In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Emin Pasha, 1840-1892
Discovered a nest of young crocodiles, thirty-seven in number, having
just issued from their egg-homes. By-the-bye, to those unacquainted with
the fact, a crocodile has five claws on the fore feet, and only four
claws on the hinder. It has been stated that a crocodile raises the upper
jaw to devour, whereas the fact is it depresses the lower jaw like other
animals.
_May 9th, 10th._--Halt at Nsabé.
_May 11th._--Food supply is getting low. Five men have wandered off in
search of something, and have not returned since yesterday. I hope we are
not going to be demoralized again.
Mr. Jephson is suffering from a bilious attack.
Lake Ibrahim, or Gita Nzige according to the Pasha, is only an expansion
of the Victoria Nile, similar to that below Wadelai and Lake Albert, the
Upper Congo, and Stanley Pool. Consequently it has numerous channels,
separated by lines of islets and sand-bars. Both Gordon and Emin Pasha
have travelled by land along its right bank.
At 9 P.M. I received dismal intelligence. Four men, whom I observed
playing on the sandy shore of the lake at 4 o'clock, suddenly took it
into their heads to make a raid on some Balegga villages at the foot of
the plateau N.N.W. from here. They were surrounded by the natives, and
two of them seemed to have been killed, while the other two, who escaped,
show severe wounds.
_May 12th._--Halt at Nsabé.
This morning sent Doctor Parke with forty-five rifles to hunt up the two
missing men. One of them came in at 9 a.m. after a night spent in the
wilderness. He has a deep gash in the back from a spear that had been
hurled at him. Fortunately it did not penetrate the vital parts. He tells
me he was exchanging meat for flour when he heard rifle shots ahead, and
at once there was general alarm. The natives fled one way and he fled
another, but presently found himself pursued, and received a spear wound
in the back. He managed to outrun the pursuer, until in the deep grass of
watercourse he managed to hide while a number of natives were searching
for him. He lay there all night, and when the sun was up, lifted his head
to take a look round, and seeing no one, made his way to the camp.
I am never quite satisfied as to the manner of these accidents, whether
the natives or the Zanzibaris are the aggressors. The latter relate with
exceeding plausibility their version of the matter, but they are such
adepts in the art of lying that I am frequently bewildered. The
extraction of the truth in this instance seems to be so hopeless that I
tell them I judge of the matter thus:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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