| Northern Nigeria.
Articles written in prominent magazines in the early years of the
last century show that Vischer was considered, in 1909, with Shackleton,
Stein, Amundsen and Hedin to be one of the foremost explorers of his
day. Yet while the others are still honoured and remembered, Vischer's
many and varied achievements have been forgotten. Not only was he
an explorer, but he subsequently became one of the leading and most
enlightened African educationalists. He pioneered the opening of schools
for Muslim students in northern Nigeria and was revered in northern
Nigeria as a true friend of the African. Later he held a senior advisory
post with the British Government in London. Vischer not only crossed
regions in southern Libya, and northern Nigeria that were then unmapped,
he also discovered desert rock art and Roman inscriptions in the middle
of what are waterless, lifeless tracts of the Sahara. He found stone
implements of the Miocene period, evidence of ancient cultures and
prosperity in the Fezzan region; all of which had been almost swallowed
up by the encroaching desert.
The expedition in 2001
/ 2002 followed the same route from Kukawa in Nigeria to Tripoli
in Libya, using camels in the same manner as Hanns Vischer. In 1908,
Vischer wanted to make this south – north journey, however,
he was not given permission to do so. This expedition completed
that planned but unfulfilled journey with camels. It has recorded
the changes that have taken place in the last 100 years to the people
in northern Nigeria, Niger and Libya; and their culture and to the
archaeological remains that are still locked in the desert sands.
It has also recorded major environmental changes, including the
dramatic shrinking of Lake Chad.
It has proved that is
it still possible to cross the vast Sahara with camels. The journey
lasted three and a half months and covered 1462 miles. Its purpose,
was also to raise awareness internationally of the critically endangered
wild Bactrian camel. The expedition was sponsored by: The National
Geographic Society, the Royal Geographical Society, The Bradshaw
Foundation, The Society of Libyan Studies, The Duke of Edinburgh's
Award Scheme and numerous private individuals.
An article
on the expedition has been published in the December, 2002 National
Geographic Magazine, and a book, Shadows Across the Sahara will
be published by Constable and Richardson (UK) in the spring of 2003.
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