"My dear Dick, I shall only tell you one thing. I shall not lose an atom of gas not a particle."
"And you will descend when you please?"
"I will descend when I please."
"And how will you manage this?"
"That is my secret, friend Richard. Have faith in me, and my motto may be yours—'Excelsior!'"
"Agreed. 'Excelsior' be it, "replied the hunter, who did not understand a word of Latin. But he made up his mind to offer all the opposition in his power to the departure of his friend. He pretended to be of his opinion, and contented himself with watching. As for the doctor, he went to inspect his reparations.
CHAPTER IV
AFRICAN EXPLORATION
The direction which Dr. Ferguson intended to follow in his balloon had not been chosen at hap-hazard. He had seriously considered his point of departure, and it was not without reason that he had resolved to ascend from the island of Zanzibar.
This island, situated close to the east coast of Africa, is in the 6th degree of South latitude, or 430 geographical miles below the equator. The last expedition which went by way of the great lakes to discover the source of the Nile started from Zanzibar.
But perhaps it may be as well to mention what expeditions Doctor Ferguson was hoping to connect together. There were two principal ones–that of Doctor Barth in 1849, and that of Lieutenants Burton and Speke in 1858.
Doctor Barth was a native of Hamburg, who obtained permission for himself and for his countryman, Overweg, to join the English expedition under Richardson, who was charged with a mission into the Soudan. This immense district is situated between the 10th and 15th degrees of North latitude; that is to say, that to arrive there it is necessary to travel more than 1,500 miles into the interior of Africa. Up to the period mentioned the country was only known from the expeditions of Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney, between the years 1822 and 1824.
