author
René Caillié
1799–1838
Drawn by adventure from an early age, this French explorer became the first European known to return alive from Timbuktu and tell the world what he saw. His travel account mixed daring, patience, and close observation, making it one of the most memorable journeys of the 19th century.
3 Audiobooks
Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo; and across the Great Desert, to Morocco, performed in the years 1824-1828, Vol. 2 (of 2)
by René Caillié, M. (Edmé-François) Jomard
About the author
Born in 1799 in western France, René Caillié grew up in difficult circumstances and was fascinated by travel from boyhood. As a young man he made his way to West Africa, learning Arabic and studying local customs so he could move more safely through regions that were still little known to Europeans.
He is best remembered for his journey to Timbuktu in 1827–1828. Disguised as a Muslim traveler and traveling with a caravan, he reached the city and later crossed the Sahara to Morocco, becoming the first European known to come back alive after visiting Timbuktu. For this feat he received the prize offered by the Paris Geographical Society.
Caillié later published an account of his travels, which gave European readers a more realistic picture of Timbuktu than the legends they had imagined. He died in 1838, still young, but his name remains closely tied to the history of exploration in West Africa.