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Five Weeks in a Balloon
By
Jules Verne
CONTENTS.
FIVE
WEEKS IN A BALLOON.
------
The End of a much-applauded Speech.--The
Presentation of Dr. Samuel
Ferguson.--Excelsior.--Full-length Portrai=
t of
the Doctor.--A Fatalist
convinced.--A Dinner at the Travellers'
Club.--Several Toasts for the
Occasion.
There was a large audience assembled on the
14th of
January, 1862, at the session of the Royal
Geographical
Society,
Sir Francis M----, made an important
communication to
his colleagues, in an address that was
frequently
interrupted by applause.
This rare specimen of eloquence terminated
with the
following sonorous phrases bubbling over w=
ith
patriotism:
"
(for, the reader will observe, the nations
always march
at the head of each other), "by the
intrepidity of her
explorers in the line of geographical
discovery." (General
assent). "Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of=
her
most glorious
sons, will not reflect discredit on his
origin." ("No,
indeed!" from all parts of the hall.)=
"This attempt, should it succeed"
("It will succeed!"),
"will complete and link together the
notions, as yet
disjointed, which the world entertains of
African cartology"
(vehement applause); "and, should it
fail, it will,
at least, remain on record as one of the m=
ost
daring
conceptions of human genius!" (Tremen=
dous
cheering.)
"Huzza! huzza!" shouted the imme=
nse
audience,
completely electrified by these inspiring
words.
"Huzza for the intrepid Ferguson!&quo=
t;
cried one of the
most excitable of the enthusiastic crowd.<= o:p>
The wildest cheering resounded on all side=
s;
the name
of Ferguson was in every mouth, and we may
safely believe
that it lost nothing in passing through
English
throats. Indeed, the hall fairly shook with
it.
And there were present, also, those fearle=
ss
travellers
and explorers whose energetic temperaments=
had
borne
them through every quarter of the globe, m=
any
of them
grown old and worn out in the service of
science. All
had, in some degree, physically or morally,
undergone the
sorest trials. They had escaped shipwreck;
conflagration;
Indian tomahawks and war-clubs; the fagot =
and
the
stake; nay, even the cannibal maws of the
South Sea
Islanders. But still their hearts beat high
during Sir
Francis M----'s address, which certainly w=
as
the finest
oratorical success that the Royal Geograph=
ical
Society of
London had yet achieved.
But, in England, enthusiasm does not stop
short with
mere words. It strikes off money faster th=
an
the dies of
the Royal Mint itself. So a subscription to
encourage Dr.
Ferguson was voted there and then, and it =
at
once attained
the handsome amount of two thousand five
hundred
pounds. The sum was made commensurate with=
the
importance of the enterprise.
A member of the Society then inquired of t=
he
president
whether Dr. Ferguson was not to be officia=
lly
introduced.
"The doctor is at the disposition of =
the
meeting,"
replied Sir Francis.
"Let him come in, then! Bring him
in!" shouted the
audience. "We'd like to see a man of =
such
extraordinary
daring, face to face!"
"Perhaps this incredible proposition =
of
his is only
intended to mystify us," growled an
apoplectic old
admiral.
"Suppose that there should turn out t=
o be
no such
person as Dr. Ferguson?" exclaimed
another voice, with
a malicious twang.
"Why, then, we'd have to invent
one!" replied a
facetious member of this grave Society.
"Ask Dr. Ferguson to come in," w=
as
the quiet remark
of Sir Francis M----.
And come in the doctor did, and stood ther=
e,
quite
unmoved by the thunders of applause that
greeted his
appearance.
He was a man of about forty years of age, =
of
medium
height and physique. His sanguine temperam=
ent
was
disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks.=
His
countenance
was coldly expressive, with regular featur=
es,
and a large
nose--one of those noses that resemble the
prow of a ship,
and stamp the faces of men predestined to
accomplish
great discoveries. His eyes, which were ge=
ntle
and
intelligent, rather than bold, lent a pecu=
liar
charm to
his physiognomy. His arms were long, and h=
is
feet were
planted with that solidity which indicates=
a
great pedestrian.
A calm gravity seemed to surround the doct=
or's
entire
person, and no one would dream that he cou=
ld
become the
agent of any mystification, however harmle=
ss.
Hence, the applause that greeted him at the
outset
continued until he, with a friendly gestur=
e,
claimed silence
on his own behalf. He stepped toward the s=
eat
that had
been prepared for him on his presentation,=
and
then,
standing erect and motionless, he, with a
determined
glance, pointed his right forefinger upwar=
d,
and
pronounced aloud the single word--
"Excelsior!"
Never had one of Bright's or Cobden's sudd=
en
onslaughts,
never had one of Palmerston's abrupt deman=
ds
for funds to plate the rocks of the English
coast with iron,
made such a sensation. Sir Francis M----'s
address was
completely overshadowed. The doctor had sh=
own
himself
moderate, sublime, and self-contained, in =
one;
he had
uttered the word of the situation--
"Excelsior!"
The gouty old admiral who had been finding
fault, was
completely won over by the singular man be=
fore
him, and
immediately moved the insertion of Dr.
Ferguson's speech
in "The Proceedings of the Royal
Geographical Society
of London."
Who, then, was this person, and what was t=
he
enterprise
that he proposed?
Ferguson's father, a brave and worthy capt=
ain
in the
English Navy, had associated his son with =
him,
from the
young man's earliest years, in the perils =
and
adventures of
his profession. The fine little fellow, who
seemed to have
never known the meaning of fear, early
revealed a keen
and active mind, an investigating
intelligence, and a
remarkable turn for scientific study;
moreover, he disclosed
uncommon address in extricating himself fr=
om
difficulty;
he was never perplexed, not even in handli=
ng
his fork for
the first time--an exercise in which child=
ren
generally
have so little success.
His fancy kindled early at the recitals he
read of daring
enterprise and maritime adventure, and he
followed
with enthusiasm the discoveries that
signalized the first part
of the nineteenth century. He mused over t=
he
glory of the
Mungo Parks, the Bruces, the Caillies, the
Levaillants,
and to some extent, I verily believe, of
Selkirk (Robinson
Crusoe), whom he considered in no wise
inferior to the
rest. How many a well-employed hour he pas=
sed
with
that hero on his isle of Juan Fernandez! O=
ften
he criticised
the ideas of the shipwrecked sailor, and
sometimes
discussed his plans and projects. He would
have done
differently, in such and such a case, or q=
uite
as well at
least--of that he felt assured. But of one
thing he was
satisfied, that he never should have left =
that
pleasant island,
where he was as happy as a king without
subjects--
no, not if the inducement held out had been
promotion to
the first lordship in the admiralty!
It may readily be conjectured whether these
tendencies
were developed during a youth of adventure,
spent in
every nook and corner of the Globe. Moreov=
er,
his father,
who was a man of thorough instruction, omi=
tted
no opportunity
to consolidate this keen intelligence by
serious
studies in hydrography, physics, and
mechanics, along
with a slight tincture of botany, medicine,
and astronomy.
Upon the death of the estimable captain,
Samuel Ferguson,
then twenty-two years of age, had already =
made
his voyage around the world. He had enlist=
ed
in the
Bengalese Corps of Engineers, and
distinguished himself
in several affairs; but this soldier's life
had not exactly
suited him; caring but little for command,=
he
had not been
fond of obeying. He, therefore, sent in his
resignation,
and half botanizing, half playing the hunt=
er,
he made his
way toward the north of the Indian Peninsu=
la,
and crossed
it from Calcutta to Surat--a mere amateur =
trip
for him.
From Surat we see him going over to Austra=
lia,
and
in 1845 participating in Captain Sturt's
expedition, which
had been sent out to explore the new Caspi=
an
Sea, supposed
to exist in the centre of New Holland.
Samuel Ferguson returned to England about
1850,
and, more than ever possessed by the demon=
of
discovery,
he spent the intervening time, until 1853,=
in
accompanying
Captain McClure on the expedition that went
around
the American Continent from Behring's Stra=
its
to Cape
Farewell.
Notwithstanding fatigues of every descript=
ion,
and in
all climates, Ferguson's constitution
continued marvellously
sound. He felt at ease in the midst of the
most complete
privations; in fine, he was the very type =
of
the
thoroughly accomplished explorer whose sto=
mach
expands
or contracts at will; whose limbs grow lon=
ger
or shorter
according to the resting-place that each s=
tage
of a journey
may bring; who can fall asleep at any hour=
of
the day or
awake at any hour of the night.
Nothing, then, was less surprising, after
that, than to
find our traveller, in the period from 185=
5 to
1857, visiting
the whole region west of the Thibet, in
company with the
brothers Schlagintweit, and bringing back =
some
curious
ethnographic observations from that
expedition.
During these different journeys, Ferguson =
had
been
the most active and interesting correspond=
ent
of the
Daily Telegraph, the penny newspaper whose
circulation
amounts to 140,000 copies, and yet scarcely
suffices for its
many legions of readers. Thus, the doctor =
had
become
well known to the public, although he could
not claim
membership in either of the Royal Geograph=
ical
Societies
of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or St.
Petersburg, or
yet with the Travellers' Club, or even the
Royal Polytechnic
Institute, where his friend the statistici=
an
Cockburn
ruled in state.
The latter savant had, one day, gone so fa=
r as
to propose
to him the following problem: Given the nu=
mber
of
miles travelled by the doctor in making the
circuit of the
Globe, how many more had his head describe=
d than
his
feet, by reason of the different lengths of
the radii?--or,
the number of miles traversed by the docto=
r's
head and
feet respectively being given, required the
exact height
of that gentleman?
This was done with the idea of complimenti=
ng
him,
but the doctor had held himself aloof from=
all
the learned
bodies--belonging, as he did, to the church
militant and
not to the church polemical. He found his =
time
better
employed in seeking than in discussing, in
discovering
rather than discoursing.
There is a story told of an Englishman who
came one
day to Geneva, intending to visit the lake=
. He
was placed
in one of those odd vehicles in which the
passengers sit
side by side, as they do in an omnibus. We=
ll,
it so happened
that the Englishman got a seat that left h=
im
with
his back turned toward the lake. The vehic=
le
completed
its circular trip without his thinking to =
turn
around once,
and he went back to London delighted with =
the
Lake of Geneva.
Doctor Ferguson, however, had turned aroun=
d to
look
about him on his journeyings, and turned to
such good
purpose that he had seen a great deal. In
doing so, he
had simply obeyed the laws of his nature, =
and
we have
good reason to believe that he was, to some
extent, a fatalist,
but of an orthodox school of fatalism with=
al,
that led
him to rely upon himself and even upon
Providence. He
claimed that he was impelled, rather than
drawn by his
own volition, to journey as he did, and th=
at
he traversed
the world like the locomotive, which does =
not
direct itself,
but is guided and directed by the track it
runs on.
"I do not follow my route;" he o=
ften
said, "it is my
route that follows me."
The reader will not be surprised, then, at=
the
calmness
with which the doctor received the applause
that welcomed
him in the Royal Society. He was above all
such
trifles, having no pride, and less vanity.=
He
looked upon
the proposition addressed to him by Sir
Francis M---- as
the simplest thing in the world, and scarc=
ely
noticed the
immense effect that it produced.
When the session closed, the doctor was
escorted to
the rooms of the Travellers' Club, in Pall
Mall. A superb
entertainment had been prepared there in h=
is
honor. The
dimensions of the dishes served were made =
to
correspond
with the importance of the personage
entertained, and the
boiled sturgeon that figured at this
magnificent repast was
not an inch shorter than Dr. Ferguson hims=
elf.
Numerous toasts were offered and quaffed, =
in
the wines
of France, to the celebrated travellers who
had made their
names illustrious by their explorations of
African territory.
The guests drank to their health or to the=
ir
memory,
in alphabetical order, a good old English =
way
of doing the
thing. Among those remembered thus, were:
Abbadie,
Adams, Adamson, Anderson, Arnaud, Baikie,
Baldwin,
Barth, Batouda, Beke, Beltram, Du Berba,
Bimbachi,
Bolognesi, Bolwik, Belzoni, Bonnemain,
Brisson, Browne,
Bruce, Brun-Rollet, Burchell, Burckhardt,
Burton, Cailland,
Caillie, Campbell, Chapman, Clapperton,
Clot-Bey,
Colomieu, Courval, Cumming, Cuny, Debono,
Decken,
Denham, Desavanchers, Dicksen, Dickson,
Dochard, Du
Chaillu, Duncan, Durand, Duroule, Duveyrie=
r,
D'Escayrac,
De Lauture, Erhardt, Ferret, Fresnel,
Galinier, Galton,
Geoffroy, Golberry, Hahn, Halm, Harnier,
Hecquart,
Heuglin, Hornemann, Houghton, Imbert,
Kauffmann,
Knoblecher, Krapf, Kummer, Lafargue, Laing,
Lafaille,
Lambert, Lamiral, Lampriere, John Lander,
Richard
Lander, Lefebvre, Lejean, Levaillant,
Livingstone, MacCarthy,
Maggiar, Maizan, Malzac, Moffat, Mollien,
Monteiro, Morrison,
Mungo Park, Neimans, Overweg, Panet,
Partarrieau,
Pascal, Pearse, Peddie, Penney, Petherick,
Poncet, Prax,
Raffenel, Rabh, Rebmann, Richardson, Riley,
Ritchey,
Rochet d'Hericourt, Rongawi, Roscher, Rupp=
el,
Saugnier,
Speke, Steidner, Thibaud, Thompson, Thornt=
on,
Toole,
Tousny, Trotter, Tuckey, Tyrwhitt, Vaudey,
Veyssiere,
Vincent, Vinco, Vogel, Wahlberg, Warringto=
n,
Washington,
Werne, Wild, and last, but not least, Dr.
Ferguson,
who, by his incredible attempt, was to link
together the
achievements of all these explorers, and
complete the series
of African discovery.
The Article in the Daily Telegraph.--War
between the Scientific Journals.--
Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr.
Ferguson.--Reply of the Savant Koner.
--Bets made.--Sundry Propositions offered =
to
the Doctor.
On the next day, in its number of January
15th, the Daily
Telegraph published an article couched in =
the
following terms:
"Africa is, at length, about to surre=
nder
the secret
of her vast solitudes; a modern OEdipus is=
to
give us the
key to that enigma which the learned men of
sixty centuries
have not been able to decipher. In other d=
ays,
to seek the
sources of the Nile--fontes Nili quoerere-=
-was
regarded as
a mad endeavor, a chimera that could not be
realized.
"Dr. Barth, in following out to Soudan
the track traced
by Denham and Clapperton; Dr. Livingstone,=
in
multiplying
his fearless explorations from the Cape of
Good Hope
to the basin of the Zambesi; Captains Burt=
on
and Speke,
in the discovery of the great interior lak=
es,
have opened
three highways to modern civilization. THE=
IR
POINT OF
INTERSECTION, which no traveller has yet b=
een
able to
reach, is the very heart of Africa, and it=
is
thither
that all efforts should now be directed.
"The labors of these hardy pioneers of
science are now
about to be knit together by the daring
project of Dr.
Samuel Ferguson, whose fine explorations o=
ur
readers
have frequently had the opportunity of
appreciating.
"This intrepid discoverer proposes to
traverse all
Africa from east to west IN A BALLOON. If =
we
are well
informed, the point of departure for this
surprising journey
is to be the island of Zanzibar, upon the
eastern coast.
As for the point of arrival, it is reserved
for Providence
alone to designate.
"The proposal for this scientific
undertaking was officially
made, yesterday, at the rooms of the Royal
Geographical
Society, and the sum of twenty-five hundred
pounds was
voted to defray the expenses of the
enterprise.
"We shall keep our readers informed a=
s to
the progress
of this enterprise, which has no precedent=
in
the annals
of exploration."
As may be supposed, the foregoing article =
had
an
enormous echo among scientific people. At
first, it stirred
up a storm of incredulity; Dr. Ferguson pa=
ssed
for a
purely chimerical personage of the Barnum
stamp, who,
after having gone through the United State=
s,
proposed to
"do" the British Isles.
A humorous reply appeared in the February
number
of the Bulletins de la Societe Geographiqu=
e of
Geneva,
which very wittily showed up the Royal Soc=
iety
of London
and their phenomenal sturgeon.
But Herr Petermann, in his Mittheilungen,
published
at Gotha, reduced the Geneva journal to the
most absolute
silence. Herr Petermann knew Dr. Ferguson
personally,
and guaranteed the intrepidity of his
dauntless friend.
Besides, all manner of doubt was quickly p=
ut
out of
the question: preparations for the trip we=
re
set on foot at
London; the factories of Lyons received a
heavy order for
the silk required for the body of the ball=
oon;
and, finally,
the British Government placed the
transport-ship Resolute,
Captain Bennett, at the disposal of the
expedition.
At once, upon word of all this, a thousand
encouragements
were offered, and felicitations came pouri=
ng
in from
all quarters. The details of the undertaki=
ng
were published
in full in the bulletins of the Geographic=
al
Society
of Paris; a remarkable article appeared in=
the
Nouvelles
Annales des Voyages, de la Geographie, de
l'Histoire, et
de l'Archaeologie de M. V. A. Malte-Brun
("New Annals
of Travels, Geography, History, and
Archaeology, by
M. V. A. Malte-Brun"); and a searching
essay in the Zeitschrift
fur Allgemeine Erdkunde, by Dr. W. Koner,
triumphantly
demonstrated the feasibility of the journe=
y,
its
chances of success, the nature of the
obstacles existing,
the immense advantages of the aerial mode =
of
locomotion,
and found fault with nothing but the selec=
ted
point of
departure, which it contended should be
Massowah, a small
port in Abyssinia, whence James Bruce, in
1768, started
upon his explorations in search of the sou=
rces
of the Nile.
Apart from that, it mentioned, in terms of
unreserved
admiration, the energetic character of Dr.
Ferguson, and the
heart, thrice panoplied in bronze, that co=
uld
conceive and
undertake such an enterprise.
The North American Review could not, witho=
ut
some
displeasure, contemplate so much glory
monopolized by
England.&=
nbsp;
It therefore rather ridiculed the doctor's scheme,
and urged him, by all means, to push his
explorations as
far as America, while he was about it.
In a word, without going over all the jour=
nals
in the
world, there was not a scientific publicat=
ion,
from the
Journal of Evangelical Missions to the Rev=
ue
Algerienne
et Coloniale, from the Annales de la
Propagation de la
Foi to the Church Missionary Intelligencer,
that had not
something to say about the affair in all i=
ts
phases.
Many large bets were made at London and
throughout
England generally, first, as to the real or
supposititious
existence of Dr. Ferguson; secondly, as to=
the
trip itself,
which, some contended, would not be undert=
aken
at all,
and which was really contemplated, accordi=
ng
to others;
thirdly, upon the success or failure of the
enterprise; and
fourthly, upon the probabilities of Dr.
Ferguson's return.
The betting-books were covered with entrie=
s of
immense
sums, as though the Epsom races were at st=
ake.
Thus, believers and unbelievers, the learn=
ed
and the
ignorant, alike had their eyes fixed on the
doctor, and he
became the lion of the day, without knowing
that he carried
such a mane. On his part, he willingly gave
the
most accurate information touching his
project. He was
very easily approached, being naturally the
most affable
man in the world. More than one bold
adventurer presented
himself, offering to share the dangers as =
well
as the
glory of the undertaking; but he refused t=
hem
all, without
giving his reasons for rejecting them.
Numerous inventors of mechanism applicable=
to
the
guidance of balloons came to propose their
systems, but
he would accept none; and, when he was ask=
ed
whether
he had discovered something of his own for
that purpose,
he constantly refused to give any explanat=
ion,
and merely
busied himself more actively than ever with
the preparations
for his journey.
The Doctor's Friend.--The Origin of their
Friendship.--Dick Kennedy
at London.--An unexpected but not very
consoling Proposal.--A Proverb
by no means cheering.--A few Names from the
African Martyrology.--The
Advantages of a Balloon.--Dr. Ferguson's
Secret.
Dr. Ferguson had a friend--not another sel=
f,
indeed,
an alter ego, for friendship could not exi=
st
between two
beings exactly alike.
But, if they possessed different qualities,
aptitudes, and
temperaments, Dick Kennedy and Samuel Ferg=
uson
lived
with one and the same heart, and that gave
them no great
trouble. In fact, quite the reverse.
Dick Kennedy was a Scotchman, in the full
acceptation
of the word--open, resolute, and headstron=
g.
He lived
in the town of Leith, which is near Edinbu=
rgh,
and, in
truth, is a mere suburb of Auld Reekie.
Sometimes he
was a fisherman, but he was always and
everywhere a
determined hunter, and that was nothing
remarkable for a
son of Caledonia, who had known some little
climbing
among the Highland mountains. He was cited=
as
a wonderful
shot with the rifle, since not only could =
he
split a
bullet on a knife-blade, but he could divi=
de
it into two
such equal parts that, upon weighing them,
scarcely any
difference would be perceptible.
Kennedy's countenance strikingly recalled =
that
of Herbert
Glendinning, as Sir Walter Scott has depic=
ted
it in
"The Monastery"; his stature was
above six feet; full of
grace and easy movement, he yet seemed gif=
ted
with herculean
strength; a face embrowned by the sun; eyes
keen
and black; a natural air of daring courage=
; in
fine,
something sound, solid, and reliable in his
entire person,
spoke, at first glance, in favor of the bo=
nny
Scot.
The acquaintanceship of these two friends =
had
been
formed in India, when they belonged to the
same regiment.
While Dick would be out in pursuit of the
tiger
and the elephant, Samuel would be in searc=
h of
plants and
insects. Each could call himself expert in=
his
own province,
and more than one rare botanical specimen,
that to
science was as great a victory won as the
conquest of a
pair of ivory tusks, became the doctor's
booty.
These two young men, moreover, never had
occasion
to save each other's lives, or to render a=
ny
reciprocal
service.&=
nbsp;
Hence, an unalterable friendship. Destiny
sometimes bore them apart, but sympathy al=
ways
united
them again.
Since their return to England they had been
frequently
separated by the doctor's distant expediti=
ons;
but, on
his return, the latter never failed to go,=
not
to ASK for
hospitality, but to bestow some weeks of h=
is
presence at
the home of his crony Dick.
The Scot talked of the past; the doctor bu=
sily
prepared
for the future. The one looked back, the o=
ther
forward.
Hence, a restless spirit personified in
Ferguson; perfect
calmness typified in Kennedy--such was the
contrast.
After his journey to the Thibet, the doctor
had remained
nearly two years without hinting at new ex=
plorations;
and
Dick, supposing that his friend's instinct=
for
travel and
thirst for adventure had at length died ou=
t,
was perfectly
enchanted. They would have ended badly, so=
me
day or other,
he thought to himself; no matter what
experience one has
with men, one does not travel always with
impunity among
cannibals and wild beasts. So, Kennedy
besought the doctor
to tie up his bark for life, having done
enough for science,
and too much for the gratitude of men.
The doctor contented himself with making no
reply to
this. He remained absorbed in his own
reflections, giving
himself up to secret calculations, passing=
his
nights among
heaps of figures, and making experiments w=
ith
the
strangest-looking machinery, inexplicable =
to
everybody but
himself. It could readily be guessed, thou=
gh,
that some great
thought was fermenting in his brain.
"What can he have been planning?"
wondered Kennedy, when, in
the month of January, his friend quitted h=
im
to return to London.
He found out one morning when he looked in=
to
the Daily Telegraph.
"Merciful Heaven!" he exclaimed,
"the lunatic! the
madman! Cross Africa in a balloon! Nothing=
but
that
was wanted to cap the climax! That's what =
he's
been
bothering his wits about these two years
past!"
Now, reader, substitute for all these
exclamation points,
as many ringing thumps with a brawny fist =
upon
the table,
and you have some idea of the manual exerc=
ise
that Dick
went through while he thus spoke.
When his confidential maid-of-all-work, the
aged Elspeth,
tried to insinuate that the whole thing mi=
ght
be a hoax--
"Not a bit of it!" said he.
"Don't I know my man? Isn't it
just like him? Travel through the air! The=
re,
now, he's
jealous of the eagles, next! No! I warrant
you, he'll not
do it! I'll find a way to stop him! He! wh=
y if
they'd let
him alone, he'd start some day for the
moon!"
On that very evening Kennedy, half alarmed,
and half
exasperated, took the train for London, wh=
ere
he arrived
next morning.
Three-quarters of an hour later a cab
deposited him at
the door of the doctor's modest dwelling, =
in
Soho Square,
Greek Street. Forthwith he bounded up the
steps and
announced his arrival with five good, hear=
ty,
sounding
raps at the door.
Ferguson opened, in person.
"Dick! you here?" he exclaimed, =
but
with no great
expression of surprise, after all.
"Dick himself!" was the response=
.
"What, my dear boy, you at London, and
this the
mid-season of the winter shooting?"
"Yes! here I am, at London!"
"And what have you come to town
for?"
"To prevent the greatest piece of fol=
ly
that ever was
conceived."
"Folly!" said the doctor.
"Is what this paper says, the
truth?" rejoined Kennedy,
holding out the copy of the Daily Telegrap=
h,
mentioned above.
"Ah! that's what you mean, is it? The=
se
newspapers
are great tattlers! But, sit down, my dear
Dick."
"No, I won't sit down!--Then, you rea=
lly
intend to
attempt this journey?"
"Most certainly! all my preparations =
are
getting along
finely, and I--"
"Where are your traps? Let me have a
chance at
them! I'll make them fly! I'll put your
preparations in
fine order." And so saying, the galla=
nt
Scot gave way to
a genuine explosion of wrath.
"Come, be calm, my dear Dick!"
resumed the doctor.
"You're angry at me because I did not
acquaint you with
my new project."
"He calls this his new project!"=
"I have been very busy," the doc=
tor
went on, without
heeding the interruption; "I have had=
so
much to look
after! But rest assured that I should not =
have
started
without writing to you."
"Oh, indeed! I'm highly honored."=
;
"Because it is my intention to take y=
ou
with me."
Upon this, the Scotchman gave a leap that a
wild goat
would not have been ashamed of among his
native crags.
