“ Before the year 1832 was out, however, it was established that Douville’s Voyage was romance and not verity. He had probably been inspired by the appearance of René Caillié’s account of his journey to Timbuktu, and wished to obtain a share of the fame attaching to African explorers. Douville tried vainly to establish the truth of his story in Ma Défense (1832) , and Trente mois de ma vie, ou quinze mois avant et quinze mois après mon voyage au Congo (1833) . Mlle Audrun, a lady to whom he was about to be married, committed suicide from grief at the disgrace ”

“ In 1826 he went to South America, and in 1827 left Brazil for the Portuguese possessions on the west coast of Africa, where his presence in March 1828 is proved by the mention made of him in letters of Castillo Branco, the governor-general of Loanda. ”