演讲在热烈的掌声中结束——介绍弗格森·弗格森博士——“Excelsior” ——博士的风貌——彻头彻尾的宿命论者——“旅行者俱乐部”的晚宴——不失时机的频频祝酒
1862年1月14日， 滑铁卢广场13号，伦敦皇家地理学会的一次会议上，听众如云。 学会主席弗朗西斯·M××爵士在向他可敬的同行们作一场重要的学术报告。他的话常常被阵阵掌声打断。爵士最后用几句慷慨激昂的话结束了这次少有的动人演讲。这几句话中洋溢着无比饱满的爱国主义：
“英国一直领先于世界各国（因为大家已注意到，国家的前进总是有前有后），这完全是英国旅行家在地理探险中的大无畏精神所至（全场发出赞同声）。弗格森·弗格森博士，就是英国光荣儿女中的一位。他是不会辜负祖国的重托的（四处响起附和声：不会的！不会的！）。这次尝试假如成功（会成功的！），就能把我们在非洲地图学方面零散的基本知识补充完整，使之成为一体。不过如果失败了（决不会！决不会！），至少也将作为人类最大胆的设想之一而永存（全场狂热顿足）！”
“乌拉！乌拉！”这番撩人心动的话使得群情激奋，齐声高呼。
“无畏的弗格森万岁！”一位极度动情的听众不由地喊叫道。
热情的欢呼声四起，众人异口同声地发出弗格森的名字，整个会议厅被震得抖动起来。我们有充分理由相信，经过英国人的嗓门呼喊，弗格森这个名字将更受人尊敬了。
这儿许多人曾是大胆的探险家。好动的天性使得他们多么想走遍世界的五大洲！不过他们虽人数众多，却都老了，疲惫了。所有的人在肉体上、精神上或多或少地逃脱过一次次死亡的威胁：海上失事、火灾、印地安人的战斧、野人的棍棒、酷刑、波利尼西亚人①的捕食。 不过，当弗朗西斯·M××爵士演讲时，他们的心仍然禁不住地怦怦跳起来。要知道，这场演说肯定是伦敦皇家地理学会有史以来最为精彩的。
①中太平洋的群岛，意为“多岛群岛”，主要包括夏威夷群岛，汤加群岛等。
但是在英国，热情不仅仅停留在口头上。用它铸造钱币比“皇家造币厂”的铸币机来得还要快。会议过程中，立即表决通过了给弗格森博士一笔促进活动金，且数目高达2500英镑（即62500法郎） 。这么一大笔款子恰恰说明这项事业有多么重要。
一位学会成员向主席打了个招呼，询问是否能把弗格森博士正式介绍给大家。
“博士在听候大家的吩咐。”弗朗西斯·M××爵士答道。
“让他进来！让他进来！”人们高呼，“应该亲眼见见这位杰出、勇敢的人！”
“这个探险主张令人难以置信，也许只是骗骗我们罢了！”一位身体中风的老船长说。
“也许，弗格森博士根本就不存在！”一个人恶意地叫道。
“那就该把他虚构出来！”这个严肃的学会中一位爱开玩笑的会员答道。
“请弗格森博士进来吧。”弗朗西斯·M××爵士爽快地说。
于是，博士在雷鸣般的掌声中从容不迫地步入大厅，丝毫不露声色。
这是位四十岁左右的男子，中等身材，体格平常，过于红润的面容显露出多血质的特征。他神色镇定，相貌端正，脸上长着一个大鼻子。人类巨轮船头般的这个鼻子就像天生为探险而生的。慈祥的眼睛里闪烁着勇敢，更多是智慧的光芒，他的容貌产生一种强大的魔力。他的双臂很长，双脚以大步行家特有的平稳牢牢地踩在大地上。
博士的整个外貌显露出安静与严肃。他怎么能是那种干最无知的欺骗勾当的人呢，谁都不会对他有这种想法。
因此，直到弗格森博士用友好的手势请大家安静时，叫好声和掌声才平息下来。他向为他作自我介绍准备的安乐椅走去，随后，站在那儿一动不动，目光炯炯有神地凝视会场。只见他举起右手，食指指向空中，张开口，只说了一个字：
“Excelsior！”
绝了！无论布赖特①和科布登②国会上的意外质询，还是帕斯顿公爵为加固英国峭壁海防工事申请特别资金，都从未获得过如此欢迎。其热烈程度超过弗朗西斯·M××爵士的演讲， 甚至更高。博士表现得既高尚、伟大，又谦虚、审慎。他刚才说了一个很合时宜的字：
①1811—1889，英国自由党的家，以雄辩著称。
②1804—1865，英国家，下院议员。
“Excelsior③！”
③拉丁语，意思是高尚的，不断向上的。
老船长折服了，转而坚决地站到这位外来人一边。他请求把弗格森的演说“完整地” 刊登在 “the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society ofLondon”《伦敦皇家地理学会会报》上。
这位博士到底是何许人？他打算投身于什么事业？
年轻的弗格森，父亲是英国海运业一名正直的船长。在弗格森很小的时候，船长就让儿子跟他一同体验他那种职业生涯中危险的滋味和冒险的乐趣。这个可爱的孩子似乎从来不知道害怕，很快就显示出头脑灵活，善于思考，无比钟情于科学事业的长处。此外，他还表现出了摆脱困境的非凡才智。他从未被难住过，甚至初次用叉子吃饭时就显得很老练。大家都清楚，一般说来孩子们很少一开始就会用叉子的。
对冒险和航海探险之类书籍的阅读很快燃起了他的幻想。他执迷地关注起十九世纪初期的那些重要发现。他梦想获得蒙戈·帕克①、布鲁斯②、卡耶③、勒瓦杨获得的那种荣誉。哪怕获得少许塞尔扣克④那种鲁滨逊式的荣誉，他觉得也不坏。他与塞尔扣克一起在胡安·费尔南德斯岛上度过了多少时光啊！他常常赞成这位被抛弃的水手的看法，有时也对他的计划和设计提出异议。年青的弗格森认为，如果换了他，他会采取别的做法，那样或许更好，起码干得不会赖！然而，事情明摆着，如果换了他，决不会躲避开那个令人非常快乐的小岛的。在那儿，他会快活得像一个没有臣民的君王……。即使叫他当海军部大臣，也决不离开！
①1771—约1806，苏格兰探险家，曾到尼日儿河探险，着有《非洲内地旅行》一书。
②1730—1794，苏格兰探险家，1790年出版《尼罗河源头探行记》。
③1799—约1838，法国探险家，访问廷巴图克后生还的第一位欧洲人。
④1676—1721，苏格兰水手，海盗，因与船长争吵而在胡安·费尔南德斯群岛中的马萨铁拉岛逗留了5年。他是笛福所着《鲁滨逊漂流记》中主人公的原型。
可以想象得到，弗格森年青时代在世界各地进行冒险活动期间，他的这些倾向发展到了什么地步。弗格森的父亲是位有见识的人，自然不会忽略发展孩子敏捷的智力。他让儿子认真学习了水文学、物理学和力学，此外，又附带让他学了一点儿植物学、医学和天文学方面的知识。
可敬的船长去世时，弗格森·弗格森22岁，但是已经周游了世界。他曾加入过孟加拉工程兵部队，而且在好多次战斗中立功。然而，他对这种军人生活并不满意。他不愿意指挥别人，也不喜欢别人对他吆三喝四。他提出了退役。而后，他边打猎，边采集植物，重新登程去印度半岛北方旅行。从加尔哥答到苏拉特，他穿越了整个半岛。对他来说，这不过是旅行爱好者的一次平常散步而已。
在苏拉特，我们看见他动身去了澳大利亚。1845年，他在那里参加了斯特尔特①船长的远征探险队，这支探险队受委托寻找人们猜想存在于新荷兰②中部的那个内陆海。
①1759—1869， 澳大利亚探险家， 着有《深入澳大利亚南部的两次探险》和《澳大利亚中部探险记》。
②澳大利亚的旧名。
弗格森·弗格森在1850年前后返回英国，而且比以往任何时候都更着魔于旅行探险。他又去远征队陪同麦克·鲁尔船长一起从白令海峡环绕美洲大陆到达费尔韦尔角③。这次远征直到1853年才告结束。
③位于新西兰。
不管什么样的劳顿困苦，无论气候如何恶劣，弗格森的体质居然不可思议地抵挡得住。甚至在一无所有的最恶劣环境中，他也能生活得悠然自得。他是那类地道的旅行家：胃可以任意收缩、扩张；腿可以按临时床铺的长短蜷屈伸展；白天随时可以入睡，晚间随时能醒来。
因此，我们发现这位永不知疲倦的旅行家，在施拉京特魏特兄弟的陪同下，从1855到1857年访问了的整个西部地区，并且带回一些稀奇的人种学方面的观察报告，也就不足为怪了。
在这几次旅游期间，弗格森·弗格森成了《每日电信报》最活跃、最引人注目的通信员。这家报纸很便宜，一便士就能买一份。该报的日发行量虽高达14万份，不过仅勉强满足数万读者的需要而已。所以，尽管弗格森博士不是任何学者团体的成员，既不是伦敦、巴黎、柏林、维也纳或圣·彼得堡皇家地理学会成员，也不是旅行者俱乐部的成员，更不是皇家工艺学会成员（他的朋友统计学家科克伯恩是该会头面人物），他的名字仍然为人熟知。有一天，他的这位学者朋友逗他寻开心，甚至要他解答这么一个问题：已知博士环绕地球走过的里数，由于半径不同，问他的头比脚多行多少里路？或者说已知博士的脚和头经过的里数，精确算出他的身高，误差不超过1法寸（1法寸约合2.25毫米）。但是，弗格森对那些学者团体总是敬而远之。因为他是埋头实干、不愿多言的人，他认为把时间用于探索和发现比争来论去、高谈阔论强得多。
据说，一天一位英国人特意来日内瓦观赏日内瓦湖。他上了一辆老式马车，这种车像公共马车一样，座位在车内的两侧。无巧不成书，我们这位英国人恰恰被安排坐在背对湖的一侧。车稳稳地绕湖一圈，这期间他甚至就没想到扭回头去瞧一眼，最后，竟然还高高兴兴地离开日内瓦湖回伦敦了。
弗格森博士在旅行期间却回过头，而且还不止一次。正因为如此，他才看到了许多东西。再说，这也是他的天性所至。我们有充分理由相信他有点宿命论思想。其实他就是位彻头彻尾的宿命论者。他相信命运，甚至相信天意。他觉得自己与其说是被吸引，倒不如说是被某种力量驱使，去旅行和周游世界的。就像一辆火车头，不是自己引着自己走，而是道路领着走。
“我是不赶路的，是路在赶我。”他常常这样说。所以，难怪他那么镇静地面对皇家学会的掌声了。他没有丝毫傲气，也没半点虚荣。他不在意这些小事。他认为给弗朗西斯·M××爵士谈的这个建议很平常， 因此，压根儿就没发觉自己竟由此引起巨大波澜，成了风云人物。
会议结束后，有人陪同博士来到帕尔玛尔大街的“旅行者俱乐部”。在那里，大家为他举办了一场盛大的宴会。从饭桌上鱼的大小可看出被邀的人物何等重要。尤其是搬到筵席中的那条鲟鱼，身子几乎与弗格森·弗格森本人一样长。
人们痛饮着各种法国葡萄酒，为在非洲大陆探险而享有盛誉的旅行家们频频举杯致意。为他们的健康而干，为他们的荣誉而喝。人们甚至按照旅行家们名字的字母顺序（这可是地地道道英国化的）依次祝酒：阿巴迪、亚当斯、亚当森安德森、为……①。最后，为弗格森·弗格森博士举杯。后者意欲用他非同寻常的尝试，把前面这些著名旅行家的劳动成果汇成一体，补充完备有关非洲大发现方面的系列材料。
①原着此处列举了近一百二十个旅行家的名字，本文省略。
OR,
JOURNEYS AND DISCOVERIES IN AFRICA BY THREE ENGLISHMEN.
