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considerably retarding our progress, and finally bringing us to a dead stop. Retreat was impossible, unless we had taken the wagon entirely to pieces-a most inconvenient and disagreeable alternative. The guide declared, again and again, that there was not any other exit. In this extremity we renewed the attempt at pushing forward, and so far, with great trouble and exertion, succeeded, that we had only about one hundred and fifty yards to get over to reach a country apparently open and less beset with difficulties. Small, however, as the distance was, it offered a most formidable resistance. On our left was a ravine fifty feet deep, whilst the rock to our right rose high, and was almost perpendicularly steep. After a hurried survey, I determined, nevertheless, to risk the passage, and at once busied myself with axe, shovel, pick and crowbar, in removing sundry stones, trees and boulders, that impeded our progress. proportion as we succeeded in clearing a way, the driver had orders to follow cautiously with the wagon.

In

Under these circumstances, having just turned a small angle of the rock which hid me from my party, I was actively working away with the crow, when there suddenly rose behind me a confused shouting, evidently meant as a check to the oxen, then a harsh grating sound, then a dead pause, then thump, thump, thump, followed by a frightful crash and a heart-piercing cry from a bevy of women who were following in our wake. The crowbar fell from my powerless hands, and I sank down on the rock, the cold drops of perspiration trickling down my cheeks, whilst I exclaimed to myself, Good God! there goes my wagon and some poor fellow with it.' For a second or two, not a sound being audible, I felt too agitated to move; in short, dared not proceed further for fear of seeing my worst fears realized. At last, feeling suspense more dreadful than a knowledge of the true state of affairs, and hearing the women in the rear set up a chorus of distressing lamentations, I rose and hurried to the scene of the disaster as fast as my crippled condition, (for I was still suffering from the wound in my knee,) would permit.

"Near the bottom of the ravine lay the prostrate vehicle, seemingly a heap of ruins, the oxen struggling wildly to free themselves from their uncomfortable position; and hard by, the driver, stunned and bleeding, sprawling on the ground.

However, nobody was killed, and up the other side of the ravine the whole party eventually contrived to scramble with the wagon. This was a hard day's work, and in the next day's march over the level ground, way had to be made by cutting down about one thousand five hundred trees and bushes. During a later journey through the bush of Southwest Africa, Mr. Andersson took the trouble, indeed, to enter in his journal a particular calculation.

CUTTING HIS WAY THROUGH.

"Had the curiosity to count the number of bushes, and trees, cut down in order to open out a path to a certain distance. In this calculation I invariably found in three hundred yards one hundred and seventy bushes felled; that is, about one thousand bushes a mile. I reckoned besides four stalks to each bush, a very low computation, which gave four thousand distinct branches, every stalk or branch (varying from the size of a finger to that of a man's leg,) usually requiring from three to four strokes of the axe; thus one axe must actually have descended twelve thousand times in the course of a single mile. Conceive the incredible amount of labor the passage of one such mile supposes; indeed, we are just now proceeding something short of a snail's pace. We have, however, about two hundred miles of this sort of country to traverse before we reach our journey's end; so that, in round numbers, there must be 2,400,000 strokes of one axe, or 1,200,000 to each of two axes, (the number usually employed.) delivered, and no less than 200,000 bushes and trees cut down, before we can get over this space. All this work was successfully performed."

After leaving

Presently they began to suffer for want of water. the fountains of Otjidambi, the nearest water was ten days to the northward. On the first night of their journey they saw fire, not water-part of the bush in a blaze. Next day they found that the natives had been firing the grass on their route, and there was smoke and flame in all directions. At night water was found unexpectedly, and hopes were excited for the future. But after this time, want of water brought the whole trip to a painful end. The guides lost their way, the oxen had been four days without water, and to the nearest known water in advance it was estimated to be not less than a seven days' journey. The journey by this route to the Cunene was given up-it was determined to return. A few mouthfuls of the last water, held in reserve, were served out to the men, and the return journey was commenced when return seemed to be cut off by a lake of fire. Then, says the African tourist

A PRAIRIE ON FIRE.

