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