The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Flegel, Eduard Robert

FLEGEL, flā'gel, Eduard Robert, German traveler: b. Vilna, Russia, 1 Oct. 1855; d. Brass, mouth of the Niger, 11 Sept. 1886. He received a commercial education and in 1875 was employed by a company at Tagos, West Africa. Four years later he surveyed the Benue River, penetrating about 125 miles beyond the farthest point hitherto explored. The German African Society commissioned him to explore the entire Benue district and in 1880 he ascended the Niger to Gomba, and secured a permit from the sultan at Sokoto for an expedition to Adamawa. In 1882 he discovered the source of the Benue at Ngaundere. In 1883-84 he led another expedition up the Benue, visited Europe in the latter year and returned with a commission from the German African Company to open the Niger-Benue district to German trade. Flegel arrived to find that the district had been taken over by the English Niger Company. Although very ill he attempted the ascent of the Benue, but turned back at Yola and died soon after arriving at the coast. He wrote 'Lose Blätter aus dem Tagebuche meiner Haussafreunde' (Hamburg 1885); &lsquo;Vom Niger-Benue; Briefe aus Afrika&rsquo; (Leipzig 1890).