exploration] AFRICA 133 sand crossed a previously unexplored tract between the lake and to a certain extent supplemented by astronomical observations the Lower Sobat. In 1899 Blundell, Lovat, &c., traversed the dis- which may give fairly correct latitudes, but which are rarely to be tricts south of the Blue Nile, while Donaldson Smith crossed from trusted as determining longitudes with close accuracy. Berbera to the Nile by Lake Rudolf in 1899-1900. The countries in which exact topographical work by means of In North Africa the last decade of the 19th century was triangulation has been executed are very few, being limited to not marked by great activity. The Sahara was crossed in 1892 Algeria and Tunis ; parts of Egypt and the Italian _ . from Lake Chad to ■ Tripoli during the latter part of sphere on the Red Sea ; the greater part of Cape Colony, Tf',an^uIass North Monteil’s journey (to be spoken of later); but in spite of and some portions of Natal and British South Africa. tion' Africa. the persevering efforts of the French to open a route Even the results of these surveys have not yet been published from Algeria to the Sudan success was not attained until 1899, in full as maps. In Egypt a survey department has lately been when M. Foureau, who year after year had returned to the task, formed, and triangulation is proceeding at a satisfactory rate. succeeded in reaching Zinder, afterwards joining Gentil south of The geodetic survey of Cape Colony is now being extended over Lake Chad and returning by the Congo. In the Algerian Sahara British South Africa, work having been begun in 1897. It is surveys have been executed, partly in connexion with political hoped to carry the triangulation northwards along the 30th merimovements, by Flamand, Germain, Laperrine, &c. In Southern dian to Lake langanyika, and thence with German co-operation Morocco the Tafilet oasis was reached in 1893 by a new route to the Nile, and eventually down that river to Egypt. In Equaacross the Atlas by W. B. Harris. In the western Sahara, the torial Africa the most accurate and most valuable triangulation attempts of the Spaniards and French to penetrate inland met yet carried out is that of Captain G. E. Smith, R.E., who, while enwith little success until Adrar was reached (1900) by Blanchet. gaged in road-making in British East Africa, executed a survey In the western Sudan the same period was one of great activity between the coast and the Victoria Nyanza, extending from Mounts from the Senegal to the Lower Niger and Lake Chad. In 1887-89 Kilimanjaro and Meru in the south to Kenya and Elgon in the Captain Binger made a great journey through the north. In addition to these triangulated areas fairly accurate French Mandingo countries to Kong, and thence, after a tour surveys have been executed along certain lines, such as international West to the north-east as far as Wagadugu, to the coast of boundaries and the tracks of railways. Among the former are the Africa. Guinea. In 1890-92 Monteil made his way east across Anglo-German boundaries in East Africa from the coast to the bend of the Niger to Say, and thence to Lake Chad and Kilimanjaro and on the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau ; the region of Tripoli. After the—French^occupation of Timbuktu L a iiix ^ 1.1 IV surveys V VsJ O in XIX that UXIO/U the Anglo - Portuguese boundary in South-East Africa; and the region were executed by Lieutenants Hourst, Bluzet, &c., and a Anglo-French boundary behind Sierra Leone ; while the most system of lakes communicating with the Niger was disclosed. After extensive railway survey, apart from the older colonies, is that from the east coast to the Victoria Nyanza. The mapping of other parts of the continent on the basis of route surveys and astronomical observations is of very varying quality. Of large-scale maps of separate European possessions the best have been supplied by the Germans, based on who have undertaken a complete map of German East route Africa on the scale of •j-trcnnro-1 The southern part of surve Togoland has been mapped by P. Sprigade on the scale ysan d the northern, with adjoining areas, on that of X7;iJ Maps of all the German possessions on the scale of are given in Langhans’ Colonial Atlas, and the whole area of the Congo State has been shown on the same scale by M. Wauters