Stanley and Livingstone Page #4

to find him. That's my assignment.

I have got my reasons

to want to fulfill it.

It is nice to know that you

care of what happens to me.

- Wish me luck

- I do with all my heart.

- I wont forget that.

- Make way for her majesty's force marine

- Oh Garetth! That's wonderful

- Well how does it seem walking again?

It gives me an earnest

desire to sit down.

So you are really going eh! You

should have heard the Governor

When he learned that you

are about ready to start.

He thinks that you are trying to blast

the foundations of British Journalism.

- He would soon think of

blowing up West Ministers abbey.

Oh! You needn't explain it to me.

I am not a journalist and I have

already proved that I am not an explorer.

When I was in school in Switzerland I

climbed A matador to win a 5-pound bet.

Which gave my father the brilliant

idea that I was just the man

To scour the wilds of

Africa for Dr. Livingstone.

When are you leaving? -Tomorrow

morning from the mainland

- I wish you luck!

- I guess this is goodbye.

I will write to you.

Where you are going you will find

quite a scarcity of post offices.

Well all right. I will deliver the

letters personally when I come back.

Oh I see! Well if she isn't

here I suggest you try London.

All right I will. I hope that everything

turns out the way you wanted for your father.

And by that time there were only 10 of us

left. And 6 of those were so weak from fever

That they could hardly stand...

the tribes were closing in..

And when we camped that night

we were completely surrounded.

- Oh! Must you be going?

- Yes! We will be moving to mainland tonight.

Have you engaged all

the bearers you need?.

- The American Consulate at

Bargepole has taken care of that.

Mr. Kingsley, I wish I could ell you how

much I appreciate all you have done for me.

Not at all Sir! Not at all.

I wish I could go with you.

But they tell me that I am not quite up

to for the trip through the jungle now.

There is nothing to match

it son. nothing to match it.

Evenings in the camp. The

breeze cool of the plateau.

A tropical river gleaming like silver in moonlight.

and the feeling of life around you everywhere.

And more than anything else

the knowledge that you are

that you are thousands of miles

away from the civilization..

As close to nature as God made it.

Well goodbye Mr. Stanley and good luck.

- Goodbye to you Sir!

- Goodbye.

- Are we following his advice?

- Of course. He is an experienced explorer.

I know nothing about his exploring but He

sure is experienced in telling warpaths.

5 days out. Weather clear but

hot Easing march in the country.

We have been climbing steadily

ever since we left the coast

And the coolness of the night proves that we

have already reached considerable elevation.

Ahead lies the great plateau of Equatorial

Africa. A vast area of open country.

We are the first to enter if from

the point so far from the south.

We are carrying what in here in Africa What

amounts to a small fortune in trade goods.

We are hoping to conserve our food supplies

as much as possible by living of the country

Water is no the problem.

This morning we saw our first

game a small herd of antelope.

Although we have ran across no

dangerous animals during the day.

Their tracks are everywhere

And in the night we have heard the

lions hunting close to our camps.

setting up a great coughing but

apparently afraid of our fires.

Our guide tells us that they will

only attack men when starving.

So we have little to fear from

them in this land of plenty.

I would call this hunter's paradise. The

valleys are alive with antelope other game.

Including some new species that are

not yet been listed by the Naturalists.

Lately we have begun to see giraffes. Although

Mr. Slokan claims that are no such animal.

Kingsley was right when he said

that There was nothing to match it.

This is no empty wilderness

but swamping with life.

What old P.T.Barna will

give to these specimens.

This is the greatest show on Earth.

I am afraid Miss Kingsley was inclined

to exaggerate the dangers of the journey.

We have quite days and

peaceful nights in camp.

Way up on a high hill with a cliff

thousand feet down.. Tell them that.

Here was 500 Comanche's.

- Say.. You sure you are telling this exactly right?

- Yes Merci!

The 1000 Comanche's...

Coming closer, closer and closer...

How you say scalping in your lingo?

Now tell them that Injuns

were trying to get mine.

All the Comanche's skiddale

like billy blue here.

- What are they saying?

- They are saying you the biggest liar in Africa.

I had always thought of Africa in

terms of jungles and swarming heat

But this open mountainous country is

little different from our own great west.

Only the profusion of game. Only insects

occasional strange tropical growth

Reminds us that we are approaching

the heart of the Dark Continent.

Today we reached 'Chicago'

A well-populated region inhabited

by A thick chested bumptious tribe.

Who introduced us to the ancient African

custom of Honga... Honga means tribute.

beads cloth and wire. Grafts from the chief

of all caravans passing through his territory.

Apparently the spoiled system is well

established in Africa as in New York.

But the local boss treat

us as a friendly group

And willing to provide us with food and

guide for the next stage of our journey.

At just double the regular price.

Merci! He say that he know

where the white man is.

- Where?

- In village Mombassa, two moon march.

Tell the men to start

packing. Find out all he knows.

We have been making rapid

progress on the last two marches.

Gaining new strength and belief

that our search is nearing an end.

In only a few weeks I

should be back in Zanzibar.

I wondered whether Miss. Kingsley

will be surprised to see me.

I wish she was here.

I am sure the beauties of this vast country

will take away all her fears of Africa.

Thousands of flamingoes

flying off towards the sunset

An omen for our success. I find

myself thinking of her often.

At last the village. What

would Dr. Livingstone be like?

White man is in there.

I don't know what to say. What do you say

when you meet people in the middle of Africa?

Well you just say howdy

partner. How are things?

He is not white man. He is Alvano.

- Lets get out of here.

- You mean he is black white man.

No. He is a white black man.

Our disappointment at Mbashi was apparently

the signal for our luck to turn against us.

Last night another man was carried off

by a lion and 2 more died of dysentery.

Our worst enemy.. When it

strikes the men drop like flies.

The vultures follow us expectantly.

Our men are beginning to desert.

Poor devils! I wondered whether

they will ever reach the coast alive.

We tramped on day after day. Week

after week.. from village to village.

Endlessly questioning. endlessly receiving

the same answer 'not know' 'not know'.

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