Vittorio Bottego
Encyclopedia
Vittorio Bottego was an Italian
army officer and one of the first Western explorers of Jubaland
in the Horn of Africa
(now part of Somalia
), where he led two expeditions. Bottego was born in Parma
.
In his first expedition he concentrated on tracing the channels of the tributaries of the Ganale Doria
. With Captain Grixoni, Bottego left Bardera
on 30 September 1892, with one hundred and twenty-four men. On November 7 they reached the Shebeli River at Imi
on 7 November. After eight days they crossed the river, entering the country of the Arsi Oromo
, who proved hostile to Bottego. He passed through Arkebla and reached the Ganale Guracha ("Black Ganale") on 11 December, along whose banks he led his men upstream for 20 days.
Concluding that this was not the main stream of the Ganale, Bottego left the river in a west-south-western direction until he reached the Ganale Doria, or the main fork of the Ganale, on 16 January 1893. Sick with fever, here Bottego was left by Grixoni who marched for the coast on 15 February with 30 men. Four days after Grixoni left, Bottego pushed inland as far as Mount Fakes, but unwilling to encounter raiding parties of the Ethiopians, he returned to the camp where Grixoni had left him. Bottego then crossed the tract separating him from the Dawa
, and ascended that river until lack of provisions compelled him retrace his steps back. His party reached the Ganale once more after six forced marches, in the course of which eleven men died of hunger. Two more died in camp from exhaustion, and two were drowned while hunting hippopotamuses.
In his second expedition (1895–1897) he ventured in the still then unknown region of the upper Juba, Lake Rudolf and the Sobat
. He was the first European explorer to follow the course of the lower Omo River
to its confluence with Lake Turkana
. He then tried to return through Ethiopia
, unaware that the country was at war with Italy let alone the recent Ethiopian victory at Adwa. He was killed in the Maji range near Jellen in a battle with an Oromo
tribe. His body was never found and his last story told years later by two of his companions, Vannutelli and Citerni, who survived the battle but were kept in prison for two years by Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
army officer and one of the first Western explorers of Jubaland
Jubaland
Jubaland , also known as Azania or the Juba Valley and formerly as Trans-Juba , is an autonomous region in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies 40–60 km east of the Jubba River, stretching from Gedo to the Indian Ocean, while its western side flanks the North Eastern Province in...
in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
(now part of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
), where he led two expeditions. Bottego was born in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
.
In his first expedition he concentrated on tracing the channels of the tributaries of the Ganale Doria
Ganale Dorya River
The Ganale Dorya River is a perennial river in southeastern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains east of Aleta Wendo, the Dawa flows south and east to join with the Dawa at the border with Somalia to become the Jubba. Tributaries include the Welmel, Weyib , Dumale, Doya, Hawas and the Hambala...
. With Captain Grixoni, Bottego left Bardera
Bardera
Bardera City is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia. It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley, with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region, and Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo's capital...
on 30 September 1892, with one hundred and twenty-four men. On November 7 they reached the Shebeli River at Imi
Imi, Ethiopia
Imi is a village in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. It is located in the Mirab Imi woreda of the Afder Zone on the north bank of the Shebelle River, at latitude and longitude with an elevation of 442 meters above sea level.The Central Statistical Agency has not published an estimate for this...
on 7 November. After eight days they crossed the river, entering the country of the Arsi Oromo
Arsi Oromo
Arsi Oromo is one of the branches of the Oromo people inhabiting the Oromia Region, mainly in the Arsi and Bale Zones, and partly in the Misraq Shewa Zone. They claim to have descended from a single individual called Arse...
, who proved hostile to Bottego. He passed through Arkebla and reached the Ganale Guracha ("Black Ganale") on 11 December, along whose banks he led his men upstream for 20 days.
Concluding that this was not the main stream of the Ganale, Bottego left the river in a west-south-western direction until he reached the Ganale Doria, or the main fork of the Ganale, on 16 January 1893. Sick with fever, here Bottego was left by Grixoni who marched for the coast on 15 February with 30 men. Four days after Grixoni left, Bottego pushed inland as far as Mount Fakes, but unwilling to encounter raiding parties of the Ethiopians, he returned to the camp where Grixoni had left him. Bottego then crossed the tract separating him from the Dawa
Dawa River
The Dawa River is a perennial river in southeastern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains east of Aleta Wendo, the Dawa flows south and east to join with the Ganale Dorya at the border with Somalia to become the Jubba. The river forms part of the Ethiopia–Kenya border and part of the Ethiopia–Somalia...
, and ascended that river until lack of provisions compelled him retrace his steps back. His party reached the Ganale once more after six forced marches, in the course of which eleven men died of hunger. Two more died in camp from exhaustion, and two were drowned while hunting hippopotamuses.
In his second expedition (1895–1897) he ventured in the still then unknown region of the upper Juba, Lake Rudolf and the Sobat
Sobat River
The Sobat River is a river in South Sudan, Africa. The most southerly of the great eastern tributaries of the Nile, the Sobat enters the White Nile at Doleib Hill, near the city of Malakal in the Upper Nile state of South Sudan...
. He was the first European explorer to follow the course of the lower Omo River
Omo River
The Omo River is an important river of southern Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into Lake Turkana on the border with Kenya...
to its confluence with Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana , formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake...
. He then tried to return through Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, unaware that the country was at war with Italy let alone the recent Ethiopian victory at Adwa. He was killed in the Maji range near Jellen in a battle with an Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
tribe. His body was never found and his last story told years later by two of his companions, Vannutelli and Citerni, who survived the battle but were kept in prison for two years by Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia.
Selected writings
- Viaggi di scoperta nel cuore dell'Africa (1895)
- L'esplorazione del Giuba (1895)