"Ah! really, then, you want them to s=
end
us both to
Bedlam!"
"I have counted positively upon you, =
my
dear Dick,
and I have picked you out from all the
rest."
Kennedy stood speechless with amazement.
"After listening to me for ten
minutes," said the doctor,
"you will thank me!"
"Are you speaking seriously?"
"Very seriously."
"And suppose that I refuse to go with
you?"
"But you won't refuse."
"But, suppose that I were to
refuse?"
"Well, I'd go alone."
"Let us sit down," said Kennedy,
"and talk without
excitement. The moment you give up jesting
about it,
we can discuss the thing."
"Let us discuss it, then, at breakfas=
t,
if you have no
objections, my dear Dick."
The two friends took their seats opposite =
to
each other,
at a little table with a plate of toast an=
d a
huge tea-urn
before them.
"My dear Samuel," said the
sportsman, "your project
is insane! it is impossible! it has no
resemblance to
anything reasonable or practicable!"<= o:p>
"That's for us to find out when we sh=
all
have tried it!"
"But trying it is exactly what you ou=
ght
not to attempt."
"Why so, if you please?"
"Well, the risks, the difficulty of t=
he
thing."
"As for difficulties," replied
Ferguson, in a serious
tone, "they were made to be overcome;=
as
for risks and
dangers, who can flatter himself that he i=
s to
escape them?
Every thing in life involves danger; it may
even be
dangerous to sit down at one's own table, =
or
to
put one's hat on one's own head. Moreover,=
we
must
look upon what is to occur as having alrea=
dy
occurred,
and see nothing but the present in the fut=
ure,
for the
future is but the present a little farther
on."
"There it is!" exclaimed Kennedy,
with a shrug.
"As great a fatalist as ever!"
"Yes! but in the good sense of the wo=
rd.
Let us not
trouble ourselves, then, about what fate h=
as
in store for us,
and let us not forget our good old English
proverb: 'The
man who was born to be hung will never be =
drowned!'"
There was no reply to make, but that did n=
ot
prevent
Kennedy from resuming a series of arguments
which may
be readily conjectured, but which were too
long for us to
repeat.
"Well, then," he said, after an
hour's discussion, "if
you are absolutely determined to make this
trip across the
African continent--if it is necessary for =
your
happiness,
why not pursue the ordinary routes?"<= o:p>
"Why?" ejaculated the doctor,
growing animated.
"Because, all attempts to do so, up to
this time, have
utterly failed. Because, from Mungo Park,
assassinated
on the Niger, to Vogel, who disappeared in=
the
Wadai
country; from Oudney, who died at Murmur, =
and
Clapperton,
lost at Sackatou, to the Frenchman Maizan,=
who
was cut to
pieces; from Major Laing, killed by the
Touaregs, to Roscher,
from Hamburg, massacred in the beginning of
1860, the names
of victim after victim have been inscribed=
on
the lists of
African martyrdom! Because, to contend
successfully against
the elements; against hunger, and thirst, =
and
fever; against
savage beasts, and still more savage men, =
is
impossible!
Because, what cannot be done in one way,
should be tried
in another. In fine, because what one cann=
ot
pass through
directly in the middle, must be passed by
going to one side
or overhead!"
"If passing over it were the only
question!" interposed Kennedy;
"but passing high up in the air, doct=
or,
there's the rub!"
"Come, then," said the doctor,
"what have I to fear?
You will admit that I have taken my
precautions in such
manner as to be certain that my balloon wi=
ll
not fall; but,
should it disappoint me, I should find mys=
elf
on the ground
in the normal conditions imposed upon other
explorers.
But, my balloon will not deceive me, and we
need make
no such calculations."
"Yes, but you must take them into vie=
w."
"No, Dick. I intend not to be separat=
ed
from
the balloon until I reach the western coas=
t of
Africa.
With it, every thing is possible; without =
it,
I fall back
into the dangers and difficulties as well =
as
the natural
obstacles that ordinarily attend such an
expedition: with it,
neither heat, nor torrents, nor tempests, =
nor
the simoom,
nor unhealthy climates, nor wild animals, =
nor
savage men,
are to be feared! If I feel too hot, I can
ascend; if too
cold, I can come down. Should there be a
mountain, I can
pass over it; a precipice, I can sweep acr=
oss
it; a river, I can
sail beyond it; a storm, I can rise away a=
bove
it; a torrent,
I can skim it like a bird! I can advance
without fatigue,
I can halt without need of repose! I can s=
oar
above the
nascent cities! I can speed onward with the
rapidity of a
tornado, sometimes at the loftiest heights,
sometimes only a
hundred feet above the soil, while the map=
of
Africa unrolls
itself beneath my gaze in the great atlas =
of
the world."
Even the stubborn Kennedy began to feel mo=
ved,
and
yet the spectacle thus conjured up before =
him
gave him the
vertigo. He riveted his eyes upon the doct=
or
with wonder
and admiration, and yet with fear, for he
already felt
himself swinging aloft in space.
"Come, come," said he, at last. =
"Let
us see, Samuel.
Then you have discovered the means of guid=
ing
a balloon?"
"Not by any means. That is a Utopian
idea."
"Then, you will go--"
"Whithersoever Providence wills; but,=
at
all events,
from east to west."
"Why so?"
"Because I expect to avail myself of =
the
trade-winds,
the direction of which is always the
same."
"Ah! yes, indeed!" said Kennedy,
reflecting; "the
trade-winds--yes--truly--one might--there's
something
in that!"
"Something in it--yes, my excellent
friend--there's
EVERY THING in it. The English Government =
has
placed a
transport at my disposal, and three or four
vessels are to
cruise off the western coast of Africa, ab=
out
the presumed
period of my arrival. In three months, at
most, I shall be
at Zanzibar, where I will inflate my ballo=
on,
and from that
point we shall launch ourselves."
"We!" said Dick.
"Have you still a shadow of an object=
ion
to offer?
Speak, friend Kennedy."
"An objection! I have a thousand; but
among other
things, tell me, if you expect to see the
country. If you
expect to mount and descend at pleasure, y=
ou
cannot do
so, without losing your gas. Up to this ti=
me
no other
means have been devised, and it is this th=
at
has always
prevented long journeys in the air."<= o:p>
"My dear Dick, I have only one word to
answer--I
shall not lose one particle of gas."<= o:p>
"And yet you can descend when you
please?"
"I shall descend when I please."=
"And how will you do that?"
"Ah, ha! therein lies my secret, frie=
nd
Dick. Have
faith, and let my device be
yours--'Excelsior!'"
"'Excelsior' be it then," said t=
he
sportsman, who did
not understand a word of Latin.
But he made up his mind to oppose his frie=
nd's
departure
by all means in his power, and so pretende=
d to
give
in, at the same time keeping on the watch.=
As
for the
doctor, he went on diligently with his
preparations.
African Explorations.--Barth, Richardson,
Overweg, Werne, Brun-Rollet,
Penney, Andrea, Debono, Miani, Guillaume
Lejean, Bruce, Krapf and Rebmann,
Maizan, Roscher, Burton and Speke.
The aerial line which Dr. Ferguson counted
upon following
had not been chosen at random; his point of
departure had
been carefully studied, and it was not wit=
hout
good cause that he had resolved to ascend =
at
the island
of Zanzibar. This island, lying near to the
eastern coast
of Africa, is in the sixth degree of south
latitude, that is
to say, four hundred and thirty geographic=
al
miles below
the equator.
From this island the latest expedition, se=
nt
by way of
the great lakes to explore the sources of =
the
Nile, had just
set out.
But it would be well to indicate what
explorations
Dr. Ferguson hoped to link together. The t=
wo
principal
ones were those of Dr. Barth in 1849, and =
of
Lieutenants
Burton and Speke in 1858.
Dr. Barth is a Hamburger, who obtained
permission
for himself and for his countryman Overweg=
to
join the
expedition of the Englishman Richardson. T=
he
latter was
charged with a mission in the Soudan.
This vast region is situated between the
fifteenth and
tenth degrees of north latitude; that is to
say, that, in
order to approach it, the explorer must
penetrate fifteen
hundred miles into the interior of Africa.=
Until then, the country in question had be=
en
known
only through the journeys of Denham, of
Clapperton, and
of Oudney, made from 1822 to 1824. Richard=
son,
Barth,
and Overweg, jealously anxious to push the=
ir
investigations
farther, arrived at Tunis and Tripoli, like
their predecessors,
and got as far as Mourzouk, the capital of
Fezzan.
They then abandoned the perpendicular line,
and made
a sharp turn westward toward Ghat, guided,
with difficulty,
by the Touaregs. After a thousand scenes of
pillage, of
vexation, and attacks by armed forces, the=
ir
caravan
arrived, in October, at the vast oasis of
Asben. Dr. Barth
separated from his companions, made an
excursion to the
town of Aghades, and rejoined the expediti=
on,
which
resumed its march on the 12th of December.=
At
length it
reached the province of Damerghou; there t=
he
three travellers
parted, and Barth took the road to Kano, w=
here
he
arrived by dint of perseverance, and after
paying
considerable tribute.
In spite of an intense fever, he quitted t=
hat
place on
the 7th of March, accompanied by a single
servant. The
principal aim of his journey was to
reconnoitre Lake Tchad,
from which he was still three hundred and =
fifty
miles distant.
He therefore advanced toward the east, and
reached
the town of Zouricolo, in the Bornou count=
ry,
which is the
core of the great central empire of Africa.
There he heard
of the death of Richardson, who had succum=
bed
to fatigue
and privation. He next arrived at Kouka, t=
he
capital of
Bornou, on the borders of the lake. Finall=
y,
at the end
of three weeks, on the 14th of April, twel=
ve
months after
having quitted Tripoli, he reached the tow=
n of
Ngornou.
We find him again setting forth on the 29t=
h of
March,
1851, with Overweg, to visit the kingdom of
Adamaoua,
to the south of the lake, and from there he
pushed on as
far as the town of Yola, a little below ni=
ne
degrees north
latitude. This was the extreme southern li=
mit
reached by
that daring traveller.
He returned in the month of August to Kouk=
a;
from
there he successively traversed the Mandar=
a,
Barghimi,
and Klanem countries, and reached his extr=
eme
limit in
the east, the town of Masena, situated at
seventeen
degrees twenty minutes west longitude.
On the 25th of November, 1852, after the d=
eath
of
Overweg, his last companion, he plunged in=
to
the west,
visited Sockoto, crossed the Niger, and
finally reached
Timbuctoo, where he had to languish, during
eight long
months, under vexations inflicted upon him=
by
the sheik,
and all kinds of ill-treatment and
wretchedness. But the
presence of a Christian in the city could =
not
long be
tolerated, and the Foullans threatened to
besiege it. The
doctor, therefore, left it on the 17th of
March, 1854, and
fled to the frontier, where he remained for
thirty-three
days in the most abject destitution. He th=
en
managed to
get back to Kano in November, thence to Ko=
uka,
where
he resumed Denham's route after four month=
s'
delay. He
regained Tripoli toward the close of Augus=
t,
1855, and
arrived in London on the 6th of September,=
the
only
survivor of his party.
Such was the venturesome journey of Dr. Ba=
rth.
Dr. Ferguson carefully noted the fact, tha=
t he
had
stopped at four degrees north latitude and
seventeen
degrees west longitude.
Now let us see what Lieutenants Burton and
Speke
accomplished in Eastern Africa.
The various expeditions that had ascended =
the
Nile
could never manage to reach the mysterious
source of that
river. According to the narrative of the
German doctor,
Ferdinand Werne, the expedition attempted =
in
1840, under
the auspices of Mehemet Ali, stopped at
Gondokoro,
between the fourth and fifth parallels of
north latitude.
In 1855, Brun-Rollet, a native of Savoy,
appointed
consul for Sardinia in Eastern Soudan, to =
take
the place
of Vaudey, who had just died, set out from
Karthoum,
and, under the name of Yacoub the merchant,
trading in
gums and ivory, got as far as Belenia, bey=
ond
the fourth
degree, but had to return in ill-health to
Karthoum, where
he died in 1857.
Neither Dr. Penney--the head of the Egypti=
an
medical
service, who, in a small steamer, penetrat=
ed
one degree
beyond Gondokoro, and then came back to di=
e of
exhaustion
at Karthoum--nor Miani, the Venetian, who,
turning the
cataracts below Gondokoro, reached the sec=
ond
parallel--
nor the Maltese trader, Andrea Debono, who
pushed his
journey up the Nile still farther--could w=
ork
their way
beyond the apparently impassable limit.
In 1859, M. Guillaume Lejean, intrusted wi=
th a
mission
by the French Government, reached Karthoum=
by
way of the Red Sea, and embarked upon the =
Nile
with a
retinue of twenty-one hired men and twenty
soldiers, but
he could not get past Gondokoro, and ran
extreme risk of
his life among the negro tribes, who were =
in
full revolt.
The expedition directed by M. d'Escayrac de
Lauture
made an equally unsuccessful attempt to re=
ach
the famous
sources of the Nile.
This fatal limit invariably brought every
traveller to a
halt. In ancient times, the ambassadors of
Nero reached
the ninth degree of latitude, but in eight=
een
centuries only
from five to six degrees, or from three
hundred to three
hundred and sixty geographical miles, were
gained.
Many travellers endeavored to reach the
sources of the
Nile by taking their point of departure on=
the
eastern
coast of Africa.
Between 1768 and 1772 the Scotch traveller,
Bruce,
set out from Massowah, a port of Abyssinia,
traversed the
Tigre, visited the ruins of Axum, saw the
sources of the
Nile where they did not exist, and obtaine=
d no
serious result.
In 1844, Dr. Krapf, an Anglican missionary,
founded
an establishment at Monbaz, on the coast of
Zanguebar,
and, in company with the Rev. Dr. Rebmann,
discovered
two mountain-ranges three hundred miles fr=
om
the coast.
These were the mountains of Kilimandjaro a=
nd
Kenia,
which Messrs. de Heuglin and Thornton have
partly scaled
so recently.
In 1845, Maizan, the French explorer,
disembarked,
alone, at Bagamayo, directly opposite to
Zanzibar, and
got as far as Deje-la-Mhora, where the chi=
ef
caused him
to be put to death in the most cruel torme=
nt.
In 1859, in the month of August, the young
traveller,
Roscher, from Hamburg, set out with a cara=
van
of Arab
merchants, reached Lake Nyassa, and was th=
ere
assassinated
while he slept.
Finally, in 1857, Lieutenants Burton and
Speke, both
officers in the Bengal army, were sent by =
the
London
Geographical Society to explore the great
African lakes,
and on the 17th of June they quitted Zanzi=
bar,
and
plunged directly into the west.
After four months of incredible suffering,=
their
baggage
having been pillaged, and their attendants
beaten
and slain, they arrived at Kazeh, a sort of
central
rendezvous for traders and caravans. They =
were
in the
midst of the country of the Moon, and there
they collected
some precious documents concerning the
manners, government,
religion, fauna, and flora of the region. =
They
next
made for the first of the great lakes, the=
one
named
Tanganayika, situated between the third and
eighth degrees
of south latitude. They reached it on the =
14th
of February,
1858, and visited the various tribes resid=
ing
on its
banks, the most of whom are cannibals.
They departed again on the 26th of May, and
reentered
Kazeh on the 20th of June. There Burton, w=
ho
was completely worn out, lay ill for sever=
al
months,
during which time Speke made a push to the
northward
of more than three hundred miles, going as=
far
as Lake
Okeracua, which he came in sight of on the=
3d
of August;
but he could descry only the opening of it=
at
latitude
two degrees thirty minutes.
He reached Kazeh, on his return, on the 25=
th
of August,
and, in company with Burton, again took up=
the
route to Zanzibar, where they arrived in t=
he
month of
March in the following year. These two dar=
ing
explorers
then reembarked for England; and the
Geographical
Society of Paris decreed them its annual p=
rize
medal.
Dr. Ferguson carefully remarked that they =
had
not
gone beyond the second degree of south
latitude, nor the
twenty-ninth of east longitude.
The problem, therefore, was how to link the
explorations
of Burton and Speke with those of Dr. Bart=
h,
since
to do so was to undertake to traverse an
extent of more
than twelve degrees of territory.
Kennedy's Dreams.--Articles and Pronouns in
the Plural.--Dick's Insinuations.
--A Promenade over the Map of Africa.--Wha=
t is
contained between two
Points of the Compass.--Expeditions now on
foot.--Speke and Grant.--Krapf,
De Decken, and De Heuglin.
Dr. Ferguson energetically pushed the
preparations
for his departure, and in person superinte=
nded
the
construction of his balloon, with certain
modifications; in
regard to which he observed the most absol=
ute
silence.
For a long time past he had been applying
himself to the
study of the Arab language and the various
Mandingoe
idioms, and, thanks to his talents as a
polyglot, he had
made rapid progress.
In the mean while his friend, the sportsma=
n,
never let
him out of his sight--afraid, no doubt, th=
at
the doctor
might take his departure, without saying a
word to anybody.
On this subject, he regaled him with the m=
ost
persuasive arguments, which, however, did =
NOT
persuade
Samuel Ferguson, and wasted his breath in
pathetic
entreaties, by which the latter seemed to =
be
but slightly
moved. In fine, Dick felt that the doctor =
was
slipping
through his fingers.
The poor Scot was really to be pitied. He
could not look
upon the azure vault without a sombre terr=
or:
when asleep,
he felt oscillations that made his head re=
el;
and every
night he had visions of being swung aloft =
at
immeasurable heights.
We must add that, during these fearful nig=
htmares,
he once or twice fell out of bed. His first
care then was
to show Ferguson a severe contusion that he
had received
on the cranium. "And yet," he wo=
uld
add, with
warmth, "that was at the height of on=
ly
three feet--not
an inch more--and such a bump as this! Only
think, then!"
This insinuation, full of sad meaning as it
was, did not
seem to touch the doctor's heart.
"We'll not fall," was his invari=
able
reply.
"But, still, suppose that we WERE to
fall!"
"We will NOT fall!"
This was decisive, and Kennedy had nothing
more to say.
What particularly exasperated Dick was, th=
at
the doctor
seemed completely to lose sight of his
personality--
of his--Kennedy's--and to look upon him as
irrevocably
destined to become his aerial companion. N=
ot
even the
shadow of a doubt was ever suggested; and
Samuel made
an intolerable misuse of the first person
plural:
"'We' are getting along; 'we' shall be
ready on
the ----; 'we' shall start on the ----,&qu=
ot;
etc., etc.
And then there was the singular possessive
adjective:
"'Our' balloon; 'our' car; 'our'
expedition."
And the same in the plural, too:
"'Our' preparations; 'our' discoverie=
s;
'our' ascensions."
Dick shuddered at them, although he was
determined
not to go; but he did not want to annoy his
friend. Let
us also disclose the fact that, without
knowing exactly
why himself, he had sent to Edinburgh for a
certain
selection of heavy clothing, and his best
hunting-gear and
fire-arms.
One day, after having admitted that, with =
an
overwhelming
run of good-luck, there MIGHT be one chanc=
e of
success in a thousand, he pretended to yie=
ld
entirely to
the doctor's wishes; but, in order to still
put off the
journey, he opened the most varied series =
of
subterfuges. He
threw himself back upon questioning the
utility of the
expedition--its opportuneness, etc. This
discovery of the
sources of the Nile, was it likely to be of
any use?--Would
one have really labored for the welfare of
humanity?--
When, after all, the African tribes should
have been civilized,
would they be any happier?--Were folks cer=
tain
that civilization had not its chosen abode
there rather
than in Europe?--Perhaps!--And then, could=
n't
one wait
a little longer?--The trip across Africa w=
ould
certainly
be accomplished some day, and in a less
hazardous manner.--
In another month, or in six months before =
the
year
was over, some explorer would undoubtedly =
come
in--etc., etc.
These hints produced an effect exactly
opposite to
what was desired or intended, and the doct=
or
trembled
with impatience.
"Are you willing, then, wretched
Dick--are you willing,
false friend--that this glory should belon=
g to
another?
Must I then be untrue to my past history;
recoil before
obstacles that are not serious; requite wi=
th
cowardly
hesitation what both the English Government
and the
Royal Society of London have done for
me?"
"But," resumed Kennedy, who made
great use of that
conjunction.
"But," said the doctor, "are
you not aware that my
journey is to compete with the success of =
the
expeditions
now on foot? Don't you know that fresh exp=
lorers
are
advancing toward the centre of Africa?&quo=
t;
"Still--"
"Listen to me, Dick," and cast y=
our
eyes over that map."
Dick glanced over it, with resignation.
"Now, ascend the course of the
Nile."
"I have ascended it," replied the
Scotchman, with
docility.
"Stop at Gondokoro."
"I am there."
And Kennedy thought to himself how easy su=
ch a
trip
was--on the map!
"Now, take one of the points of these
dividers and let it rest
upon that place beyond which the most dari=
ng
explorers have
scarcely gone."
"I have done so."
"And now look along the coast for the
island of Zanzibar,
in latitude six degrees south."
"I have it."
"Now, follow the same parallel and ar=
rive
at Kazeh."
"I have done so."
"Run up again along the thirty-third
degree of longitude
to the opening of Lake Oukereoue, at the p=
oint
where
Lieutenant Speke had to halt."
"I am there; a little more, and I sho=
uld
have tumbled
into the lake."
"Very good! Now, do you know what we have the<= o:p>
right to suppose, according to the informa=
tion
given by
the tribes that live along its shores?&quo=
t;
"I haven't the least idea."
"Why, that this lake, the lower extre=
mity
of which is
in two degrees and thirty minutes, must ex=
tend
also two
degrees and a half above the equator."=
;
"Really!"
"Well from this northern extremity th=
ere
flows a
stream which must necessarily join the Nil=
e,
if it be not
the Nile itself."
"That is, indeed, curious."
"Then, let the other point of your
dividers rest upon
that extremity of Lake Oukereoue."
"It is done, friend Ferguson."
"Now, how many degrees can you count
between the
two points?"
"Scarcely two."
"And do you know what that means,
Dick?"
"Not the least in the world."
"Why, that makes scarcely one hundred=
and
twenty
miles--in other words, a nothing."
"Almost nothing, Samuel."
"Well, do you know what is taking pla=
ce
at this moment?"
"No, upon my honor, I do not."
"Very well, then, I'll tell you. The
Geographical Society
regard as very important the exploration of
this lake
of which Speke caught a glimpse. Under the=
ir
auspices,
Lieutenant (now Captain) Speke has associa=
ted
with him
Captain Grant, of the army in India; they =
have
put themselves
at the head of a numerous and well-equipped
expedition;
their mission is to ascend the lake and re=
turn
to
Gondokoro; they have received a subsidy of
more than
five thousand pounds, and the Governor of =
the
Cape of
Good Hope has placed Hottentot soldiers at
their disposal;
they set out from Zanzibar at the close of
October, 1860.
In the mean while John Petherick, the Engl=
ish
consul at
the city of Karthoum, has received about s=
even
hundred
pounds from the foreign office; he is to e=
quip
a steamer at
Karthoum, stock it with sufficient provisi=
ons,
and make his
way to Gondokoro; there, he will await Cap=
tain
Speke's
caravan, and be able to replenish its supp=
lies
to some extent."
"Well planned," said Kennedy.
"You can easily see, then, that time
presses if we are
to take part in these exploring labors. And
that is not
all, since, while some are thus advancing =
with
sure steps
to the discovery of the sources of the Nil=
e,
others are
penetrating to the very heart of Africa.&q=
uot;
"On foot?" said Kennedy.
"Yes, on foot," rejoined the doc=
tor,
without noticing
the insinuation. "Doctor Krapf propos=
es
to push forward,
in the west, by way of the Djob, a river l=
ying
under the
equator. Baron de Decken has already set o=
ut
from
Monbaz, has reconnoitred the mountains of
Kenaia and
Kilimandjaro, and is now plunging in toward
the centre."
"But all this time on foot?"
"On foot or on mules."
"Exactly the same, so far as I am
concerned," ejaculated Kennedy.
"Lastly," resumed the doctor,
"M. de Heuglin, the
Austrian vice-consul at Karthoum, has just
organized a
very important expedition, the first aim of
which is to
search for the traveller Vogel, who, in 18=
53,
was sent into
the Soudan to associate himself with the
labors of Dr.
Barth. In 1856, he quitted Bornou, and
determined to
explore the unknown country that lies betw=
een
Lake Tchad
and Darfur. Nothing has been seen of him s=
ince
that
time. Letters that were received in
Alexandria, in 1860,
said that he was killed at the order of the
King of Wadai;
but other letters, addressed by Dr. Hartma=
nn
to the traveller's
father, relate that, according to the reci=
tal
of a felatah
of Bornou, Vogel was merely held as a pris=
oner
at
Wara. All hope is not then lost. Hence, a
committee
has been organized under the presidency of=
the
Regent of
Saxe-Cogurg-Gotha; my friend Petermann is =
its
secretary;
a national subscription has provided for t=
he
expense
of the expedition, whose strength has been
increased
by the voluntary accession of several lear=
ned
men, and
M. de Heuglin set out from Massowah, in the
month of
June. While engaged in looking for Vogel, =
he
is also to
explore all the country between the Nile a=
nd
Lake Tchad,
that is to say, to knit together the
operations of Captain
Speke and those of Dr. Barth, and then Afr=
ica
will have
been traversed from east to west."*
* After the departure of Dr. Ferguson, it =
was
ascertained that
M. de Heuglin, owing to some disagreement,
took a route different
from the one assigned to his expedition, t=
he
command of the latter
having been transferred to Mr. Muntzinger.=
"Well," said the canny Scot,
"since every thing is
getting on so well, what's the use of our
going down there?"
Dr. Ferguson made no reply, but contented
himself
with a significant shrug of the shoulders.=
A Servant--match him!--He can see the
Satellites of Jupiter.--Dick
and Joe hard at it.--Doubt and Faith.--The
Weighing Ceremony.--Joe
and Wellington.--He gets a Half-crown.