COMPILED IN FRENCH
BY JULES VERNE,
FROM THE ORIGINAL NOTES OF DR. FERGUSON.
AND DONE INTO ENGLISH BY
"WILLIAM LACKLAND."
PUBLISHERS' NOTE.
"Five Weeks in a Balloon" is, in a measure, a satire on modern books of African travel. So far as the geography, the inhabitants, the animals, and the features of the countries the travellers pass over are described, it is entirely accurate. It gives, in some particulars, a survey of nearly the whole field of African discovery, and in this way will often serve to refresh the memory of the reader. The mode of locomotion is, of course, purely imaginary, and the incidents and adventures fictitious. The latter are abundantly amusing, and, in view of the wonderful "travellers' tales" with which we have been entertained by African explorers, they can scarcely be considered extravagant; while the ingenuity and invention of the author will be sure to excite the surprise and the admiration of the reader, who will find M. VERNE as much at home in voyaging through the air as in journeying "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas."
CONTENTS.
-----
CHAPTER FIRST.
The End of a much-applauded Speech.--The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson. --Excelsior.--Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.--A Fatalist convinced. --A Dinner at the Travellers' Club.--Several Toasts for the Occasion
CHAPTER SECOND.
The Article in the Daily Telegraph.--War between the Scientific Journals.-- Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr. Ferguson.--Reply of the Savant Koner. --Bets made.--Sundry Propositions offered to the Doctor
CHAPTER THIRD.
The Doctor's Friend.--The Origin of their Friendship.--Dick Kennedy at London. --An unexpected but not very consoling Proposal.--A Proverb by no means cheering.--A few Names from the African Martyrology.--The Advantages of a Balloon.--Dr. Ferguson's Secret
CHAPTER FOURTH.
African Explorations.--Barth, Richardson, Overweg, Werne, Brun-Rollet, Penney, Andrea, Debono, Miani, Guillaume Lejean, Brace, Krapf and Rebmann, Maizan, Roscher, Burton and Speke
CHAPTER FIFTH.
Kennedy's Dreams.--Articles and Pronouns in the Plural.--Dick's Insinuations. --A Promenade over the Map of Africa.--What is contained between two Points of the Compass.--Expeditions now on foot.--Speke and Grant.--Krapf, De Decken, and De Heuglin
CHAPTER SIXTH.
A Servant--match him!--He can see the Satellites of Jupiter.--Dick and Joe hard at it.--Doubt and Faith.--The Weighing Ceremony.--Joe and Wellington. --He gets a Half-crown
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
Geometrical Details.--Calculation of the Capacity of the Balloon.--The Double Receptacle.--The Covering.--The Car.--The Mysterious Apparatus.--The Provisions and Stores.--The Final Summing up
CHAPTER EIGHTH.
Joe's Importance.--The Commander of the Resolute.--Kennedy's Arsenal. --Mutual Amenities.--The Farewell Dinner.--Departure on the 21st of February.-- The Doctor's Scientific Sessions.--Duveyrier.--Livingstone.--Details of the Aerial Voyage.--Kennedy silenced
CHAPTER NINTH.
They double the Cape.--The Forecastle.--A Course of Cosmography by Professor Joe.--Concerning the Method of guiding Balloons.--How to seek out Atmospheric Currents.--Eureka
CHAPTER TENTH.
Former Experiments.--The Doctor's Five Receptacles.--The Gas Cylinder.-- The Calorifere.--The System of Manoeuvring.--Success certain
CHAPTER ELEVENTH.
The Arrival at Zanzibar.--The English Consul.--Ill-will of the Inhabitants.--The Island of Koumbeni.--The Rain-Makers.--Inflation of the Balloon.--Departure on the 18th of April.--The last Good-by.--The Victoria
CHAPTER TWELFTH.
Crossing the Strait.--The Mrima.--Dick's Remark and Joe's Proposition.--A Recipe for Coffee-making.--The Uzaramo.--The Unfortunate Maizan.-- Mount Duthumi.--The Doctor's Cards.--Night under a Nopal
CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.
Change of Weather.--Kennedy has the Fever.--The Doctor's Medicine.--Travels on Land.--The Basin of Imenge.--Mount Rubeho.--Six Thousand Feet Elevation.--A Halt in the Daytime
CHAPTER FOURTEENTH.
The Forest of Gum-Trees.--The Blue Antelope.--The Rallying-Signal.--An Unexpected Attack.--The Kanyeme.--A Night in the Open Air.--The Mabunguru.--Jihoue-la-Mkoa.--A Supply of Water.--Arrival at Kazeh
CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.
Kazeh.--The Noisy Market-place.--The Appearance of the Balloon.--The Wangaga. --The Sons of the Moon.--The Doctor's Walk.--The Population of the Place.--The Royal Tembe.--The Sultan's Wives.--A Royal Drunken-Bout.-- Joe an Object of Worship.--How they Dance in the Moon.--A Reaction.-- Two Moons in one Sky.--The Instability of Divine Honors
CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.
Symptoms of a Storm.--The Country of the Moon.--The Future of the African Continent.--The Last Machine of all.--A View of the Country at Sunset.-- Flora and Fauna.--The Tempest.--The Zone of Fire.--The Starry Heavens.
CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.
The Mountains of the Moon.--An Ocean of Venture.--They cast Anchor.--The Towing Elephant.--A Running Fire.--Death of the Monster.--The Field Oven.--A Meal on the Grass.--A Night on the Ground
CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH.
The Karagwah.--Lake Ukereoue.--A Night on an Island.--The Equator. --Crossing the Lake.--The Cascades.--A View of the Country.--The Sources of the Nile.--The Island of Benga.--The Signature of Andrea Debono.--The Flag with the Arms of England
CHAPTER NINETEENTH.
The Nile.--The Trembling Mountain.--A Remembrance of the Country.--The Narratives of the Arabs.--The Nyam-Nyams.--Joe's Shrewd Cogitations.-- The Balloon runs the Gantlet.--Aerostatic Ascensions.--Madame Blanchard.
CHAPTER TWENTIETH.
The Celestial Bottle.--The Fig-Palms.--The Mammoth Trees.--The Tree of War. --The Winged Team.--Two Native Tribes in Battle.--A Massacre.--An Intervention from above
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.
Strange Sounds.--A Night Attack.--Kennedy and Joe in the Tree.--Two Shots. --"Help! help!"--Reply in French.--The Morning.--The Missionary.--The Plan of Rescue
CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.
The Jet of Light.--The Missionary.--The Rescue in a Ray of Electricity.--A Lazarist Priest.--But little Hope.--The Doctor's Care.--A Life of Self-Denial. --Passing a Volcano
CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.
Joe in a Fit of Rage.--The Death of a Good Man.--The Night of watching by the Body.--Barrenness and Drought.--The Burial.--The Quartz Rocks.--Joe's Hallucinations.--A Precious Ballast.--A Survey of the Gold-bearing Mountains. --The Beginning of Joe's Despair
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.
The Wind dies away.--The Vicinity of the Desert.--The Mistake in the WaterSupply.--The Nights of the Equator.--Dr. Ferguson's Anxieties. --The Situation flatly stated.--Energetic Replies of Kennedy and Joe. --One Night more
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH.
A Little Philosophy.--A Cloud on the Horizon.--In the Midst of a Fog.--The Strange Balloon.--An Exact View of the Victoria.--The Palm-Trees.--Traces of a Caravan.--The Well in the Midst of the Desert
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH.
One Hundred and Thirteen Degrees.--The Doctor's Reflections.--A Desperate Search.--The Cylinder goes out.--One Hundred and Twenty-two Degrees.-- Contemplation of the Desert.--A Night Walk.--Solitude.--Debility.--Joe's Prospects.--He gives himself One Day more
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH.
Terrific Heat.--Hallucinations.--The Last Drops of Water.--Nights of Despair. --An Attempt at Suicide.--The Simoom.--The Oasis.--The Lion and Lioness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH.
An Evening of Delight.--Joe's Culinary Performances.--A Dissertation on Raw Meat.--The Narrative of James Bruce.--Camping out.--Joe's Dreams.--The Barometer begins to fall.--The Barometer rises again.--Preparations for Departure.--The Tempest
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.
Signs of Vegetation.--The Fantastic Notion of a French Author.--A Magnificent Country.--The Kingdom of Adamova.--The Explorations of Speke and Burton connected with those of Dr. Barth.--The Atlantika Mountains.--The River Benoue.--The City of Yola.--The Bagele.--Mount Mendif
CHAPTER THIRTIETH.
