Boyd Alexander
Encyclopedia
Boyd Alexander was an English
British Army
officer, explorer and ornithologist.
Lieutenant Boyd Francis Alexander was the oldest son of Lt Colonel Boyd Francis Alexander. On his mother's side he was the grandson of David Wilson
the founder of one of the most famous hotels in India, the Great Eastern Hotel in Calcutta.
Lieutenant Alexander was a member of an expedition which travelled across Africa
from the Niger
to the Nile
, exploring the Lake Chad
area. Alexander was accompanied by his brother Claud, Captain G. B. Gosling and José Lopes. In February 1904 they set off from the mouth of the Niger, travelling upriver to Lokoja
. Claud died in October of enteric fever after making a survey of the Murchison Range. Boyd and Gosling explored the area around Lake Chad. Gosling died in June 1906 at Niangara
of blackwater fever
. Boyd then followed the River Kibali, reaching the Nile late in the year and returning to England in February 1907. Alexander's account From The Niger To The Nile was published later that year. In 1908 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
"for his three years' journey across Africa from the Niger to the Nile."
Alexander and Lopes sailed back to Africa in 1909. They visited Claud's grave at Maifoni in Bornu and then continued to Ouadai. Boyd was killed in a dispute with locals near Nyeri. His body was recovered by French soldiers and buried next to his brother in Maifoni.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, explorer and ornithologist.
Lieutenant Boyd Francis Alexander was the oldest son of Lt Colonel Boyd Francis Alexander. On his mother's side he was the grandson of David Wilson
David Wilson (Calcutta)
David Wilson was born in Brilley, Herefordshire in 1808. He worked as a confectioner in Calcutta and on 18 Nov 1840 he opened the Auckland Hotel at 1-3 Old Court House Road in Calcutta. The hotel was also known as Wilson's Hotel and changed its name to the Great Eastern Hotel...
the founder of one of the most famous hotels in India, the Great Eastern Hotel in Calcutta.
Lieutenant Alexander was a member of an expedition which travelled across Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
from the Niger
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
to the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
, exploring the Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
area. Alexander was accompanied by his brother Claud, Captain G. B. Gosling and José Lopes. In February 1904 they set off from the mouth of the Niger, travelling upriver to Lokoja
Lokoja
Lokoja is the capital city of Kogi State, in central Nigeria, and is a port on Niger River.-History:Founded by William Balfour Baikie according to European historical records, although there have been indigenous people living in the area for thousands of years...
. Claud died in October of enteric fever after making a survey of the Murchison Range. Boyd and Gosling explored the area around Lake Chad. Gosling died in June 1906 at Niangara
Niangara
Niangara Territory is a town in the Haut-Uele District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying on both sides of the Uele River. It is the headquarters of the Niangara Territory.The town has a hospital operated by Médecins sans Frontières....
of blackwater fever
Blackwater fever
Blackwater fever is a complication of malaria in which red blood cells burst in the bloodstream , releasing hemoglobin directly into the blood vessels and into the urine, frequently leading to kidney failure...
. Boyd then followed the River Kibali, reaching the Nile late in the year and returning to England in February 1907. Alexander's account From The Niger To The Nile was published later that year. In 1908 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
"for his three years' journey across Africa from the Niger to the Nile."
Alexander and Lopes sailed back to Africa in 1909. They visited Claud's grave at Maifoni in Bornu and then continued to Ouadai. Boyd was killed in a dispute with locals near Nyeri. His body was recovered by French soldiers and buried next to his brother in Maifoni.