Dr. Ferguson had a servant who answered wi=
th
alacrity to
the name of Joe. He was an excellent fello=
w,
who testified
the most absolute confidence in his master,
and the most
unlimited devotion to his interests, even
anticipating
his wishes and orders, which were always
intelligently
executed. In fine, he was a Caleb without =
the
growling, and a perfect pattern of constant
good-humor.
Had he been made on purpose for the place,=
it
could not
have been better done. Ferguson put himself
entirely in
his hands, so far as the ordinary details =
of
existence were
concerned, and he did well. Incomparable,
whole-souled
Joe! a servant who orders your dinner; who
likes what
you like; who packs your trunk, without
forgetting your
socks or your linen; who has charge of your
keys and your
secrets, and takes no advantage of all thi=
s!
But then, what a man the doctor was in the
eyes of
this worthy Joe! With what respect and what
confidence
the latter received all his decisions! When
Ferguson had
spoken, he would be a fool who should atte=
mpt
to question
the matter. Every thing he thought was exa=
ctly
right;
every thing he said, the perfection of wis=
dom;
every thing
he ordered to be done, quite feasible; all
that he undertook,
practicable; all that he accomplished,
admirable.
You might have cut Joe to pieces--not an
agreeable
operation, to be sure--and yet he would not
have altered
his opinion of his master.
So, when the doctor conceived the project =
of
crossing
Africa through the air, for Joe the thing =
was
already
done; obstacles no longer existed; from the
moment when
the doctor had made up his mind to start, =
he
had arrived
--along with his faithful attendant, too, =
for
the noble
fellow knew, without a word uttered about =
it,
that he would
be one of the party.
Moreover, he was just the man to render the
greatest
service by his intelligence and his wonder=
ful
agility. Had
the occasion arisen to name a professor of
gymnastics for
the monkeys in the Zoological Garden (who =
are
smart
enough, by-the-way!), Joe would certainly =
have
received
the appointment. Leaping, climbing, almost
flying--
these were all sport to him.
If Ferguson was the head and Kennedy the a=
rm,
Joe
was to be the right hand of the expedition=
. He
had,
already, accompanied his master on several
journeys, and
had a smattering of science appropriate to=
his
condition
and style of mind, but he was especially
remarkable for a
sort of mild philosophy, a charming turn of
optimism. In
his sight every thing was easy, logical,
natural, and,
consequently, he could see no use in
complaining or grumbling.
Among other gifts, he possessed a strength=
and
range
of vision that were perfectly surprising. =
He
enjoyed, in
common with Moestlin, Kepler's professor, =
the
rare faculty
of distinguishing the satellites of Jupiter
with the naked
eye, and of counting fourteen of the stars=
in
the group of
Pleiades, the remotest of them being only =
of
the ninth
magnitude. He presumed none the more for t=
hat;
on the
contrary, he made his bow to you, at a
distance, and when
occasion arose he bravely knew how to use =
his
eyes.
With such profound faith as Joe felt in the
doctor, it
is not to be wondered at that incessant
discussions sprang
up between him and Kennedy, without any la=
ck
of respect
to the latter, however.
One doubted, the other believed; one had a
prudent foresight,
the other blind confidence. The doctor,
however, vibrated
between doubt and confidence; that is to s=
ay,
he troubled
his head with neither one nor the other.
"Well, Mr. Kennedy," Joe would s=
ay.
"Well, my boy?"
"The moment's at hand. It seems that =
we
are to sail
for the moon."
"You mean the Mountains of the Moon,
which are not
quite so far off. But, never mind, one tri=
p is
just as
dangerous as the other!"
"Dangerous! What! with a man like Dr.
Ferguson?"
"I don't want to spoil your illusions=
, my
good Joe;
but this undertaking of his is nothing more
nor less than
the act of a madman. He won't go,
though!"
"He won't go, eh? Then you haven't se=
en
his balloon
at Mitchell's factory in the Borough?"=
;
"I'll take precious good care to keep
away from it!"
"Well, you'll lose a fine sight, sir.
What a splendid
thing it is! What a pretty shape! What a n=
ice
car!
How snug we'll feel in it!"
"Then you really think of going with =
your
master?"
"I?" answered Joe, with an accen=
t of
profound conviction.
"Why, I'd go with him wherever he
pleases!
Who ever heard of such a thing? Leave him =
to
go off
alone, after we've been all over the world
together! Who
would help him, when he was tired? Who wou=
ld
give
him a hand in climbing over the rocks? Who
would
attend him when he was sick? No, Mr. Kenne=
dy,
Joe will
always stick to the doctor!"
"You're a fine fellow, Joe!"
"But, then, you're coming with us!&qu=
ot;
"Oh! certainly," said Kennedy;
"that is to say, I
will go with you up to the last moment, to
prevent Samuel
even then from being guilty of such an act=
of
folly! I
will follow him as far as Zanzibar, so as =
to
stop him there,
if possible."
"You'll stop nothing at all, Mr. Kenn=
edy,
with all respect
to you, sir. My master is no hare-brained
person;
he takes a long time to think over what he
means to do,
and then, when he once gets started, the E=
vil
One himself
couldn't make him give it up."
"Well, we'll see about that."
"Don't flatter yourself, sir--but the=
n,
the main thing
is, to have you with us. For a hunter like
you, sir,
Africa's a great country. So, either way, =
you
won't be
sorry for the trip."
"No, that's a fact, I shan't be sorry=
for
it, if I can get
this crazy man to give up his scheme."=
;
"By-the-way," said Joe, "you
know that the weighing
comes off to-day."
"The weighing--what weighing?"
"Why, my master, and you, and I, are =
all
to be
weighed to-day!"
"What! like horse-jockeys?"
"Yes, like jockeys. Only, never fear,=
you
won't be
expected to make yourself lean, if you're
found to be
heavy. You'll go as you are."
"Well, I can tell you, I am not going=
to
let myself be
weighed," said Kennedy, firmly.
"But, sir, it seems that the doctor's
machine requires it."
"Well, his machine will have to do
without it."
"Humph! and suppose that it couldn't =
go
up, then?"
"Egad! that's all I want!"
"Come! come, Mr. Kennedy! My master w=
ill
be sending
for us directly."
"I shan't go."
"Oh! now, you won't vex the doctor in
that way!"
"Aye! that I will."
"Well!" said Joe with a laugh,
"you say that because
he's not here; but when he says to your fa=
ce,
'Dick!'
(with all respect to you, sir,) 'Dick, I w=
ant
to know
exactly how much you weigh,' you'll go, I
warrant it."
"No, I will NOT go!"
At this moment the doctor entered his stud=
y,
where
this discussion had been taking place; and=
, as
he came
in, cast a glance at Kennedy, who did not =
feel
altogether
at his ease.
"Dick," said the doctor, "c=
ome
with Joe; I want to
know how much you both weigh."
"But--"
"You may keep your hat on. Come!"
And Kennedy went.
They repaired in company to the workshop of
the
Messrs. Mitchell, where one of those so-ca=
lled
"Roman"
scales was in readiness. It was necessary,=
by
the way,
for the doctor to know the weight of his
companions, so
as to fix the equilibrium of his balloon; =
so
he made Dick
get up on the platform of the scales. The
latter, without
making any resistance, said, in an underto=
ne:
"Oh! well, that doesn't bind me to any
thing."
"One hundred and fifty-three
pounds," said the doctor,
noting it down on his tablets.
"Am I too heavy?"
"Why, no, Mr. Kennedy!" said Joe;
"and then, you
know, I am light to make up for it."<= o:p>
So saying, Joe, with enthusiasm, took his
place on the
scales, and very nearly upset them in his
ready haste.
He struck the attitude of Wellington where=
he
is made to
ape Achilles, at Hyde-Park entrance, and w=
as
superb in
it, without the shield.
"One hundred and twenty pounds,"
wrote the doctor.
"Ah! ha!" said Joe, with a smile=
of
satisfaction
And why did he smile? He never could tell
himself.
"It's my turn now," said Ferguso=
n--and
he put down
one hundred and thirty-five pounds to his =
own
account.
"All three of us," said he, &quo=
t;do
not weigh much more
than four hundred pounds."
"But, sir," said Joe, "if it
was necessary for your
expedition, I could make myself thinner by=
twenty
pounds,
by not eating so much."
"Useless, my boy!" replied the
doctor. "You may
eat as much as you like, and here's
half-a-crown to buy
you the ballast."
Geometrical Details.--Calculation of the
Capacity of the Balloon.--The
Double Receptacle.--The Covering.--The
Car.--The Mysterious Apparatus.
--The Provisions and Stores.--The Final
Summing up.
Dr. Ferguson had long been engaged upon the
details
of his expedition. It is easy to comprehend
that the balloon
--that marvellous vehicle which was to con=
vey
him
through the air--was the constant object of
his solicitude.
At the outset, in order not to give the
balloon too
ponderous dimensions, he had decided to fi=
ll
it with
hydrogen gas, which is fourteen and a half
times lighter
than common air. The production of this ga=
s is
easy,
and it has given the greatest satisfaction
hitherto in
aerostatic experiments.
The doctor, according to very accurate
calculations,
found that, including the articles
indispensable to his
journey and his apparatus, he should have =
to
carry a weight
of 4,000 pounds; therefore he had to find =
out
what would
be the ascensional force of a balloon capa=
ble
of raising such
a weight, and, consequently, what would be=
its
capacity.
A weight of four thousand pounds is repres=
ented
by
a displacement of the air amounting to
forty-four thousand
eight hundred and forty-seven cubic feet; =
or,
in other
words, forty-four thousand eight hundred a=
nd
forty-seven
cubic feet of air weigh about four thousand
pounds.
By giving the balloon these cubic dimensio=
ns,
and filling
it with hydrogen gas, instead of common
air--the former
being fourteen and a half times lighter and
weighing
therefore only two hundred and seventy-six
pounds--a
difference of three thousand seven hundred=
and
twenty-four
pounds in equilibrium is produced; and it =
is
this
difference between the weight of the gas
contained in the
balloon and the weight of the surrounding
atmosphere
that constitutes the ascensional force of =
the
former.
However, were the forty-four thousand eight
hundred
and forty-seven cubic feet of gas of which=
we
speak, all
introduced into the balloon, it would be
entirely filled;
but that would not do, because, as the bal=
loon
continued
to mount into the more rarefied layers of =
the
atmosphere,
the gas within would dilate, and soon burst
the cover
containing it. Balloons, then, are usually
only two-thirds
filled.
But the doctor, in carrying out a project
known only
to himself, resolved to fill his balloon o=
nly
one-half; and,
since he had to carry forty-four thousand
eight hundred
and forty-seven cubic feet of gas, to give=
his
balloon
nearly double capacity he arranged it in t=
hat
elongated,
oval shape which has come to be preferred.=
The
horizontal
diameter was fifty feet, and the vertical
diameter
seventy-five feet. He thus obtained a
spheroid, the
capacity of which amounted, in round numbe=
rs,
to ninety
thousand cubic feet.
Could Dr. Ferguson have used two balloons,=
his
chances
of success would have been increased; for,
should one
burst in the air, he could, by throwing out
ballast, keep
himself up with the other. But the managem=
ent
of two
balloons would, necessarily, be very
difficult, in view of
the problem how to keep them both at an eq=
ual
ascensional force.
After having pondered the matter carefully,
Dr. Ferguson,
by an ingenious arrangement, combined the
advantages of
two balloons, without incurring their
inconveniences. He
constructed two of different sizes, and
inclosed the
smaller in the larger one. His external
balloon, which
had the dimensions given above, contained a
less one of
the same shape, which was only forty-five =
feet
in
horizontal, and sixty-eight feet in vertic=
al
diameter. The
capacity of this interior balloon was only
sixty-seven
thousand cubic feet: it was to float in the
fluid surrounding
it. A valve opened from one balloon into t=
he
other,
and thus enabled the aeronaut to communica=
te
with both.
This arrangement offered the advantage, th=
at
if gas
had to be let off, so as to descend, that
which was in the
outer balloon would go first; and, were it
completely
emptied, the smaller one would still remain
intact. The
outer envelope might then be cast off as a
useless encumbrance;
and the second balloon, left free to itsel=
f,
would not offer
the same hold to the currents of air as a
half-inflated one
must needs present.
Moreover, in case of an accident happening=
to
the outside
balloon, such as getting torn, for instanc=
e,
the other
would remain intact.
The balloons were made of a strong but lig=
ht
Lyons silk,
coated with gutta percha. This gummy, resi=
nous
substance
is absolutely water-proof, and also resists
acids and gas
perfectly. The silk was doubled, at the up=
per
extremity of
the oval, where most of the strain would c=
ome.
Such an envelope as this could retain the
inflating
fluid for any length of time. It weighed h=
alf
a pound per
nine square feet. Hence the surface of the
outside balloon
being about eleven thousand six hundred sq=
uare
feet, its
envelope weighed six hundred and fifty pou=
nds.
The envelope
of the second or inner balloon, having nine
thousand two
hundred square feet of surface, weighed on=
ly
about five
hundred and ten pounds, or say eleven hund=
red
and sixty
pounds for both.
The network that supported the car was mad=
e of
very
strong hempen cord, and the two valves were
the object
of the most minute and careful attention, =
as
the rudder of
a ship would be.
The car, which was of a circular form and
fifteen feet
in diameter, was made of wicker-work,
strengthened with
a slight covering of iron, and protected b=
elow
by a system
of elastic springs, to deaden the shock of
collision. Its
weight, along with that of the network, did
not exceed
two hundred and fifty pounds.
In addition to the above, the doctor cause=
d to
be constructed
two sheet-iron chests two lines in thickne=
ss.
These were
connected by means of pipes furnished with
stopcocks. He
joined to these a spiral, two inches in
diameter, which
terminated in two branch pieces of unequal
length, the
longer of which, however, was twenty-five =
feet
in height
and the shorter only fifteen feet.
These sheet-iron chests were embedded in t=
he
car in
such a way as to take up the least possible
amount of
space. The spiral, which was not to be
adjusted until
some future moment, was packed up, separat=
ely,
along
with a very strong Buntzen electric batter=
y. This
apparatus
had been so ingeniously combined that it d=
id
not
weigh more than seven hundred pounds, even
including
twenty-five gallons of water in another
receptacle.
The instruments provided for the journey
consisted of
two barometers, two thermometers, two
compasses, a sextant,
two chronometers, an artificial horizon, a=
nd
an altazimuth,
to throw out the height of distant and
inaccessible objects.
The Greenwich Observatory had placed itsel=
f at
the
doctor's disposal. The latter, however, did
not intend to
make experiments in physics; he merely wan=
ted
to be
able to know in what direction he was pass=
ing,
and to
determine the position of the principal
rivers, mountains,
and towns.
He also provided himself with three thorou=
ghly
tested
iron anchors, and a light but strong silk
ladder fifty feet
in length.
He at the same time carefully weighed his
stores of
provision, which consisted of tea, coffee,
biscuit, salted
meat, and pemmican, a preparation which
comprises many
nutritive elements in a small space. Besid=
es a
sufficient
stock of pure brandy, he arranged two
water-tanks, each
of which contained twenty-two gallons.
The consumption of these articles would
necessarily,
little by little, diminish the weight to be
sustained, for it
must be remembered that the equilibrium of=
a
balloon
floating in the atmosphere is extremely
sensitive. The
loss of an almost insignificant weight
suffices to produce a
very noticeable displacement.
Nor did the doctor forget an awning to she=
lter
the
car, nor the coverings and blankets that w=
ere
to be the
bedding of the journey, nor some fowling
pieces and rifles,
with their requisite supply of powder and
ball.
Here is the summing up of his various item=
s,
and their
weight, as he computed it:
Ferguson...........................=
135 pounds.
Kennedy............................=
153 "
Joe................................=
120 "
Weig=
ht of
the outside balloon...... 650=
"
Weig=
ht of
the second balloon....... 510=
"
Car =
and
network....................
280 "
Anch=
ors,
instruments, awnings,
and sundry utensils, guns,
coverings, etc...................&n=
bsp;
190 "
Meat,
pemmican, biscuits, tea,
coffee, brandy...................&n=
bsp;
386 "
Water..............................=
400 "
Apparatus..........................=
700 "
Weig=
ht of
the hydrogen............. 276=
"
Ballast............................=
200 "
=
&nb=
sp; =
-----
=
=
&nb=
sp; 4,000
pounds.
Such were the items of the four thousand
pounds that Dr.
Ferguson proposed to carry up with him. He
took only two
hundred pounds of ballast for "unfore=
seen
emergencies,"
as he remarked, since otherwise he did not
expect to use
any, thanks to the peculiarity of his
apparatus.
Joe's Importance.--The Commander of the
Resolute.--Kennedy's
Arsenal.--Mutual Amenities.--The Farewell
Dinner.--Departure
on the 21st of February.--The Doctor's
Scientific Sessions.--
Duveyrier.--Livingstone.--Details of the
Aerial Voyage.--Kennedy
silenced.
About the 10th of February, the preparatio=
ns
were
pretty well completed; and the balloons,
firmly secured,
one within the other, were altogether
finished. They had
been subjected to a powerful pneumatic
pressure in all
parts, and the test gave excellent evidenc=
e of
their solidity
and of the care applied in their construct=
ion.
Joe hardly knew what he was about, with
delight. He
trotted incessantly to and fro between his
home in Greek
Street, and the Mitchell establishment, al=
ways
full of business,
but always in the highest spirits, giving
details of the
affair to people who did not even ask him,=
so
proud was
he, above all things, of being permitted to
accompany his
master. I have even a shrewd suspicion that
what with
showing the balloon, explaining the plans =
and
views of the
doctor, giving folks a glimpse of the latt=
er,
through a
half-opened window, or pointing him out as=
he
passed along
the streets, the clever scamp earned a few
half-crowns, but
we must not find fault with him for that. =
He
had as
much right as anybody else to speculate up=
on
the admiration
and curiosity of his contemporaries.
On the 16th of February, the Resolute cast
anchor near
Greenwich. She was a screw propeller of ei=
ght
hundred
tons, a fast sailer, and the very vessel t=
hat
had been sent
out to the polar regions, to revictual the
last expedition
of Sir James Ross. Her commander, Captain
Bennet, had
the name of being a very amiable person, a=
nd
he took a
particular interest in the doctor's
expedition, having been
one of that gentleman's admirers for a long
time. Bennet
was rather a man of science than a man of =
war,
which
did not, however, prevent his vessel from
carrying four
carronades, that had never hurt any body, =
to
be sure, but
had performed the most pacific duty in the
world.
The hold of the Resolute was so arranged a=
s to
find a
stowing-place for the balloon. The latter =
was
shipped
with the greatest precaution on the 18th of
February, and
was then carefully deposited at the bottom=
of
the vessel in
such a way as to prevent accident. The car=
and
its accessories,
the anchors, the cords, the supplies, the
water-tanks,
which were to be filled on arriving, all w=
ere
embarked
and put away under Ferguson's own eyes.
Ten tons of sulphuric acid and ten tons of
iron filings,
were put on board for the future productio=
n of
the hydrogen
gas. The quantity was more than enough, bu=
t it
was
well to be provided against accident. The
apparatus to
be employed in manufacturing the gas,
including some
thirty empty casks, was also stowed away in
the hold.
These various preparations were terminated=
on
the
18th of February, in the evening. Two
state-rooms,
comfortably fitted up, were ready for the
reception of Dr.
Ferguson and his friend Kennedy. The latte=
r,
all the
while swearing that he would not go, went =
on
board with
a regular arsenal of hunting weapons, among
which were
two double-barrelled breech-loading
fowling-pieces, and a
rifle that had withstood every test, of the
make of Purdey,
Moore & Dickson, at Edinburgh. With su=
ch a
weapon a
marksman would find no difficulty in lodgi=
ng a
bullet in the eye of a chamois at the dist=
ance
of two
thousand paces. Along with these implement=
s,
he had two
of Colt's six-shooters, for unforeseen eme=
rgencies.
His
powder-case, his cartridge-pouch, his lead,
and his bullets,
did not exceed a certain weight prescribed=
by
the doctor.
The three travellers got themselves to rig=
hts
on board
during the working-hours of February 19th.
They were
received with much distinction by the capt=
ain
and his
officers, the doctor continuing as reserve=
d as
ever, and
thinking of nothing but his expedition. Di=
ck
seemed a
good deal moved, but was unwilling to betr=
ay
it; while
Joe was fairly dancing and breaking out in
laughable
remarks. The worthy fellow soon became the
jester and
merry-andrew of the boatswain's mess, wher=
e a
berth had
been kept for him.
On the 20th, a grand farewell dinner was g=
iven
to Dr.
Ferguson and Kennedy by the Royal Geograph=
ical
Society.
Commander Bennet and his officers were pre=
sent
at the entertainment, which was signalized=
by
copious
libations and numerous toasts. Healths were
drunk, in
sufficient abundance to guarantee all the
guests a lifetime
of centuries. Sir Francis M---- presided, =
with
restrained
but dignified feeling.
To his own supreme confusion, Dick Kennedy
came
in for a large share in the jovial
felicitations of the night.
After having drunk to the "intrepid
Ferguson, the glory
of England," they had to drink to
"the no less courageous
Kennedy, his daring companion."
Dick blushed a good deal, and that passed =
for
modesty;
whereupon the applause redoubled, and Dick
blushed again.
A message from the Queen arrived while they
were at
dessert. Her Majesty offered her complimen=
ts
to the two
travellers, and expressed her wishes for t=
heir
safe and
successful journey. This, of course, rende=
red
imperative
fresh toasts to "Her most gracious
Majesty."
At midnight, after touching farewells and =
warm
shaking
of hands, the guests separated.
The boats of the Resolute were in waiting =
at
the stairs
of Westminster Bridge. The captain leaped =
in,
accompanied
by his officers and passengers, and the ra=
pid
current
of the Thames, aiding the strong arms of t=
he
rowers,
bore them swiftly to Greenwich. In an hour=
's
time all
were asleep on board.
The next morning, February 21st, at three
o'clock, the
furnaces began to roar; at five, the ancho=
rs
were weighed,
and the Resolute, powerfully driven by her
screw, began
to plough the water toward the mouth of the
Thames.
It is needless to say that the topic of
conversation with
every one on board was Dr. Ferguson's
enterprise. Seeing
and hearing the doctor soon inspired every=
body
with
such confidence that, in a very short time,
there was no
one, excepting the incredulous Scotchman, =
on
the steamer
who had the least doubt of the perfect
feasibility and
success of the expedition.
During the long, unoccupied hours of the
voyage, the
doctor held regular sittings, with lecture=
s on
geographical
science, in the officers' mess-room. These
young men felt
an intense interest in the discoveries made
during the last
forty years in Africa; and the doctor rela=
ted
to them the
explorations of Barth, Burton, Speke, and
Grant, and depicted
the wonders of this vast, mysterious count=
ry,
now
thrown open on all sides to the investigat=
ions
of science.
On the north, the young Duveyrier was
exploring Sahara,
and bringing the chiefs of the Touaregs to
Paris. Under
the inspiration of the French Government, =
two
expeditions
were preparing, which, descending from the
north, and
coming from the west, would cross each oth=
er
at Timbuctoo.
In the south, the indefatigable Livingstone
was
still advancing toward the equator; and, s=
ince
March,
1862, he had, in company with Mackenzie,
ascended the
river Rovoonia. The nineteenth century wou=
ld,
assuredly,
not pass, contended the doctor, without Af=
rica
having
been compelled to surrender the secrets she
has kept
locked up in her bosom for six thousand ye=
ars.
But the interest of Dr. Ferguson's hearers=
was
excited
to the highest pitch when he made known to
them, in
detail, the preparations for his own journ=
ey.
They took
pleasure in verifying his calculations; th=
ey
discussed
them; and the doctor frankly took part in =
the
discussion.
As a general thing, they were surprised at=
the
limited
quantity of provision that he took with hi=
m;
and one day
one of the officers questioned him on that
subject.
"That peculiar point astonishes you, =
does
it?" said
Ferguson.
"It does, indeed."
"But how long do you think my trip is
going to last?
Whole months? If so, you are greatly mista=
ken.
Were
it to be a long one, we should be lost; we
should never
get back. But you must know that the dista=
nce
from
Zanzibar to the coast of Senegal is only
thirty-five
hundred--say four thousand miles. Well, at=
the
rate of two
hundred and forty miles every twelve hours,
which does
not come near the rapidity of our railroad
trains, by
travelling day and night, it would take on=
ly
seven days to
cross Africa!"
"But then you could see nothing, make=
no
geographical
observations, or reconnoitre the face of t=
he
country."
"Ah!" replied the doctor, "=
if I
am master of my
balloon--if I can ascend and descend at wi=
ll,
I shall stop
when I please, especially when too violent
currents of air
threaten to carry me out of my way with
them."
"And you will encounter such," s=
aid
Captain Bennet.
"There are tornadoes that sweep at the
rate of more than
two hundred and forty miles per hour."=
;
"You see, then, that with such speed =
as
that, we could
cross Africa in twelve hours. One would ri=
se
at Zanzibar,
and go to bed at St. Louis!"
"But," rejoined the officer,
"could any balloon withstand
the wear and tear of such velocity?"<= o:p>
"It has happened before," replied
Ferguson.
"And the balloon withstood it?"<= o:p>
"Perfectly well. It was at the time of
the coronation
of Napoleon, in 1804. The aeronaut, Gerner=
in,
sent up a
balloon at Paris, about eleven o'clock in =
the
evening. It
bore the following inscription, in letters=
of
gold: 'Paris,
25 Frimaire; year XIII; Coronation of the
Emperor Napoleon
by his Holiness, Pius VII.' On the next
morning,
the inhabitants of Rome saw the same ballo=
on
soaring
above the Vatican, whence it crossed the
Campagna, and
finally fluttered down into the lake of
Bracciano. So you
see, gentlemen, that a balloon can resist =
such
velocities."
"A balloon--that might be; but a
man?" insinuated Kennedy.
"Yes, a man, too!--for the balloon is
always motionless
with reference to the air that surrounds i=
t.
What
moves is the mass of the atmosphere itself:
for instance,
one may light a taper in the car, and the
flame will not
even waver. An aeronaut in Garnerin's ball=
oon
would not
have suffered in the least from the speed.=
But
then I
have no occasion to attempt such velocity;=
and
if I can
anchor to some tree, or some favorable
inequality of the
ground, at night, I shall not fail to do s=
o.
