第 四十四 章 · Conclusion.—The Certificate.—The French Settlements.—The Post of

. Conclusion.—The Certificate.—The French Settlements.—The Post of

Medina.—The Basilic.—Saint Louis.—The English Frigate.—The Return to

London.

The expedition upon the bank of the river had been sent by the governor

of Senegal. It consisted of two officers, Messrs. Dufraisse, lieutenant

of marines, and Rodamel, naval ensign, and with these were a sergeant

and seven soldiers. For two days they had been engaged in reconnoitring

the most favorable situation for a post at Gouina, when they became

witnesses of Dr. Ferguson’s arrival.

The warm greetings and felicitations of which our travellers were the

recipients may be imagined. The Frenchmen, and they alone, having had

ocular proof of the accomplishment of the daring project, naturally

became Dr. Ferguson’s witnesses. Hence the doctor at once asked them to

give their official testimony of his arrival at the cataracts of

Gouina.

“You would have no objection to signing a certificate of the fact,

would you?” he inquired of Lieutenant Dufraisse.

“At your orders!” the latter instantly replied.

The Englishmen were escorted to a provisional post established on the

bank of the river, where they found the most assiduous attention, and

every thing to supply their wants. And there the following certificate

was drawn up in the terms in which it appears to-day, in the archives

of the Royal Geographical Society of London:

“We, the undersigned, do hereby declare that, on the day herein

mentioned, we witnessed the arrival of Dr. Ferguson and his two

companions, Richard Kennedy and Joseph Wilson, clinging to the cordage

and network of a balloon, and that the said balloon fell at a distance

of a few paces from us into the river, and being swept away by the

current was lost in the cataracts of Gouina. In testimony whereof, we

have hereunto set our hands and seals beside those of the persons

hereinabove named, for the information of all whom it may concern.

“Done at the Cataracts of Gouina, on the 24th of May, 1862.

“(Signed),

“SAMUEL FERGUSON

“RICHARD KENNEDY,

“JOSEPH WILSON,

“DUFRAISSE, _Lieutenant of Marines_,

“RODAMEL, _Naval Ensign_,

“DUFAYS, _Sergeant_,

“FLIPPEAU, MAYOR, PELISSIER, LOROIS, RASCAGNET, GUILLON, LEBEL,

_Privates_.”

Here ended the astonishing journey of Dr. Ferguson and his brave

companions, as vouched for by undeniable testimony; and they found

themselves among friends in the midst of most hospitable tribes, whose

relations with the French settlements are frequent and amicable.

They had arrived at Senegal on Saturday, the 24th of May, and on the

27th of the same month they reached the post of Medina, situated a

little farther to the north, but on the river.

There the French officers received them with open arms, and lavished

upon them all the resources of their hospitality. Thus aided, the

doctor and his friends were enabled to embark almost immediately on the

small steamer called the _Basilic_, which ran down to the mouth of the

river.

Two weeks later, on the 10th of June, they arrived at Saint Louis,

where the governor gave them a magnificent reception, and they

recovered completely from their excitement and fatigue.

Besides, Joe said to every one who chose to listen:

“That was a stupid trip of ours, after all, and I wouldn’t advise any

body who is greedy for excitement to undertake it. It gets very

tiresome at the last, and if it hadn’t been for the adventures on Lake

Tchad and at the Senegal River, I do believe that we’d have died of

yawning.”

An English frigate was just about to sail, and the three travellers

procured passage on board of her. On the 25th of June they arrived at

Portsmouth, and on the next day at London.

We will not describe the reception they got from the Royal Geographical

Society, nor the intense curiosity and consideration of which they

became the objects. Kennedy set off, at once, for Edinburgh, with his

famous rifle, for he was in haste to relieve the anxiety of his

faithful old housekeeper.

The doctor and his devoted Joe remained the same men that we have known

them, excepting that one change took place at their own suggestion.

They ceased to be master and servant, in order to become bosom friends.

The journals of all Europe were untiring in their praises of the bold

explorers, and the _Daily Telegraph_ struck off an edition of three

hundred and seventy-seven thousand copies on the day when it published

a sketch of the trip.

Doctor Ferguson, at a public meeting of the Royal Geographical Society,

gave a recital of his journey through the air, and obtained for himself

and his companions the golden medal set apart to reward the most

remarkable exploring expedition of the year 1862.

The first result of Dr. Ferguson’s expedition was to establish, in the

most precise manner, the facts and geographical surveys reported by

Messrs. Barth, Burton, Speke, and others. Thanks to the still more

recent expeditions of Messrs. Speke and Grant, De Heuglin and

Muntzinger, who have been ascending to the sources of the Nile, and

penetrating to the centre of Africa, we shall be enabled ere long to

verify, in turn, the discoveries of Dr. Ferguson in that vast region

comprised between the fourteenth and thirty-third degrees of east

longitude.