Mosfeia.--The Sheik.--Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney.--Vogel.--The Capital of Loggoum.--Toole.--Becalmed above Kernak.--The Governor and his Court. --The Attack.--The Incendiary Pigeons
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIRST.
Departure in the Night-time.--All Three.--Kennedy's Instincts.--Precautions.-- The Course of the Shari River.--Lake Tchad.--The Water of the Lake.--The Hippopotamus.--One Bullet thrown away
CHAPTER THIRTY-SECOND.
The Capital of Bornou.--The Islands of the Biddiomahs.--The Condors.--The Doctor's Anxieties.--His Precautions.--An Attack in Mid-air.--The Balloon Covering torn.--The Fall.--Sublime Self-Sacrifice.--The Northern Coast of the Lake
CHAPTER THIRTY-THIRD.
Conjectures.--Reestablishment of the Victoria's Equilibrium.--Dr. Ferguson's New Calculations.--Kennedy's Hunt.--A Complete Exploration of Lake Tchad.--Tangalia.--The Return.--Lari
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOURTH.
The Hurricane.--A Forced Departure.--Loss of an Anchor.--Melancholy Reflections.--The Resolution adopted.--The Sand-Storm.--The Buried Caravan.-- A Contrary yet Favorable Wind.--The Return southward.--Kennedy at his Post
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIFTH.
What happened to Joe.--The Island of the Biddiomahs.--The Adoration shown him.--The Island that sank.--The Shores of the Lake.--The Tree of the Serpents.--The Foot-Tramp.--Terrible Suffering.--Mosquitoes and Ants.-- Hunger.--The Victoria seen.--She disappears.--The Swamp.--One Last Despairing Cry
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH.
A Throng of People on the Horizon.--A Troop of Arabs.--The Pursuit.--It is He.--Fall from Horseback.--The Strangled Arab.--A Ball from Kennedy.-- Adroit Manoeuvres.--Caught up flying.--Joe saved at last
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVENTH.
The Western Route.--Joe wakes up.--His Obstinacy.--End of Joe's Narrative. --Tagelei.--Kennedy's Anxieties.--The Route to the North.--A Night near Aghades
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHTH.
A Rapid Passage.--Prudent Resolves.--Caravans in Sight.--Incessant Rains.-- Goa.--The Niger.--Golberry, Geoffroy, and Gray.--Mungo Park.--Laing.-- Rene Caillie.--Clapperton.--John and Richard Lander
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINTH.
The Country in the Elbow of the Niger.--A Fantastic View of the Hombori Mountains.--Kabra.--Timbuctoo.--The Chart of Dr. Barth.--A Decaying City.-- Whither Heaven wills
CHAPTER FORTIETH.
Dr. Ferguson's Anxieties.--Persistent Movement southward.--A Cloud of Grasshoppers.--A View of Jenne.--A View of Sego.--Change of the Wind.-- Joe's Regrets
CHAPTER FORTY-FIRST.
The Approaches to Senegal.--The Balloon sinks lower and lower.--They keep throwing out, throwing out.--The Marabout Al-Hadji.--Messrs. Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert.--A Rival of Mohammed.--The Difficult Mountains. --Kennedy's Weapons.--One of Joe's Manoeuvres.--A Halt over a Forest
CHAPTER FORTY-SECOND.
A Struggle of Generosity.--The Last Sacrifice.--The Dilating Apparatus.--Joe's Adroitness.--Midnight.--The Doctor's Watch.--Kennedy's Watch.--The Latter falls asleep at his Post.--The Fire.--The Howlings of the Natives.--Out of Range
CHAPTER FORTY-THIRD.
The Talabas.--The Pursuit.--A Devastated Country.--The Wind begins to fall.--The Victoria sinks.--The last of the Provisions.--The Leaps of the Balloon.--A Defence with Fire-arms.--The Wind freshens.--The Senegal River.--The Cataracts of Gouina.--The Hot Air.--The Passage of the River
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURTH.
Conclusion.--The Certificate.--The French Settlements.--The Post of Medina.-- The Battle.--Saint Louis.--The English Frigate.--The Return to London.
1862年1月14日， 滑铁卢广场13号，伦敦皇家地理学会的一次会议上，听众如云。 学会主席弗朗西斯·M××爵士在向他可敬的同行们作一场重要的学术报告。他的话常常被阵阵掌声打断。爵士最后用几句慷慨激昂的话结束了这次少有的动人演讲。这几句话中洋溢着无比饱满的爱国主义：
“英国一直领先于世界各国（因为大家已注意到，国家的前进总是有前有后），这完全是英国旅行家在地理探险中的大无畏精神所至（全场发出赞同声）。弗格森·弗格森博士，就是英国光荣儿女中的一位。他是不会辜负祖国的重托的（四处响起附和声：不会的！不会的！）。这次尝试假如成功（会成功的！），就能把我们在非洲地图学方面零散的基本知识补充完整，使之成为一体。不过如果失败了（决不会！决不会！），至少也将作为人类最大胆的设想之一而永存（全场狂热顿足）！”
“乌拉！乌拉！”这番撩人心动的话使得群情激奋，齐声高呼。
“无畏的弗格森万岁！”一位极度动情的听众不由地喊叫道。
热情的欢呼声四起，众人异口同声地发出弗格森的名字，整个会议厅被震得抖动起来。我们有充分理由相信，经过英国人的嗓门呼喊，弗格森这个名字将更受人尊敬了。
这儿许多人曾是大胆的探险家。好动的天性使得他们多么想走遍世界的五大洲！不过他们虽人数众多，却都老了，疲惫了。所有的人在肉体上、精神上或多或少地逃脱过一次次死亡的威胁：海上失事、火灾、印地安人的战斧、野人的棍棒、酷刑、波利尼西亚人①的捕食。 不过，当弗朗西斯·M××爵士演讲时，他们的心仍然禁不住地怦怦跳起来。要知道，这场演说肯定是伦敦皇家地理学会有史以来最为精彩的。
①中太平洋的群岛，意为“多岛群岛”，主要包括夏威夷群岛，汤加群岛等。
但是在英国，热情不仅仅停留在口头上。用它铸造钱币比“皇家造币厂”的铸币机来得还要快。会议过程中，立即表决通过了给弗格森博士一笔促进活动金，且数目高达2500英镑（即62500法郎） 。这么一大笔款子恰恰说明这项事业有多么重要。
一位学会成员向主席打了个招呼，询问是否能把弗格森博士正式介绍给大家。
“博士在听候大家的吩咐。”弗朗西斯·M××爵士答道。
“让他进来！让他进来！”人们高呼，“应该亲眼见见这位杰出、勇敢的人！”
“这个探险主张令人难以置信，也许只是骗骗我们罢了！”一位身体中风的老船长说。
“也许，弗格森博士根本就不存在！”一个人恶意地叫道。
“那就该把他虚构出来！”这个严肃的学会中一位爱开玩笑的会员答道。
“请弗格森博士进来吧。”弗朗西斯·M××爵士爽快地说。
于是，博士在雷鸣般的掌声中从容不迫地步入大厅，丝毫不露声色。
这是位四十岁左右的男子，中等身材，体格平常，过于红润的面容显露出多血质的特征。他神色镇定，相貌端正，脸上长着一个大鼻子。人类巨轮船头般的这个鼻子就像天生为探险而生的。慈祥的眼睛里闪烁着勇敢，更多是智慧的光芒，他的容貌产生一种强大的魔力。他的双臂很长，双脚以大步行家特有的平稳牢牢地踩在大地上。
博士的整个外貌显露出安静与严肃。他怎么能是那种干最无知的欺骗勾当的人呢，谁都不会对他有这种想法。
因此，直到弗格森博士用友好的手势请大家安静时，叫好声和掌声才平息下来。他向为他作自我介绍准备的安乐椅走去，随后，站在那儿一动不动，目光炯炯有神地凝视会场。只见他举起右手，食指指向空中，张开口，只说了一个字：
“Excelsior！”
绝了！无论布赖特①和科布登②国会上的意外质询，还是帕斯顿公爵为加固英国峭壁海防工事申请特别资金，都从未获得过如此欢迎。其热烈程度超过弗朗西斯·M××爵士的演讲， 甚至更高。博士表现得既高尚、伟大，又谦虚、审慎。他刚才说了一个很合时宜的字：
①1811—1889，英国自由党的家，以雄辩著称。
②1804—1865，英国家，下院议员。
“Excelsior③！”
③拉丁语，意思是高尚的，不断向上的。
老船长折服了，转而坚决地站到这位外来人一边。他请求把弗格森的演说“完整地” 刊登在 “the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society ofLondon”《伦敦皇家地理学会会报》上。
这位博士到底是何许人？他打算投身于什么事业？
年轻的弗格森，父亲是英国海运业一名正直的船长。在弗格森很小的时候，船长就让儿子跟他一同体验他那种职业生涯中危险的滋味和冒险的乐趣。这个可爱的孩子似乎从来不知道害怕，很快就显示出头脑灵活，善于思考，无比钟情于科学事业的长处。此外，他还表现出了摆脱困境的非凡才智。他从未被难住过，甚至初次用叉子吃饭时就显得很老练。大家都清楚，一般说来孩子们很少一开始就会用叉子的。
对冒险和航海探险之类书籍的阅读很快燃起了他的幻想。他执迷地关注起十九世纪初期的那些重要发现。他梦想获得蒙戈·帕克①、布鲁斯②、卡耶③、勒瓦杨获得的那种荣誉。哪怕获得少许塞尔扣克④那种鲁滨逊式的荣誉，他觉得也不坏。他与塞尔扣克一起在胡安·费尔南德斯岛上度过了多少时光啊！他常常赞成这位被抛弃的水手的看法，有时也对他的计划和设计提出异议。年青的弗格森认为，如果换了他，他会采取别的做法，那样或许更好，起码干得不会赖！然而，事情明摆着，如果换了他，决不会躲避开那个令人非常快乐的小岛的。在那儿，他会快活得像一个没有臣民的君王……。即使叫他当海军部大臣，也决不离开！
①1771—约1806，苏格兰探险家，曾到尼日儿河探险，着有《非洲内地旅行》一书。
②1730—1794，苏格兰探险家，1790年出版《尼罗河源头探行记》。
③1799—约1838，法国探险家，访问廷巴图克后生还的第一位欧洲人。
④1676—1721，苏格兰水手，海盗，因与船长争吵而在胡安·费尔南德斯群岛中的马萨铁拉岛逗留了5年。他是笛福所着《鲁滨逊漂流记》中主人公的原型。
可以想象得到，弗格森年青时代在世界各地进行冒险活动期间，他的这些倾向发展到了什么地步。弗格森的父亲是位有见识的人，自然不会忽略发展孩子敏捷的智力。他让儿子认真学习了水文学、物理学和力学，此外，又附带让他学了一点儿植物学、医学和天文学方面的知识。
可敬的船长去世时，弗格森·弗格森22岁，但是已经周游了世界。他曾加入过孟加拉工程兵部队，而且在好多次战斗中立功。然而，他对这种军人生活并不满意。他不愿意指挥别人，也不喜欢别人对他吆三喝四。他提出了退役。而后，他边打猎，边采集植物，重新登程去印度半岛北方旅行。从加尔哥答到苏拉特，他穿越了整个半岛。对他来说，这不过是旅行爱好者的一次平常散步而已。