Besides, we
take provision for two months with us, aft=
er
all; and there
is nothing to prevent our skilful huntsman
here from furnishing
game in abundance when we come to
alight."
"Ah! Mr. Kennedy," said a young
midshipman, with
envious eyes, "what splendid shots yo=
u'll
have!"
"Without counting," said another,
"that you'll have
the glory as well as the sport!"
"Gentlemen," replied the hunter,
stammering with
confusion, "I greatly--appreciate--yo=
ur
compliments--
but they--don't--belong to me."
"You!" exclaimed every body,
"don't you intend to go?"
"I am not going!"
"You won't accompany Dr. Ferguson?&qu=
ot;
"Not only shall I not accompany him, =
but
I am here so as
to be present at the last moment to prevent
his going."
Every eye was now turned to the doctor.
"Never mind him!" said the latte=
r,
calmly. "This is
a matter that we can't argue with him. At
heart he knows
perfectly well that he IS going."
"By Saint Andrew!" said Kennedy,
"I swear--"
"Swear to nothing, friend Dick; you h=
ave
been ganged
and weighed--you and your powder, your gun=
s,
and your
bullets; so don't let us say anything more
about it."
And, in fact, from that day until the arri=
val
at Zanzibar,
Dick never opened his mouth. He talked nei=
ther
about that
nor about anything else. He kept absolutely
silent.
They double the Cape.--The Forecastle.--A
Course of Cosmography
by Professor Joe.--Concerning the Method of
guiding Balloons.--How
to seek out Atmospheric Currents.--
The Resolute plunged along rapidly toward =
the
of Good Hope, the weather continuing fine,
although the
sea ran heavier.
On the 30th of March, twenty-seven days af=
ter
the departure
from
could be distinguished through the ship's
glasses, and soon
the Resolute cast anchor in the port. But =
the
captain touched
there only to replenish his coal bunkers, =
and
that was but a
day's job. On the morrow, he steered away =
to
the south'ard,
so as to double the southernmost point of =
the
This was not Joe's first sea-voyage, and s=
o,
for his
part, he soon found himself at home on boa=
rd;
every body
liked him for his frankness and good-humor=
. A
considerable
share of his master's renown was reflected
upon him.
He was listened to as an oracle, and he ma=
de
no more
mistakes than the next one.
So, while the doctor was pursuing his
descriptive course
of lecturing in the officers' mess, Joe
reigned supreme
on the forecastle, holding forth in his own
peculiar
manner, and making history to suit himself=
--a
style of
procedure pursued, by the way, by the grea=
test
historians
of all ages and nations.
The topic of discourse was, naturally, the
aerial voyage.
Joe had experienced some trouble in getting
the rebellious
spirits to believe in it; but, once accept=
ed
by them, nothing
connected with it was any longer an
impossibility to the
imaginations of the seamen stimulated by J=
oe's
harangues.
Our dazzling narrator persuaded his hearers
that, after
this trip, many others still more wonderful
would be undertaken.
In fact, it was to be but the first of a l=
ong
series
of superhuman expeditions.
"You see, my friends, when a man has =
had
a taste of that
kind of travelling, he can't get along
afterward with any
other; so, on our next expedition, instead=
of
going off to
one side, we'll go right ahead, going up, =
too,
all the time."
"Humph! then you'll go to the moon!&q=
uot;
said one of
the crowd, with a stare of amazement.
"To the moon!" exclaimed Joe,
"To the moon! pooh!
that's too common. Every body might go to =
the
moon,
that way. Besides, there's no water there,=
and
you have
to carry such a lot of it along with you. =
Then
you have
to take air along in bottles, so as to
breathe."
"Ay! ay! that's all right! But can a =
man
get a drop of
the real stuff there?" said a sailor =
who
liked his toddy.
"Not a drop!" was Joe's answer.
"No! old fellow,
not in the moon. But we're going to skip r=
ound
among
those little twinklers up there--the
stars--and the
splendid planets that my old man so often
talks about. For
instance, we'll commence with Saturn--&quo=
t;
"That one with the ring?" asked =
the
boatswain.
"Yes! the wedding-ring--only no one k=
nows
what's
become of his wife!"
"What? will you go so high up as
that?" said one of
the ship-boys, gaping with wonder. "W=
hy,
your master
must be Old Nick himself."
"Oh! no, he's too good for that."=
;
"But, after Saturn--what then?" =
was
the next inquiry
of his impatient audience.
"After Saturn? Well, we'll visit Jupi=
ter.
A funny
place that is, too, where the days are only
nine hours and
a half long--a good thing for the lazy
fellows--and the
years, would you believe it--last twelve of
ours, which is
fine for folks who have only six months to=
live.
They get
off a little longer by that."
"Twelve years!" ejaculated the b=
oy.
"Yes, my youngster; so that in that
country you'd be
toddling after your mammy yet, and that old
chap yonder,
who looks about fifty, would only be a lit=
tle
shaver of four
and a half."
"Blazes! that's a good 'un!" sho=
uted
the whole forecastle together.
"Solemn truth!" said Joe, stoutl=
y.
"But what can you expect? When people
will stay in
this world, they learn nothing and keep as
ignorant as
bears. But just come along to Jupiter and
you'll see.
But they have to look out up there, for he=
's
got satellites
that are not just the easiest things to
pass."
All the men laughed, but they more than ha=
lf
believed
him. Then he went on to talk about Neptune,
where seafaring
men get a jovial reception, and Mars, where
the
military get the best of the sidewalk to s=
uch
an extent
that folks can hardly stand it. Finally, he
drew them a
heavenly picture of the delights of Venus.=
"And when we get back from that
expedition," said the
indefatigable narrator, "they'll deco=
rate
us with the Southern
Cross that shines up there in the Creator's
button-hole."
"Ay, and you'd have well earned it!&q=
uot;
said the sailors.
Thus passed the long evenings on the
forecastle in
merry chat, and during the same time the
doctor went on
with his instructive discourses.
One day the conversation turned upon the m=
eans
of
directing balloons, and the doctor was ask=
ed
his opinion
about it.
"I don't think," said he, "=
that
we shall succeed in finding
out a system of directing them. I am famil=
iar
with
all the plans attempted and proposed, and =
not
one has
succeeded, not one is practicable. You may
readily
understand that I have occupied my mind wi=
th
this subject,
which was, necessarily, so interesting to =
me,
but I have
not been able to solve the problem with the
appliances
now known to mechanical science. We would =
have
to
discover a motive power of extraordinary
force, and
almost impossible lightness of machinery. =
And,
even then,
we could not resist atmospheric currents of
any considerable
strength. Until now, the effort has been
rather to
direct the car than the balloon, and that =
has
been one
great error."
"Still there are many points of
resemblance between a
balloon and a ship which is directed at
will."
"Not at all," retorted the docto=
r,
"there is little or no
similarity between the two cases. Air is
infinitely less
dense than water, in which the ship is only
half submerged,
while the whole bulk of a balloon is plung=
ed
in the atmosphere,
and remains motionless with reference to t=
he
element
that surrounds it."
"You think, then, that aerostatic sci=
ence
has said its
last word?"
"Not at all! not at all! But we must =
look
for another
point in the case, and if we cannot manage=
to
guide our
balloon, we must, at least, try to keep it=
in
favorable aerial
currents. In proportion as we ascend, the
latter become
much more uniform and flow more constantly=
in
one direction.
They are no longer disturbed by the mounta=
ins
and
valleys that traverse the surface of the
globe, and these,
you know, are the chief cause of the
variations of the wind
and the inequality of their force. Therefo=
re,
these zones
having been once determined, the balloon w=
ill
merely have
to be placed in the currents best adapted =
to
its destination."
"But then," continued Captain
Bennet, "in order to reach them,
you must keep constantly ascending or
descending. That is the
real difficulty, doctor."
"And why, my dear captain?"
"Let us understand one another. It wo=
uld
be a difficulty
and an obstacle only for long journeys, an=
d not
for
short aerial excursions."
"And why so, if you please?"
"Because you can ascend only by throw=
ing
out ballast;
you can descend only after letting off gas,
and by these
processes your ballast and your gas are so=
on
exhausted."
"My dear sir, that's the whole questi=
on.
There is the
only difficulty that science need now seek=
to
overcome.
The problem is not how to guide the balloo=
n,
but how to
take it up and down without expending the =
gas
which is
its strength, its life-blood, its soul, if=
I
may use the
expression."
"You are right, my dear doctor; but t=
his
problem is
not yet solved; this means has not yet been
discovered."
"I beg your pardon, it HAS been
discovered."
"By whom?"
"By me!"
"By you?"
"You may readily believe that otherwi=
se I
should not
have risked this expedition across Africa =
in a
balloon. In
twenty-four hours I should have been witho=
ut
gas!"
"But you said nothing about that in
England?"
"No! I did not want to have myself
overhauled in
public. I saw no use in that. I made my
preparatory
experiments in secret and was satisfied. I
have no occasion,
then, to learn any thing more from them.&q=
uot;
"Well! doctor, would it be proper to =
ask
what is
your secret?"
"Here it is, gentlemen--the simplest
thing in the
world!"
The attention of his auditory was now dire=
cted
to the
doctor in the utmost degree as he quietly
proceeded with
his explanation.
Former Experiments.--The Doctor's Five
Receptacles.--The Gas Cylinder.--
The Calorifere.--The System of
Manoeuvring.--Success certain.
"The attempt has often been made,
gentlemen," said
the doctor, "to rise and descend at w=
ill,
without losing
ballast or gas from the balloon. A French
aeronaut, M.
Meunier, tried to accomplish this by
compressing air in an
inner receptacle. A Belgian, Dr. Van Hecke=
, by
means
of wings and paddles, obtained a vertical
power that would
have sufficed in most cases, but the pract=
ical
results
secured from these experiments have been
insignificant.
"I therefore resolved to go about the
thing more directly;
so, at the start, I dispensed with ballast
altogether,
excepting as a provision for cases of spec=
ial
emergency,
such as the breakage of my apparatus, or t=
he
necessity of
ascending very suddenly, so as to avoid
unforeseen obstacles.
"My means of ascent and descent consi=
st
simply in dilating
or contracting the gas that is in the ball=
oon
by the
application of different temperatures, and
here is the
method of obtaining that result.
"You saw me bring on board with the c=
ar
several
cases or receptacles, the use of which you=
may
not have
understood. They are five in number.
"The first contains about twenty-five
gallons of water,
to which I add a few drops of sulphuric ac=
id,
so as to
augment its capacity as a conductor of
electricity, and then I
decompose it by means of a powerful Buntzen
battery.
Water, as you know, consists of two parts =
of
hydrogen to
one of oxygen gas.
"The latter, through the action of the
battery, passes
at its positive pole into the second
receptacle. A third
receptacle, placed above the second one, a=
nd
of double its
capacity, receives the hydrogen passing in=
to
it by the
negative pole.
"Stopcocks, of which one has an orifi=
ce
twice the size
of the other, communicate between these
receptacles and
a fourth one, which is called the mixture
reservoir, since in
it the two gases obtained by the decomposi=
tion
of the
water do really commingle. The capacity of
this fourth
tank is about forty-one cubic feet.
"On the upper part of this tank is a
platinum tube
provided with a stopcock.
"You will now readily understand,
gentlemen, the apparatus
that I have described to you is really a g=
as
cylinder
and blow-pipe for oxygen and hydrogen, the
heat of
which exceeds that of a forge fire.
"This much established, I proceed to =
the
second part
of my apparatus. From the lowest part of my
balloon,
which is hermetically closed, issue two tu=
bes
a little
distance apart. The one starts among the u=
pper
layers of the
hydrogen gas, the other amid the lower lay=
ers.
"These two pipes are provided at
intervals with strong
jointings of india-rubber, which enable th=
em
to move in
harmony with the oscillations of the ballo=
on.
"Both of them run down as far as the =
car,
and lose
themselves in an iron receptacle of
cylindrical form,
which is called the heat-tank. The latter =
is
closed at
its two ends by two strong plates of the s=
ame
metal.
"The pipe running from the lower part=
of
the balloon
runs into this cylindrical receptacle thro=
ugh
the lower
plate; it penetrates the latter and then t=
akes
the form of
a helicoidal or screw-shaped spiral, the r=
ings
of which,
rising one over the other, occupy nearly t=
he
whole of the
height of the tank. Before again issuing f=
rom
it, this
spiral runs into a small cone with a conca=
ve
base, that is
turned downward in the shape of a spherical
cap.
"It is from the top of this cone that=
the
second pipe
issues, and it runs, as I have said, into =
the
upper beds of
the balloon.
"The spherical cap of the small cone =
is
of platinum, so
as not to melt by the action of the cylind=
er
and blow-pipe,
for the latter are placed upon the bottom =
of
the iron tank
in the midst of the helicoidal spiral, and=
the
extremity of
their flame will slightly touch the cap in
question.
"You all know, gentlemen, what a
calorifere, to heat
apartments, is. You know how it acts. The =
air
of the
apartments is forced to pass through its
pipes, and is then
released with a heightened temperature. We=
ll,
what I
have just described to you is nothing more=
nor
less than a
calorifere.
"In fact, what is it that takes place?
The cylinder
once lighted, the hydrogen in the spiral a=
nd
in the
concave cone becomes heated, and rapidly
ascends through
the pipe that leads to the upper part of t=
he
balloon. A
vacuum is created below, and it attracts t=
he
gas in the
lower parts; this becomes heated in its tu=
rn,
and is
continually replaced; thus, an extremely r=
apid
current of gas
is established in the pipes and in the spi=
ral,
which issues
from the balloon and then returns to it, a=
nd
is heated over
again, incessantly.
"Now, the cases increase 1/480 of the=
ir
volume for each
degree of heat applied. If, then, I force =
the
temperature
18 degrees, the hydrogen of the balloon wi=
ll
dilate 18/480 or
1614 cubic feet, and will, therefore, disp=
lace
1614 more
cubic feet of air, which will increase its
ascensional power
by 160 pounds. This is equivalent to throw=
ing
out that
weight of ballast. If I augment the
temperature by 180
degrees, the gas will dilate 180/480 and w=
ill
displace 16,740
cubic feet more, and its ascensional force
will be augmented
by 1,600 pounds.
"Thus, you see, gentlemen, that I can
easily effect
very considerable changes of equilibrium. =
The
volume of
the balloon has been calculated in such ma=
nner
that, when
half inflated, it displaces a weight of air
exactly equal to
that of the envelope containing the hydrog=
en
gas, and of
the car occupied by the passengers, and all
its apparatus
and accessories. At this point of inflatio=
n,
it is in exact
equilibrium with the air, and neither moun=
ts
nor descends.
"In order, then, to effect an ascent,=
I
give the gas a
temperature superior to the temperature of=
the
surrounding
air by means of my cylinder. By this exces=
s of
heat
it obtains a larger distention, and inflat=
es
the balloon
more. The latter, then, ascends in proport=
ion
as I heat
the hydrogen.
"The descent, of course, is effected =
by
lowering the
heat of the cylinder, and letting the
temperature abate.
The ascent would be, usually, more rapid t=
han
the descent;
but that is a fortunate circumstance, sinc=
e it
is of no
importance to me to descend rapidly, while=
, on
the other
hand, it is by a very rapid ascent that I
avoid obstacles.
The real danger lurks below, and not above=
.
"Besides, as I have said, I have a
certain quantity of
ballast, which will enable me to ascend mo=
re
rapidly still,
when necessary. My valve, at the top of the
balloon, is
nothing more nor less than a safety-valve.=
The
balloon
always retains the same quantity of hydrog=
en,
and the
variations of temperature that I produce in
the midst of
this shut-up gas are, of themselves,
sufficient to provide
for all these ascending and descending
movements.
"Now, gentlemen, as a practical detai=
l,
let me add
this:
"The combustion of the hydrogen and of
the oxygen
at the point of the cylinder produces sole=
ly
the vapor or
steam of water. I have, therefore, provided
the lower
part of the cylindrical iron box with a
scape-pipe, with a
valve operating by means of a pressure of =
two
atmospheres;
consequently, so soon as this amount of
pressure
is attained, the steam escapes of itself.<= o:p>
"Here are the exact figures: 25 gallo=
ns
of water,
separated into its constituent elements, y=
ield
200 pounds
of oxygen and 25 pounds of hydrogen. This
represents,
at atmospheric tension, 1,800 cubic feet of
the former and
3,780 cubic feet of the latter, or 5,670 c=
ubic
feet, in all, of
the mixture. Hence, the stopcock of my
cylinder, when
fully open, expends 27 cubic feet per hour,
with a flame at
least six times as strong as that of the l=
arge
lamps used
for lighting streets. On an average, then,=
and
in order to
keep myself at a very moderate elevation, I
should not
burn more than nine cubic feet per hour, so
that my
twenty-five gallons of water represent six
hundred and
thirty-six hours of aerial navigation, or a
little
more than twenty-six days.
"Well, as I can descend when I please=
, to
replenish my
stock of water on the way, my trip might be
indefinitely
prolonged.
"Such, gentlemen, is my secret. It is
simple, and,
like most simple things, it cannot fail to
succeed. The
dilation and contraction of the gas in the
balloon is my
means of locomotion, which calls for neith=
er
cumbersome
wings, nor any other mechanical motor. A
calorifere to
produce the changes of temperature, and a
cylinder to
generate the heat, are neither inconvenient
nor heavy. I
think, therefore, that I have combined all=
the
elements of
success."
Dr. Ferguson here terminated his discourse,
and was
most heartily applauded. There was not an
objection to
make to it; all had been foreseen and deci=
ded.
"However," said the captain,
"the thing may prove
dangerous."
"What matters that," replied the=
doctor,
"provided
that it be practicable?"
The Arrival at Zanzibar.--The English
Consul.--
Inhabitants.--The
of the Balloon.--Departure on the 18th of
April.--The last Good-by.
--The
An invariably favorable wind had accelerat=
ed
the
progress of the Resolute toward the place =
of
her
destination. The navigation of the
especially calm and pleasant. The agreeable
character of
the trip by sea was regarded as a good ome=
n of
the probable
issue of the trip through the air. Every o=
ne
looked
forward to the hour of arrival, and sought=
to
give the last
touch to the doctor's preparations.
At length the vessel hove in sight of the =
town
of
upon the island of the same name, and, on =
the
15th of April,
at 11 o'clock in the morning, she anchored=
in
the port.
The
an ally of
his finest settlement. The port is frequen=
ted
by a great
many vessels from the neighboring countrie=
s.
The island is separated from the African c=
oast
only by
a channel, the greatest width of which is =
but
thirty miles.
It has a large trade in gums, ivory, and,
above all, in
"ebony," for
converges all the booty captured in the
battles which the
chiefs of the interior are continually
fighting. This traffic
extends along the whole eastern coast, and=
as
far as the
seen it carried on, openly, under the Fren=
ch
flag.
Upon the arrival of the Resolute, the Engl=
ish
consul at
of whose projects the European newspapers =
had
made him
aware for a month past. But, up to that
moment, he had
remained with the numerous phalanx of the
incredulous.
"I doubted," said he, holding out
his hand to Dr. Ferguson,
"but now I doubt no longer."
He invited the doctor, Kennedy, and the
faithful Joe,
of course, to his own dwelling. Through his
courtesy,
the doctor was enabled to have knowledge of
the various
letters that he had received from Captain
Speke. The
captain and his companions had suffered
dreadfully from
hunger and bad weather before reaching the
Ugogo country.
They could advance only with extreme
difficulty,
and did not expect to be able to communica=
te
again for
a long time.
"Those are perils and privations whic=
h we
shall manage
to avoid," said the doctor.
The baggage of the three travellers was
conveyed to
the consul's residence. Arrangements were =
made
for
disembarking the balloon upon the beach at=
was a convenient spot, near the signal-mas=
t,
close by an
immense building, that would serve to shel=
ter
it from the
east winds. This huge tower, resembling a =
tun
standing
on one end, beside which the famous
would have seemed but a very ordinary barr=
el,
served as
a fortification, and on its platform were
stationed
Belootchees, armed with lances. These
Belootchees are a
kind of brawling, good-for-nothing Janizar=
ies.
But, when about to land the balloon, the
consul was
informed that the population of the island
would oppose
their doing so by force. Nothing is so bli=
nd
as fanatical
passion. The news of the arrival of a
Christian, who was
to ascend into the air, was received with
rage. The
negroes, more exasperated than the Arabs, =
saw
in this
project an attack upon their religion. They
took it into
their heads that some mischief was meant to
the sun and
the moon. Now, these two luminaries are ob=
jects
of
veneration to the African tribes, and they
determined to
oppose so sacrilegious an enterprise.
The consul, informed of their intentions,
conferred with
Dr. Ferguson and Captain Bennet on the
subject. The
latter was unwilling to yield to threats, =
but
his friend
dissuaded him from any idea of violent
retaliation.
"We shall certainly come out
winners," he said.
"Even the imaum's soldiers will lend =
us a
hand, if we
need it. But, my dear captain, an accident=
may
happen
in a moment, and it would require but one
unlucky blow
to do the balloon an irreparable injury, so
that the trip
would be totally defeated; therefore we mu=
st
act with
the greatest caution."
"But what are we to do? If we land on=
the
coast of
are we to do?"
"Nothing is more simple," replied
the consul. "You
observe those small islands outside of the
port; land your
balloon on one of them; surround it with a
guard of
sailors, and you will have no risk to
run."
"Just the thing!" said the docto=
r,
"and we shall be
entirely at our ease in completing our
preparations."
The captain yielded to these suggestions, =
and
the
Resolute was headed for the
the morning of the 16th April, the balloon=
was
placed in
safety in the middle of a clearing in the
great woods,
with which the soil is studded.
Two masts, eighty feet in height, were rai=
sed
at the
same distance from each other. Blocks and
tackle, placed
at their extremities, afforded the means of
elevating the
balloon, by the aid of a transverse rope. =
It
was then
entirely uninflated. The interior balloon =
was
fastened to
the exterior one, in such manner as to be
lifted up in the
same way. To the lower end of each balloon
were fixed
the pipes that served to introduce the hyd=
rogen
gas.
The whole day, on the 17th, was spent in
arranging
the apparatus destined to produce the gas;=
it
consisted
of some thirty casks, in which the
decomposition of water
was effected by means of iron-filings and
sulphuric acid
placed together in a large quantity of the
first-named
fluid. The hydrogen passed into a huge cen=
tral
cask,
after having been washed on the way, and
thence into
each balloon by the conduit-pipes. In this
manner each
of them received a certain
accurately-ascertained quantity
of gas. For this purpose, there had to be
employed
eighteen hundred and sixty-six pounds of
sulphuric acid,
sixteen thousand and fifty pounds of iron,=
and
nine thousand
one hundred and sixty-six gallons of water.
This
operation commenced on the following night,
about three
A.M., and lasted nearly eight hours. The n=
ext
day, the
balloon, covered with its network, undulat=
ed
gracefully
above its car, which was held to the groun=
d by
numerous
sacks of earth. The inflating apparatus was
put together
with extreme care, and the pipes issuing f=
rom
the balloon
were securely fitted to the cylindrical ca=
se.
The anchors, the cordage, the instruments,=
the
travelling-wraps,
the awning, the provisions, and the arms, =
were
put in the place assigned to them in the c=
ar.
The supply
of water was procured at
pounds of ballast were distributed in fifty
bags placed at
the bottom of the car, but within arm's-re=
ach.
These preparations were concluded about fi=
ve
o'clock in the
evening, while sentinels kept close watch
around the island,
and the boats of the Resolute patrolled the
channel.
The blacks continued to show their displea=
sure
by
grimaces and contortions. Their obi-men, or
wizards,
went up and down among the angry throngs,
pouring
fuel on the flame of their fanaticism; and
some of the
excited wretches, more furious and daring =
than
the rest,
attempted to get to the island by swimming,
but they
were easily driven off.
Thereupon the sorceries and incantations
commenced;
the "rain-makers," who pretend to
have control over the
clouds, invoked the storms and the
"stone-showers," as
the blacks call hail, to their aid. To com=
pel
them to do
so, they plucked leaves of all the differe=
nt
trees that grow
in that country, and boiled them over a sl=
ow
fire, while,
at the same time, a sheep was killed by
thrusting a long
needle into its heart. But, in spite of all
their ceremonies,
the sky remained clear and beautiful, and =
they
profited
nothing by their slaughtered sheep and the=
ir
ugly grimaces.
The blacks then abandoned themselves to the
most
furious orgies, and got fearfully drunk on
"tembo," a
kind of ardent spirits drawn from the
cocoa-nut tree, and
an extremely heady sort of beer called
"togwa." Their
chants, which were destitute of all melody,
but were sung
in excellent time, continued until far into
the night.
About six o'clock in the evening, the capt=
ain
assembled
the travellers and the officers of the shi=
p at
a farewell
repast in his cabin. Kennedy, whom nobody
ventured to
question now, sat with his eyes riveted on=
Dr.
Ferguson,
murmuring indistinguishable words. In other
respects,
the dinner was a gloomy one. The approach =
of
the final
moment filled everybody with the most seri=
ous
reflections.
What had fate in store for these daring
adventurers?
Should they ever again find themselves in =
the
midst of
their friends, or seated at the domestic
hearth? Were
their travelling apparatus to fail, what w=
ould
become of
them, among those ferocious savage tribes,=
in
regions that
had never been explored, and in the midst =
of
boundless
deserts?
Such thoughts as these, which had been dim=
and
vague
until then, or but slightly regarded when =
they
came up,
returned upon their excited fancies with
intense force at
this parting moment. Dr. Ferguson, still c=
old
and impassible,
talked of this, that, and the other; but he
strove in vain
to overcome this infectious gloominess. He
utterly failed.
As some demonstration against the personal
safety of
the doctor and his companions was feared, =
all
three slept
that night on board the Resolute. At six
o'clock in the
morning they left their cabin, and landed =
on
the island of
Koumbeni.
