Heinrich Barth - Part 3 - Into the heart of Central Africa

The Explorers Podcast

Matt Breen

Education, History, Society & Culture

4.9 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In part 3 of our series, Heinrich Barth, traveling alone, becomes to first European to visit the legendary city of Agadez. He then journeys into the heart of Central Africa, going to the cities of Katsina, Kano, and Kukawa. But war will rage throughout the kingdom of Bornu, and a year of hard living will claim one of the members of the expedition. Sponsors: Quince. Get free shipping with your order by using code EXPLORERS at quince.com/explorers The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:18.0	Hello and welcome to the Explorers podcast. I hope you're well. Today we continue our series on
0:23.8	German explorer Heinrich Barth. Let's jump right into it, but a reminder, there's a map on our website,
0:29.9	Explorespodcast.com, if you want to see the locations we will discuss in today's episode.
0:35.6	Last time, we left Barth and his companions in the Ayr Mountains at the village of
0:40.2	Tintillus, the main base for the Kel Owe-Twergs, the escorts and protectors of the Europeans.
0:46.6	The village was 300 miles north of the city of Zinder, a part of the Kingdom of Bornu, which
0:51.8	was the expedition's destination.
0:59.8	It was September of 1850, and the Europeans, Heinrich Barth, Adolf Overvang, and James Richardson had managed to cross the Sahara Desert and were poised to head into the heart of the Sudan,
1:04.8	although, like all things in this region, doing so it was going to take a lot longer than they thought.
1:09.7	The chief of the Kelowi Tuaregx was 76-year-old Sheikh Anur.
1:14.1	Regarding the man, Barth said, quote,
1:16.2	He received us in a straightforward and kindly manner, end quote.
1:20.2	The two would in time develop a friendship.
1:23.1	The expedition's leader, missionary and abolitionist, James Richardson,
1:26.7	was frustrated by Anur and all the
1:28.6	Tuaregs. They had bled him of his cash and goods, and Anur was going to continue to extract more
1:34.1	resources whenever the opportunity arose. Anur offered to provide the caravan passage and protection
1:40.1	to Zinder for 700 Spanish dollars or about 140 pounds. While Barth did not agree with the hard
1:46.5	bargaining of the Tuarags, he believed the old man was the power in the region who could actually
1:51.4	protect them. And what lay ahead was a dangerous region? For that reason, Barth urged Richardson to
1:57.2	accept the terms. Richardson was furious at the price, but went ahead and struck a deal for $600.
	...

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