"Turning to Mortar, I exclaimed, Good God! our return is cut off!' I had seen many wood and grass fires, but nothing to equal this. Immediately in front of us lay stretched out like a sea a vast pasture prairie, dotted with occasional trees, bounded in the distance by groves of huge giraffe thorns-all in a blaze! Through the very midst of this lay our path. By delaying a few hours the danger would have been considerably diminished, if not altogether over, but delay in our case seemed almost more dangerous than going forward; and so on we pushed, trusting to some favorable accident to bring us through the perils we had to face. As we advanced we heard distinctly the sputtering and hissing of the inflamed grasses and brushwood, the cracking of the trees as they reluctantly yielded their massive forms to the unrelenting and all-devouring element, the screams of startled birds, and other commingling sounds of terror and devastation. There was a great angle in our road, running parallel, as it were, to the raging fire, but afterwards turning abruptly into a burning savannah. By the time we had reached this point the conflagration, still in its glory on our right, was fast receding on our left, thus opening a passage, into which we darted without hesitation, although the ground was still smouldering and reeking, and in some places quite alive with flickering sparks from the recent besom of hot flames which had swept over it. Tired as our cattle were, this heated state of the ground made the poor brutes step out pretty smartly. At times we ran great risk of being crushed by the falling timbers. Once a huge trunk, in flames from top to bottom, fell athwart our path, sending up millions of sparks, and scattering innumerable splinters of lighted wood all around us, whilst the numerous nests of the social grosbeaks-the Textor erythrorhynchus— in the ignited trees, looked like so many lamps suspended in designs at once natural, pleasing and splendid. It was altogether a glorious illumination, worthy of Nature's palace, with its innumerable windows and stately vaulted canopy. But the danger associated with the grand spectacle was too great and too imminent for us thoroughly to appreciate its magnificence. Indeed, we were really thankful when once our backs were turned on the awful scene.

"At break of day we halted for a few minutes to breathe and to change oxen, then continued to journey on. I despatched all the loose cattle ahead, giving the men orders to return with a fresh team as soon as they had drunk, fed, and rested a little. We arrived at the vley a little before midnight on the 24th of May, but on attempting to kraal the Trek oxen, notwithstanding their fatigue, the thirsty brutes leaped over the stout and tall thorn fences as if they had been so many rushes, and with a wild roar set off at full speed for Okaoa fountain, which they reached the following day, having been more than one hundred and fifty hours without a single drop of water!"

SUFFERING FROM THIRST.

The suffering from thirst was terrible:

"Before reaching the water the men in charge of the loose cattle had become so exhausted with long and incessant marching, suffering all the time from burning thirst, that one by one they had sunk down. The cattle, unherded, found their way to the fountain without much difficulty; but the wretched horse missed his, and kept wandering about until he dropped from sheer exhaustion. Some Ovotjimba fortunately found the brute, and reporting the discovery to their chief, he good-naturedly brought the dying beast some drink and fodder, by which means he gradually recovered. The animal when found had been seven days without water I had no idea that a horse was capable of enduring fatigue and thirst to the extent experienced by this hack of mine.

"The poor dogs were by this time in a fearful state. What was once a clear perspicuous eye, now appeared like a mere lustrous speck under a shaggy brow. Blood flowed at times from their nostrils, and it was with difficulty they dragged along their worn and emaciated carcasses. Sometimes they tried to give vent to their great sufferings in dismal howls, half stifled in the utterance. Some of the men were nearly as much affected."