在苏拉特，我们看见他动身去了澳大利亚。1845年，他在那里参加了斯特尔特①船长的远征探险队，这支探险队受委托寻找人们猜想存在于新荷兰②中部的那个内陆海。
①1759—1869， 澳大利亚探险家， 着有《深入澳大利亚南部的两次探险》和《澳大利亚中部探险记》。
②澳大利亚的旧名。
弗格森·弗格森在1850年前后返回英国，而且比以往任何时候都更着魔于旅行探险。他又去远征队陪同麦克·鲁尔船长一起从白令海峡环绕美洲大陆到达费尔韦尔角③。这次远征直到1853年才告结束。
③位于新西兰。
不管什么样的劳顿困苦，无论气候如何恶劣，弗格森的体质居然不可思议地抵挡得住。甚至在一无所有的最恶劣环境中，他也能生活得悠然自得。他是那类地道的旅行家：胃可以任意收缩、扩张；腿可以按临时床铺的长短蜷屈伸展；白天随时可以入睡，晚间随时能醒来。
因此，我们发现这位永不知疲倦的旅行家，在施拉京特魏特兄弟的陪同下，从1855到1857年访问了的整个西部地区，并且带回一些稀奇的人种学方面的观察报告，也就不足为怪了。
在这几次旅游期间，弗格森·弗格森成了《每日电信报》最活跃、最引人注目的通信员。这家报纸很便宜，一便士就能买一份。该报的日发行量虽高达14万份，不过仅勉强满足数万读者的需要而已。所以，尽管弗格森博士不是任何学者团体的成员，既不是伦敦、巴黎、柏林、维也纳或圣·彼得堡皇家地理学会成员，也不是旅行者俱乐部的成员，更不是皇家工艺学会成员（他的朋友统计学家科克伯恩是该会头面人物），他的名字仍然为人熟知。有一天，他的这位学者朋友逗他寻开心，甚至要他解答这么一个问题：已知博士环绕地球走过的里数，由于半径不同，问他的头比脚多行多少里路？或者说已知博士的脚和头经过的里数，精确算出他的身高，误差不超过1法寸（1法寸约合2.25毫米）。但是，弗格森对那些学者团体总是敬而远之。因为他是埋头实干、不愿多言的人，他认为把时间用于探索和发现比争来论去、高谈阔论强得多。
据说，一天一位英国人特意来日内瓦观赏日内瓦湖。他上了一辆老式马车，这种车像公共马车一样，座位在车内的两侧。无巧不成书，我们这位英国人恰恰被安排坐在背对湖的一侧。车稳稳地绕湖一圈，这期间他甚至就没想到扭回头去瞧一眼，最后，竟然还高高兴兴地离开日内瓦湖回伦敦了。
弗格森博士在旅行期间却回过头，而且还不止一次。正因为如此，他才看到了许多东西。再说，这也是他的天性所至。我们有充分理由相信他有点宿命论思想。其实他就是位彻头彻尾的宿命论者。他相信命运，甚至相信天意。他觉得自己与其说是被吸引，倒不如说是被某种力量驱使，去旅行和周游世界的。就像一辆火车头，不是自己引着自己走，而是道路领着走。
“我是不赶路的，是路在赶我。”他常常这样说。所以，难怪他那么镇静地面对皇家学会的掌声了。他没有丝毫傲气，也没半点虚荣。他不在意这些小事。他认为给弗朗西斯·M××爵士谈的这个建议很平常， 因此，压根儿就没发觉自己竟由此引起巨大波澜，成了风云人物。
会议结束后，有人陪同博士来到帕尔玛尔大街的“旅行者俱乐部”。在那里，大家为他举办了一场盛大的宴会。从饭桌上鱼的大小可看出被邀的人物何等重要。尤其是搬到筵席中的那条鲟鱼，身子几乎与弗格森·弗格森本人一样长。
人们痛饮着各种法国葡萄酒，为在非洲大陆探险而享有盛誉的旅行家们频频举杯致意。为他们的健康而干，为他们的荣誉而喝。人们甚至按照旅行家们名字的字母顺序（这可是地地道道英国化的）依次祝酒：阿巴迪、亚当斯、亚当森安德森、为……①。最后，为弗格森·弗格森博士举杯。后者意欲用他非同寻常的尝试，把前面这些著名旅行家的劳动成果汇成一体，补充完备有关非洲大发现方面的系列材料。
①原着此处列举了近一百二十个旅行家的名字，本文省略。
OR,
JOURNEYS AND DISCOVERIES IN AFRICA BY THREE ENGLISHMEN.
COMPILED IN FRENCH
BY JULES VERNE,
FROM THE ORIGINAL NOTES OF DR. FERGUSON.
AND DONE INTO ENGLISH BY
"WILLIAM LACKLAND."
PUBLISHERS' NOTE.
"Five Weeks in a Balloon" is, in a measure, a satire on modern books of African travel. So far as the geography, the inhabitants, the animals, and the features of the countries the travellers pass over are described, it is entirely accurate. It gives, in some particulars, a survey of nearly the whole field of African discovery, and in this way will often serve to refresh the memory of the reader. The mode of locomotion is, of course, purely imaginary, and the incidents and adventures fictitious. The latter are abundantly amusing, and, in view of the wonderful "travellers' tales" with which we have been entertained by African explorers, they can scarcely be considered extravagant; while the ingenuity and invention of the author will be sure to excite the surprise and the admiration of the reader, who will find M. VERNE as much at home in voyaging through the air as in journeying "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas."
CONTENTS.
-----
CHAPTER FIRST.
The End of a much-applauded Speech.--The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson. --Excelsior.--Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.--A Fatalist convinced. --A Dinner at the Travellers' Club.--Several Toasts for the Occasion
CHAPTER SECOND.
The Article in the Daily Telegraph.--War between the Scientific Journals.-- Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr. Ferguson.--Reply of the Savant Koner. --Bets made.--Sundry Propositions offered to the Doctor
CHAPTER THIRD.
The Doctor's Friend.--The Origin of their Friendship.--Dick Kennedy at London. --An unexpected but not very consoling Proposal.--A Proverb by no means cheering.--A few Names from the African Martyrology.--The Advantages of a Balloon.--Dr. Ferguson's Secret
CHAPTER FOURTH.
African Explorations.--Barth, Richardson, Overweg, Werne, Brun-Rollet, Penney, Andrea, Debono, Miani, Guillaume Lejean, Brace, Krapf and Rebmann, Maizan, Roscher, Burton and Speke
CHAPTER FIFTH.
Kennedy's Dreams.--Articles and Pronouns in the Plural.--Dick's Insinuations. --A Promenade over the Map of Africa.--What is contained between two Points of the Compass.--Expeditions now on foot.--Speke and Grant.--Krapf, De Decken, and De Heuglin
CHAPTER SIXTH.
A Servant--match him!--He can see the Satellites of Jupiter.--Dick and Joe hard at it.--Doubt and Faith.--The Weighing Ceremony.--Joe and Wellington. --He gets a Half-crown
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
Geometrical Details.--Calculation of the Capacity of the Balloon.--The Double Receptacle.--The Covering.--The Car.--The Mysterious Apparatus.--The Provisions and Stores.--The Final Summing up
CHAPTER EIGHTH.
Joe's Importance.--The Commander of the Resolute.--Kennedy's Arsenal. --Mutual Amenities.--The Farewell Dinner.--Departure on the 21st of February.-- The Doctor's Scientific Sessions.--Duveyrier.--Livingstone.--Details of the Aerial Voyage.--Kennedy silenced
CHAPTER NINTH.
They double the Cape.--The Forecastle.--A Course of Cosmography by Professor Joe.--Concerning the Method of guiding Balloons.--How to seek out Atmospheric Currents.--Eureka
CHAPTER TENTH.
Former Experiments.--The Doctor's Five Receptacles.--The Gas Cylinder.-- The Calorifere.--The System of Manoeuvring.--Success certain
CHAPTER ELEVENTH.
The Arrival at Zanzibar.--The English Consul.--Ill-will of the Inhabitants.--The Island of Koumbeni.--The Rain-Makers.--Inflation of the Balloon.--Departure on the 18th of April.--The last Good-by.--The Victoria
CHAPTER TWELFTH.
Crossing the Strait.--The Mrima.--Dick's Remark and Joe's Proposition.--A Recipe for Coffee-making.--The Uzaramo.--The Unfortunate Maizan.-- Mount Duthumi.--The Doctor's Cards.--Night under a Nopal
CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.
Change of Weather.--Kennedy has the Fever.--The Doctor's Medicine.--Travels on Land.--The Basin of Imenge.--Mount Rubeho.--Six Thousand Feet Elevation.--A Halt in the Daytime
CHAPTER FOURTEENTH.
The Forest of Gum-Trees.--The Blue Antelope.--The Rallying-Signal.--An Unexpected Attack.--The Kanyeme.--A Night in the Open Air.--The Mabunguru.--Jihoue-la-Mkoa.--A Supply of Water.--Arrival at Kazeh
CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.
Kazeh.--The Noisy Market-place.--The Appearance of the Balloon.--The Wangaga. --The Sons of the Moon.--The Doctor's Walk.--The Population of the Place.--The Royal Tembe.--The Sultan's Wives.--A Royal Drunken-Bout.-- Joe an Object of Worship.--How they Dance in the Moon.--A Reaction.-- Two Moons in one Sky.--The Instability of Divine Honors
CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.
