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Travelling in Africa
R.STANLEY gives tend against, such as not knowing the an amusing ac- right road, and inability to resist the count of the temptation of straying into the depths of troubles that beset an adjoining field; and the donkey, ignohim on one of his rant of the custom in vogue among drivers famous journeys. of flourishing sticks before an animal's He says: The ex- nose, and misunderstanding the direction no pedition left Baga- in which he was required to go, ran off at moyo, the attraction of all the full speed along an opposite road, until curious, with much éclat, and his pack got unbalanced, and he was fain defiled up a narrow lane shaded to come to the earth. But these incidents almost to twilight by the dense were trivial, of importance, and umbrage of two parallel hedges natural to the first "little journey" in of mimosas. All were in the East Africa. They were such as were highest spirits. The soldiers sang, the likely to befall all travellers. guide lifted his voice into a loud bellow- The saddles were excellent, surpassing ing note, and fluttered the American flag, expectation. The strong hemp canvas which told all on-lookers, "Lo, a white bore its one hundred and fifty pounds man's caravan!" burden with the strength of bull hide, and This first, or little journey of a few the loading and unloading of miscellamiles, was performed very well, "consid- neous baggage was performed with ering." The boy, Selim, upset the cart systematic despatch. In brief, there was not more than three times. Zaidi, the nothing to regret-the success of the soldier, only once let his donkey, which journey proved the departure to be anycarried one bag of clothes and a box of thing but premature. ammunition, lie in a puddle of black As we proceeded, Shaw, one of the water. The clothes had to be re-washed; white men, was taken sick, and the the ammunition box, thanks to fore- whole duty of driving the founderthought, was water-proof. Kamna, one of ing caravan devolved upon myself. The the men, perhaps knew the art of donkey- animals stuck in the mire as if they were driving, but, overjoyful at the departure, rooted to it. As fast as one was flogged had sung himself into oblivion of the from his stubborn position, prone to the difficulties with which an animal of the depthsfellanother, giving me a great labor, pure asinine breed has naturally to con- which was maddening under pelting rain, assisted by such men as Bombay and to swim and float our baggage over, which Uledi, who could not for a whole skin's delayed us two hours more. Leaving this sake stomach the storm and mire. Two second river bank, we splashed, waded, hours of such a task enabled me to drag occasionally half-swimming, and reeled my caravan over a savannah one mile and through mire, water-dripping grass and a half broad; and barely had I finished matama stalks, along the left bank of the congratulating myself over my success Makata River, until further progress was before I was halted by a deep ditch, which, effectually prevented for that day by a filled with rain-water from the inundated deep bend of the river, which we should savannahs, had become a considerable be obliged to cross the next day. stream, breast-deep, flowing swiftly. Don- Though but six miles were traversed keys had to be unloaded, led through a during that miserable day, the march torrent, and loaded again on the other occupied ten hours. Half dead with bank-an operation which consumed a fatigue, I yet could feel thankful that it was not accompanied by fever, which it full hour.
Presently, after straggling through a seemed a miracle to avoid; for if ever a wood clump, barring our progress was district was cursed with the ague the another stream, swollen into a river. The Makata wilderness ranks foremost of bridge being swept away, we were obliged those afflicted. Surely the sight of the dripping woods enveloped in opaque mist, rain, swamps, swollen streams, stubborn of the inundated country with lengthy donkeys, lazy oxen, treacherous and swathes of tiger-grass laid low by the worthless natives, and a thousand petty turbid flood, of mounds of decaying trees annoyances that cannot be here described, and canes, of the swollen river and the but are very real to the one who encounweeping sky, was enough to engender ters them. Mr. Stanley's great perseverthe ague. ance carried him through wonderful perils, The foregoing account by Mr. Stanley and he easily surmounted obstacles that is a graphic picture of the difficulties would have disheartened almost any other which beset the traveller in Africa-mud, man and made him turn back.