Having returned to the Omaruru, Mr. Andersson determined upon crossing over the Omuramba Ua' Matako, and on this route, game being plentiful, the narrative becomes a tale of giraffe, elephant and lion hunts. Once the hunter himself had a pack of elephants in chase of him; once he shot a fine lion as it crouched for the spring upon him. One of his native followers was brained by the tusk of a rhinosceros. Mr. Andersson was glad, in due season, to dine on lion steaks, declaring lion's flesh to be "palatable and juicy, not unlike veal, and very white." But the native African, in his character of "noble savage," is not a pleasant friend to ask to dinner.

THE NOBLE SAVAGE.

"The Ovambo caravan, alluded to in the preceding pages, were still sojourning in my neighborhood. At first they behaved themselves with due decorum; but, on a closer acquaintance, proved a perfect nuisance, more especially when feeding (not dining) time came. Very often on killing game I had to fight for morsels of it; nay, I was at times necessitated to threaten my black friends with the gun before I could obtain needful food. The scenes that sometimes presented themselves on these occasions were truly disgusting To say nothing of the screams, vociferations, curses, &c., which were deafening, assegai stabs and knobkurrie blows were administered indiscriminately and remorselesslyall for the sake of a lump of meat. Just endeavor, reader, to imagine from one to two hundred starving and ferocious dogs laying hold of a carcass, each tearing away in his own particular direction, at the same time biting and snarling incessantly at his neighbor, and you will have a faint notion of the beastly scrambles I allude to. I have seen human blood flow as freely at these feeds as had that of the animal we were devouring. The sacred ties of kindred and friendship were totally lost sight of in the all-absorbing anticipation of a gorge. All the revolting qualities of man in a barbarous condition, were brought on these occasions out into startling relief. Human nature seemed lower than that of the brute creation, whilst at the same time almost diabolical."

It was upon this journey, after giving up hope of finding the Omuramba U'Ovambo, that Mr. Andersson came upon the river, hitherto unknown in Europe, which gives its name to his volume, the Okavango.

DISCOVERY OF THE OKAVANGO.

"After this little delay we again proceeded, but had not gone far before I perceived on the far away horizon a distinct dark-blue line. Ah, ah!' I exclaimed to myself, in the valley of which that line evidently forms the border, there is surely something more than a mere periodical water-course.' A few minutes afterwards, catching a glimpse of an immense sheet of water in the distance, my anticipation was realized to the utmost. A cry of joy and satis. faction escaped me at this glorious sight Twenty minutes more brought us to the banks of a truly noble river, at this point at least two hundred yards wide. This was, then, in all probability, the Mukuru Mukovanja of the Ovambo, which these people had given us to understand flowed westward. Taking it for granted that their statement was in this respect correct, I had stood some time by the water before I became aware of my mistake. By heavens!' I suddenly exclaimed, the water flows towards the heart of the continent, instead of emptying itself into the Atlantic!' For a moment I felt amazed at the discovery. East!' I continued to soliloquise, why what stream can this then be, in this latitude and longitude? Tioughe? No; that channel alone is much too insignificant to form the outlet for such a mighty flow of water. Well, then, it must be one of the chief branches of that magnificent river, the Chobe.' This was my first impression, which was to some extent corroborated by the natives, who described this river, called by the Ovaquangari, Okavango,' as forking off in two directions in the neighborhood of Libebé, one branch forming the said Tioughe, the other finding its way to the Chobe. But on mature consideration, I strongly question the correctness both of my own impression and of the account of the natives.

"It is true Dr Livingstone, in one of his early maps, lays down a river as coming from Libebe's towards Sekeletu's town; and I myself, when at Lake N'gami, heard of a water communication existing between these two places. But as the Tioughe is known to send out a branch towards Chobe, considerably below Libebe, i. e. south of it, called Dzo, it is just possible that this is the stream alluded to by the natives. Furthermore, the country, for a great distance about Libebe, is known to abound in immense marshes; it is probable, therefore, that the Okavango, though of such large dimensions, is more or less swallowed up in these extensive swamps, leaving merely sufficient water for the formation of the Tioughe and its inundations. Unquestionably, Dr. Livingstone, if he succeeds in revisiting Sekeletu's town, will be able to settle this question.

