LADY EXPLORER RETURNS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 18, 15 July 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

LADY EXPLORER RETURNS

ROMANTIC ADVENTURES. After a romantic but perilous journey of 4000 miles into the heart of the African continent, Miss Olive MacLeod, daughter of Sir Reginald MacLeod, late Permanent Under-Secretary for Scotland, landed at Plymouth from the West African mail steamer Dakar. The intrepid traveller has faced difficulties and dangers in territory never before entered by a white woman, and in the course of her expedition she visited the grave of her sweetheart, Lieut. Boyd Alexander, the" well-known explorer, who was treacherously murdered in Central Africa in May of last year by natives of Wadai, with whom the French were at war.

I was the only pressman to board the Dakar on arrival (says the Daily Chronicle representative) and Miss MacLeod kindly favored me with an interesting account of her adventures.

Gentle, unassuming and retiring, Miss MacLeod did not look the part of a daring explorer who has attracted the attention of three continents; yet there was a look of calm confidence and sound judgment, keen nerve and any amount of resource stamped on the bronzed young face.

After an affectionate meeting with the members of her family, Miss MacLeod almost pounced on me as 1 came on board. She -ad been looking out for a man from the Zoo to take charge of some lion cubs which she intended to present to the Zoological Gardens. "You have come for the lions, haven't you?" she exclaimed, but when I explained my mission she gaily exclaimed, "Well, the lions will have to come along with us to London."

Miss MacLeod explained that her only White companions in the expedition were Mr. P. A. Talbot, one of the District Commissioners in Nigeria, and his wife. Their attendants numbered about 80. On their arrival at the mouth of the Niger, the Government stern-wheel steamer, and afterwards steel canoes, were utilised to go up the river and its great tributary, the Benue. After going through Southern and Northern Nigeria, the travellers traversed North Kamerun, and reached French Übangi in October. After a great reception by Lamudo at Lere, a successful attempt was mode to find the falls on the Mao Kabi, which, oy the testimony of French officials and natives, had never been actually seen before, though Commandant Lenfant penetrated to within a short distance. Miss MacLeod said she felt very much honored by the French authorities asking for permission to name the fans "Lea Chutes MacLeod." The approach to the falls was very nasty going and involved a good deal of arduous climbing owing to the steepness of the cliffs. A good deal of swamp country ha<Lto be crossed, and for several hours the travellers had to wade knee deep.

After mapping this part of the river, the party said Miss MacLeod, proceeded through the Tuburi Lakes, and down the Logone to Fort Lamy, which was reached at a time of great stress, as the news of the massacre of Colonel Moll and his troops 200 miles away had onlv just been received. The expedition paid a vutt to Tehekna, the scat of the* in dependent Sovereign of the Bagirimi and then proceeded down the Sakri to Uxlce Chad.

"A short excursion was here made" said Miss MacLeod, "to the north to vis!t the rocks of Hadj-el-Hamis. These arer extraordinarily picturesque, and are oli > ve ° 6ratwn *or hundreds of miles, even to Mecca, as the spot on which Noah's Ark finally rested. The highest *" k ■»" "cended, though the notices glared th» to be an impossible and one never before attempted." Jake Chad was then crossed in Kotoko canoes. This took eight davs five ■IL th W6re Sp€nt * ithout Aof Sf I } °?™ y in frail »«w canoe. was a hazardous one, more esneciX tl the travellers were stormlunTo ?t£ nights, and had to tie up to clumns of mamosa-Uke scrub whicl? the shallow water.

"On reaching the Northern Nigerian shore at Kana Bag* the journey wis Kino. Here the railway Was taken to T S I V°" r , part - V bpin * the «»t through travellers by this route." >- ,r °"?fl Miss MacLeod stated that the digi tance of 3700 miles was covered in Africa, and, with the exception o the '•ailway. the whole journey was made on foot or on horseback. Four months were pawed in foreign terrtSrTaS tho grater part of the route Veen wm unknown to Britishers. hpeatang „f ] ler eX pe rient , e ith th I litlf u e ne r er experienced the difficulty with them, although many of the tribes we visited were «'!<. and contained people the great majority of whom were little known* (eitainly hn.l never seen a white woman, ' V , r "!!, n . W "- v ' b,,t afte "vards «p&? "«"***» •»««*» „ ,?f lth « enem "y was good," she «S SatY e *T t ,° Uch °* 'beinj all that I can lay claim to. Mrs TalTa hn? 8 BOt , S ° whilst Mr. ! V n u «ky. Once he had a nasty fall a„d lnjured flis y and ft W C |- t,D,e a T ke »«"* in hi *ie and nurt h lm a good deal „ J re9,,!t ,,° f thfi expedition, Miss MacLeod was able to make close studies of the various people, and obtain particulars of the little-known tribes of l-rench Central Africa and of the Buduma of Lake Chad. Much information was obtained as to their habits and customs, whilst detailed drawings were mado of the interior of native houses and of specimens of primitive art, of which there were specially interesting examples at Musgum, on the Logone, and at Gabai, in Bornu.

During her journey Miss MacLeod collected a large number of curios, which included many quaint musical instruments, whilst typical examples of music were taken down. A botany collection of several thousand specimens, including grasses, had been sent to the British Museum, and also a number of birds, beasts and reptiles. Miss MacLeod hopes to embody the results of her expedition in papers to be brought before a number of learned societies. Miss MacLeod paid a. high tribute to Mr. T. A. Talbot, on whom, she said, the responsibility of the expedition rested. Mr. Talbot has had considerable experience as an African traveller. He was Assistant Commissioner on the Liberian Boundary Commission in 1902, and was a member of the first and second British parties that crossed Lake Chad.