Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/230

 Richardson, Earth, and Overweg, desirous of pushing their researches farther, went to Tunis and Tripoli, like their predecessors, and penetrated to Mourzouk, the capital of Fezzan. They then quitted the direct line of march and made a detour to the west, towards Ghat, guided, and not without difficulty, by the Touaregs. After undergoing a thousand perils and attacks, their caravan arrived, in October, at the great oasis of the Asben. Here Doctor Earth separated himself from his companions and made an excursion to the town of Aghades. Rejoining the expedition, it marched again on the I2th December, and having reached the province of Damaghou, the three travelers separated. Earth took the route to Kano, where he eventually arrived in safety, thanks to his indomitable patience and the payment of considerable tribute.

In spite of a severe attack of fever, he quitted Kano on the 7th of March, accompanied only by one servant. The principal aim of his journey was to explore Lake Tchad, from which he was distant 350 miles. He advanced, therefore, in an easterly direction, and reached Zouricolo, in the Bornou, which town is the capital of the great central empire of Africa.

It was there that he heard of Richardson's death caused by fatigue and privation. Passing on, he reached Kouka, the capital of Bornou, situated on the Lake. At length, after a further period of three weeks, on the I4th of April, twelve months and a half after quitting Tripoli, he arrived at the town of Ngornou.

We find him once more in company with Overweg, starting on the 29th March, 1851, to visit the kingdom of Adamaon, at the south side of the Lake. He succeeded in reaching Yola, a little below the 9th degree of North latitude. That was the extreme southerly point reached by this intrepid traveler.

In August he returned to Kouka, thence he reached in succession Mandara, Berghimi, and Kanem, attaining his eastern limit at Mazena in 17° 20′ W. long.

In November, 1852, after the death of Overweg, his latest companion, he plunged into the west, visited Sockoto, crossed the Niger, and finally arrived at Timbuctoo, where he was obliged to languish for eight tedious months, exposed to incessant annoyance by the sheik, to ill-treatment,