The balloon was swaying gently to and fro =
in
the
morning breeze; the sand-bags that had hel=
d it
down
were now replaced by some twenty strong-ar=
med
sailors,
and Captain Bennet and his officers were
present to
witness the solemn departure of their frie=
nds.
At this moment Kennedy went right up to the
doctor,
grasped his hand, and said:
"Samuel, have you absolutely determin=
ed
to go?"
"Solemnly determined, my dear Dick.&q=
uot;
"I have done every thing that I could=
to
prevent this
expedition, have I not?"
"Every thing!"
"Well, then, my conscience is clear on
that score, and
I will go with you."
"I was sure you would!" said the
doctor, betraying
in his features swift traces of emotion.
At last the moment of final leave-taking
arrived. The
captain and his officers embraced their
dauntless friends
with great feeling, not excepting even Joe,
who, worthy
fellow, was as proud and happy as a prince.
Every one
in the party insisted upon having a final
shake of the
doctor's hand.
At nine o'clock the three travellers got i=
nto
their car.
The doctor lit the combustible in his cyli=
nder
and turned
the flame so as to produce a rapid heat, a=
nd
the balloon,
which had rested on the ground in perfect
equipoise, began
to rise in a few minutes, so that the seam=
en
had to slacken
the ropes they held it by. The car then ro=
se
about twenty
feet above their heads.
"My friends!" exclaimed the doct=
or,
standing up between
his two companions, and taking off his hat,
"let us
give our aerial ship a name that will bring
her good luck!
let us christen her
This speech was answered with stentorian
cheers of
"Huzza for the Queen! Huzza for Old <=
st1:country-region
w:st=3D"on">
At this moment the ascensional force of the
balloon
increased prodigiously, and
waved a last good-by to their friends.
"Let go all!" shouted the doctor,
and at the word the
carronades on board the Resolute thundered
forth a parting
salute in her honor.
Crossing the Strait.--The Mrima.--Dick's
Remark and Joe's
Proposition.--A Recipe for Coffee-making.-=
-The
Uzaramo.--The
Unfortunate Maizan.--
under a Nopal.
The air was pure, the wind moderate, and t=
he
balloon
ascended almost perpendicularly to a heigh=
t of
fifteen
hundred feet, as indicated by a depression=
of
two inches
in the barometric column.
At this height a more decided current carr=
ied
the
balloon toward the southwest. What a
magnificent spectacle
was then outspread beneath the gaze of the
travellers!
The
marked out by its deeper color upon a vast
planisphere;
the fields had the appearance of patterns =
of
different
colors, and thick clumps of green indicated
the groves and
thickets.
The inhabitants of the island looked no la=
rger
than
insects. The huzzaing and shouting were li=
ttle
by little
lost in the distance, and only the dischar=
ge
of the ship's
guns could be heard in the concavity benea=
th
the balloon,
as the latter sped on its flight.
"How fine that is!" said Joe,
breaking silence for the
first time.
He got no reply. The doctor was busy obser=
ving
the
variations of the barometer and noting down
the details
of his ascent.
Kennedy looked on, and had not eyes enough=
to
take
in all that he saw.
The rays of the sun coming to the aid of t=
he
heating
cylinder, the tension of the gas increased,
and the
attained the height of twenty-five hundred
feet.
The Resolute looked like a mere cockle-she=
ll,
and the
African coast could be distinctly seen in =
the
west marked
out by a fringe of foam.
"You don't talk?" said Joe, agai=
n.
"We are looking!" said the docto=
r,
directing his spy-glass
toward the mainland.
"For my part, I must talk!"
"As much as you please, Joe; talk as =
much
as you like!"
And Joe went on alone with a tremendous vo=
lley
of
exclamations. The "ohs!" and the
"ahs!" exploded one
after the other, incessantly, from his lip=
s.
During his passage over the sea the doctor
deemed it
best to keep at his present elevation. He
could thus
reconnoitre a greater stretch of the coast.
The thermometer
and the barometer, hanging up inside of the
half-opened
awning, were always within sight, and a se=
cond
barometer
suspended outside was to serve during the
night watches.
At the end of about two hours the
along at a speed of a little more than eig=
ht
miles, very
visibly neared the coast of the mainland. =
The
doctor,
thereupon, determined to descend a little
nearer to the
ground. So he moderated the flame of his
cylinder, and
the balloon, in a few moments, had descend=
ed
to an altitude
only three hundred feet above the soil.
It was then found to be passing just over =
the
Mrima
country, the name of this part of the east=
ern
coast of
and the ebb-tide disclosed to view their t=
hick
roots,
chafed and gnawed by the teeth of the
sands which, at an earlier period, formed =
the
coast-line,
rounded away along the distant horizon, and
Mount
Nguru reared aloft its sharp summit in the
northwest.
The
found marked upon his chart as Kaole. Its
entire population
had assembled in crowds, and were yelling =
with
anger
and fear, at the same time vainly directing
their arrows
against this monster of the air that swept
along so majestically
away above all their powerless fury.
The wind was setting to the southward, but=
the
doctor
felt no concern on that score, since it
enabled him the
better to follow the route traced by Capta=
ins
Burton and
Speke.
Kennedy had, at length, become as talkativ=
e as
Joe,
and the two kept up a continual interchang=
e of
admiring
interjections and exclamations.
"Out upon stage-coaches!" said o=
ne.
"Steamers indeed!" said the othe=
r.
"Railroads! eh? rubbish!" put in
Kennedy, "that
you travel on, without seeing the
country!"
"Balloons! they're the sort for me!&q=
uot;
Joe would add.
"Why, you don't feel yourself going, =
and
Nature takes
the trouble to spread herself out before o=
ne's
eyes!"
"What a splendid sight! What a specta=
cle!
What
a delight! a dream in a hammock!"
"Suppose we take our breakfast?"=
was
Joe's unpoetical
change of tune, at last, for the keen, open
air had
mightily sharpened his appetite.
"Good idea, my boy!"
"Oh! it won't take us long to do the
cooking--biscuit
and potted meat?"
"And as much coffee as you like,"
said the doctor. "I
give you leave to borrow a little heat fro=
m my
cylinder.
There's enough and to spare, for that matt=
er,
and so we
shall avoid the risk of a conflagration.&q=
uot;
"That would be a dreadful
misfortune!" ejaculated
Kennedy. "It's the same as a
powder-magazine suspended
over our heads."
"Not precisely," said
to take fire it would burn up gradually, a=
nd
we should
settle down on the ground, which would be
disagreeable;
but never fear--our balloon is hermetically
sealed."
"Let us eat a bite, then," repli=
ed
Kennedy.
"Now, gentlemen," put in Joe,
"while doing the same
as you, I'm going to get you up a cup of
coffee that I
think you'll have something to say
about."
"The fact is," added the doctor,
"that Joe, along with
a thousand other virtues, has a remarkable
talent for the
preparation of that delicious beverage: he
compounds it
of a mixture of various origin, but he nev=
er
would reveal
to me the ingredients."
"Well, master, since we are so far
above-ground, I can
tell you the secret. It is just to mix equ=
al
quantities of
Mocha, of Bourbon coffee, and of Rio
Nunez."
A few moments later, three steaming cups of
coffee
were served, and topped off a substantial
breakfast, which
was additionally seasoned by the jokes and
repartees of
the guests. Each one then resumed his post=
of
observation.
The country over which they were passing w=
as
remarkable
for its fertility. Narrow, winding paths
plunged
in beneath the overarching verdure. They s=
wept
along
above cultivated fields of tobacco, maize,=
and
barley, at
full maturity, and here and there immense
rice-fields,
full of straight stalks and purple blossom=
s.
They could
distinguish sheep and goats too, confined =
in
large
cages, set up on piles to keep them out of
reach of the
leopards' fangs. Luxuriant vegetation spre=
ad
in wild
profuseness over this prodigal soil.
Village after village rang with yells of
terror and
astonishment at the sight of the Victoria,=
and
Dr.
arrows. The savages below, thus baffled, r=
an
together
from their huddle of huts and followed the
travellers with
their vain imprecations while they remaine=
d in
sight.
At noon, the doctor, upon consulting his m=
ap,
calculated
that they were passing over the Uzaramo*
country.
The soil was thickly studded with cocoa-nu=
t,
papaw, and
cotton-wood trees, above which the balloon
seemed to disport
itself like a bird. Joe found this splendid
vegetation
a matter of course, seeing that they were =
in
descried some hares and quails that asked
nothing
better than to get a good shot from his
fowling-piece, but
it would have been powder wasted, since th=
ere
was no
time to pick up the game.
* U and Ou signify country in the language=
of
that region.
The aeronauts swept on with the speed of
twelve miles
per hour, and soon were passing in
thirty-eight degrees
twenty minutes east longitude, over the
"It was there," said the doctor,
"that
Speke were seized with violent fevers, and=
for
a moment
thought their expedition ruined. And yet t=
hey
were only
a short distance from the coast, but fatig=
ue
and privation
were beginning to tell upon them
severely."
In fact, there is a perpetual malaria reig=
ning
throughout
the country in question. Even the doctor c=
ould
hope
to escape its effects only by rising above=
the
range of the
miasma that exhales from this damp region
whence the
blazing rays of the sun pump up its poison=
ous
vapors.
Once in a while they could descry a caravan
resting in a
"kraal," awaiting the freshness =
and
cool of the evening to
resume its route. These kraals are wide
patches of cleared
land, surrounded by hedges and jungles, wh=
ere
traders
take shelter against not only the wild bea=
sts,
but also the
robber tribes of the country. They could s=
ee
the natives
running and scattering in all directions at
the sight of the
but the doctor invariably held out against=
the
idea.
"The chiefs are armed with muskets,&q=
uot;
he said, "and
our balloon would be too conspicuous a mark
for their
bullets."
"Would a bullet-hole bring us down?&q=
uot;
asked Joe.
"Not immediately; but such a hole wou=
ld
soon become
a large torn orifice through which our gas
would escape."
"Then, let us keep at a respectful
distance from yon
miscreants. What must they think as they s=
ee
us sailing
in the air? I'm sure they must feel like
worshipping us!"
"Let them worship away, then,"
replied the doctor,
"but at a distance. There is no harm =
done
in getting as far
away from them as possible. See! the count=
ry
is already
changing its aspect: the villages are fewer
and farther
between; the mango-trees have disappeared,=
for
their growth
ceases at this latitude. The soil is becom=
ing
hilly and
portends mountains not far off."
"Yes," said Kennedy, "it se=
ems
to me that I can see
some high land on this side."
"In the west--those are the nearest
ranges of the
Ourizara--Mount Duthumi, no doubt, behind
which I hope
to find shelter for the night. I'll stir up
the heat in the
cylinder a little, for we must keep at an
elevation of five
or six hundred feet."
"That was a grant idea of yours,
sir," said Joe. "It's
mighty easy to manage it; you turn a cock,=
and
the thing's
done."
"Ah! here we are more at our ease,&qu=
ot;
said the sportsman,
as the balloon ascended; "the reflect=
ion
of the sun
on those red sands was getting to be
insupportable."
"What splendid trees!" cried Joe.
"They're quite
natural, but they are very fine! Why a doz=
en
of them
would make a forest!"
"Those are baobabs," replied Dr.
Ferguson. "See, there's one
with a trunk fully one hundred feet in
circumference. It was,
perhaps, at the foot of that very tree that
Maizan, the French
traveller, expired in 1845, for we are over
the village of
Deje-la-Mhora, to which he pushed on alone=
. He
was seized by
the chief of this region, fastened to the =
foot
of a baobab,
and the ferocious black then severed all h=
is joints
while
the war-song of his tribe was chanted; he =
then
made a gash
in the prisoner's neck, stopped to sharpen=
his
knife, and
fairly tore away the poor wretch's head be=
fore
it had been
cut from the body. The unfortunate Frenchm=
an
was but
twenty-six years of age."
"And
said Kennedy.
"
did all in his power to capture the murder=
er,
but in vain."
"I move that we don't stop here!"
urged Joe; "let us
go up, master, let us go up higher by all
means."
"All the more willingly, Joe, that th=
ere
is Mount
Duthumi right ahead of us. If my calculati=
ons
be right
we shall have passed it before seven o'clo=
ck
in the evening."
"Shall we not travel at night?"
asked the Scotchman.
"No, as little as possible. With care=
and
vigilance
we might do so safely, but it is not enoug=
h to
sweep across
"Up to this time we have nothing to
complain of,
master. The best cultivated and most ferti=
le
country in
the world instead of a desert! Believe the
geographers
after that!"
Let us wait, Joe! we shall see
by-and-by."
About half-past six in the evening the
opposite
to a height of more than three thousand fe=
et,
and to accomplish
that the doctor had only to raise the
temperature of his gas
eighteen degrees. It might have been corre=
ctly
said that he
held his balloon in his hand. Kennedy had =
only
to indicate
to him the obstacles to be surmounted, and=
the
sped through the air, skimming the summits=
of
the range.
At eight o'clock it descended the farther
slope, the
acclivity of which was much less abrupt. T=
he
anchors were
thrown out from the car and one of them,
coming in contact
with the branches of an enormous nopal, ca=
ught
on it
firmly. Joe at once let himself slide down=
the
rope and
secured it. The silk ladder was then lower=
ed
to him
and he remounted to the car with agility. =
The
balloon
now remained perfectly at rest sheltered f=
rom
the
eastern winds.
The evening meal was got ready, and the
aeronauts,
excited by their day's journey, made a hea=
vy
onslaught
upon the provisions.
"What distance have we traversed
to-day?" asked
Kennedy, disposing of some alarming mouthf=
uls.
The doctor took his bearings, by means of
lunar observations,
and consulted the excellent map that he had
with
him for his guidance. It belonged to the A=
tlas
of "Der
Neuester Endeckungen in Afrika"
("The Latest Discoveries
in Africa"), published at
Dr. Petermann, and by that savant sent to =
him.
This
Atlas was to serve the doctor on his whole
journey; for it
contained the itinerary of
lakes; the Soudan, according to Dr. Barth;=
the
Lower
the
combined in one compilation all the notions
already acquired
concerning the
of the
River and of its Head-Stream, with the His=
tory
of the
Nilotic Discovery, by Charles Beke, D.D.&q=
uot;
He also had the excellent charts published=
in
the
"Bulletins of the Geographical Societ=
y of
not a single point of the countries already
discovered
could, therefore, escape his notice.
Upon tracing on his maps, he found that his
latitudinal
route had been two degrees, or one hundred=
and
twenty miles, to the westward.
Kennedy remarked that the route tended tow=
ard
the
south; but this direction was satisfactory=
to
the doctor,
who desired to reconnoitre the tracks of h=
is
predecessors
as much as possible. It was agreed that the
night should
be divided into three watches, so that eac=
h of
the party
should take his turn in watching over the
safety of the
rest. The doctor took the watch commencing=
at
nine
o'clock; Kennedy, the one commencing at
midnight; and
Joe, the three o'clock morning watch.
So Kennedy and Joe, well wrapped in their
blankets,
stretched themselves at full length under =
the
awning, and
slept quietly; while Dr. Ferguson kept on =
the
lookout.
Change of Weather.--Kennedy has the
Fever.--The Doctor's Medicine.
--Travels on Land.--The
Thousand Feet Elevation.--A Halt in the
Daytime.
The night was calm. However, on Saturday
morning,
Kennedy, as he awoke, complained of lassit=
ude
and feverish
chills. The weather was changing. The sky,
covered
with clouds, seemed to be laying in suppli=
es
for a fresh
deluge. A gloomy region is that Zungomoro
country,
where it rains continually, excepting,
perhaps, for a couple
of weeks in the month of January.
A violent shower was not long in drenching=
our
travellers.
Below them, the roads, intersected by
"nullahs,"
a sort of instantaneous torrent, were soon
rendered
impracticable, entangled as they were,
besides, with thorny
thickets and gigantic lianas, or creeping
vines. The
sulphuretted hydrogen emanations, which
Captain Burton
mentions, could be distinctly smelt.
"According to his statement, and I th=
ink
he's right,"
said the doctor, "one could readily
believe that there is
a corpse hidden behind every thicket."=
;
"An ugly country this!" sighed J=
oe;
"and it seems
to me that Mr. Kennedy is none the better =
for
having
passed the night in it."
"To tell the truth, I have quite a hi=
gh
fever," said the
sportsman.
"There's nothing remarkable about tha=
t,
my dear Dick, for
we are in one of the most unhealthy region=
s in
we shall not remain here long; so let's be
off."
Thanks to a skilful manoeuvre achieved by =
Joe,
the
anchor was disengaged, and Joe reascended =
to
the car by
means of the ladder. The doctor vigorously
dilated the
gas, and the
a spanking breeze.
Only a few scattered huts could be seen
through the
pestilential mists; but the appearance of =
the
country soon
changed, for it often happens in
unhealthiest districts lie close beside ot=
hers
that are
perfectly salubrious.
Kennedy was visibly suffering, and the fev=
er
was mastering
his vigorous constitution.
"It won't do to fall ill, though,&quo=
t;
he grumbled; and
so saying, he wrapped himself in a blanket,
and lay down
under the awning.
"A little patience, Dick, and you'll =
soon
get over
this," said the doctor.
"Get over it! Egad, Samuel, if you've=
any
drug in
your travelling-chest that will set me on =
my
feet again,
bring it without delay. I'll swallow it wi=
th
my eyes
shut!"
"Oh, I can do better than that, friend
Dick; for I can
give you a febrifuge that won't cost any
thing."
"And how will you do that?"
"Very easily. I am simply going to ta=
ke
you up
above these clouds that are now deluging u=
s,
and remove
you from this pestilential atmosphere. I a=
sk
for only ten
minutes, in order to dilate the
hydrogen."
The ten minutes had scarcely elapsed ere t=
he
travellers
were beyond the rainy belt of country.
"Wait a little, now, Dick, and you'll
begin to feel the
effect of pure air and sunshine."
"There's a cure for you!" said J=
oe;
"why, it's wonderful!"
"No, it's merely natural."
"Oh! natural; yes, no doubt of
that!"
"I bring Dick into good air, as the
doctors do, every
day, in Europe, or, as I would send a pati=
ent
at
to the Pitons, a lofty mountain on that
island, to get clear
of the yellow fever."
"Ah! by Jove, this balloon is a
paradise!" exclaimed
Kennedy, feeling much better already.
"It leads to it, anyhow!" replied
Joe, quite gravely.
It was a curious spectacle--that mass of
clouds piled
up, at the moment, away below them! The va=
pors
rolled
over each other, and mingled together in
confused masses
of superb brilliance, as they reflected the
rays of the sun.
The
feet, and the thermometer indicated a cert=
ain
diminution
of temperature. The land below could no lo=
nger
be seen.
Fifty miles away to the westward,
its sparkling crest, marking the limit of =
the
Ugogo country
in east longitude thirty-six degrees twenty
minutes.
The wind was blowing at the rate of twenty
miles an hour,
but the aeronauts felt nothing of this
increased speed.
They observed no jar, and had scarcely any
sense of motion
at all.
Three hours later, the doctor's prediction=
was
fully
verified. Kennedy no longer felt a single
shiver of the
fever, but partook of some breakfast with =
an
excellent
appetite.
That beats sulphate of quinine!" said=
the
energetic
Scot, with hearty emphasis and much
satisfaction.
"Positively," said Joe, "th=
is
is where I'll have to retire
to when I get old!"
About ten o'clock in the morning the atmos=
phere
cleared up, the clouds parted, and the cou=
ntry
beneath
could again be seen, the
descending. Dr. Ferguson was in search of a
current that
would carry him more to the northeast, and=
he
found it
about six hundred feet from the ground. The
country
was becoming more broken, and even
mountainous. The
Zungomoro district was fading out of sight=
in
the east
with the last cocoa-nut-trees of that
latitude.
Ere long, the crests of a mountain-range
assumed a more
decided prominence. A few peaks rose here =
and
there,
and it became necessary to keep a sharp
lookout for the
pointed cones that seemed to spring up eve=
ry
moment.
"We're right among the breakers!"
said Kennedy.
"Keep cool, Dick. We shan't touch
them," was the
doctor's quiet answer.
"It's a jolly way to travel,
anyhow!" said Joe, with
his usual flow of spirits.
In fact, the doctor managed his balloon wi=
th
wondrous
dexterity.
"Now, if we had been compelled to go
afoot over that
drenched soil," said he, "we sho=
uld
still be dragging along
in a pestilential mire. Since our departure
from
half our beasts of burden would have died =
with
fatigue.
We should be looking like ghosts ourselves,
and despair
would be seizing on our hearts. We should =
be
in continual
squabbles with our guides and porters, and
completely
exposed to their unbridled brutality. Duri=
ng
the daytime,
a damp, penetrating, unendurable humidity!=
At
night, a cold frequently intolerable, and =
the
stings of a
kind of fly whose bite pierces the thickest
cloth, and drives
the victim crazy! All this, too, without
saying any thing
about wild beasts and ferocious native
tribes!"
"I move that we don't try it!" s=
aid
Joe, in his droll way.
"I exaggerate nothing," continue=
d
upon reading the narratives of such travel=
lers
as have had
the hardihood to venture into these region=
s,
your eyes
would fill with tears."
About eleven o'clock they were passing over
the basin
of Imenge, and the tribes scattered over t=
he
adjacent hills
were impotently menacing the
Finally, she sped along as far as the last
undulations
of the country which precede Rubeho. These
form the
last and loftiest chain of the mountains of
Usagara.
The aeronauts took careful and complete no=
te
of the
orographic conformation of the country. The
three ramifications
mentioned, of which the Duthumi forms the
first
link, are separated by immense longitudinal
plains. These
elevated summits consist of rounded cones,
between which
the soil is bestrewn with erratic blocks of
stone and gravelly
bowlders. The most abrupt declivity of the=
se
mountains
confronts the
are merely inclined planes. The depression=
s in
the soil
are covered with a black, rich loam, on wh=
ich
there is a
vigorous vegetation. Various water-courses
filter through,
toward the east, and work their way onward=
to
flow into
the Kingani, in the midst of gigantic clum=
ps
of sycamore,
tamarind, calabash, and palmyra trees.
"Attention!" said Dr. Ferguson.
"We are approaching Rubeho, the
name of which signifies, in the language of
the country, the
'Passage of the Winds,' and we would do we=
ll
to double its jagged
pinnacles at a certain height. If my chart=
be
exact, we are going
to ascend to an elevation of five thousand
feet."
"Shall we often have occasion to reach
those far upper
belts of the atmosphere?"
"Very seldom: the height of the Afric=
an
mountains
appears to be quite moderate compared with
that of the
European and Asiatic ranges; but, in any c=
ase,
our good
In a very little while, the gas expanded u=
nder
the
action of the heat, and the balloon took a
very decided
ascensional movement. Besides, the dilatio=
n of
the hydrogen
involved no danger, and only three-fourths=
of
the vast
capacity of the balloon was filled when the
barometer,
by a depression of eight inches, announced=
an
elevation
of six thousand feet.
"Shall we go this high very long?&quo=
t;
asked Joe.
"The atmosphere of the earth has a he=
ight
of six thousand
fathoms," said the doctor; "and,
with a very large
balloon, one might go far. That is what
Messrs. Brioschi
and Gay-Lussac did; but then the blood bur=
st
from their
mouths and ears. Respirable air was wantin=
g.
Some
years ago, two fearless Frenchmen, Messrs.
Barral and
Bixio, also ventured into the very lofty
regions; but their
balloon burst--"
"And they fell?" asked Kennedy,
abruptly.
"Certainly they did; but as learned m=
en
should always
fall--namely, without hurting
themselves."
"Well, gentlemen," said Joe,
"you may try their fall
over again, if you like; but, as for me, w=
ho
am but a dolt,
I prefer keeping at the medium height--nei=
ther
too far
up, nor too low down. It won't do to be too
ambitious."
At the height of six thousand feet, the
density of the
atmosphere has already greatly diminished;
sound is conveyed
with difficulty, and the voice is not so
easily heard.
The view of objects becomes confused; the =
gaze
no longer
takes in any but large, quite
ill-distinguishable masses;
men and animals on the surface become abso=
lutely
invisible;
the roads and rivers get to look like thre=
ads,
and
the lakes dwindle to ponds.
The doctor and his friends felt themselves=
in
a very
anomalous condition; an atmospheric curren=
t of
extreme
velocity was bearing them away beyond arid
mountains,
upon whose summits vast fields of snow
surprised the
gaze; while their convulsed appearance tol=
d of
Titanic
travail in the earliest epoch of the world=
's
existence.
The sun shone at the zenith, and his rays =
fell
perpendicularly
upon those lonely summits. The doctor took=
an
accurate design
of these mountains, which form four distin=
ct
ridges almost in
a straight line, the northernmost being the
longest.
The
Rubeho, skirting an acclivity covered with
woods, and
dotted with trees of very deep-green folia=
ge.
Then came
crests and ravines, in a sort of desert wh=
ich
preceded the
Ugogo country; and lower down were yellow
plains,
parched and fissured by the intense heat, =
and,
here and
there, bestrewn with saline plants and bra=
mbly
thickets.
Some underbrush, which, farther on, became
forests,
embellished the horizon. The doctor went
nearer to the
ground; the anchors were thrown out, and o=
ne
of them
soon caught in the boughs of a huge sycamo=
re.
Joe, slipping nimbly down the tree, carefu=
lly
attached
the anchor, and the doctor left his cylind=
er
at work to a
certain degree in order to retain sufficie=
nt
ascensional
force in the balloon to keep it in the air.
Meanwhile the
wind had suddenly died away.
"Now," said
one for yourself and one for Joe--and both=
of
you try to
bring back some nice cuts of antelope-meat;
they will
make us a good dinner."
"Off to the hunt!" exclaimed
Kennedy, joyously.
He climbed briskly out of the car and desc=
ended.
Joe had
swung himself down from branch to branch, =
and
was waiting
for him below, stretching his limbs in the
mean time.
"Don't fly away without us, doctor!&q=
uot;
shouted Joe.
