03362cam a22004813u 4500 76736 UtSlPG 20260610134757.0 m cr n 260607r20251907utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG fr iso639-1 DT Chevalier, Auguste, 1873-1956 L'Afrique centrale française Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2025 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier At head of title: Mission Chari-Lac Tchad, 1902-1904. Release date is 2025-08-26 Galo Flordelis (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Smithsonian Libraries and the bibliothèque numérique du Cirad (NumBA)) "L''Afrique centrale française : Récit du voyage de la mission" by Auguste Chevalier et al. is a scientific travel account and expedition report written in the early 20th century. It chronicles the French Chari–Lake Chad mission through Central Africa, blending route narratives with studies in botany, geology, ethnography, and colonial economics. The focus is on mapping regions between the Congo, Oubangui, and Lake Chad, establishing experimental gardens, and assessing resources such as rubber, copal, and food crops within the context of French colonial administration. The opening of this account explains how the mission was conceived, funded, and staffed, outlining official backing, scientific aims, and the team’s roles. It follows the party from France to Brazzaville via the Congo railway, contrasts the disrepair of Brazzaville with the orderly Belgian Léopoldville, and details early botanical work that identifies the so‑called “grass-root rubber” from Landolphia species. The narrative then shifts to the river journey up the Congo and Oubangui toward Bangui, with close observation of forests, islands, copal and oil palms, village agriculture, and abandoned settlements linked to recent unrest, while noting evolving local customs and the spread of introduced crops. It closes in this excerpt with vivid travel notes and a clear critique of abuses by concession agents and poorly supervised troops as the boat reaches Bondjo-country villages like Isasa. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: Paris: A. Challamel, 1907 Africa, Central -- Description and travel Scientific expeditions Natural history -- Africa, Central Chad -- Description and travel Central African Republic -- Description and travel Bouvier, E.-L. (Eugène-Louis), 1856-1944 Courtet, Henri, 1858-1912 Du Buysson, R. (Robert), 1861-1946 Germain, Louis, 1878-1942 Lesne, Pierre, 1871-1949 Pellegrin, Jacques, 1873-1944 Petit, Paul, 1834-1913 Surcouf, J. M. R. (Jacques M. R.), 1873-1934 Mission Chari-Lac Tchad (1902-1904) https://archive.org/details/lafriquecentrale00chev https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76736 117461 117461