Symptoms of a Storm.--The Country of the Moon.--The Future of the African Continent.--The Last Machine of all.--A View of the Country at Sunset.-- Flora and Fauna.--The Tempest.--The Zone of Fire.--The Starry Heavens.
CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.
The Mountains of the Moon.--An Ocean of Venture.--They cast Anchor.--The Towing Elephant.--A Running Fire.--Death of the Monster.--The Field Oven.--A Meal on the Grass.--A Night on the Ground
CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH.
The Karagwah.--Lake Ukereoue.--A Night on an Island.--The Equator. --Crossing the Lake.--The Cascades.--A View of the Country.--The Sources of the Nile.--The Island of Benga.--The Signature of Andrea Debono.--The Flag with the Arms of England
CHAPTER NINETEENTH.
The Nile.--The Trembling Mountain.--A Remembrance of the Country.--The Narratives of the Arabs.--The Nyam-Nyams.--Joe's Shrewd Cogitations.-- The Balloon runs the Gantlet.--Aerostatic Ascensions.--Madame Blanchard.
CHAPTER TWENTIETH.
The Celestial Bottle.--The Fig-Palms.--The Mammoth Trees.--The Tree of War. --The Winged Team.--Two Native Tribes in Battle.--A Massacre.--An Intervention from above
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.
Strange Sounds.--A Night Attack.--Kennedy and Joe in the Tree.--Two Shots. --"Help! help!"--Reply in French.--The Morning.--The Missionary.--The Plan of Rescue
CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.
The Jet of Light.--The Missionary.--The Rescue in a Ray of Electricity.--A Lazarist Priest.--But little Hope.--The Doctor's Care.--A Life of Self-Denial. --Passing a Volcano
CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.
Joe in a Fit of Rage.--The Death of a Good Man.--The Night of watching by the Body.--Barrenness and Drought.--The Burial.--The Quartz Rocks.--Joe's Hallucinations.--A Precious Ballast.--A Survey of the Gold-bearing Mountains. --The Beginning of Joe's Despair
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.
The Wind dies away.--The Vicinity of the Desert.--The Mistake in the WaterSupply.--The Nights of the Equator.--Dr. Ferguson's Anxieties. --The Situation flatly stated.--Energetic Replies of Kennedy and Joe. --One Night more
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH.
A Little Philosophy.--A Cloud on the Horizon.--In the Midst of a Fog.--The Strange Balloon.--An Exact View of the Victoria.--The Palm-Trees.--Traces of a Caravan.--The Well in the Midst of the Desert
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH.
One Hundred and Thirteen Degrees.--The Doctor's Reflections.--A Desperate Search.--The Cylinder goes out.--One Hundred and Twenty-two Degrees.-- Contemplation of the Desert.--A Night Walk.--Solitude.--Debility.--Joe's Prospects.--He gives himself One Day more
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH.
Terrific Heat.--Hallucinations.--The Last Drops of Water.--Nights of Despair. --An Attempt at Suicide.--The Simoom.--The Oasis.--The Lion and Lioness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH.
An Evening of Delight.--Joe's Culinary Performances.--A Dissertation on Raw Meat.--The Narrative of James Bruce.--Camping out.--Joe's Dreams.--The Barometer begins to fall.--The Barometer rises again.--Preparations for Departure.--The Tempest
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.
Signs of Vegetation.--The Fantastic Notion of a French Author.--A Magnificent Country.--The Kingdom of Adamova.--The Explorations of Speke and Burton connected with those of Dr. Barth.--The Atlantika Mountains.--The River Benoue.--The City of Yola.--The Bagele.--Mount Mendif
CHAPTER THIRTIETH.
Mosfeia.--The Sheik.--Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney.--Vogel.--The Capital of Loggoum.--Toole.--Becalmed above Kernak.--The Governor and his Court. --The Attack.--The Incendiary Pigeons
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIRST.
Departure in the Night-time.--All Three.--Kennedy's Instincts.--Precautions.-- The Course of the Shari River.--Lake Tchad.--The Water of the Lake.--The Hippopotamus.--One Bullet thrown away
CHAPTER THIRTY-SECOND.
The Capital of Bornou.--The Islands of the Biddiomahs.--The Condors.--The Doctor's Anxieties.--His Precautions.--An Attack in Mid-air.--The Balloon Covering torn.--The Fall.--Sublime Self-Sacrifice.--The Northern Coast of the Lake
CHAPTER THIRTY-THIRD.
Conjectures.--Reestablishment of the Victoria's Equilibrium.--Dr. Ferguson's New Calculations.--Kennedy's Hunt.--A Complete Exploration of Lake Tchad.--Tangalia.--The Return.--Lari
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOURTH.
The Hurricane.--A Forced Departure.--Loss of an Anchor.--Melancholy Reflections.--The Resolution adopted.--The Sand-Storm.--The Buried Caravan.-- A Contrary yet Favorable Wind.--The Return southward.--Kennedy at his Post
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIFTH.
What happened to Joe.--The Island of the Biddiomahs.--The Adoration shown him.--The Island that sank.--The Shores of the Lake.--The Tree of the Serpents.--The Foot-Tramp.--Terrible Suffering.--Mosquitoes and Ants.-- Hunger.--The Victoria seen.--She disappears.--The Swamp.--One Last Despairing Cry
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH.
A Throng of People on the Horizon.--A Troop of Arabs.--The Pursuit.--It is He.--Fall from Horseback.--The Strangled Arab.--A Ball from Kennedy.-- Adroit Manoeuvres.--Caught up flying.--Joe saved at last
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVENTH.
The Western Route.--Joe wakes up.--His Obstinacy.--End of Joe's Narrative. --Tagelei.--Kennedy's Anxieties.--The Route to the North.--A Night near Aghades
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHTH.
A Rapid Passage.--Prudent Resolves.--Caravans in Sight.--Incessant Rains.-- Goa.--The Niger.--Golberry, Geoffroy, and Gray.--Mungo Park.--Laing.-- Rene Caillie.--Clapperton.--John and Richard Lander
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINTH.
The Country in the Elbow of the Niger.--A Fantastic View of the Hombori Mountains.--Kabra.--Timbuctoo.--The Chart of Dr. Barth.--A Decaying City.-- Whither Heaven wills
CHAPTER FORTIETH.
Dr. Ferguson's Anxieties.--Persistent Movement southward.--A Cloud of Grasshoppers.--A View of Jenne.--A View of Sego.--Change of the Wind.-- Joe's Regrets
CHAPTER FORTY-FIRST.
The Approaches to Senegal.--The Balloon sinks lower and lower.--They keep throwing out, throwing out.--The Marabout Al-Hadji.--Messrs. Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert.--A Rival of Mohammed.--The Difficult Mountains. --Kennedy's Weapons.--One of Joe's Manoeuvres.--A Halt over a Forest
CHAPTER FORTY-SECOND.
A Struggle of Generosity.--The Last Sacrifice.--The Dilating Apparatus.--Joe's Adroitness.--Midnight.--The Doctor's Watch.--Kennedy's Watch.--The Latter falls asleep at his Post.--The Fire.--The Howlings of the Natives.--Out of Range
CHAPTER FORTY-THIRD.
The Talabas.--The Pursuit.--A Devastated Country.--The Wind begins to fall.--The Victoria sinks.--The last of the Provisions.--The Leaps of the Balloon.--A Defence with Fire-arms.--The Wind freshens.--The Senegal River.--The Cataracts of Gouina.--The Hot Air.--The Passage of the River
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURTH.
Conclusion.--The Certificate.--The French Settlements.--The Post of Medina.-- The Battle.--Saint Louis.--The English Frigate.--The Return to London.
