Journal de route de Henri Duveyrier

These newly edited pages bring to life Henri Duveyrier’s 1860 crossing of the Algerian‑Tunisian Sahara. Written as a day‑by‑day notebook, the journal captures the raw impressions of a young explorer who, at seventeen, first feels the heat of the desert, the rhythm of nomadic caravans, and the stark beauty of sand‑scarred horizons. Interspersed with sketches and occasional botanical notes, the entries reveal a mind eager to record geography, language and customs while wrestling with feverish illness that would later haunt him.

The volume is enriched by a concise biography of Duveyrier and a careful index of place names, plants and Arabic terms, allowing listeners to follow his route with clarity. Editorial notes point out where his observations align with or diverge from later scholarship, preserving the journal’s lively, unpolished voice. For anyone curious about 19th‑century travel, desert ecology, or the personal side of early French exploration, the narrative offers an intimate window into a world that was then at once mysterious and newly mapped.