"Never fear, my boy!--I am securely
lashed. I'll
spend the time getting my notes into shape=
. A
good hunt
to you! but be careful. Besides, from my p=
ost
here, I
can observe the face of the country, and, =
at
the least
suspicious thing I notice, I'll fire a
signal-shot, and
with that you must rally home."
"Agreed!" said Kennedy; and off =
they
went.
The Forest of Gum-Trees.--The Blue
Antelope.--The Rallying-Signal.
--An Unexpected Attack.--The Kanyeme.--A N=
ight
in the Open Air.--The
Mabunguru.--Jihoue-la-Mkoa.--A Supply of
Water.--Arrival at Kazeh.
The country, dry and parched as it was,
consisting of
a clayey soil that cracked open with the h=
eat,
seemed,
indeed, a desert: here and there were a few
traces of
caravans; the bones of men and animals, th=
at
had been
half-gnawed away, mouldering together in t=
he
same dust.
After half an hour's walking, Dick and Joe
plunged
into a forest of gum-trees, their eyes ale=
rt
on all sides,
and their fingers on the trigger. There wa=
s no
foreseeing
what they might encounter. Without being a
rifleman, Joe
could handle fire-arms with no trifling
dexterity.
"A walk does one good, Mr. Kennedy, b=
ut
this isn't
the easiest ground in the world," he
said, kicking aside
some fragments of quartz with which the so=
il
was bestrewn.
Kennedy motioned to his companion to be si=
lent
and
to halt. The present case compelled them to
dispense
with hunting-dogs, and, no matter what Joe=
's
agility might
be, he could not be expected to have the s=
cent
of a setter
or a greyhound.
A herd of a dozen antelopes were quenching
their
thirst in the bed of a torrent where some
pools of water
had lodged. The graceful creatures, snuffi=
ng
danger in
the breeze, seemed to be disturbed and une=
asy.
Their
beautiful heads could be seen between every
draught,
raised in the air with quick and sudden mo=
tion
as they
sniffed the wind in the direction of our t=
wo
hunters, with
their flexible nostrils.
Kennedy stole around behind some clumps of
shrubbery,
while Joe remained motionless where he was.
The
former, at length, got within gunshot and
fired.
The herd disappeared in the twinkling of an
eye; one
male antelope only, that was hit just behi=
nd
the
shoulder-joint, fell headlong to the groun=
d,
and
Kennedy leaped toward his booty.
It was a blauwbok, a superb animal of a
pale-bluish
color shading upon the gray, but with the
belly and the
inside of the legs as white as the driven
snow.
"A splendid shot!" exclaimed the
hunter. "It's a very
rare species of the antelope, and I hope t=
o be
able to
prepare his skin in such a way as to keep
it."
"Indeed!" said Joe, "do you
think of doing that, Mr. Kennedy?"
"Why, certainly I do! Just see what a
fine hide it is!"
"
extra weight!"
"You're right, Joe. Still it is a pit=
y to
have to leave
such a noble animal."
"The whole of it? Oh, we won't do tha=
t,
sir; we'll
take all the good eatable parts of it, and=
, if
you'll let me,
I'll cut him up just as well as the chairm=
an
of the honorable
corporation of butchers of the city of
"As you please, my boy! But you know =
that
in my hunter's way
I can just as easily skin and cut up a pie=
ce
of game as kill it."
"I'm sure of that, Mr. Kennedy. Well,
then, you can
build a fireplace with a few stones; there=
's
plenty of dry
dead-wood, and I can make the hot coals te=
ll
in a few
minutes."
"Oh! that won't take long," said
Kennedy, going to
work on the fireplace, where he had a brisk
flame crackling
and sparkling in a minute or two.
Joe had cut some of the nicest steaks and =
the
best parts of
the tenderloin from the carcass of the
antelope, and these
were quickly transformed to the most savor=
y of
broils.
"There, those will tickle the
doctor!" said Kennedy.
"Do you know what I was thinking
about?" said Joe.
"Why, about the steaks you're broilin=
g,
to be sure!"
replied Dick.
"Not the least in the world. I was
thinking what a
figure we'd cut if we couldn't find the
balloon again."
"By George, what an idea! Why, do you
think the
doctor would desert us?"
"No; but suppose his anchor were to
slip!"
"Impossible! and, besides, the doctor
would find no
difficulty in coming down again with his
balloon; he
handles it at his ease."
"But suppose the wind were to sweep it
off, so that he
couldn't come back toward us?"
"Come, come, Joe! a truce to your
suppositions;
they're any thing but pleasant."
"Ah! sir, every thing that happens in
this world is
natural, of course; but, then, any thing m=
ay
happen, and
we ought to look out beforehand."
At this moment the report of a gun rang out
upon the air.
"What's that?" exclaimed Joe.
"It's my rifle, I know the ring of
her!" said Kennedy.
"A signal!"
"Yes; danger for us!"
"For him, too, perhaps."
"Let's be off!"
And the hunters, having gathered up the
product of
their expedition, rapidly made their way b=
ack
along the
path that they had marked by breaking boug=
hs and
bushes
when they came. The density of the underbr=
ush
prevented
their seeing the balloon, although they co=
uld
not
be far from it.
A second shot was heard.
"We must hurry!" said Joe.
"There! a third report!"
"Why, it sounds to me as if he was
defending himself
against something."
"Let us make haste!"
They now began to run at the top of their
speed.
When they reached the outskirts of the for=
est,
they, at
first glance, saw the balloon in its place=
and
the doctor in
the car.
"What's the matter?" shouted
Kennedy.
"Good God!" suddenly exclaimed J=
oe.
"What do you see?"
"Down there! look! a crowd of blacks
surrounding
the balloon!"
And, in fact, there, two miles from where =
they
were,
they saw some thirty wild natives close
together, yelling,
gesticulating, and cutting all kinds of an=
tics
at the foot of
the sycamore. Some, climbing into the tree
itself, were
making their way to the topmost branches. =
The
danger
seemed pressing.
"My master is lost!" cried Joe.<= o:p>
"Come! a little more coolness, Joe, a=
nd
let us see how
we stand. We hold the lives of four of tho=
se
villains in
our hands. Forward, then!"
They had made a mile with headlong speed, =
when
another report was heard from the car. The
shot had,
evidently, told upon a huge black demon, w=
ho
had been
hoisting himself up by the anchor-rope. A
lifeless body
fell from bough to bough, and hung about
twenty feet
from the ground, its arms and legs swaying=
to
and fro in
the air.
"Ha!" said Joe, halting, "w=
hat
does that fellow hold by?"
"No matter what!" said Kennedy;
"let us run! let
us run!"
"Ah! Mr. Kennedy," said Joe, aga=
in,
in a roar of
laughter, "by his tail! by his tail! =
it's
an ape! They're
all apes!"
"Well, they're worse than men!" =
said
Kennedy, as he
dashed into the midst of the howling crowd=
.
It was, indeed, a troop of very formidable
baboons of
the dog-faced species. These creatures are
brutal, ferocious,
and horrible to look upon, with their dog-=
like
muzzles
and savage expression. However, a few shots
scattered
them, and the chattering horde scampered o=
ff,
leaving several of their number on the gro=
und.
In a moment Kennedy was on the ladder, and
Joe,
clambering up the branches, detached the
anchor; the car
then dipped to where he was, and he got in=
to
it without
difficulty. A few minutes later, the
ascended and soared away to the eastward,
wafted by a
moderate wind.
"That was an attack for you!" sa=
id
Joe.
"We thought you were surrounded by
natives."
"Well, fortunately, they were only
apes," said the doctor.
"At a distance there's no great
difference," remarked Kennedy.
"Nor close at hand, either," add=
ed
Joe.
"Well, however that may be," res=
umed
attack of apes might have had the most ser=
ious
consequences.
Had the anchor yielded to their repeated
efforts, who knows
whither the wind would have carried me?&qu=
ot;
"What did I tell you, Mr. Kennedy?&qu=
ot;
"You were right, Joe; but, even right=
as
you may
have been, you were, at that moment, prepa=
ring
some
antelope-steaks, the very sight of which g=
ave
me a
monstrous appetite."
"I believe you!" said the doctor;
"the flesh of the
antelope is exquisite."
"You may judge of that yourself, now,
sir, for supper's ready."
"Upon my word as a sportsman, those
venison-steaks
have a gamy flavor that's not to be sneezed
at, I tell you."
"Good!" said Joe, with his mouth
full, "I could live
on antelope all the days of my life; and a=
ll
the better with
a glass of grog to wash it down."
So saying, the good fellow went to work to
prepare a
jorum of that fragrant beverage, and all h=
ands
tasted it
with satisfaction.
"Every thing has gone well thus
far," said he.
"Very well indeed!" assented
Kennedy.
"Come, now, Mr. Kennedy, are you sorry
that you
came with us?"
"I'd like to see anybody prevent my
coming!"
It was now four o'clock in the afternoon. =
The
had struck a more rapid current. The face =
of
the
country was gradually rising, and, ere lon=
g,
the barometer
indicated a height of fifteen hundred feet
above the level
of the sea. The doctor was, therefore, obl=
iged
to keep
his balloon up by a quite considerable
dilation of gas, and
the cylinder was hard at work all the time=
.
Toward seven o'clock, the balloon was sail=
ing
over the
.
The doctor immediately recognized
that immense clearing, ten miles in extent,
with its villages
buried in the midst of baobab and calabash
trees.
It is the residence of one of the sultans =
of
the Ugogo
country, where civilization is, perhaps, t=
he
least backward.
The natives there are less addicted to sel=
ling
members of
their own families, but still, men and ani=
mals
all live
together in round huts, without frames, th=
at
look like
haystacks.
Beyond Kanyeme the soil becomes arid and
stony, but
in an hour's journey, in a fertile dip of =
the
soil, vegetation
had resumed all its vigor at some distance
from Mdaburu.
The wind fell with the close of the day, a=
nd
the atmosphere
seemed to sleep. The doctor vainly sought =
for
a
current of air at different heights, and, =
at
last, seeing this
calm of all nature, he resolved to pass the
night afloat, and,
for greater safety, rose to the height of =
one
thousand feet,
where the balloon remained motionless. The
night was
magnificent, the heavens glittering with
stars, and profoundly
silent in the upper air.
Dick and Joe stretched themselves on their
peaceful
couch, and were soon sound asleep, the doc=
tor
keeping the
first watch. At twelve o'clock the latter =
was
relieved by
Kennedy.
"Should the slightest accident happen,
waken me,"
said
the barometer. To us it is the compass!&qu=
ot;
The night was cold. There were twenty-seven
degrees
of difference between its temperature and =
that
of the daytime.
With nightfall had begun the nocturnal con=
cert
of animals driven from their hiding-places=
by
hunger and
thirst. The frogs struck in their guttural
soprano,
redoubled by the yelping of the jackals, w=
hile
the imposing
bass of the African lion sustained the acc=
ords
of this living
orchestra.
Upon resuming his post, in the morning, the
doctor
consulted his compass, and found that the =
wind
had
changed during the night. The balloon had =
been
bearing
about thirty miles to the northwest during=
the
last two
hours. It was then passing over Mabunguru,=
a
stony
country, strewn with blocks of syenite of a
fine polish, and
knobbed with huge bowlders and angular rid=
ges
of rock;
conic masses, like the rocks of
like so many Druidic dolmens; the bones of
buffaloes and
elephants whitened it here and there; but =
few
trees could
be seen, excepting in the east, where there
were dense
woods, among which a few villages lay half
concealed.
Toward seven o'clock they saw a huge round
rock
nearly two miles in extent, like an immense
tortoise.
"We are on the right track," said
Dr. Ferguson.
"There's Jihoue-la-Mkoa, where we must
halt for a few
minutes. I am going to renew the supply of
water necessary
for my cylinder, and so let us try to anch=
or
somewhere."
"There are very few trees," repl=
ied
the hunger.
"Never mind, let us try. Joe, throw o=
ut
the anchors!"
The balloon, gradually losing its ascensio=
nal
force,
approached the ground; the anchors ran alo=
ng
until, at
last, one of them caught in the fissure of=
a
rock, and the
balloon remained motionless.
It must not be supposed that the doctor co=
uld
entirely
extinguish his cylinder, during these halt=
s. The
equilibrium
of the balloon had been calculated at the
level of
the sea; and, as the country was continual=
ly
ascending,
and had reached an elevation of from six to
seven hundred
feet, the balloon would have had a tendenc=
y to
go lower
than the surface of the soil itself. It wa=
s,
therefore,
necessary to sustain it by a certain dilat=
ion
of the gas. But,
in case the doctor, in the absence of all
wind, had let the
car rest upon the ground, the balloon, thus
relieved of a
considerable weight, would have kept up of
itself, without
the aid of the cylinder.
The maps indicated extensive ponds on the
western
slope of the Jihoue-la-Mkoa. Joe went thit=
her
alone
with a cask that would hold about ten gall=
ons.
He found
the place pointed out to him, without
difficulty, near to a
deserted village; got his stock of water, =
and
returned in
less than three-quarters of an hour. He had
seen nothing
particular excepting some immense
elephant-pits. In fact,
he came very near falling into one of them=
, at
the bottom
of which lay a half-eaten carcass.
He brought back with him a sort of clover
which the
apes eat with avidity. The doctor recogniz=
ed
the fruit
of the "mbenbu"-tree which grows=
in
profusion, on the
western part of Jihoue-la-Mkoa.
Joe with a certain feeling of impatience, =
for
even a short
halt in this inhospitable region always
inspires a degree
of fear.
The water was got aboard without trouble, =
as
the car
was nearly resting on the ground. Joe then
found it easy
to loosen the anchor and leaped lightly to=
his
place beside
the doctor. The latter then replenished the
flame in the
cylinder, and the balloon majestically soa=
red
into the air.
It was then about one hundred miles from
Kazeh, an
important establishment in the interior of=
thanks to a south-southeasterly current, t=
he
travellers
might hope to arrive on that same day. They
were moving
at the rate of fourteen miles per hour, and
the guidance
of the balloon was becoming difficult, as =
they
dared
not rise very high without extreme dilatio=
n of
the gas, the
country itself being at an average height =
of
three thousand
feet. Hence, the doctor preferred not to f=
orce
the
dilation, and so adroitly followed the
sinuosities of a
pretty sharply-inclined plane, and swept v=
ery
close to the
villages of Thembo and Tura-Wels. The latt=
er
forms
part of the Unyamwezy, a magnificent count=
ry,
where the
trees attain enormous dimensions; among th=
em
the cactus,
which grows to gigantic size.
About two o'clock, in magnificent weather,=
but
under a
fiery sun that devoured the least breath of
air, the balloon
was floating over the town of
hundred and fifty miles from the coast.
"We left
said the doctor, consulting his notes,
"and, after two
days' passage, we have, including our
deviations, travelled
nearly five hundred geographical miles.
Captains
the same distance!"
Kazeh.--The Noisy Market-place.--The
Appearance of the Balloon.--The
Wangaga.--The Sons of the Moon.--The Docto=
r's
Walk.--The Population of the
Place.--The Royal Tembe.--The Sultan's
Wives.--A Royal Drunken-Bout.--
Joe an Object of Worship.--How they Dance =
in
the Moon.--A Reaction.--
Two Moons in one Sky.--The Instability of
Divine Honors.
Kazeh, an important point in
city; in truth, there are no cities in the
interior. Kazeh
is but a collection of six extensive
excavations. There
are enclosed a few houses and slave-huts, =
with
little courtyards
and small gardens, carefully cultivated wi=
th
onions,
potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and mushroo=
ms,
of perfect
flavor, growing most luxuriantly.
The Unyamwezy is the country of the
Moon--above
all the rest, the fertile and magnificent
garden-spot of
delicious region, where some families of
Omani, who are
of very pure Arabic origin, live in luxuri=
ous
idleness.
They have, for a long period, held the
commerce between
the interior of Africa and
gums, ivory, fine muslin, and slaves. Their
caravans
traverse these equatorial regions on all
sides; and they
even make their way to the coast in search=
of
those articles
of luxury and enjoyment which the wealthy
merchants
covet; while the latter, surrounded by the=
ir
wives
and their attendants, lead in this charming
country the
least disturbed and most horizontal of
lives--always
stretched at full length, laughing, smokin=
g,
or sleeping.
Around these excavations are numerous nati=
ve
dwellings;
wide, open spaces for the markets; fields =
of
cannabis
and datura; superb trees and depths of
freshest
shade--such is Kazeh!
There, too, is held the general rendezvous=
of
the caravans
--those of the south, with their slaves and
their freightage
of ivory; and those of the west, which exp=
ort
cotton,
glassware, and trinkets, to the tribes of =
the
great lakes.
So in the market-place there reigns perpet=
ual
excitement,
a nameless hubbub, made up of the cries of
mixed-breed
porters and carriers, the beating of drums,
and the
twanging of horns, the neighing of mules, =
the
braying of
donkeys, the singing of women, the squalli=
ng
of children,
and the banging of the huge rattan, wielde=
d by
the jemadar
or leader of the caravans, who beats time =
to
this pastoral
symphony.
There, spread forth, without regard to
order--indeed,
we may say, in charming disorder--are the
showy stuffs,
the glass beads, the ivory tusks, the
rhinoceros'-teeth, the
shark's-teeth, the honey, the tobacco, and=
the
cotton of
these regions, to be purchased at the
strangest of bargains
by customers in whose eyes each article ha=
s a
price only
in proportion to the desire it excites to
possess it.
All at once this agitation, movement and n=
oise
stopped
as though by magic. The balloon had just c=
ome
in sight,
far aloft in the sky, where it hovered
majestically for
a few moments, and then descended slowly,
without
deviating from its perpendicular. Men, wom=
en,
children,
merchants and slaves, Arabs and negroes, as
suddenly
disappeared within the "tembes" =
and
the huts.
"My dear doctor," said Kennedy,
"if we continue to
produce such a sensation as this, we shall
find some
difficulty in establishing commercial
relations with
the people hereabouts."
"There's one kind of trade that we mi=
ght
carry on,
though, easily enough," said Joe;
"and that would be to
go down there quietly, and walk off with t=
he
best of the
goods, without troubling our heads about t=
he
merchants;
we'd get rich that way!"
"Ah!" said the doctor, "the=
se
natives are a little
scared at first; but they won't be long in
coming back,
either through suspicion or through
curiosity."
"Do you really think so, doctor?"=
;
"Well, we'll see pretty soon. But it
wouldn't be prudent
to go too near to them, for the balloon is=
not
iron-clad,
and is, therefore, not proof against eithe=
r an
arrow
or a bullet."
"Then you expect to hold a parley with
these blacks?"
"If we can do so safely, why should we
not? There
must be some Arab merchants here at Kazeh,=
who
are better
informed than the rest, and not so barbaro=
us.
I remember
that Burton and Speke had nothing but prai=
ses
to utter concerning the hospitality of the=
se
people; so we
might, at least, make the venture."
The balloon having, meanwhile, gradually
approached
the ground, one of the anchors lodged in t=
he
top of a tree
near the market-place.
By this time the whole population had emer=
ged
from
their hiding-places stealthily, thrusting
their heads out
first. Several "waganga,"
recognizable by their badges
of conical shellwork, came boldly forward.
They were
the sorcerers of the place. They bore in t=
heir
girdles
small gourds, coated with tallow, and seve=
ral
other
articles of witchcraft, all of them,
by-the-way, most
professionally filthy.
Little by little the crowd gathered beside
them, the
women and children grouped around them, the
drums
renewed their deafening uproar, hands were
violently
clapped together, and then raised toward t=
he
sky.
"That's their style of praying,"
said the doctor; "and,
if I'm not mistaken, we're going to be cal=
led
upon to play
a great part."
"Well, sir, play it!"
"You, too, my good Joe--perhaps you'r=
e to
be a god!"
"Well, master, that won't trouble me
much. I like a
little flattery!"
At this moment, one of the sorcerers, a
"myanga,"
made a sign, and all the clamor died away =
into
the
profoundest silence. He then addressed a f=
ew
words to the
strangers, but in an unknown tongue.
Dr. Ferguson, not having understood them,
shouted
some sentences in Arabic, at a venture, and
was
immediately answered in that language.
The speaker below then delivered himself o=
f a
very
copious harangue, which was also very flow=
ery
and very
gravely listened to by his audience. From =
it
the doctor
was not slow in learning that the balloon =
was
mistaken for
nothing less than the moon in person, and =
that
the amiable
goddess in question had condescended to
approach the town
with her three sons--an honor that would n=
ever
be forgotten
in this land so greatly loved by the god of
day.
The doctor responded, with much dignity, t=
hat
the
moon made her provincial tour every thousa=
nd
years,
feeling the necessity of showing herself
nearer at hand
to her worshippers. He, therefore, begged =
them
not to be
disturbed by her presence, but to take
advantage of it to
make known all their wants and longings.
The sorcerer, in his turn, replied that the
sultan, the
"mwani," who had been sick for m=
any
years, implored
the aid of heaven, and he invited the son =
of
the moon to
visit him.
The doctor acquainted his companions with =
the
invitation.
"And you are going to call upon this
negro king?"
asked Kennedy.
"Undoubtedly so; these people appear =
well
disposed;
the air is calm; there is not a breath of
wind, and we have
nothing to fear for the balloon?"
"But, what will you do?"
"Be quiet on that score, my dear Dick.
With a little
medicine, I shall work my way through the
affair!"
Then, addressing the crowd, he said:
"The moon, taking compassion on the
sovereign who
is so dear to the children of Unyamwezy, h=
as
charged us
to restore him to health. Let him prepare =
to
receive us!"
The clamor, the songs and demonstrations of
all kinds
increased twofold, and the whole immense a=
nts'
nest of
black heads was again in motion.
"Now, my friends," said Dr.
Ferguson, "we must
look out for every thing beforehand; we ma=
y be
forced to
leave this at any moment, unexpectedly, an=
d be
off with
extra speed. Dick had better remain,
therefore, in the
car, and keep the cylinder warm so as to
secure a sufficient
ascensional force for the balloon. The anc=
hor
is solidly
fastened, and there is nothing to fear in =
that
respect. I
shall descend, and Joe will go with me, on=
ly
that he must
remain at the foot of the ladder."
"What! are you going alone into that
blackamoor's den?"
"How! doctor, am I not to go with
you?"
"No! I shall go alone; these good fol=
ks
imagine that
the goddess of the moon has come to see th=
em,
and their
superstition protects me; so have no fear,=
and
each one
remain at the post that I have assigned to
him."
"Well, since you wish it," sighed
Kennedy.
"Look closely to the dilation of the
gas."
"Agreed!"
By this time the shouts of the natives had
swelled to
double volume as they vehemently implored =
the
aid of the
heavenly powers.
"There, there," said Joe,
"they're rather rough in
their orders to their good moon and her di=
vine
sons."
The doctor, equipped with his travelling
medicine-chest,
descended to the ground, preceded by Joe, =
who
kept
a straight countenance and looked as grave=
and
knowing
as the circumstances of the case required.=
He
then seated
himself at the foot of the ladder in the A=
rab
fashion, with
his legs crossed under him, and a portion =
of
the crowd
collected around him in a circle, at
respectful distances.
In the meanwhile the doctor, escorted to t=
he
sound of
savage instruments, and with wild religious
dances, slowly
proceeded toward the royal "tembe,&qu=
ot;
situated a considerable
distance outside of the town. It was about
three
o'clock, and the sun was shining brilliant=
ly.
In fact, what
less could it do upon so grand an occasion=
!
The doctor stepped along with great dignit=
y,
the waganga
surrounding him and keeping off the crowd.=
He
was soon
joined by the natural son of the sultan, a
handsomely-built
young fellow, who, according to the custom=
of
the country,
was the sole heir of the paternal goods, to
the exclusion
of the old man's legitimate children. He p=
rostrated
himself
before the son of the moon, but the latter
graciously raised
him to his feet.
Three-quarters of an hour later, through s=
hady
paths,
surrounded by all the luxuriance of tropic=
al
vegetation,
this enthusiastic procession arrived at the
sultan's palace,
a sort of square edifice called ititenya, =
and
situated on the
slope of a hill.
A kind of veranda, formed by the thatched
roof, adorned the
outside, supported upon wooden pillars, wh=
ich
had some
pretensions to being carved. Long lines of
dark-red clay
decorated the walls in characters that str=
ove
to reproduce
the forms of men and serpents, the latter
better
imitated, of course, than the former. The
roofing of this
abode did not rest directly upon the walls,
and the air
could, therefore, circulate freely, but
windows there were
none, and the door hardly deserved the nam=
e.
Dr. Ferguson was received with all the hon=
ors
by the
guards and favorites of the sultan; these =
were
men of a
fine race, the Wanyamwezi so-called, a pure
type of the
central African populations, strong, robus=
t,
well-made, and
in splendid condition. Their hair, divided
into a great
number of small tresses, fell over their
shoulders, and by
means of black-and-blue incisions they had
tattooed their
cheeks from the temples to the mouth. Their
ears, frightfully
distended, held dangling to them disks of =
wood
and
plates of gum copal. They were clad in
brilliantly-painted
cloths, and the soldiers were armed with t=
he
saw-toothed
war-club, the bow and arrows barbed and
poisoned with
the juice of the euphorbium, the cutlass, =
the
"sima," a long
sabre (also with saw-like teeth), and some
small battle-axes.
The doctor advanced into the palace, and
there, notwithstanding
the sultan's illness, the din, which was
terrific before,
redoubled the instant that he arrived. He
noticed, at the
lintels of the door, some rabbits' tails a=
nd
zebras' manes,
suspended as talismans. He was received by=
the
whole troop
of his majesty's wives, to the harmonious
accords of the
"upatu," a sort of cymbal made of
the bottom of a copper
kettle, and to the uproar of the
"kilindo," a drum five feet
high, hollowed out from the trunk of a tre=
e,
and hammered by
the ponderous, horny fists of two jet-black
virtuosi.
Most of the women were rather good-looking,
and they laughed
and chattered merrily as they smoked their
tobacco and "thang"
in huge black pipes. They seemed to be well
made, too, under
the long robes that they wore gracefully f=
lung
about their
persons, and carried a sort of
"kilt" woven from the fibres
of calabash fastened around their girdles.=
Six of them were not the least merry of the
party,
although put aside from the rest, and rese=
rved
for a cruel
fate. On the death of the sultan, they wer=
e to
be buried
alive with him, so as to occupy and divert=
his
mind during
the period of eternal solitude.