《每日电讯报》上的一篇文章——学术刊物之间的争论——彼得曼博士支持他的朋友弗格森博士——学者科内尔的答复——众人纷纷打赌——给博士提的各种建议
第二天，1月15日，这一期的《每日电讯报》中刊登了一篇妙笔生花的文章：
“非洲终于要公开它那辽阔荒野的秘密了。一位现代俄狄浦斯①将告诉我们60个世纪的学者文人没能识破的这个谜底。 过去探寻尼罗河发源地 （fontesNiliquoereres）总被视为异想天开，一个实现不了的梦。
①希腊神话中的英雄人物。
“巴尔特②博士沿着丹纳姆③和克拉珀顿④开辟的道路一直到了苏丹；利文斯通⑤博士从好望角到赞比西亚盆地反复进行了不屈不挠的调查；伯顿⑥上尉和斯皮克⑦上尉发现了内陆大湖；他们为现代文明打通了三条道路。三条道路的交叉点可谓是非洲的心脏。但至今还没有一位旅行家能涉足该地区。我们的全部力量正应该使在那儿。
②1821—1865，德国地理学家、非洲探险家，着有五卷本巨着《中北非游记和发现》。
③1786—1828，英国早期探险家，曾任塞拉利昂总督。
④1788—1827，苏格兰探险家，着有《1822，1823和1824年北非旅行和发现记事》。
⑤1813—1873，英国传教士、探险家，在非洲南部、中部和东部旅行，传教达30年之久。
⑥1821—1890，英国探险家，曾翻译《天方夜谈》。
⑦1827—1864，英国探险家，第一个发现东非维多利亚湖的欧洲人。
“不过，这些勇敢的科学攀登者们未竟的事业就要由弗格森·弗格森博士的大胆尝试来完成。他以往的神奇探险活动早已得到了读者们的赏识。
“这位无畏的发现者打算乘气球由东至西穿越整个非洲。据可靠消息，这次惊人旅行的出发点将设在非洲东海岸的桑给巴尔岛①。至于终点，只有上帝知道了。
①位于坦桑尼亚东北部，港口城市。
“这次科学探险的计划已于昨天正式提交给皇家地理学会。学会大会表决通过拨发一笔2500英镑的款项作该活动的费用。
“这次尝试是地理探险大事记中史无前例的，我们将随时向读者提供消息。”
正如我们所料，该文引起了巨大反响。它首先激起怀疑的浪潮：弗格森博士被当成是一个纯粹虚幻的人物，是巴纳姆②博士的发明。后者在美国“工作”了一段时间，现在又准备打英伦三岛的“主意”了。
②1810—1891，美国游艺节目演出经纪人，常搞些稀奇古怪的展览、演出等，自称“胡诌王子”。
日内瓦出版的《地理学会学报》二月号上刊登了一篇风趣的答读者信。文章巧妙地戏谑了伦敦皇家学会、旅行者俱乐部和那条鳟鱼。
但是，彼得曼博士在哥达出版的“公报”中发表的文章，使日内瓦的这家学刊彻底闭上了口。彼得曼博士自己了解弗格森博士，而且愿意为他的勇敢朋友的无畏尝试担保。
另一方面，很快就不可能再有怀疑了：旅行的准备工作正在伦敦进行着；里昂的几家工厂已接到生产制造气球用塔夫绸的大量订单。最终，不列颠政府允许弗格森博士使用《决心号》运输舰。该舰的舰长叫皮耐特。
随即，成千上万件鼓励信、贺电纷至沓来。有关探险队举动的详情细节随着准备工作的进展全部发表在巴黎地理学会的学报中。在V·A·莫尔特一布伦①先生主编的《旅行、 地理、历史和考古新年鉴》中登出了一篇引人注目的文章。W·科内尔博士在《德国地理学报》上发表的一份详细分析报告，令人信服地证论了这次旅行探险的可行性、成功的机会、困难的性质和空中航行这种方式带来的种种好处。他仅仅对出发地点提出了批评。他指出，从马苏亚这个阿比西尼的小港口出发更好些。1768年，詹姆士·布鲁斯就是从马苏亚出发去寻找尼罗河源头的。另外，他毫无保留地赞赏弗格森博士的这种积极进取精神和这种想到、做到、决不回头的坚强毅力。
①法国地理学家，其父是巴黎地理学会的创始人和第一任董事长。
《北美评论》看到英国得到这样的荣誉尤为不快。它把博士的计划当成了笑话，并不怀好意地怂恿博士半途中径直飞到美国来。
总而言之，从《福音教会公报》到《阿尔及利亚与殖民地杂志》，从《传教年鉴》到《传教士新闻》，没有哪家科学杂志不用各种形式详叙此事的，更不用说全世界的报刊了。
在伦敦，甚至在全英国，人们纷纷拿下面的问题打赌：第一，弗格森博士存在不存在；第二，旅行会不会进行；第三，这次探险活动能不能成功；第四，弗格森博士可不可能回得来。许多人投下了巨额赌注，活像是在埃普索姆②的赛马会上。
②英国的一个城市，以赛马闻名。
这样以来，相信的、不相信的，外行、内行，所有的人都把眼睛盯住了弗格森博士。他不自觉地成了众人心目中的英雄。博士乐意提供有关远征探险的详细情况。他平易近人、淳朴自然，可以说是世界上最诚恳的人了。不止一位胆大的冒险家找他毛遂自荐，想与他同甘共苦，但都被他不加解释地一律回绝了。
许多研究气球转向机械结构的发明家向他推荐自己的发明，但他一个也不愿接受。有人问弗格森博士是不是已经发明了什么新的转向系统，但他概不回答。他更加积极地忙于探险的准备工作。
There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M----, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause.
This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism:
"England has always marched at the head of nations" (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), "by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery." (General assent). "Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin." ("No, indeed!" from all parts of the hall.)
"This attempt, should it succeed" ("It will succeed!"), "will complete and link together the notions, as yet disjointed, which the world entertains of African cartology" (vehement applause); "and, should it fail, it will, at least, remain on record as one of the most daring conceptions of human genius!" (Tremendous cheering.)
"Huzza! huzza!" shouted the immense audience, completely electrified by these inspiring words.
"Huzza for the intrepid Ferguson!" cried one of the most excitable of the enthusiastic crowd.
The wildest cheering resounded on all sides; the name of Ferguson was in every mouth, and we may safely believe that it lost nothing in passing through English throats. Indeed, the hall fairly shook with it.
And there were present, also, those fearless travellers and explorers whose energetic temperaments had borne them through every quarter of the globe, many of them grown old and worn out in the service of science. All had, in some degree, physically or morally, undergone the sorest trials. They had escaped shipwreck; conflagration; Indian tomahawks and war-clubs; the fagot and the stake; nay, even the cannibal maws of the South Sea Islanders. But still their hearts beat high during Sir Francis M----'s address, which certainly was the finest oratorical success that the Royal Geographical Society of London had yet achieved.
But, in England, enthusiasm does not stop short with mere words. It strikes off money faster than the dies of the Royal Mint itself. So a subscription to encourage Dr. Ferguson was voted there and then, and it at once attained the handsome amount of two thousand five hundred pounds. The sum was made commensurate with the importance of the enterprise.
A member of the Society then inquired of the president whether Dr. Ferguson was not to be officially introduced.
"The doctor is at the disposition of the meeting," replied Sir Francis.
"Let him come in, then! Bring him in!" shouted the audience. "We'd like to see a man of such extraordinary daring, face to face!"
"Perhaps this incredible proposition of his is only intended to mystify us," growled an apoplectic old admiral.
"Suppose that there should turn out to be no such person as Dr. Ferguson?" exclaimed another voice, with a malicious twang.
"Why, then, we'd have to invent one!" replied a facetious member of this grave Society.
"Ask Dr. Ferguson to come in," was the quiet remark of Sir Francis M----.
And come in the doctor did, and stood there, quite unmoved by the thunders of applause that greeted his appearance.
He was a man of about forty years of age, of medium height and physique. His sanguine temperament was disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks. His countenance was coldly expressive, with regular features, and a large nose--one of those noses that resemble the prow of a ship, and stamp the faces of men predestined to accomplish great discoveries. His eyes, which were gentle and intelligent, rather than bold, lent a peculiar charm to his physiognomy. His arms were long, and his feet were planted with that solidity which indicates a great pedestrian.
A calm gravity seemed to surround the doctor's entire person, and no one would dream that he could become the agent of any mystification, however harmless.
Hence, the applause that greeted him at the outset continued until he, with a friendly gesture, claimed silence on his own behalf. He stepped toward the seat that had been prepared for him on his presentation, and then, standing erect and motionless, he, with a determined glance, pointed his right forefinger upward, and pronounced aloud the single word--
"Excelsior!"
Never had one of Bright's or Cobden's sudden onslaughts, never had one of Palmerston's abrupt demands for funds to plate the rocks of the English coast with iron, made such a sensation. Sir Francis M----'s address was completely overshadowed. The doctor had shown himself moderate, sublime, and self-contained, in one; he had uttered the word of the situation--
"Excelsior!"
The gouty old admiral who had been finding fault, was completely won over by the singular man before him, and immediately moved the insertion of Dr. Ferguson's speech in "The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London."
Who, then, was this person, and what was the enterprise that he proposed?
Ferguson's father, a brave and worthy captain in the English Navy, had associated his son with him, from the young man's earliest years, in the perils and adventures of his profession. The fine little fellow, who seemed to have never known the meaning of fear, early revealed a keen and active mind, an investigating intelligence, and a remarkable turn for scientific study; moreover, he disclosed uncommon address in extricating himself from difficulty; he was never perplexed, not even in handling his fork for the first time--an exercise in which children generally have so little success.
His fancy kindled early at the recitals he read of daring enterprise and maritime adventure, and he followed with enthusiasm the discoveries that signalized the first part of the nineteenth century. He mused over the glory of the Mungo Parks, the Bruces, the Caillies, the Levaillants, and to some extent, I verily believe, of Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe), whom he considered in no wise inferior to the rest. How many a well-employed hour he passed with that hero on his isle of Juan Fernandez! Often he criticised the ideas of the shipwrecked sailor, and sometimes discussed his plans and projects. He would have done differently, in such and such a case, or quite as well at least--of that he felt assured. But of one thing he was satisfied, that he never should have left that pleasant island, where he was as happy as a king without subjects-- no, not if the inducement held out had been promotion to the first lordship in the admiralty!
It may readily be conjectured whether these tendencies were developed during a youth of adventure, spent in every nook and corner of the Globe. Moreover, his father, who was a man of thorough instruction, omitted no opportunity to consolidate this keen intelligence by serious studies in hydrography, physics, and mechanics, along with a slight tincture of botany, medicine, and astronomy.
Upon the death of the estimable captain, Samuel Ferguson, then twenty-two years of age, had already made his voyage around the world. He had enlisted in the Bengalese Corps of Engineers, and distinguished himself in several affairs; but this soldier's life had not exactly suited him; caring but little for command, he had not been fond of obeying. He, therefore, sent in his resignation, and half botanizing, half playing the hunter, he made his way toward the north of the Indian Peninsula, and crossed it from Calcutta to Surat--a mere amateur trip for him.
From Surat we see him going over to Australia, and in 1845 participating in Captain Sturt's expedition, which had been sent out to explore the new Caspian Sea, supposed to exist in the centre of New Holland.
Samuel Ferguson returned to England about 1850, and, more than ever possessed by the demon of discovery, he spent the intervening time, until 1853, in accompanying Captain McClure on the expedition that went around the American Continent from Behring's Straits to Cape Farewell.
Notwithstanding fatigues of every description, and in all climates, Ferguson's constitution continued marvellously sound. He felt at ease in the midst of the most complete privations; in fine, he was the very type of the thoroughly accomplished explorer whose stomach expands or contracts at will; whose limbs grow longer or shorter according to the resting-place that each stage of a journey may bring; who can fall asleep at any hour of the day or awake at any hour of the night.
Nothing, then, was less surprising, after that, than to find our traveller, in the period from 1855 to 1857, visiting the whole region west of the Thibet, in company with the brothers Schlagintweit, and bringing back some curious ethnographic observations from that expedition.
During these different journeys, Ferguson had been the most active and interesting correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the penny newspaper whose circulation amounts to 140,000 copies, and yet scarcely suffices for its many legions of readers. Thus, the doctor had become well known to the public, although he could not claim membership in either of the Royal Geographical Societies of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or St. Petersburg, or yet with the Travellers' Club, or even the Royal Polytechnic Institute, where his friend the statistician Cockburn ruled in state.
The latter savant had, one day, gone so far as to propose to him the following problem: Given the number of miles travelled by the doctor in making the circuit of the Globe, how many more had his head described than his feet, by reason of the different lengths of the radii?--or, the number of miles traversed by the doctor's head and feet respectively being given, required the exact height of that gentleman?
