Five Weeks in a Balloon Chapter 39

In which our intrepid travellers glide over the varied landscapes of the Niger’s winding course, observing its fertile banks, the bustling encampments of the Touaregs, and the enigmatic silhouette of the Hombori Mountains under a spectral moonlight. They come upon the ancient city of Timbuctoo, its former glory now faded into a somnolent expanse of sand and half-ruined mosques, whilst the increasing difficulties of navigation prompt reflections on the uncertain direction of their balloon voyage.