Dr. Ferguson, taking in the whole scene at=
a
rapid
glance, approached the wooden couch on whi=
ch
the sultan
lay reclining. There he saw a man of about
forty, completely
brutalized by orgies of every description,=
and
in a
condition that left little or nothing to be
done. The
sickness that had afflicted him for so many
years was simply
perpetual drunkenness. The royal sot had
nearly lost all
consciousness, and all the ammonia in the
world would
not have set him on his feet again.
His favorites and the women kept on bended
knees
during this solemn visit. By means of a few
drops of
powerful cordial, the doctor for a moment
reanimated the
imbruted carcass that lay before him. The
sultan stirred,
and, for a dead body that had given no sign
whatever of
life for several hours previously, this
symptom was
received with a tremendous repetition of
shouts and cries
in the doctor's honor.
The latter, who had seen enough of it by t=
his
time, by a
rapid motion put aside his too demonstrati=
ve
admirers
and went out of the palace, directing his
steps immediately
toward the balloon, for it was now six o'c=
lock
in the evening.
Joe, during his absence, had been quietly
waiting at
the foot of the ladder, where the crowd pa=
id
him their
most humble respects. Like a genuine son of
the moon,
he let them keep on. For a divinity, he had
the air of a
very clever sort of fellow, by no means pr=
oud,
nay, even
pleasingly familiar with the young negress=
es,
who seemed
never to tire of looking at him. Besides, =
he went
so far
as to chat agreeably with them.
"Worship me, ladies! worship me!"=
; he
said to them.
"I'm a clever sort of devil, if I am =
the
son of a goddess."
They brought him propitiatory gifts, such =
as
are usually
deposited in the fetich huts or mzimu. The=
se
gifts
consisted of stalks of barley and of
"pombe." Joe considered
himself in duty bound to taste the latter
species
of strong beer, but his palate, although
accustomed to gin
and whiskey, could not withstand the stren=
gth
of the new
beverage, and he had to make a horrible
grimace, which
his dusky friends took to be a benevolent
smile.
Thereupon, the young damsels, conjoining t=
heir
voices
in a drawling chant, began to dance around=
him
with the
utmost gravity.
"Ah! you're dancing, are you?" s=
aid
he. "Well, I
won't be behind you in politeness, and so =
I'll
give you one
of my country reels."
So at it he went, in one of the wildest ji=
gs
that ever
was seen, twisting, turning, and jerking
himself in all
directions; dancing with his hands, dancing
with his body,
dancing with his knees, dancing with his f=
eet;
describing
the most fearful contortions and extravaga=
nt
evolutions;
throwing himself into incredible attitudes;
grimacing beyond
all belief, and, in fine giving his savage
admirers a
strange idea of the style of ballet adopte=
d by
the deities
in the moon.
Then, the whole collection of blacks,
naturally as imitative
as monkeys, at once reproduced all his airs
and
graces, his leaps and shakes and contortio=
ns;
they did
not lose a single gesticulation; they did =
not
forget an
attitude; and the result was, such a
pandemonium of movement,
noise, and excitement, as it would be out =
of
the
question even feebly to describe. But, in =
the
very midst
of the fun, Joe saw the doctor approaching=
.
The latter was coming at full speed,
surrounded by a
yelling and disorderly throng. The chiefs =
and
sorcerers
seemed to be highly excited. They were clo=
se
upon the
doctor's heels, crowding and threatening h=
im.
Singular reaction! What had happened? Had =
the
sultan
unluckily perished in the hands of his
celestial physician?
Kennedy, from his post of observation, saw=
the
danger
without knowing what had caused it, and the
balloon,
powerfully urged by the dilation of the ga=
s,
strained and
tugged at the ropes that held it as though
impatient to
soar away.
The doctor had got as far as the foot of t=
he
ladder. A
superstitious fear still held the crowd al=
oof
and hindered
them from committing any violence on his
person. He
rapidly scaled the ladder, and Joe followed
him with his
usual agility.
"Not a moment to lose!" said the
doctor. "Don't
attempt to let go the anchor! We'll cut the
cord!
Follow me!"
"But what's the matter?" asked J=
oe,
clambering into
the car.
"What's happened?" questioned
Kennedy, rifle in hand.
"Look!" replied the doctor, poin=
ting
to the horizon.
"Well?" ejaculated the Scot.
"Well! the moon!"
And, in fact, there was the moon rising red
and magnificent,
a globe of fire in a field of blue! It was
she, indeed--she
and the balloon!--both in one sky!
Either there were two moons, then, or these
strangers
were imposters, designing scamps, false
deities!
Such were the very natural reflections of =
the
crowd,
and hence the reaction in their feelings.<= o:p>
Joe could not, for the life of him, keep i=
n a
roar of
laughter; and the population of Kazeh,
comprehending
that their prey was slipping through their
clutches, set
up prolonged howlings, aiming, the while,
their bows and
muskets at the balloon.
But one of the sorcerers made a sign, and =
all
the
weapons were lowered. He then began to cli=
mb
into the
tree, intending to seize the rope and bring
the machine to
the ground.
Joe leaned out with a hatchet ready.
"Shall I cut
away?" said he.
"No; wait a moment," replied the
doctor.
"But this black?"
"We may, perhaps, save our anchor--an=
d I
hold a
great deal by that. There'll always be time
enough to
cut loose."
The sorcerer, having climbed to the right
place, worked
so vigorously that he succeeded in detachi=
ng
the anchor,
and the latter, violently jerked, at that
moment, by the
start of the balloon, caught the rascal
between the limbs,
and carried him off astride of it through =
the
air.
The stupefaction of the crowd was
indescribable as
they saw one of their waganga thus whirled
away into
space.
"Huzza!" roared Joe, as the
balloon--thanks to its
ascensional force--shot up higher into the
sky, with
increased rapidity.
"He holds on well," said Kennedy;
"a little trip will
do him good."
"Shall we let this darky drop all at
once?" inquired Joe.
"Oh no," replied the doctor,
"we'll let him down
easily; and I warrant me that, after such =
an
adventure,
the power of the wizard will be enormously
enhanced in
the sight of his comrades."
"Why, I wouldn't put it past them to =
make
a god of
him!" said Joe, with a laugh.
The Victoria, by this time, had risen to t=
he
height of
one thousand feet, and the black hung to t=
he
rope with
desperate energy. He had become completely
silent, and
his eyes were fixed, for his terror was
blended with
amazement. A light west wind was sweeping =
the
balloon right
over the town, and far beyond it.
Half an hour later, the doctor, seeing the
country deserted,
moderated the flame of his cylinder, and
descended
toward the ground. At twenty feet above the
turf, the
affrighted sorcerer made up his mind in a
twinkling: he
let himself drop, fell on his feet, and
scampered off at a
furious pace toward Kazeh; while the ballo=
on,
suddenly
relieved of his weight, again shot up on h=
er
course.
Symptoms of a Storm.--The Country of the
Moon.--The Future of the African
Continent.--The Last Machine of all.--A Vi=
ew
of the Country at Sunset.--
Flora and Fauna.--The Tempest.--The Zone of
Fire.--The Starry Heavens.
"See," said Joe, "what come=
s of
playing the sons of
the moon without her leave! She came near
serving us
an ugly trick. But say, master, did you da=
mage
your
credit as a physician?"
"Yes, indeed," chimed in the
sportsman. "What kind
of a dignitary was this Sultan of Kazeh?&q=
uot;
"An old half-dead sot," replied =
the
doctor, "whose
loss will not be very severely felt. But t=
he
moral of all
this is that honors are fleeting, and we m=
ust
not take too
great a fancy to them."
"So much the worse!" rejoined Jo=
e.
"I liked the
thing--to be worshipped!--Play the god as =
you
like!
Why, what would any one ask more than that?
By-the-way,
the moon did come up, too, and all red, as=
if
she
was in a rage."
While the three friends went on chatting of
this and
other things, and Joe examined the luminar=
y of
night
from an entirely novel point of view, the
heavens became
covered with heavy clouds to the northward,
and the lowering
masses assumed a most sinister and threate=
ning
look.
Quite a smart breeze, found about three
hundred feet from
the earth, drove the balloon toward the
north-northeast;
and above it the blue vault was clear; but=
the
atmosphere
felt close and dull.
The aeronauts found themselves, at about e=
ight
in the
evening, in thirty-two degrees forty minut=
es
east
longitude, and four degrees seventeen minu=
tes
latitude. The
atmospheric currents, under the influence =
of a
tempest
not far off, were driving them at the rate=
of
from thirty
to thirty-five miles an hour; the undulati=
ng
and fertile
plains of Mfuto were passing swiftly benea=
th
them. The
spectacle was one worthy of admiration--and
admire it
they did.
"We are now right in the country of t=
he
Moon," said
Dr. Ferguson; "for it has retained the
name that antiquity
gave it, undoubtedly, because the moon has
been worshipped
there in all ages. It is, really, a superb
country."
"It would be hard to find more splend=
id
vegetation."
"If we found the like of it around Lo=
ndon
it would not be
natural, but it would be very pleasant,&qu=
ot;
put in Joe. "Why
is it that such savage countries get all t=
hese
fine things?"
"And who knows," said the doctor,
"that this country
may not, one day, become the centre of
civilization? The
races of the future may repair hither, when
Europe shall
have become exhausted in the effort to feed
her inhabitants."
"Do you think so, really?" asked
Kennedy.
"Undoubtedly, my dear Dick. Just note=
the
progress
of events: consider the migrations of race=
s,
and you
will arrive at the same conclusion assured=
ly.
Asia was
the first nurse of the world, was she not?=
For
about four
thousand years she travailed, she grew
pregnant, she produced,
and then, when stones began to cover the s=
oil
where the golden harvests sung by Homer had
flourished,
her children abandoned her exhausted and
barren bosom.
You next see them precipitating themselves
upon young
and vigorous Europe, which has nourished t=
hem
for the
last two thousand years. But already her
fertility is beginning
to die out; her productive powers are
diminishing
every day. Those new diseases that annually
attack the
products of the soil, those defective crop=
s,
those insufficient
resources, are all signs of a vitality tha=
t is
rapidly
wearing out and of an approaching exhausti=
on.
Thus, we
already see the millions rushing to the
luxuriant bosom of
America, as a source of help, not
inexhaustible indeed, but
not yet exhausted. In its turn, that new
continent will
grow old; its virgin forests will fall bef=
ore
the axe of
industry, and its soil will become weak
through having too
fully produced what had been demanded of i=
t.
Where
two harvests bloomed every year, hardly one
will be gathered
from a soil completely drained of its
strength. Then,
Africa will be there to offer to new races=
the
treasures
that for centuries have been accumulating =
in
her breast.
Those climates now so fatal to strangers w=
ill
be purified by
cultivation and by drainage of the soil, a=
nd
those scattered
water supplies will be gathered into one
common bed to
form an artery of navigation. Then this
country over
which we are now passing, more fertile,
richer, and fuller
of vitality than the rest, will become some
grand realm
where more astonishing discoveries than st=
eam
and electricity
will be brought to light."
"Ah! sir," said Joe, "I'd l=
ike
to see all that."
"You got up too early in the morning,=
my
boy!"
"Besides," said Kennedy, "t=
hat
may prove to be a
very dull period when industry will swallo=
w up
every
thing for its own profit. By dint of inven=
ting
machinery,
men will end in being eaten up by it! I ha=
ve
always
fancied that the end of the earth will be =
when
some enormous
boiler, heated to three thousand millions =
of
atmospheric
pressure, shall explode and blow up our
Globe!"
"And I add that the Americans," =
said
Joe, "will not
have been the last to work at the
machine!"
"In fact," assented the doctor,
"they are great boiler-makers!
But, without allowing ourselves to be carr=
ied
away by such
speculations, let us rest content with enj=
oying
the
beauties of this country of the Moon, sinc=
e we
have
been permitted to see it."
The sun, darting his last rays beneath the
masses of
heaped-up cloud, adorned with a crest of g=
old
the slightest
inequalities of the ground below; gigantic
trees, arborescent
bushes, mosses on the even surface--all had
their
share of this luminous effulgence. The soi=
l,
slightly undulating,
here and there rose into little conical hi=
lls;
there
were no mountains visible on the horizon;
immense brambly
palisades, impenetrable hedges of thorny
jungle, separated
the clearings dotted with numerous village=
s,
and
immense euphorbiae surrounded them with
natural
fortifications, interlacing their trunks w=
ith
the coral-shaped
branches of the shrubbery and undergrowth.=
Ere long, the Malagazeri, the chief tribut=
ary
of Lake
Tanganayika, was seen winding between heavy
thickets
of verdure, offering an asylum to many
water-courses that
spring from the torrents formed in the sea=
son
of freshets,
or from ponds hollowed in the clayey soil.=
To
observers
looking from a height, it was a chain of
waterfalls thrown
across the whole western face of the count=
ry.
Animals with huge humps were feeding in the
luxuriant
prairies, and were half hidden, sometimes,=
in
the tall
grass; spreading forests in bloom redolent=
of
spicy perfumes
presented themselves to the gaze like imme=
nse
bouquets;
but, in these bouquets, lions, leopards,
hyenas, and
tigers, were then crouching for shelter fr=
om
the last hot
rays of the setting sun. From time to time=
, an
elephant
made the tall tops of the undergrowth sway=
to
and fro,
and you could hear the crackling of huge
branches as his
ponderous ivory tusks broke them in his wa=
y.
"What a sporting country!" excla=
imed
Dick, unable
longer to restrain his enthusiasm; "w=
hy,
a single ball fired
at random into those forests would bring d=
own
game
worthy of it. Suppose we try it once!"=
;
"No, my dear Dick; the night is close=
at
hand--a
threatening night with a tempest in the
background--and
the storms are awful in this country, where
the heated soil
is like one vast electric battery."
"You are right, sir," said Joe,
"the heat has got to be
enough to choke one, and the breeze has di=
ed
away. One
can feel that something's coming."
"The atmosphere is saturated with
electricity," replied
the doctor; "every living creature is
sensible that this
state of the air portends a struggle of the
elements, and I
confess that I never before was so full of=
the
fluid myself."
"Well, then," suggested Dick,
"would it not be advisable
to alight?"
"On the contrary, Dick, I'd rather go=
up,
only that I
am afraid of being carried out of my cours=
e by
these
counter-currents contending in the
atmosphere."
"Have you any idea, then, of abandoni=
ng
the route
that we have followed since we left the
coast?"
"If I can manage to do so," repl=
ied
the doctor, "I will
turn more directly northward, by from seve=
n to
eight
degrees; I shall then endeavor to ascend
toward the
presumed latitudes of the sources of the N=
ile;
perhaps we
may discover some traces of Captain Speke's
expedition
or of M. de Heuglin's caravan. Unless I am
mistaken, we
are at thirty-two degrees forty minutes ea=
st
longitude,
and I should like to ascend directly north=
of
the equator."
"Look there!" exclaimed Kennedy,
suddenly, "see
those hippopotami sliding out of the
pools--those masses
of blood-colored flesh--and those crocodil=
es
snuffing the
air aloud!"
"They're choking!" ejaculated Jo=
e.
"Ah! what a fine
way to travel this is; and how one can snap
his fingers at
all that vermin!--Doctor! Mr. Kennedy! see=
those
packs
of wild animals hurrying along close toget=
her.
There are
fully two hundred. Those are wolves."=
"No! Joe, not wolves, but wild dogs; a
famous breed
that does not hesitate to attack the lion
himself. They
are the worst customers a traveller could =
meet,
for they
would instantly tear him to pieces."<= o:p>
"Well, it isn't Joe that'll undertake=
to
muzzle them!"
responded that amiable youth. "After =
all,
though, if
that's the nature of the beast, we mustn't=
be
too hard on
them for it!"
Silence gradually settled down under the
influence of
the impending storm: the thickened air
actually seemed
no longer adapted to the transmission of
sound; the
atmosphere appeared MUFFLED, and, like a r=
oom
hung with
tapestry, lost all its sonorous reverberat=
ion.
The "rover
bird" so-called, the coroneted crane,=
the
red and
blue jays, the mocking-bird, the flycatche=
r,
disappeared
among the foliage of the immense trees, and
all nature
revealed symptoms of some approaching
catastrophe.
At nine o'clock the Victoria hung motionle=
ss over
Msene, an extensive group of villages scar=
cely
distinguishable
in the gloom. Once in a while, the reflect=
ion
of a
wandering ray of light in the dull water
disclosed a
succession of ditches regularly arranged, =
and,
by one last
gleam, the eye could make out the calm and
sombre forms
of palm-trees, sycamores, and gigantic
euphorbiae.
"I am stifling!" said the Scot,
inhaling, with all the
power of his lungs, as much as possible of=
the
rarefied air.
"We are not moving an inch! Let us
descend!"
"But the tempest!" said the doct=
or,
with much uneasiness.
"If you are afraid of being carried a=
way
by the wind,
it seems to me that there is no other cour=
se
to pursue."
"Perhaps the storm won't burst
to-night," said Joe;
"the clouds are very high."
"That is just the thing that makes me
hesitate about
going beyond them; we should have to rise
still higher,
lose sight of the earth, and not know all
night whether
we were moving forward or not, or in what
direction we
were going."
"Make up your mind, dear doctor, for =
time
presses!"
"It's a pity that the wind has
fallen," said Joe, again;
"it would have carried us clear of the
storm."
"It is, indeed, a pity, my friends,&q=
uot;
rejoined the doctor.
"The clouds are dangerous for us; they
contain opposing
currents which might catch us in their edd=
ies,
and lightnings
that might set on fire. Again, those perils
avoided,
the force of the tempest might hurl us to =
the
ground, were
we to cast our anchor in the tree-tops.&qu=
ot;
"Then what shall we do?"
"Well, we must try to get the balloon
into a medium
zone of the atmosphere, and there keep her
suspended
between the perils of the heavens and thos=
e of
the earth.
We have enough water for the cylinder, and=
our
two hundred
pounds of ballast are untouched. In case of
emergency I
can use them."
"We will keep watch with you," s=
aid
the hunter.
"No, my friends, put the provisions u=
nder
shelter, and
lie down; I will rouse you, if it becomes
necessary."
"But, master, wouldn't you do well to
take some rest
yourself, as there's no danger close on us
just now?"
insisted poor Joe.
"No, thank you, my good fellow, I pre=
fer
to keep
awake. We are not moving, and should
circumstances
not change, we'll find ourselves to-morrow=
in
exactly the
same place."
"Good-night, then, sir!"
"Good-night, if you can only find it
so!"
Kennedy and Joe stretched themselves out u=
nder
their
blankets, and the doctor remained alone in=
the
immensity
of space.
However, the huge dome of clouds visibly
descended,
and the darkness became profound. The black
vault
closed in upon the earth as if to crush it=
in
its embrace.
All at once a violent, rapid, incisive fla=
sh
of lightning
pierced the gloom, and the rent it made had
not closed
ere a frightful clap of thunder shook the
celestial depths.
"Up! up! turn out!" shouted
Ferguson.
The two sleepers, aroused by the terrible
concussion,
were at the doctor's orders in a moment.
"Shall we descend?" said Kennedy=
.
"No! the balloon could not stand it. =
Let
us go up
before those clouds dissolve in water, and=
the
wind is let
loose!" and, so saying, the doctor
actively stirred up the
flame of the cylinder, and turned it on the
spirals of the
serpentine siphon.
The tempests of the tropics develop with a
rapidity
equalled only by their violence. A second
flash of lightning
rent the darkness, and was followed by a s=
core
of
others in quick succession. The sky was
crossed and dotted,
like the zebra's hide, with electric spark=
s,
which danced
and flickered beneath the great drops of r=
ain.
"We have delayed too long,"
exclaimed the doctor;
"we must now pass through a zone of f=
ire,
with our
balloon filled as it is with inflammable
gas!"
"But let us descend, then! let us
descend!" urged Kennedy.
"The risk of being struck would be ju=
st
about even,
and we should soon be torn to pieces by the
branches of
the trees!"
"We are going up, doctor!"
"Quicker, quicker still!"
In this part of Africa, during the equator=
ial
storms, it
is not rare to count from thirty to
thirty-five flashes of
lightning per minute. The sky is literally=
on
fire, and the
crashes of thunder are continuous.
The wind burst forth with frightful violen=
ce
in this
burning atmosphere; it twisted the blazing
clouds; one
might have compared it to the breath of so=
me
gigantic
bellows, fanning all this conflagration.
Dr. Ferguson kept his cylinder at full hea=
t,
and the
balloon dilated and went up, while Kennedy=
, on
his knees,
held together the curtains of the awning. =
The
balloon
whirled round wildly enough to make their
heads turn,
and the aeronauts got some very alarming
jolts, indeed, as
their machine swung and swayed in all
directions. Huge
cavities would form in the silk of the bal=
loon
as the wind
fiercely bent it in, and the stuff fairly
cracked like a pistol
as it flew back from the pressure. A sort =
of
hail, preceded
by a rumbling noise, hissed through the air
and
rattled on the covering of the Victoria. T=
he
latter, however,
continued to ascend, while the lightning
described
tangents to the convexity of her
circumference; but she
bore on, right through the midst of the fi=
re.
"God protect us!" said Dr. Fergu=
son,
solemnly, "we
are in His hands; He alone can save us--but
let us be
ready for every event, even for fire--our =
fall
could not be
very rapid."
The doctor's voice could scarcely be heard=
by
his companions;
but they could see his countenance calm as
ever
even amid the flashing of the lightnings; =
he
was watching
the phenomena of phosphorescence produced =
by
the fires
of St. Elmo, that were now skipping to and=
fro
along the
network of the balloon.
The latter whirled and swung, but steadily=
ascended,
and, ere the hour was over, it had passed =
the
stormy belt.
The electric display was going on below it
like a vast
crown of artificial fireworks suspended fr=
om
the car.
Then they enjoyed one of the grandest
spectacles that
Nature can offer to the gaze of man. Below
them, the
tempest; above them, the starry firmament,
tranquil,
mute, impassible, with the moon projecting=
her
peaceful
rays over these angry clouds.
Dr. Ferguson consulted the barometer; it
announced
twelve thousand feet of elevation. It was =
then
eleven
o'clock at night.
"Thank Heaven, all danger is past; al=
l we
have to do
now, is, to keep ourselves at this
height," said the doctor.
"It was frightful!" remarked
Kennedy.
"Oh!" said Joe, "it gives a
little variety to the trip,
and I'm not sorry to have seen a storm fro=
m a
trifling
distance up in the air. It's a fine
sight!"
The Mountains of the Moon.--An Ocean of
Verdure.--They cast
Anchor.--The Towing Elephant.--A Running
Fire.--Death of the
Monster.--The Field-Oven.--A Meal on the
Grass.--A Night on the Ground.
About four in the morning, Monday, the sun
reappeared
in the horizon; the clouds had dispersed, =
and
a
cheery breeze refreshed the morning dawn.<= o:p>
The earth, all redolent with fragrant
exhalations,
reappeared to the gaze of our travellers. =
The
balloon,
whirled about by opposing currents, had ha=
rdly
budged
from its place, and the doctor, letting the
gas contract,
descended so as to get a more northerly
direction. For
a long while his quest was fruitless; the =
wind
carried him
toward the west until he came in sight of =
the
famous
Mountains of the Moon, which grouped
themselves in a
semicircle around the extremity of Lake
Tanganayika; their
ridges, but slightly indented, stood out
against the bluish
horizon, so that they might have been mist=
aken
for a natural
fortification, not to be passed by the
explorers of the
centre of Africa. Among them were a few
isolated cones,
revealing the mark of the eternal snows.
"Here we are at last," said the
doctor, "in an unexplored
country! Captain Burton pushed very far to=
the
westward,
but he could not reach those celebrated
mountains; he even
denied their existence, strongly as it was
affirmed by
Speke, his companion. He pretended that th=
ey
were born in
the latter's fancy; but for us, my friends,
there is no
further doubt possible."
"Shall we cross them?" asked
Kennedy.
"Not, if it please God. I am looking =
for
a wind that
will take me back toward the equator. I wi=
ll
even wait
for one, if necessary, and will make the
balloon like a ship
that casts anchor, until favorable breezes
come up."
But the foresight of the doctor was not lo=
ng
in bringing
its reward; for, after having tried differ=
ent
heights,
the Victoria at length began to sail off to
the northeastward
with medium speed.
"We are in the right track," said
the doctor, consulting
his compass, "and scarcely two hundred
feet from the
surface; lucky circumstances for us, enabl=
ing
us, as they
do, to reconnoitre these new regions. When
Captain
Speke set out to discover Lake Ukereoue, he
ascended
more to the eastward in a straight line ab=
ove
Kazeh."
"Shall we keep on long in this way?&q=
uot;
inquired the Scot.
"Perhaps. Our object is to push a poi=
nt
in the direction
of the sources of the Nile; and we have mo=
re
than
six hundred miles to make before we get to=
the
extreme
limit reached by the explorers who came fr=
om
the north."
"And we shan't set foot on the solid
ground?" murmured
Joe; "it's enough to cramp a fellow's
legs!"
"Oh, yes, indeed, my good Joe," =
said
the doctor, reassuring
him; "we have to economize our
provisions, you know; and
on the way, Dick, you must get us some fre=
sh
meat."
"Whenever you like, doctor."
"We shall also have to replenish our
stock of water.
Who knows but we may be carried to some of=
the
dried-up
regions? So we cannot take too many
precautions."
At noon the Victoria was at twenty-nine
degrees fifteen
minutes east longitude, and three degrees
fifteen minutes
south latitude. She passed the village of
Uyofu, the last
northern limit of the Unyamwezi, opposite =
to
the Lake
Ukereoue, which could still be seen.
The tribes living near to the equator seem=
to
be a little
more civilized, and are governed by absolu=
te
monarchs, whose
control is an unlimited despotism. Their m=
ost
compact union
of power constitutes the province of Karag=
wah.