This was done with the idea of complimenting him, but the doctor had held himself aloof from all the learned bodies--belonging, as he did, to the church militant and not to the church polemical. He found his time better employed in seeking than in discussing, in discovering rather than discoursing.
There is a story told of an Englishman who came one day to Geneva, intending to visit the lake. He was placed in one of those odd vehicles in which the passengers sit side by side, as they do in an omnibus. Well, it so happened that the Englishman got a seat that left him with his back turned toward the lake. The vehicle completed its circular trip without his thinking to turn around once, and he went back to London delighted with the Lake of Geneva.
Doctor Ferguson, however, had turned around to look about him on his journeyings, and turned to such good purpose that he had seen a great deal. In doing so, he had simply obeyed the laws of his nature, and we have good reason to believe that he was, to some extent, a fatalist, but of an orthodox school of fatalism withal, that led him to rely upon himself and even upon Providence. He claimed that he was impelled, rather than drawn by his own volition, to journey as he did, and that he traversed the world like the locomotive, which does not direct itself, but is guided and directed by the track it runs on.
"I do not follow my route;" he often said, "it is my route that follows me."
The reader will not be surprised, then, at the calmness with which the doctor received the applause that welcomed him in the Royal Society. He was above all such trifles, having no pride, and less vanity. He looked upon the proposition addressed to him by Sir Francis M---- as the simplest thing in the world, and scarcely noticed the immense effect that it produced.
When the session closed, the doctor was escorted to the rooms of the Travellers' Club, in Pall Mall. A superb entertainment had been prepared there in his honor. The dimensions of the dishes served were made to correspond with the importance of the personage entertained, and the boiled sturgeon that figured at this magnificent repast was not an inch shorter than Dr. Ferguson himself.
Numerous toasts were offered and quaffed, in the wines of France, to the celebrated travellers who had made their names illustrious by their explorations of African territory. The guests drank to their health or to their memory, in alphabetical order, a good old English way of doing the thing. Among those remembered thus, were: Abbadie, Adams, Adamson, Anderson, Arnaud, Baikie, Baldwin, Barth, Batouda, Beke, Beltram, Du Berba, Bimbachi, Bolognesi, Bolwik, Belzoni, Bonnemain, Brisson, Browne, Bruce, Brun-Rollet, Burchell, Burckhardt, Burton, Cailland, Caillie, Campbell, Chapman, Clapperton, Clot-Bey, Colomieu, Courval, Cumming, Cuny, Debono, Decken, Denham, Desavanchers, Dicksen, Dickson, Dochard, Du Chaillu, Duncan, Durand, Duroule, Duveyrier, D'Escayrac, De Lauture, Erhardt, Ferret, Fresnel, Galinier, Galton, Geoffroy, Golberry, Hahn, Halm, Harnier, Hecquart, Heuglin, Hornemann, Houghton, Imbert, Kauffmann, Knoblecher, Krapf, Kummer, Lafargue, Laing, Lafaille, Lambert, Lamiral, Lampriere, John Lander, Richard Lander, Lefebvre, Lejean, Levaillant, Livingstone, MacCarthy, Maggiar, Maizan, Malzac, Moffat, Mollien, Monteiro, Morrison, Mungo Park, Neimans, Overweg, Panet, Partarrieau, Pascal, Pearse, Peddie, Penney, Petherick, Poncet, Prax, Raffenel, Rabh, Rebmann, Richardson, Riley, Ritchey, Rochet d'Hericourt, Rongawi, Roscher, Ruppel, Saugnier, Speke, Steidner, Thibaud, Thompson, Thornton, Toole, Tousny, Trotter, Tuckey, Tyrwhitt, Vaudey, Veyssiere, Vincent, Vinco, Vogel, Wahlberg, Warrington, Washington, Werne, Wild, and last, but not least, Dr. Ferguson, who, by his incredible attempt, was to link together the achievements of all these explorers, and complete the series of African discovery.
第二天，1月15日，这一期的《每日电讯报》中刊登了一篇妙笔生花的文章：
“非洲终于要公开它那辽阔荒野的秘密了。一位现代俄狄浦斯①将告诉我们60个世纪的学者文人没能识破的这个谜底。 过去探寻尼罗河发源地 （fontesNiliquoereres）总被视为异想天开，一个实现不了的梦。
①希腊神话中的英雄人物。
“巴尔特②博士沿着丹纳姆③和克拉珀顿④开辟的道路一直到了苏丹；利文斯通⑤博士从好望角到赞比西亚盆地反复进行了不屈不挠的调查；伯顿⑥上尉和斯皮克⑦上尉发现了内陆大湖；他们为现代文明打通了三条道路。三条道路的交叉点可谓是非洲的心脏。但至今还没有一位旅行家能涉足该地区。我们的全部力量正应该使在那儿。
②1821—1865，德国地理学家、非洲探险家，着有五卷本巨着《中北非游记和发现》。
③1786—1828，英国早期探险家，曾任塞拉利昂总督。
④1788—1827，苏格兰探险家，着有《1822，1823和1824年北非旅行和发现记事》。
⑤1813—1873，英国传教士、探险家，在非洲南部、中部和东部旅行，传教达30年之久。
⑥1821—1890，英国探险家，曾翻译《天方夜谈》。
⑦1827—1864，英国探险家，第一个发现东非维多利亚湖的欧洲人。
“不过，这些勇敢的科学攀登者们未竟的事业就要由弗格森·弗格森博士的大胆尝试来完成。他以往的神奇探险活动早已得到了读者们的赏识。
“这位无畏的发现者打算乘气球由东至西穿越整个非洲。据可靠消息，这次惊人旅行的出发点将设在非洲东海岸的桑给巴尔岛①。至于终点，只有上帝知道了。
①位于坦桑尼亚东北部，港口城市。
“这次科学探险的计划已于昨天正式提交给皇家地理学会。学会大会表决通过拨发一笔2500英镑的款项作该活动的费用。
“这次尝试是地理探险大事记中史无前例的，我们将随时向读者提供消息。”
正如我们所料，该文引起了巨大反响。它首先激起怀疑的浪潮：弗格森博士被当成是一个纯粹虚幻的人物，是巴纳姆②博士的发明。后者在美国“工作”了一段时间，现在又准备打英伦三岛的“主意”了。
②1810—1891，美国游艺节目演出经纪人，常搞些稀奇古怪的展览、演出等，自称“胡诌王子”。
日内瓦出版的《地理学会学报》二月号上刊登了一篇风趣的答读者信。文章巧妙地戏谑了伦敦皇家学会、旅行者俱乐部和那条鳟鱼。
但是，彼得曼博士在哥达出版的“公报”中发表的文章，使日内瓦的这家学刊彻底闭上了口。彼得曼博士自己了解弗格森博士，而且愿意为他的勇敢朋友的无畏尝试担保。
另一方面，很快就不可能再有怀疑了：旅行的准备工作正在伦敦进行着；里昂的几家工厂已接到生产制造气球用塔夫绸的大量订单。最终，不列颠政府允许弗格森博士使用《决心号》运输舰。该舰的舰长叫皮耐特。
随即，成千上万件鼓励信、贺电纷至沓来。有关探险队举动的详情细节随着准备工作的进展全部发表在巴黎地理学会的学报中。在V·A·莫尔特一布伦①先生主编的《旅行、 地理、历史和考古新年鉴》中登出了一篇引人注目的文章。W·科内尔博士在《德国地理学报》上发表的一份详细分析报告，令人信服地证论了这次旅行探险的可行性、成功的机会、困难的性质和空中航行这种方式带来的种种好处。他仅仅对出发地点提出了批评。他指出，从马苏亚这个阿比西尼的小港口出发更好些。1768年，詹姆士·布鲁斯就是从马苏亚出发去寻找尼罗河源头的。另外，他毫无保留地赞赏弗格森博士的这种积极进取精神和这种想到、做到、决不回头的坚强毅力。
①法国地理学家，其父是巴黎地理学会的创始人和第一任董事长。
《北美评论》看到英国得到这样的荣誉尤为不快。它把博士的计划当成了笑话，并不怀好意地怂恿博士半途中径直飞到美国来。
总而言之，从《福音教会公报》到《阿尔及利亚与殖民地杂志》，从《传教年鉴》到《传教士新闻》，没有哪家科学杂志不用各种形式详叙此事的，更不用说全世界的报刊了。
在伦敦，甚至在全英国，人们纷纷拿下面的问题打赌：第一，弗格森博士存在不存在；第二，旅行会不会进行；第三，这次探险活动能不能成功；第四，弗格森博士可不可能回得来。许多人投下了巨额赌注，活像是在埃普索姆②的赛马会上。
②英国的一个城市，以赛马闻名。
这样以来，相信的、不相信的，外行、内行，所有的人都把眼睛盯住了弗格森博士。他不自觉地成了众人心目中的英雄。博士乐意提供有关远征探险的详细情况。他平易近人、淳朴自然，可以说是世界上最诚恳的人了。不止一位胆大的冒险家找他毛遂自荐，想与他同甘共苦，但都被他不加解释地一律回绝了。
许多研究气球转向机械结构的发明家向他推荐自己的发明，但他一个也不愿接受。有人问弗格森博士是不是已经发明了什么新的转向系统，但他概不回答。他更加积极地忙于探险的准备工作。
There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M----, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause.
This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism:
"England has always marched at the head of nations" (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), "by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery." (General assent). "Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin." ("No, indeed!" from all parts of the hall.)
"This attempt, should it succeed" ("It will succeed!"), "will complete and link together the notions, as yet disjointed, which the world entertains of African cartology" (vehement applause); "and, should it fail, it will, at least, remain on record as one of the most daring conceptions of human genius!" (Tremendous cheering.)
"Huzza! huzza!" shouted the immense audience, completely electrified by these inspiring words.
"Huzza for the intrepid Ferguson!" cried one of the most excitable of the enthusiastic crowd.
The wildest cheering resounded on all sides; the name of Ferguson was in every mouth, and we may safely believe that it lost nothing in passing through English throats. Indeed, the hall fairly shook with it.
