Stanley's Adventures in the Wilds of Africa: A Graphic Account of the Several Expeditions of Henry M. Stanley into the Heart of the Dark ContinentHeadley, Joel Tyler
History
Stanley's Adventures in the Wilds of Africa: A Graphic Account of the Several Expeditions of Henry M. Stanley into the Heart of the Dark Continent
Headley, Joel Tyler
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton), 1841-1904
This was accomplished on January 14th, but though the river had been
reached, new perils awaited them. There was a stretch of two miles of
rapids that must be passed. After six canoes had been passed safely, one
was upset, and one of those in it, Zaidi, instead of swimming ashore, as
the others did, clung to it and was borne helplessly down to the
cataract below. But on the very verge was a solitary rock on which the
boat drifted and split--one part jamming fast. To this the poor wretch
clung with the strength of despair, while all around leaped and whirled
and roared the boiling water. Those on shore shrieked in agony, and
Stanley was hastily sent for. He immediately set to work making a rattan
rope, in order to let down a boat to him by which he could be pulled
ashore. But the rope was not strong enough, and snapped asunder as soon
as the boat reached the heavy suck of water just above the falls, and it
was whirled into the vortex below. Other and stronger ropes were then
made and another canoe brought up and three ropes lashed to it. A couple
of men would be needed to paddle and steer the boat so that it could
reach the unfortunate wretch on his perilous perch, and volunteers were
called for. But one glance at the wild and angry waves was enough, and
no one responded. Stanley then appealed to their feelings, when the
brave Uledi stepped forward and said "I will go." Others of the crew
followed, but only one was needed. The two stepped calmly into the boat
and pushed off--watched with intense anxiety by those on shore. Reaching
a certain distance above the falls, it drifted rapidly down toward them,
guided by those holding two of the cables on shore. The third floated
from the stern of the boat for the poor wretch on the rock to seize.
Attempt after attempt was made to get this within Zaidi's reach, but the
whirling waters flung it about like a whip-lash. At length the boat was
lowered so close to the brink of the falls that he was able to reach it,
but no sooner had he seized it and flung himself loose, than he was
borne over the edge and disappeared below. But he held on to the rope
and soon his head appeared above the boiling waves, when the word was
given to haul away. The strain, however, was too great, and the cables
parted and away dashed the canoe toward certain destruction, and a cry
of horror arose from those on shore, for all three now seemed inevitably
lost. But Zaidi below, by hanging on to the rope, pulled the boat
against the rock where it lay wedged. He was then pulled up, and the
three crouched together on the rock. A stone was now tied to about three
hundred feet of whip-cord and flung to them, but they failed to catch
it. Again and again was it thrown only to be pulled in and recast, but
at last it whirled so close to them that they caught it. A heavy rope of
rattan was then tied to it and drawn across and fastened, and a bridge
thus secured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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