A Parisian Sultana, Vol. 2 (of 3)

In Short

An eventful French geographical and romantic adventure novel following a mixed party of European explorers—including Madame de Guéran, Miss Poles, and gentlemen adventurers—as they journey up the Nile and into Central Africa. Threading through hostile swamps, devastating conflagrations, elephant encounters, and intense rivalries at the court of King Munza of the Monbuttoos, the travelers must use their wits, firearms, and sheer nerve to extract themselves from dangerous local entanglements and continue toward the southern sea. Its endurance lies in its vivid late-nineteenth-century panorama of exploration, blending high-stakes geographical daring with sharp interpersonal drama.

The Story

The journey begins on the waters near Khartoum, where a little European flotilla steams up the Nile before branching into the marshy, choked waters of the Gazelle River. The travelers endure exhausting labor, dragging vessels through dense vegetation alongside native bearers and rescued slaves. Moving deeper inland, the expedition survives a tense elephant hunt led by M. de Morin, where a single premature shot brings a mother elephant and her calf charging furiously upon the camp before a coordinated volley into the air turns the beast away.

As the caravan marches through African territory, they witness harsh local customs, including the brutal sun-punishment inflicted by the Al-waj on a criminal, which prompts the empathetic intervention of the Europeans. Pressing onward into the Monbuttoo country, the group is received with grand fanfare by King Munza. The potentate is struck by the European women, especially falling into an infatuated fixation on one of them and deciding to displace his harem.

Tensions mount as King Munza demands private audiences and attempts to exercise absolute despotism over his guests. While Miss Poles clashes with local women over dress and customs, and the gentlemen quarrel softly over their shared affection for the ladies, Madame de Guéran keeps a cool and resolute head. M. de Morin steps forward with a bold, risky strategy to manipulate the king's infatuation to secure their freedom. Meeting with Munza, the explorers navigate the king's madness regarding his harem and impending executions, turning the sovereign's obsessions to their advantage. After military reviews and diplomatic maneuvers, the travelers finally secure their departure, mounting their horses and heading south toward the sea with drums beating and escorts firing in celebration.

How It Unfolds

• The voyage begins: The European flotilla rounds Khartoum, navigating monotonous riverbanks and discussing the frustrating realities of the local slave trade with an Egyptian officer.
• The burning vessel: A terrible fire erupts on a neighboring ship, trapping slaves and cargo until M. Périères bravely uses connection ropes as a hanging bridge to orchestrate a daring rescue.
• The vegetable barrier: The expedition enters the choked, stagnant marshes of the Gazelle River, forcing the escort and bearers to wade waist-high and drag the vessels forward by sheer physical force.
• The elephant charge: An unexpected encounter with an aggressive female elephant and her calf threatens the camp until a simultaneous discharge of nine rifles and two revolvers forces the herd to retreat.
• The royal reception: The travelers arrive at the palace of King Munza in the Monbuttoo territory, where they are greeted by massive crowds, curious royal wives, and elaborate ceremonial displays.
• The king's demand: King Munza exhibits an intense romantic fixation on the white women and attempts to impose his absolute will, leading the explorers to formulate a dangerous counter-strategy.
• The final escape: M. de Morin successfully outmaneuvers the African potentate's erratic whims, allowing the caravan to depart at last and march southward toward the unknown.

The People

• Madame de Guéran: A calm, resolute, and intelligent widow whose presence and poise command deep respect. She suffers from a mysterious fever born of inner hesitation and divided romantic interest, yet remains a pillar of strength during crises.
• M. de Morin: An experienced sportsman and resolute leader of the expedition. Fiercely protective and quick to anger at insults to his companions, he devises the daring psychological strategy that saves the party from King Munza.
• M. Delange: A pragmatic doctor and traveler who manages the expedition's provisions and frequently injects dry humor or pragmatic advice into tense situations while harboring a deep personal attachment to the women in the party.
• M. Périères: A brave adventurer who initiates the critical rope-bridge rescue during the river conflagration and stands firmly by his comrades throughout their trials.
• Miss Beatrice Poles: An opinionated English traveler sensitive about her dignity and attire, frequently clashing with local African perceptions and maintaining a sharp, critical eye on their surroundings.
• King Munza: The powerful, majestic ruler of the Monbuttoos. Possessing a warm and demanding temperament, his abrupt infatuation with the European women and autocratic domestic decrees drive the central conflict of the journey.

In Its Own Voice

"The banks of the river here and for some miles farther on present a most monotonous appearance—low, flat banks as far as the eye can see, often flooded and resembling a sea rather than a river, with here and there a clump of acacias."

This description captures the flat, waterlogged expanse of the White Nile region at the outset of the voyage.

"The noise made by an elephant in its angry rush is indescribable; the earth shakes and trembles beneath the tread of its huge feet."

This observation emphasizes the sheer physical terror and overwhelming power of the wildlife encountered in the African interior.

"The King, who, up to this time, has never seen any women but his hideous Monbuttoo specimens, destitute of grace and costume alike, no sooner set eyes on two white women, young, agreeable, well made, and good looking, than he fell in love with one of them."

This passage highlights the cultural clash and romantic complication that precipitates the crisis at the Monbuttoo court.

What It's Really About

The narrative explores the friction between European civilization and untamed African environments, examining how travelers project their own social codes, romantic anxieties, and governance onto foreign landscapes. It questions the nature of power, arbitrary despotism, and cross-cultural misunderstanding—particularly through the lens of a sovereign whose absolute domestic control conflicts with Western notions of liberty and dignity. Beneath the geographical adventure lies a study of human endurance, where physical exhaustion and isolation strip away artifice, laying bare the genuine attachments, jealousies, and inner hesitations of the explorers.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love late-nineteenth-century adventure tales filled with exotic geography, perilous wildlife encounters, and high-stakes court intrigue will find this a fascinating period piece. Reading it feels like flipping through the illustrated pages of a Victorian travel journal, combining breathless moments of danger—such as charging elephants and burning riverboats—with leisurely, conversational pauses among the European travelers. Modern readers should approach it with historical awareness, keeping in mind the paternalistic colonial attitudes, exoticizing language, and period assumptions common to European travel writing of the 1870s. Despite these dated perspectives, the brisk pacing, sharp character dynamics, and vivid descriptions of dense tropical galleries and royal courts retain an undeniable, immersive pull that lingers long after the final page.