And there were present, also, those fearless travellers and explorers whose energetic temperaments had borne them through every quarter of the globe, many of them grown old and worn out in the service of science. All had, in some degree, physically or morally, undergone the sorest trials. They had escaped shipwreck; conflagration; Indian tomahawks and war-clubs; the fagot and the stake; nay, even the cannibal maws of the South Sea Islanders. But still their hearts beat high during Sir Francis M----'s address, which certainly was the finest oratorical success that the Royal Geographical Society of London had yet achieved.
But, in England, enthusiasm does not stop short with mere words. It strikes off money faster than the dies of the Royal Mint itself. So a subscription to encourage Dr. Ferguson was voted there and then, and it at once attained the handsome amount of two thousand five hundred pounds. The sum was made commensurate with the importance of the enterprise.
A member of the Society then inquired of the president whether Dr. Ferguson was not to be officially introduced.
"The doctor is at the disposition of the meeting," replied Sir Francis.
"Let him come in, then! Bring him in!" shouted the audience. "We'd like to see a man of such extraordinary daring, face to face!"
"Perhaps this incredible proposition of his is only intended to mystify us," growled an apoplectic old admiral.
"Suppose that there should turn out to be no such person as Dr. Ferguson?" exclaimed another voice, with a malicious twang.
"Why, then, we'd have to invent one!" replied a facetious member of this grave Society.
"Ask Dr. Ferguson to come in," was the quiet remark of Sir Francis M----.
And come in the doctor did, and stood there, quite unmoved by the thunders of applause that greeted his appearance.
He was a man of about forty years of age, of medium height and physique. His sanguine temperament was disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks. His countenance was coldly expressive, with regular features, and a large nose--one of those noses that resemble the prow of a ship, and stamp the faces of men predestined to accomplish great discoveries. His eyes, which were gentle and intelligent, rather than bold, lent a peculiar charm to his physiognomy. His arms were long, and his feet were planted with that solidity which indicates a great pedestrian.
A calm gravity seemed to surround the doctor's entire person, and no one would dream that he could become the agent of any mystification, however harmless.
Hence, the applause that greeted him at the outset continued until he, with a friendly gesture, claimed silence on his own behalf. He stepped toward the seat that had been prepared for him on his presentation, and then, standing erect and motionless, he, with a determined glance, pointed his right forefinger upward, and pronounced aloud the single word--
"Excelsior!"
Never had one of Bright's or Cobden's sudden onslaughts, never had one of Palmerston's abrupt demands for funds to plate the rocks of the English coast with iron, made such a sensation. Sir Francis M----'s address was completely overshadowed. The doctor had shown himself moderate, sublime, and self-contained, in one; he had uttered the word of the situation--
"Excelsior!"
The gouty old admiral who had been finding fault, was completely won over by the singular man before him, and immediately moved the insertion of Dr. Ferguson's speech in "The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London."
Who, then, was this person, and what was the enterprise that he proposed?
Ferguson's father, a brave and worthy captain in the English Navy, had associated his son with him, from the young man's earliest years, in the perils and adventures of his profession. The fine little fellow, who seemed to have never known the meaning of fear, early revealed a keen and active mind, an investigating intelligence, and a remarkable turn for scientific study; moreover, he disclosed uncommon address in extricating himself from difficulty; he was never perplexed, not even in handling his fork for the first time--an exercise in which children generally have so little success.
His fancy kindled early at the recitals he read of daring enterprise and maritime adventure, and he followed with enthusiasm the discoveries that signalized the first part of the nineteenth century. He mused over the glory of the Mungo Parks, the Bruces, the Caillies, the Levaillants, and to some extent, I verily believe, of Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe), whom he considered in no wise inferior to the rest. How many a well-employed hour he passed with that hero on his isle of Juan Fernandez! Often he criticised the ideas of the shipwrecked sailor, and sometimes discussed his plans and projects. He would have done differently, in such and such a case, or quite as well at least--of that he felt assured. But of one thing he was satisfied, that he never should have left that pleasant island, where he was as happy as a king without subjects-- no, not if the inducement held out had been promotion to the first lordship in the admiralty!
It may readily be conjectured whether these tendencies were developed during a youth of adventure, spent in every nook and corner of the Globe. Moreover, his father, who was a man of thorough instruction, omitted no opportunity to consolidate this keen intelligence by serious studies in hydrography, physics, and mechanics, along with a slight tincture of botany, medicine, and astronomy.
Upon the death of the estimable captain, Samuel Ferguson, then twenty-two years of age, had already made his voyage around the world. He had enlisted in the Bengalese Corps of Engineers, and distinguished himself in several affairs; but this soldier's life had not exactly suited him; caring but little for command, he had not been fond of obeying. He, therefore, sent in his resignation, and half botanizing, half playing the hunter, he made his way toward the north of the Indian Peninsula, and crossed it from Calcutta to Surat--a mere amateur trip for him.
From Surat we see him going over to Australia, and in 1845 participating in Captain Sturt's expedition, which had been sent out to explore the new Caspian Sea, supposed to exist in the centre of New Holland.
Samuel Ferguson returned to England about 1850, and, more than ever possessed by the demon of discovery, he spent the intervening time, until 1853, in accompanying Captain McClure on the expedition that went around the American Continent from Behring's Straits to Cape Farewell.
Notwithstanding fatigues of every description, and in all climates, Ferguson's constitution continued marvellously sound. He felt at ease in the midst of the most complete privations; in fine, he was the very type of the thoroughly accomplished explorer whose stomach expands or contracts at will; whose limbs grow longer or shorter according to the resting-place that each stage of a journey may bring; who can fall asleep at any hour of the day or awake at any hour of the night.
Nothing, then, was less surprising, after that, than to find our traveller, in the period from 1855 to 1857, visiting the whole region west of the Thibet, in company with the brothers Schlagintweit, and bringing back some curious ethnographic observations from that expedition.
During these different journeys, Ferguson had been the most active and interesting correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the penny newspaper whose circulation amounts to 140,000 copies, and yet scarcely suffices for its many legions of readers. Thus, the doctor had become well known to the public, although he could not claim membership in either of the Royal Geographical Societies of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or St. Petersburg, or yet with the Travellers' Club, or even the Royal Polytechnic Institute, where his friend the statistician Cockburn ruled in state.
The latter savant had, one day, gone so far as to propose to him the following problem: Given the number of miles travelled by the doctor in making the circuit of the Globe, how many more had his head described than his feet, by reason of the different lengths of the radii?--or, the number of miles traversed by the doctor's head and feet respectively being given, required the exact height of that gentleman?
This was done with the idea of complimenting him, but the doctor had held himself aloof from all the learned bodies--belonging, as he did, to the church militant and not to the church polemical. He found his time better employed in seeking than in discussing, in discovering rather than discoursing.
There is a story told of an Englishman who came one day to Geneva, intending to visit the lake. He was placed in one of those odd vehicles in which the passengers sit side by side, as they do in an omnibus. Well, it so happened that the Englishman got a seat that left him with his back turned toward the lake. The vehicle completed its circular trip without his thinking to turn around once, and he went back to London delighted with the Lake of Geneva.
Doctor Ferguson, however, had turned around to look about him on his journeyings, and turned to such good purpose that he had seen a great deal. In doing so, he had simply obeyed the laws of his nature, and we have good reason to believe that he was, to some extent, a fatalist, but of an orthodox school of fatalism withal, that led him to rely upon himself and even upon Providence. He claimed that he was impelled, rather than drawn by his own volition, to journey as he did, and that he traversed the world like the locomotive, which does not direct itself, but is guided and directed by the track it runs on.
"I do not follow my route;" he often said, "it is my route that follows me."
The reader will not be surprised, then, at the calmness with which the doctor received the applause that welcomed him in the Royal Society. He was above all such trifles, having no pride, and less vanity. He looked upon the proposition addressed to him by Sir Francis M---- as the simplest thing in the world, and scarcely noticed the immense effect that it produced.
When the session closed, the doctor was escorted to the rooms of the Travellers' Club, in Pall Mall. A superb entertainment had been prepared there in his honor. The dimensions of the dishes served were made to correspond with the importance of the personage entertained, and the boiled sturgeon that figured at this magnificent repast was not an inch shorter than Dr. Ferguson himself.
Numerous toasts were offered and quaffed, in the wines of France, to the celebrated travellers who had made their names illustrious by their explorations of African territory. The guests drank to their health or to their memory, in alphabetical order, a good old English way of doing the thing. Among those remembered thus, were: Abbadie, Adams, Adamson, Anderson, Arnaud, Baikie, Baldwin, Barth, Batouda, Beke, Beltram, Du Berba, Bimbachi, Bolognesi, Bolwik, Belzoni, Bonnemain, Brisson, Browne, Bruce, Brun-Rollet, Burchell, Burckhardt, Burton, Cailland, Caillie, Campbell, Chapman, Clapperton, Clot-Bey, Colomieu, Courval, Cumming, Cuny, Debono, Decken, Denham, Desavanchers, Dicksen, Dickson, Dochard, Du Chaillu, Duncan, Durand, Duroule, Duveyrier, D'Escayrac, De Lauture, Erhardt, Ferret, Fresnel, Galinier, Galton, Geoffroy, Golberry, Hahn, Halm, Harnier, Hecquart, Heuglin, Hornemann, Houghton, Imbert, Kauffmann, Knoblecher, Krapf, Kummer, Lafargue, Laing, Lafaille, Lambert, Lamiral, Lampriere, John Lander, Richard Lander, Lefebvre, Lejean, Levaillant, Livingstone, MacCarthy, Maggiar, Maizan, Malzac, Moffat, Mollien, Monteiro, Morrison, Mungo Park, Neimans, Overweg, Panet, Partarrieau, Pascal, Pearse, Peddie, Penney, Petherick, Poncet, Prax, Raffenel, Rabh, Rebmann, Richardson, Riley, Ritchey, Rochet d'Hericourt, Rongawi, Roscher, Ruppel, Saugnier, Speke, Steidner, Thibaud, Thompson, Thornton, Toole, Tousny, Trotter, Tuckey, Tyrwhitt, Vaudey, Veyssiere, Vincent, Vinco, Vogel, Wahlberg, Warrington, Washington, Werne, Wild, and last, but not least, Dr. Ferguson, who, by his incredible attempt, was to link together the achievements of all these explorers, and complete the series of African discovery.