Excerpt from Progress of the African Mission: Consisting of Messrs. Richardson, Barth, and Overweg, to Central Africa
This expedition is under the direction of Mr. James Richardson (well known from his travels in the northern portion of the Great Sahra in 1845 and 1846), who is directed by the English Government to proceed to Tripoli, and thence across the Sahra to the Bilad el Sudan or Negroland as far as lake Chad, for the purpose of concluding commercial treaties with the chiefs of the countries he is to visit. Dr. Barth and Dr. Overweg, two Germans, accompany him for the purpose of making scientific observations, with the express sanction of the English Government, and upon the special recommendation of the Geographical Society at Berlin, and His Excellency the Chevalier Bunsen. After having thoroughly explored lake Chad and the surrounding country, Mr. Richardson will return northwards to Tripoli, on the direct Bornu route, while the two German travellers intend commencing the more difficult part of their journey, crossing the Line on their way to Mombas (Mombasah). The entire journey, if made in a direct line, will exceed the distance from Tripoli to the Cape of Good Hope.
On the 8th December, 1849, Dr. Barth and Dr. Overweg went in the steamer from Marseilles to Philippeville, in Algeria, where they landed on the 11th. In Tunis, which they reached on the 14th, they made various purchases of cloth and other objects necessary for their travels, and engaged as servant a negro from the Bilad el Sudan (between Sakatu and Bornu), who speaks Arabic, Italian, and French fluently, besides the language of his own country. From Tunis they proceeded to Tripoli, partly by land and partly by sea, where they arrived before Mr. Richardson. The time they had to wait for the latter gentleman, was usefully employed in preparations for the journey, and in an excursion to the mountainous region south of Tripoli. This region, which was explored by the travellers from the 2nd to the 24th February, 1850, lies about 50 miles S. of Tripoli, and extends 150 miles in a direction from W. S. W. to E. N. E. It does not form a separate range of mountains, but is rather the northern edge of a great tableland, the average elevation of which is from 2000 to 5000 feet above the level of the sea.
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