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[From the Christian Mirror, Portland, July 30, 1861.]

Annual Meeting

OF THE

MAINE COLONIZATION SOCIETY.

The Seventh Annual Meeting of the Maine Colonization Society was held at Bath on Wednesday evening, 24th inst., in the Winter street church. The introductory devotional services were performed by Rev. Messrs. J. O. Fiske and F. Butler.

In the absence of Hon. Phineas Barnes, the President of the Society, the Hon. George F. Patten of Bath, Vice President, took the

chair.

The following letter from Mr. Barnes was then read by the Corresponding Secretary:

PORTLAND, July 24, 1861. My Dear Sir:-I had confidently expected to be with you this evening, at the meeting of the State Colonization Society, but I am imperatively barred from this pleasure by severe sickness in my family.

I congratulate the Society and the generous friends of our cause in Bath, upon the opportunity of seeing and hearing so interesting a representative of Liberia as Mr. Crummell. The hope that we may be favored with a similar opportunity in Portland on his return, relieves, in part, my regret that I cannot attend your meeting.

There are some dark and mysterious clouds now resting upon the future of our cause in America, but we may thank God that Colonization, conducted by Christian philanthropy, has planted a light on the African coast, which is now shining, as I believe, more clearly than ever before, and holds out a most auspicious promise of guidance and deliverance to a race of our fellow men long unhappy and depressed.

I hope and trust, most ardently and confidently, that the principles and the developments, the seeds and the fruits of enlightened Christian civilization are firmly established in Liberia, and that intelligent and prosperous life and growth are secured for that interesting community, however difficult it may be for us to carry forward our part of the enterprise in this country. The period which has elapsed since the independent constitution of Liberia was framed and adopted, has been long enough to test the fitness of their institutions to their local circumstances, and to show the capacity of their people for effective selfgovernment. Few, if any, of the smaller political communities in the world, have been better governed, according to their means, for ten or twelve years past, than Liberia has been, and it is impossible to question the ability of black men to organize and administer national government for all its good ends, when we know what has been done by the Presidents Roberts and Benson, and their energetic associates in the management of Liberian affairs.

They are understood to be now about embarking in new efforts for the diffusion of knowledge among their people, by the establishment of higher institutions of learning, aided by endowments from this country. They have suffered for want of teachers, and, like every other people which has ever become well taught, they are determining to raise teachers for themselves upon their own soil. I trust that our friend, the Rev. Mr. Crummell, himself an excellent specimen of a well educated man, will meet with a warm sympathy in this State, and will carry back with him to his ancestral land, abundance of good wishes, and the answer of many prayers for the success of the noble objects among his brethren to which he has devoted his life.

The problem of African civilization, the problem of the future of the black race anywhere, is precisely the same, which God in his providence, at some time or other, puts before every race of mankind. It is simply the question, whether they can and will improve themselves and sustain a career of improvement, if only they can have a fair chance to try the experiment? And therefore we may have a short answer to all persons who question the ability of the African to improve and govern himself "Give him a reasonable chance to try!",

The just conditions of the experiment are about the same for all races, and we have reason to hope and believe that Liberia presents at this time a better field than has ever before been opened, for the struggle of the black man to work out this problem for himself. There he has secured for himself a necessary separation from other races, not only because they might be unfriendly, but because he might weaken himself by leaning on them for support. Education and the self developing influences of Protestant Christianity, are as well provided for in Liberia as in any other known community of the same growth and similar general resources. There is also the place, and there is no other like it in the world, where the black man is put straight to the work of governing himself, under a constitution of general freedom and equality of rights, and where amid such influences and such ends, he is brought under the potent influence of the idea of nationality-a prize and a blessing which he is to gain for himself, and to enjoy by himself. This idea of nationality, which has made so many kingdoms and empires and republics, of all other races, will work out an

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