The French Consul in Zanzibar (M. Broquant)…
August 1845 CE
Maizan, after studies at the École Polytechnique, had been appointed to the rank of lieutenant (enseigne de vaisseau) by order of King Louis Philippe I on January 1, 1840.
Upon returning from a campaign made in the waters of East Africa, in late 1843 Maizan had conceived the project to explore the lakes of the East African interior, journeying from east to west from Zanzibar.
The campaign took place in 1843 aboard the corvette La Dordogne under the command of Captain Charles Guillain.
In 1844, once his mission was accepted by the relevant ministries, Maizan had gone to Bourbon, where he boarded the corvette Berceau commanded by Captain Joseph Romain-Desfossés.
This ship went to install the new consul to the Omani sultanate, M. Broquant.
Initially, the plan was to begin the exploration of tropical Africa from Zanzibar.
Maizan's plan was to journey to Lake Chad, then try to find the source of the White Nile.
He would then, after passing the Niger, return to Europe through the Sahara.
The Société Orientale de France (Oriental Society of France), of which he was a member, had tasked him with a few questions that he should strive to answer during his journey.
Landing on Zanzibar Island at the end of 1844, Maizan had spent more than eight months at the here in order to learn Kisawahili, during which he had changed his plans and regularly increased his baggage.
Maizan ultimately left the island in haste, having seen a French vessel entering the harbor and fearing that he would be recalled.
He had visited the coast three times before finally landing.
The Bania caste (an occupational Indian community of merchants, bankers, money-lenders, dealers in grains or in spices who have strong commercial interests in the region) feared that the French were occupying the region, and Maizan was wrongly believed to have been sent to prepare for the arrival of the French troops.
They had probably used their influence to push Maizan to leave the island quickly.
The Sultan had offered Maizan an armed guard of forty musketeers, but Maizan declined in his haste to depart.
The explorer made landfall in Bagamoyo (opposite Zanzibar), the then traveled to Dege la Mhora plateau, accompanied only by Frédérique, a man from Madagascar or the Comoros, and a few other followers.
Initially, Maizan had planned to take a caravan of merchants' ivory, but changed his mind given the amount of baggage.
During his journey, he had been warned that P'hazi Mazungera (or Mzŭngéra), the chief of the Wakamba subtribe of the Wazaramo, wanted him.
To better prepare for their journey and learn about what to expect in the land, the expedition spent a few days on the coast.
Maizan then decided to make a big detour to avoid the territories of the bloodthirsty leader who seemed to have bad intentions towards him.
After two days of walking (to cover in a direct line a distance equal to three days of travel), Maizan stopped in the village of Daguétamohor.
It was from this village that he sent the letter to the French consul in Zanzibar, M. Broquant asking him to send his baggage.
He had entrusted this task to a servant who betrayed him and gave the location of Maizan's camp to Mazungera.
The African leader came upon the French at the end of July 1845 at the village of Dege la Mhora.
Maizan was initially taken in by Mazungera's false hospitality, but after a few days, Mazungera accused Maizan of giving gifts to other chiefs. Frédérique was saved by Mazungera's wife, but Maizan apparently did not have the presence of mind to touch her.
Manzugera, falsely believing that Maizan was carrying treasure, had tortured him to find out where it was hidden.
His arms were bound around a pole to which his legs and head were secured with rope.
Manzugera's son Hembé cut off Maizan's limbs and genitals, then cut his throat and beheaded him, interrupting the throat-cutting to sharpen the knife in front of Maizan before killing him.
Frédérique subsequently disappears from Zanzibar, and reportedly flees to Marungu on Lake Tanganyika.
The French consul arranges to collect the material left by the unfortunate explorer.
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