in the Mouyement Geographique. The best maps dealing with the whole continent are those of the French u Service geographique de 1 armee, on the scale of -grnjTtnj-^ ! und of Habenicht, issued by the German firm of Perthes, on that of firroinni' A movement for the better mapping of Africa was set on foot in 1895 by General E. F. Chapman, who brought the subject "^proved before the International Geographical Congress, which rnet^0(ls. Sketch Map of West Africa. met that year in London. It was suggested that good results would follow from the mapping by travellers of areas rather than the conquest of Dahomey, Say was reached from that side in 1895 routes, and from the accurate determination of certain points in by Decoeur and Toutee, both of whom added to our knowledge of the unsurveyed to form a framework for the whole. For the Middle Niger, but moi’e important results were obtained by the latter objectportions the numerous lines of telegraph now being laid Hourst, who, leaving Timbuktu in January 1896, descended the down will afford great and something has already been river to the sea in spite of the dangerous rapids. The southern done towards obtainingfacilities, accurate longitudes by such means. The parts of the French Sudan have since been traversed by Baud, following were determined in this way in 1898-99 :— Alby, Bretonnet, and others, and the interior of the Ivory Coast and parts of Liberia by Marchand, Hostains, Blondiaux, &c. Point Fixed. Observers. Method. Longitude. East of the Middle Niger the expeditions of Cazemajou, and of Bulawayo .. Signals exchanged Youlet and Chanoine, have had disastrous results. with Cape Town Not published In the British colonies, in addition to the work of various bound- Umtali Capt. Watheystone I ,, ,, 32 40 18 E. ary commissions, the Gold Coast Hinterland has been penetrated Telegraph clearing Anglo-German | ,, „ 34 1(3 54 E. 1' 6" west of as ar as Boundary Com| British and shown ^ rea^ambaga and Mosi. The Germans have Nkata B., Nyasa mission Col. Talbot, Major j Signals exchanged 1 32 29 42‘5 E. German g t activity in the adjoining Togoland terri- Oindurman tor (Khalifa’s ho.) Austin, Capt. j with Cairo West y> the interior being explored (1887-93) by Wolf, Lyons Africa.
on Framjois, Kling, Biittner, and others, while in Goz Abu Guma Col. Talbot, Major ! Signals exchanged 32 41 37-5 E. 1894-95 Drs Gruner and Doering pushed north (simul(White Nile) Austin ) with Omdurman I taneously with the French expedition of Decoeur) through Gurma Wad Medani (Blue Lieuts. Gwynn and j 33 31 36-5 to Say, returning through Borgu, visited shortly before by Captain Nile) Jackson Lugard on behalf of the British Niger Company. East of the Niger Roseires 34 24 51 the Benue and districts on each side have been surveyed by Macdonald (1890), and more recently by Clive, Moseley, Hewby, &c. Trade and Communications. Irans-continental journeys not yet spoken of include those of Versepuy and De Romans, 1895-96 (Uganda, Lake Albert Edward, Apart from the north and south temperate regions Trans=con~ -^<iuat°rial forest, Congo) ; A. B. Lloyd, a missionary, the commercial intercourse of Africa with the rest of the a tinental (^7 somewhat similar route) ; Foa, 1897 world has, for the size of the continent, remained journeys. (Nyasaland, Tanganyika, Congo); andNile). Grogan,By18991900 (Zambezi, central line of lakes, the until the present day of quite insignificant pron last-named the whole length of the continent from end to end was portions. In addition to slaves-, which have for the first time traversed. I he area of land accurately mapped in Africa is probably less been furnished by the continent from the earliest times, a than in any other continent. Although few extensive districts certain amount of gold and ivory has long been exported Mapping remaan °f which the general features are not now known, from the tropical regions, but no other product has of Africa. ^ie cart°graphy of by far the greater part of the conti- supplied the material for a flourishing trade with those . nent is based merely on route surveys, carried out 1 during more or less rapid journeys, which leave out of consideraThe first accurate large-scale map of East Africa as a whole was tion the intervening stretches of country. Such route surveys are compiled by Mr Ravenstein for the R.G.S. (1882).
