEZENGA RAPID 262
LOOKING UP-STREAM FROM KATUGU 263
THE CHIEF OF AYURU 264
AN ISLAND BETWEEN AYURU AND KENDADJI 266
A ROCKY HILL NEAR KENDADJI 267
FARCA 274
OUR SINDER GUIDES 276
AT SANSAN-HAUSSA 279
THE BOBO RAPIDS 283
VIEW OF SAY 287
CANOES AT SAY 291
OUR GUIDES’ CANOE 294
THE ‘AUBE’ AT FORT ARCHINARD 295
VIEW OF OUR ISLAND AND OF THE SMALL ARM OF THE RIVER 297
FORT ARCHINARD 301
FORT ARCHINARD 303
OSMAN 305
PULLO KHALIFA 308
A TYPICAL KURTEYE 309
THE ARABU 310
A FEMALE TUAREG BLACKSMITH IN THE SERVICE OF IBRAHIM
GALADIO 315
REPAIRING THE ‘AUBE’ 319
OUR MARKET AT FORT ARCHINARD 321
MARKET AT FORT ARCHINARD 322
A YOUNG GIRL OF SAY 324
TYPICAL NATIVES AT THE FORT ARCHINARD MARKET 326
WOMEN OF SAY 330
FORT ARCHINARD 335
OUR COOLIES AT THEIR TOILETTE 338
A WOMAN OF SAY 340
A NATIVE WOMAN WITH GOITRE 342
A TOWER OF FORT ARCHINARD 346
THE MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION AT FORT ARCHINARD 349
OUR QUICK-FIRING GUN 355
NATIVES OF SAY 356
TALIBIA 360
TALIBIA 362
GALADIO’S GRANDSON 365
THE ‘DAVOUST’ IN HER DRY DOCK 370
TYPICAL MARKET WOMEN 375
THE MARKET AT FORT ARCHINARD 376
A WOMAN OF SAY 378
ENVOYS FROM THE CHIEF OF KIBTACHI 380
A COBBLER OF MOSSI 383
FORT ARCHINARD 385
A MARKET WOMAN 387
A FULAH WOMAN 389
LAUNCHING OF THE ‘AUBE’ AT SAY 392
TAYORO AND MODIBO KONNA 394
A YOUNG GIRL AT FORT ARCHINARD 396
THE BURNING OF FORT ARCHINARD 401
A YOUNG KURTEYE 402
NATIVES OF MALALI 403
ROCKY BANKS ABOVE KOMPA 405
A FOREST ON THE BANKS OF THE NIGER 407
THE BANKS OF THE NIGER NEAR KOMPA 409
OUR COOLIES WASHING THEIR CLOTHES 415
THE MARIGOT OR CREEK OF TENDA 418
GIRRIS 426
GIRRIS CANOES 431
OUR GUIDE AMADU 437
DJIDJIMA 441
THE NIGER BELOW RUPIA 443
A PALAVER 445
THE SO-CALLED NIGRITIAN, THE OLD PONTOON OF YOLA 446
VIEW OF BUSSA 447
NATIVES OF BUSSA 448
CANOES AT BUSSA 449
WOMEN OF BUSSA 450
WOMEN OF BUSSA 451
TRUMPETERS OF BUSSA 452
WOMEN OF BUSSA 455
AMONG THE RAPIDS 458
THE RAPIDS BELOW BUSSA 461
AMONG THE RAPIDS 463
GEBA 472
RABBA 477
IGGA 478
MOUNT RENNEL ABOVE LOKODJA 485
NATIVES OF AFRICA 497
MEDAL OF THE FRENCH SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
SCIENCE 501
MEDAL OF THE ‘SOCIÉTÉ D’ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE’ 503
MEDAL OF THE LYONS GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 505
MEDAL OF THE MARSEILLES GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 507
MEDAL OF THE CHER GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 509
NATIVES OF SANSAN HAUSSA 510
GRAND MEDAL OF THE PARIS SOCIETY OF COMMERCIAL
GEOGRAPHY 511

[Map]
 MARKET PLACE, ST. LOUIS.

T H E E X P L O R AT I O N O F T H E N I G E R