
audiobook
by René Caillié, M. (Edmé-François) Jomard
A determined French explorer set out in the mid‑1820s to cross the heart of Africa, tracing a route from the Atlantic coast through the Sahel to the legendary city of Timbuktu and then onward across the unforgiving Sahara to Morocco. His narrative begins with the practical challenges of travel—scarce supplies, hostile terrain, and the ever‑present threat of being mistaken for a pilgrim in a land where religious suspicion ran deep.
The account is filled with vivid observations of bustling markets, the towering minarets of Timbuktu’s great mosque, and the daily rhythms of the peoples he encounters. He describes the delicate balance of gaining trust while concealing his true identity, the constant danger of a death sentence hidden in his pocket, and the painstaking effort required to turn hurried pencil notes into a reliable record.
Accompanied by detailed maps and hand‑drawn plates, the work offers a clear, earnest perspective on geography and trade routes that were then little known to Europe. Its straightforward style lets listeners hear the explorer’s own voice, as he records the sights, sounds, and hardships of an extraordinary early‑19th‑century odyssey.
Language
en
Duration
~12 hours (740K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1830.
Credits
Galo Flordelis (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2023-02-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

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 story himself. His travels through West Africa fed one of the 19th century’s most remarkable firsthand travel accounts.
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1777–1862
A French engineer and cartographer who helped turn Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition into lasting scholarship, he is best remembered for editing the monumental Description de l'Égypte. His career linked exploration, mapmaking, archaeology, and cultural exchange between France and Egypt.
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