prise those who have followed in his footsteps. To zoology and botany he made serious contributions in spite of the difficulties attached to the collection and conveyance of specimens during forced marches and forced inactivity. Several newly described botanical species in Central Africa were named after him (Johnston, British Central Africa, pp. 90, 259, 271, 280). But above all stands Thomson's capacity of dealing with men. He passed through the midst of the most ferocious of African tribes when their hostility against the white man was at fever heat without firing a shot in self-defence or leaving anywhere a needless grave.
As literature Thomson's records of his explorations take a high place. Besides a novel, ‘Ulu’ (1888), a psychological study of the African mind, written in collaboration with his friend Miss E. Harris-Smith (Mrs. Calder), his independent publications were: ‘To the Central African Lakes and Back,’ 2 vols. 1881 (German translation, 1882); ‘Through Masai Land,’ 1885 (revised edit. 1887; German translation, 1885; French translation, 1886); ‘Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco,’ 1889; and ‘Mungo Park and the Niger,’ 1890, in the series of ‘World's Great Explorers and Explorations,’ edited by Messrs. Keltie, Mackinder, and Ravenstein.
Thomson's other literary work figured in periodicals. The chief of his articles are: ‘The Origin of the Permian Basin of Thornhill’ (‘Trans. of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Nat. Hist. Soc.,’ 1879). ‘Notes on a Glacial Deposit near Thornhill’ (‘Trans. of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Nat. Hist. Soc.,’ 1879). ‘Notes on the Geology of Usambara’ (‘Proc. of Roy. Geogr. Soc.,’ September 1879, n.s. vol. i.). ‘Notes on the Route taken by the Royal Geographical Society's East African Expedition from Dar-es-Salaam to Uhehe’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc.’ February 1880, n.s. vol. ii.). ‘A Trip to the Mountains of Usambara’ (‘Good Words,’ 1880). ‘Toiling by Tanganyika,’ two articles (‘Good Words,’ 1881). ‘Journey of the Society's East African Expedition’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Society,’ December 1880, n.s. vol. ii.). ‘Notes on the Geology of East Central Africa’ (‘Nature,’ 1881). ‘Notes on the Basin of the River Rovuma, East Africa’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc.,’ February 1882, n.s. vol. iv.). ‘Adventures on the Rovuma’ (‘Good Words,’ 1882). ‘On the Geographical Evolution of the Tanganyika Basin’ (‘Brit. Assoc. Report,’ 1882). ‘Report on the Progress of the Society's Expedition to Victoria Nyanza’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc.,’ December 1883, n.s. vol. v.). ‘Through the Masai Country to Victoria Nyanza’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc.,’ December 1884, n.s. vol. vi.). ‘Sketch of a Trip to Sokoto by the River Niger’ (‘Journal of the Manchester Geogr. Soc.,’ 1886, vol. ii.). ‘Niger and Central Sûdan Sketches’ (‘Scottish Geogr. Magazine,’ October 1886, vol. ii.). ‘Up the Niger to the Central Sûdan’ (‘Good Words,’ January, February, April, and May 1886). ‘East Central Africa and its Commercial Outlook’ (‘Scottish Geogr. Magazine,’ February 1886, vol. ii.). ‘Note on the African Tribes of the British Empire’ (‘Jour. of the Anthrop. Institute,’ vol. xvi.). ‘Mohammedanism in Central Africa’ (‘Contemporary Review,’ 1886). ‘A Masai Adventure’ (‘Good Words,’ 1888). ‘East Africa as it was and is’ (‘Contemporary Review,’ 1889). ‘A Journey to Southern Morocco and the Atlas Mountains’ (‘Proc. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc.,’ January 1889, n.s. vol. xi.). ‘How I reached my Highest Point in the Atlas’ (‘Good Words,’ 1889). ‘Explorations in the Atlas Mountains’ (‘Scottish Geogr. Magazine,’ April 1889, vol. v.). ‘How I crossed Masai Land’ (‘Scribner's Magazine,’ 1889). ‘Some Impressions of Morocco and the Moors’ (‘Manchester Geogr. Magazine,’ 1889, vol. v.). ‘Downing Street versus Chartered Companies’ (‘Fortnightly Review,’ 1890). ‘The Results of European Intercourse with Africa’ (‘Contemporary Review,’ 1890). ‘A Central Sûdan Town’ (Harper's ‘Magazine,’ 1892). ‘The Uganda Problem’ (‘Contemporary Review,’ 1892). ‘To Lake Bangweolo and the Unexplored Region of British Central Africa’ (‘Geogr. Journal,’ February 1893, vol. i.).
[Thomson's Works; Life (with portraits), by James Baird Thomson (the explorer's brother), 1896; personal recollections.]
THOMSON, KATHARINE (1797–1862), miscellaneous writer, born in 1797, was the seventh daughter of Thomas Byerley of Etruria, Staffordshire, a nephew by marriage and sometime partner and manager of the pottery works of Josiah Wedgwood [q. v.] The Byerley family were descended from Colonel Anthony Byerley of Midridge Grange, Durham, who commanded a regiment under the Marquis of Newcastle during the civil war, and died in 1667. Colonel Anthony was father of Robert Byerley (1660–1714), member of parliament for Durham in 1685 and in the Convention of 1689, and for Knaresborough in nine successive parliaments from 1697 to 1710. This Robert married Mary, daughter of Philip Wharton and great-niece of Philip, fourth lord Wharton (hence the pseudonym latterly assumed by Mrs. Thomson and her son).
