cultures, and experiences encountered during this adventurous journey through regions largely uncharted at the time. The opening of the narrative sets the stage for a detailed expedition, highlighting the captain's preparations and the motivations behind his journey. It describes the logistical challenges he faces in organizing a long-lasting mission, including buying supplies, selecting personnel, and acquiring letters of recommendation for safe passage. As he departs from the port of Bordeaux and eventually reaches Dakar, the narrative shifts to his experiences in Saint-Louis and Bakel, where he assembles his team and their equipment for traversing the challenging terrain towards the Niger River. Throughout the descriptions, the reader gains insight into his expectations, the indigenous communities, and the socio-political dynamics influencing his mission as he aims to gather vital information about the regions of Kong and Mossi. (This is an automatically generated summary.)