It was decided by the aeronauts that they
would
alight at the first favorable place. They
found that they
should have to make a prolonged halt, and =
take
a careful
inspection of the balloon: so the flame of=
the
cylinder
was moderated, and the anchors, flung out =
from
the car,
ere long began to sweep the grass of an
immense prairie,
that, from a certain height, looked like a
shaven lawn,
but the growth of which, in reality, was f=
rom
seven to
eight feet in height.
The balloon skimmed this tall grass without
bending
it, like a gigantic butterfly: not an obst=
acle
was in sight;
it was an ocean of verdure without a single
breaker.
"We might proceed a long time in this
style," remarked
Kennedy; "I don't see one tree that we
could
approach, and I'm afraid that our hunt's
over."
"Wait, Dick; you could not hunt anyho=
w in
this
grass, that grows higher than your head. W=
e'll
find a
favorable place presently."
In truth, it was a charming excursion that
they were
making now--a veritable navigation on this
green, almost
transparent sea, gently undulating in the
breath of the
wind. The little car seemed to cleave the
waves of verdure,
and, from time to time, coveys of birds of
magnificent
plumage would rise fluttering from the tall
herbage,
and speed away with joyous cries. The anch=
ors
plunged
into this lake of flowers, and traced a fu=
rrow
that closed
behind them, like the wake of a ship.
All at once a sharp shock was felt--the an=
chor
had caught
in the fissure of some rock hidden in the =
high
grass.
"We are fast!" exclaimed Joe.
These words had scarcely been uttered when=
a
shrill cry
rang through the air, and the following
phrases, mingled
with exclamations, escaped from the lips of
our travellers:
"What's that?"
"A strange cry!"
"Look! Why, we're moving!"
"The anchor has slipped!"
"No; it holds, and holds fast too!&qu=
ot;
said Joe, who
was tugging at the rope.
"It's the rock, then, that's
moving!"
An immense rustling was noticed in the gra=
ss,
and soon
an elongated, winding shape was seen rising
above it.
"A serpent!" shouted Joe.
"A serpent!" repeated Kennedy,
handling his rifle.
"No," said the doctor, "it'=
s an
elephant's trunk!"
"An elephant, Samuel?"
And, as Kennedy said this, he drew his rif=
le
to his shoulder.
"Wait, Dick; wait!"
"That's a fact! The animal's towing
us!"
"And in the right direction, Joe--in =
the
right direction."
The elephant was now making some headway, =
and
soon reached
a clearing where his whole body could be s=
een.
By his
gigantic size, the doctor recognized a mal=
e of
a superb
species. He had two whitish tusks, beautif=
ully
curved, and
about eight feet in length; and in these t=
he
shanks of the
anchor had firmly caught. The animal was
vainly trying with
his trunk to disengage himself from the ro=
pe
that attached
him to the car.
"Get up--go ahead, old fellow!"
shouted Joe, with
delight, doing his best to urge this rather
novel team.
"Here is a new style of travelling!--=
no
more horses for
me. An elephant, if you please!"
"But where is he taking us to?" =
said
Kennedy, whose
rifle itched in his grasp.
"He's taking us exactly to where we w=
ant
to go, my
dear Dick. A little patience!"
"'Wig-a-more! wig-a-more!' as the Sco=
tch
country folks say,"
shouted Joe, in high glee. "Gee-up!
gee-up there!"
The huge animal now broke into a very rapid
gallop.
He flung his trunk from side to side, and =
his
monstrous
bounds gave the car several rather heavy
thumps. Meanwhile
the doctor stood ready, hatchet in hand, to
cut the
rope, should need arise.
"But," said he, "we shall n=
ot
give up our anchor until
the last moment."
This drive, with an elephant for the team,
lasted about
an hour and a half; yet the animal did not
seem in the
least fatigued. These immense creatures ca=
n go
over a
great deal of ground, and, from one day to
another, are
found at enormous distances from there they
were last
seen, like the whales, whose mass and speed
they rival.
"In fact," said Joe, "it's a
whale that we have harpooned;
and we're only doing just what whalemen do
when out fishing."
But a change in the nature of the ground
compelled
the doctor to vary his style of locomotion=
. A
dense grove
of calmadores was descried on the horizon,
about three
miles away, on the north of the prairie. S=
o it
became
necessary to detach the balloon from its
draught-animal
at last.
Kennedy was intrusted with the job of brin=
ging
the
elephant to a halt. He drew his rifle to h=
is
shoulder, but
his position was not favorable to a succes=
sful
shot; so
that the first ball fired flattened itself=
on
the animal's
skull, as it would have done against an ir=
on
plate. The
creature did not seem in the least trouble=
d by
it; but, at
the sound of the discharge, he had increas=
ed
his speed,
and now was going as fast as a horse at fu=
ll
gallop.
"The deuce!" ejaculated Kennedy.=
"What a solid head!" commented J=
oe.
"We'll try some conical balls behind =
the
shoulder-joint,"
said Kennedy, reloading his rifle with car=
e.
In
another moment he fired.
The animal gave a terrible cry, but went on
faster
than ever.
"Come!" said Joe, taking aim with
another gun, "I
must help you, or we'll never end it."
And now two balls
penetrated the creature's side.
The elephant halted, lifted his trunk, and
resumed his
run toward the wood with all his speed; he
shook his huge
head, and the blood began to gush from his
wounds.
"Let us keep up our fire, Mr.
Kennedy."
"And a continuous fire, too," ur=
ged
the doctor, "for
we are close on the woods."
Ten shots more were discharged. The elepha=
nt
made
a fearful bound; the car and balloon crack=
ed
as though
every thing were going to pieces, and the
shock made the
doctor drop his hatchet on the ground.
The situation was thus rendered really very
alarming;
the anchor-rope, which had securely caught,
could not be
disengaged, nor could it yet be cut by the
knives of our
aeronauts, and the balloon was rushing
headlong toward
the wood, when the animal received a ball =
in
the eye just
as he lifted his head. On this he halted,
faltered, his knees
bent under him, and he uncovered his whole
flank to the
assaults of his enemies in the balloon.
"A bullet in his heart!" said
Kennedy, discharging
one last rifle-shot.
The elephant uttered a long bellow of terr=
or
and agony,
then raised himself up for a moment, twirl=
ing
his trunk in
the air, and finally fell with all his wei=
ght
upon one of his
tusks, which he broke off short. He was de=
ad.
"His tusk's broken!" exclaimed
Kennedy--"ivory too
that in England would bring thirty-five
guineas per
hundred pounds."
"As much as that?" said Joe,
scrambling down to the
ground by the anchor-rope.
"What's the use of sighing over it,
Dick?" said the
doctor. "Are we ivory merchants? Did =
we
come hither
to make money?"
Joe examined the anchor and found it solid=
ly
attached
to the unbroken tusk. The doctor and Dick
leaped out on
the ground, while the balloon, now half
emptied, hovered
over the body of the huge animal.
"What a splendid beast!" said
Kennedy, "what a mass of
flesh! I never saw an elephant of that siz=
e in
India!"
"There's nothing surprising about tha=
t,
my dear Dick;
the elephants of Central Africa are the fi=
nest
in the world.
The Andersons and the Cummings have hunted=
so
incessantly
in the neighborhood of the Cape, that these
animals
have migrated to the equator, where they a=
re
often met
with in large herds."
"In the mean while, I hope," add=
ed
Joe, "that we'll
taste a morsel of this fellow. I'll undert=
ake
to get you a
good dinner at his expense. Mr. Kennedy wi=
ll
go off and
hunt for an hour or two; the doctor will m=
ake
an inspection
of the balloon, and, while they're busy in
that way,
I'll do the cooking."
"A good arrangement!" said the
doctor; "so do as
you like, Joe."
"As for me," said the hunter,
"I shall avail myself of the
two hours' recess that Joe has condescende=
d to
let me have."
"Go, my friend, but no imprudence! Do=
n't
wander
too far away."
"Never fear, doctor!" and, so
saying, Dick, shouldering
his gun, plunged into the woods.
Forthwith Joe went to work at his vocation=
. At
first
he made a hole in the ground two feet deep;
this he filled
with the dry wood that was so abundantly
scattered about,
where it had been strewn by the elephants,
whose tracks
could be seen where they had made their way
through the
forest. This hole filled, he heaped a pile=
of
fagots on it
a foot in height, and set fire to it.
Then he went back to the carcass of the
elephant,
which had fallen only about a hundred feet
from the edge
of the forest; he next proceeded adroitly =
to
cut off the
trunk, which might have been two feet in
diameter at the
base; of this he selected the most delicate
portion, and
then took with it one of the animal's spon=
gy
feet. In fact,
these are the finest morsels, like the hum=
p of
the bison, the
paws of the bear, and the head of the wild
boar.
When the pile of fagots had been thoroughly
consumed,
inside and outside, the hole, cleared of t=
he
cinders
and hot coals, retained a very high
temperature. The
pieces of elephant-meat, surrounded with
aromatic leaves,
were placed in this extempore oven and cov=
ered
with hot
coals. Then Joe piled up a second heap of
sticks over all,
and when it had burned out the meat was co=
oked
to a turn.
Then Joe took the viands from the oven, sp=
read
the
savory mess upon green leaves, and arranged
his dinner
upon a magnificent patch of greensward. He
finally
brought out some biscuit, some coffee, and
some cognac,
and got a can of pure, fresh water from a
neighboring
streamlet.
The repast thus prepared was a pleasant si=
ght
to behold,
and Joe, without being too proud, thought =
that
it
would also be pleasant to eat.
"A journey without danger or
fatigue," he soliloquized;
"your meals when you please; a swingi=
ng
hammock all
the time! What more could a man ask? And t=
here
was
Kennedy, who didn't want to come!"
On his part, Dr. Ferguson was engrossed in=
a
serious
and thorough examination of the balloon. T=
he
latter did
not appear to have suffered from the storm;
the silk and
the gutta percha had resisted wonderfully,
and, upon estimating
the exact height of the ground and the
ascensional
force of the balloon, our aeronaut saw, wi=
th
satisfaction,
that the hydrogen was in exactly the same
quantity as
before. The covering had remained complete=
ly
waterproof.
It was now only five days since our travel=
lers
had
quitted Zanzibar; their pemmican had not y=
et
been
touched; their stock of biscuit and potted
meat was enough
for a long trip, and there was nothing to =
be
replenished
but the water.
The pipes and spiral seemed to be in perfe=
ct
condition,
since, thanks to their india-rubber jointi=
ngs,
they had
yielded to all the oscillations of the
balloon. His examination
ended, the doctor betook himself to setting
his
notes in order. He made a very accurate sk=
etch
of the
surrounding landscape, with its long prair=
ie
stretching
away out of sight, the forest of calmadore=
s,
and the balloon
resting motionless over the body of the de=
ad
elephant.
At the end of his two hours, Kennedy retur=
ned
with a
string of fat partridges and the haunch of=
an
oryx, a sort
of gemsbok belonging to the most agile spe=
cies
of antelopes.
Joe took upon himself to prepare this surp=
lus
stock
of provisions for a later repast.
"But, dinner's ready!" he shoute=
d in
his most musical voice.
And the three travellers had only to sit d=
own
on the
green turf. The trunk and feet of the elep=
hant
were declared
to be exquisite. Old England was toasted, =
as
usual,
and delicious Havanas perfumed this charmi=
ng
country
for the first time.
Kennedy ate, drank, and chatted, like four=
; he
was
perfectly delighted with his new life, and
seriously
proposed to the doctor to settle in this
forest, to construct a
cabin of boughs and foliage, and, there and
then, to lay the
foundation of a Robinson Crusoe dynasty in
Africa.
The proposition went no further, although =
Joe
had, at
once, selected the part of Man Friday for
himself.
The country seemed so quiet, so deserted, =
that
the
doctor resolved to pass the night on the
ground, and Joe
arranged a circle of watch-fires as an
indispensable barrier
against wild animals, for the hyenas, coug=
ars,
and jackals,
attracted by the smell of the dead elephan=
t,
were prowling
about in the neighborhood. Kennedy had to =
fire
his rifle
several times at these unceremonious visit=
ors,
but the
night passed without any untoward occurren=
ce.
The Karagwah.--
Crossing the Lake.--The Cascades.--A View =
of
the Country.--The Sources
of the Nile.--The
Flag with the Arms of
At five o'clock in the morning, preparatio=
ns
for departure
commenced. Joe, with the hatchet which he =
had
fortunately recovered, broke the elephant's
tusks. The
balloon, restored to liberty, sped away to=
the
northwest
with our travellers, at the rate of eighte=
en
miles per hour.
The doctor had carefully taken his positio=
n by
the altitude
of the stars, during the preceding night. =
He
knew
that he was in latitude two degrees forty
minutes below
the equator, or at a distance of one hundr=
ed
and sixty
geographical miles. He swept along over ma=
ny
villages
without heeding the cries that the appeara=
nce
of the balloon
excited; he took note of the conformation =
of
places
with quick sights; he passed the slopes of=
the
Rubemhe,
which are nearly as abrupt as the summits =
of
the Ousagara,
and, farther on, at Tenga, encountered the
first projections
of the Karagwah chains, which, in his opin=
ion,
are direct spurs of the Mountains of the M=
oon.
So, the
ancient legend which made these mountains =
the
cradle of
the Nile, came near to the truth, since th=
ey
really border
upon Lake Ukereoue, the conjectured reserv=
oir
of the
waters of the great river.
From Kafuro, the main district of the
merchants of that
country, he descried, at length, on the
horizon, the lake
so much desired and so long sought for, of
which Captain
Speke caught a glimpse on the 3d of August,
1858.
Samuel Ferguson felt real emotion: he was
almost in
contact with one of the principal points of
his expedition,
and, with his spy-glass constantly raised,=
he
kept every
nook and corner of the mysterious region in
sight. His
gaze wandered over details that might have
been thus
described:
"Beneath him extended a country gener=
ally
destitute
of cultivation; only here and there some
ravines seemed
under tillage; the surface, dotted with pe=
aks
of medium
height, grew flat as it approached the lak=
e;
barley-fields
took the place of rice-plantations, and th=
ere,
too, could be
seen growing the species of plantain from
which the wine
of the country is drawn, and mwani, the wi=
ld
plant which
supplies a substitute for coffee. A collec=
tion
of some fifty
or more circular huts, covered with a
flowering thatch,
constituted the capital of the Karagwah
country."
He could easily distinguish the astonished
countenances
of a rather fine-looking race of natives of
yellowish-brown
complexion. Women of incredible corpulence=
were dawdling about through the cultivated
grounds, and
the doctor greatly surprised his companion=
s by
informing
them that this rotundity, which is highly
esteemed in that
region, was obtained by an obligatory diet=
of
curdled milk.
At noon, the Victoria was in one degree
forty-five
minutes south latitude, and at one o'clock=
the
wind was
driving her directly toward the lake.
This sheet of water was christened Uyanza
Victoria,
or Victoria Lake, by Captain Speke. At the
place now
mentioned it might measure about ninety mi=
les
in breadth,
and at its southern extremity the captain
found a group
of islets, which he named the Archipelago =
of
Bengal. He
pushed his survey as far as Muanza, on the
eastern coast,
where he was received by the sultan. He ma=
de a
triangulation
of this part of the lake, but he could not
procure a
boat, either to cross it or to visit the g=
reat
island of
Ukereoue which is very populous, is govern=
ed
by three
sultans, and appears to be only a promonto=
ry
at low tide.
The balloon approached the lake more to the
northward,
to the doctor's great regret, for it had b=
een
his wish
to determine its lower outlines. Its shores
seemed to be
thickly set with brambles and thorny plant=
s,
growing together
in wild confusion, and were literally hidd=
en,
sometimes,
from the gaze, by myriads of mosquitoes of=
a
light-brown
hue. The country was evidently habitable a=
nd
inhabited.
Troops of hippopotami could be seen dispor=
ting
themselves in the forests of reeds, or
plunging beneath the
whitish waters of the lake.
The latter, seen from above, presented, to=
ward
the
west, so broad an horizon that it might ha=
ve
been called a
sea; the distance between the two shores i=
s so
great that
communication cannot be established, and
storms are frequent
and violent, for the winds sweep with fury
over this
elevated and unsheltered basin.
The doctor experienced some difficulty in
guiding his
course; he was afraid of being carried tow=
ard
the east,
but, fortunately, a current bore him direc=
tly
toward the
north, and at six o'clock in the evening t=
he
balloon
alighted on a small desert island in thirty
minutes south
latitude, and thirty-two degrees fifty-two
minutes east
longitude, about twenty miles from the sho=
re.
The travellers succeeded in making fast to=
a
tree, and,
the wind having fallen calm toward evening,
they remained
quietly at anchor. They dared not dream of=
taking
the
ground, since here, as on the shores of the
Uyanza, legions
of mosquitoes covered the soil in dense
clouds. Joe even
came back, from securing the anchor in the
tree, speckled
with bites, but he kept his temper, becaus=
e he
found it
quite the natural thing for mosquitoes to
treat him as they
had done.
Nevertheless, the doctor, who was less of =
an
optimist,
let out as much rope as he could, so as to
escape these
pitiless insects, that began to rise toward
him with a
threatening hum.
The doctor ascertained the height of the l=
ake
above
the level of the sea, as it had been
determined by Captain
Speke, say three thousand seven hundred and
fifty feet.
"Here we are, then, on an island!&quo=
t;
said Joe, scratching
as though he'd tear his nails out.
"We could make the tour of it in a
jiffy," added Kennedy,
"and, excepting these confounded
mosquitoes, there's
not a living being to be seen on it."=
"The islands with which the lake is
dotted," replied
the doctor, "are nothing, after all, =
but
the tops of submerged
hills; but we are lucky to have found a
retreat
among them, for the shores of the lake are
inhabited by
ferocious tribes. Take your sleep, then, s=
ince
Providence
has granted us a tranquil night."
"Won't you do the same, doctor?"=
"No, I could not close my eyes. My
thoughts would
banish sleep. To-morrow, my friends, should
the wind
prove favorable, we shall go due north, an=
d we
shall, perhaps,
discover the sources of the Nile, that gra=
nd
secret
which has so long remained impenetrable. N=
ear
as we
are to the sources of the renowned river, I
could not
sleep."
Kennedy and Joe, whom scientific speculati=
ons
failed
to disturb to that extent, were not long in
falling into
sound slumber, while the doctor held his p=
ost.
On Wednesday, April 23d, the balloon start=
ed
at four
o'clock in the morning, with a grayish sky
overhead; night
was slow in quitting the surface of the la=
ke,
which was
enveloped in a dense fog, but presently a
violent breeze
scattered all the mists, and, after the
balloon had been
swung to and fro for a moment, in opposite
directions, it
at length veered in a straight line toward=
the
north.
Dr. Ferguson fairly clapped his hands for =
joy.
"We are on the right track!" he
exclaimed. "To-day
or never we shall see the Nile! Look, my
friends, we are
crossing the equator! We are entering our =
own
hemisphere!"
"Ah!" said Joe, "do you thi=
nk,
doctor, that the equator
passes here?"
"Just here, my boy!"
"Well, then, with all respect to you,
sir, it seems to
me that this is the very time to moisten
it."
"Good!" said the doctor, laughin=
g.
"Let us have a glass
of punch. You have a way of comprehending
cosmography
that is any thing but dull."
And thus was the passage of the Victoria o=
ver
the
equator duly celebrated.
The balloon made rapid headway. In the west
could
be seen a low and but slightly-diversified
coast, and,
farther away in the background, the elevat=
ed
plains of the
Uganda and the Usoga. At length, the rapid=
ity
of the
wind became excessive, approaching thirty
miles per hour.
The waters of the Nyanza, violently agitat=
ed,
were
foaming like the billows of a sea. By the
appearance of
certain long swells that followed the sink=
ing
of the waves,
the doctor was enabled to conclude that the
lake must
have great depth of water. Only one or two
rude boats
were seen during this rapid passage.
"This lake is evidently, from its
elevated position,
the natural reservoir of the rivers in the
eastern part of
Africa, and the sky gives back to it in ra=
in
what it takes
in vapor from the streams that flow out of=
it.
I am certain
that the Nile must here take its rise.&quo=
t;
"Well, we shall see!" said Kenne=
dy.
About nine o'clock they drew nearer to the
western
coast. It seemed deserted, and covered with
woods; the
wind freshened a little toward the east, a=
nd
the other
shore of the lake could be seen. It bent
around in such a
curve as to end in a wide angle toward two
degrees forty
minutes north latitude. Lofty mountains
uplifted their
arid peaks at this extremity of Nyanza; bu=
t,
between
them, a deep and winding gorge gave exit t=
o a
turbulent
and foaming river.
While busy managing the balloon, Dr. Fergu=
son
never
ceased reconnoitring the country with eager
eyes.
"Look!" he exclaimed, "look=
, my
friends! the statements
of the Arabs were correct! They spoke of a
river
by which Lake Ukereoue discharged its wate=
rs
toward
the north, and this river exists, and we a=
re
descending it,
and it flows with a speed analogous to our
own! And this
drop of water now gliding away beneath our
feet is, beyond
all question, rushing on, to mingle with t=
he
Mediterranean!
It is the Nile!"
"It is the Nile!" reeechoed Kenn=
edy,
carried away by
the enthusiasm of his friend.
"Hurrah for the Nile!" shouted J=
oe,
glad, and always
ready to cheer for something.
Enormous rocks, here and there, embarrassed
the
course of this mysterious river. The water
foamed as it
fell in rapids and cataracts, which confir=
med
the doctor
in his preconceived ideas on the subject. =
From
the environing
mountains numerous torrents came plunging =
and
seething down, and the eye could take them=
in
by hundreds.
There could be seen, starting from the soi=
l,
delicate
jets of water scattering in all directions,
crossing and
recrossing each other, mingling, contendin=
g in
the swiftness
of their progress, and all rushing toward =
that
nascent
stream which became a river after having d=
runk
them in.
"Here is, indeed, the Nile!"
reiterated the doctor, with
the tone of profound conviction. "The
origin of its name,
like the origin of its waters, has fired t=
he
imagination of
the learned; they have sought to trace it =
from
the
Greek, the Coptic, the Sanscrit; but all t=
hat
matters little
now, since we have made it surrender the
secret of its
source!"
"But," said the Scotchman, "=
;how
are you to make
sure of the identity of this river with the
one recognized
by the travellers from the north?"
"We shall have certain, irrefutable,
convincing, and
infallible proof," replied Ferguson,
"should the wind hold
another hour in our favor!"
The mountains drew farther apart, revealin=
g in
their
place numerous villages, and fields of whi=
te
Indian corn,
doura, and sugar-cane. The tribes inhabiti=
ng
the region
seemed excited and hostile; they manifested
more anger
than adoration, and evidently saw in the
aeronauts only
obtrusive strangers, and not condescending
deities. It
appeared as though, in approaching the sou=
rces
of the
Nile, these men came to rob them of someth=
ing,
and so
the Victoria had to keep out of range of t=
heir
muskets.
"To land here would be a ticklish
matter!" said the Scot.
"Well!" said Joe, "so much =
the
worse for these natives.
They'll have to do without the pleasure of=
our
conversation."
"Nevertheless, descend I must," =
said
the doctor,
"were it only for a quarter of an hou=
r.
Without doing
so I cannot verify the results of our
expedition."
"It is indispensable, then, doctor?&q=
uot;
"Indispensable; and we will descend, =
even
if we have
to do so with a volley of musketry."<= o:p>
"The thing suits me," said Kenne=
dy,
toying with his
pet rifle.
"And I'm ready, master, whenever you =
say
the word!"
added Joe, preparing for the fight.
"It would not be the first time,"
remarked the doctor,
"that science has been followed up, s=
word
in hand. The
same thing happened to a French savant amo=
ng
the mountains
of Spain, when he was measuring the
terrestrial meridian."
"Be easy on that score, doctor, and t=
rust
to your two
body-guards."
"Are we there, master?"
"Not yet. In fact, I shall go up a
little, first, in order
to get an exact idea of the configuration =
of
the country."
The hydrogen expanded, and in less than ten
minutes the
balloon was soaring at a height of twenty-=
five
hundred
feet above the ground.
From that elevation could be distinguished=
an
inextricable
network of smaller streams which the river
received into
its bosom; others came from the west, from
between numerous
hills, in the midst of fertile plains.
"We are not ninety miles from
Gondokoro," said the
doctor, measuring off the distance on his =
map,
"and less
than five miles from the point reached by =
the
explorers
from the north. Let us descend with great
care."
And, upon this, the balloon was lowered ab=
out
two
thousand feet.
"Now, my friends, let us be ready, co=
me
what may."
"Ready it is!" said Dick and Joe,
with one voice.
"Good!"
In a few moments the balloon was advancing
along
the bed of the river, and scarcely one hun=
dred
feet above
the ground. The Nile measured but fifty
fathoms in width
at this point, and the natives were in gre=
at
excitement,
rushing to and fro, tumultuously, in the
villages
that lined the banks of the stream. At the
second degree
it forms a perpendicular cascade of ten fe=
et
in height, and
consequently impassable by boats.
"Here, then, is the cascade mentioned=
by
Debono!"
exclaimed the doctor.
The basin of the river spread out, dotted =
with
numerous
islands, which Dr. Ferguson devoured with =
his
eyes.
He seemed to be seeking for a point of
reference which he
had not yet found.
By this time, some blacks, having ventured=
in
a boat
just under the balloon, Kennedy saluted th=
em
with a shot
from his rifle, that made them regain the =
bank
at their
utmost speed.
"A good journey to you," bawled =
Joe,
"and if I were in
your place, I wouldn't try coming back aga=
in.
I should
be mightily afraid of a monster that can h=
url
thunderbolts
when he pleases."
But, all at once, the doctor snatched up h=
is
spy-glass,
and directed it toward an island reposing =
in
the middle
of the river.
"Four trees!" he exclaimed;
"look, down there!" Sure
enough, there were four trees standing alo=
ne
at one
end of it.
"It is Bengal Island! It is the very
same," repeated
the doctor, exultingly.
"And what of that?" asked Dick.<= o:p>
"It is there that we shall alight, if=
God
permits."
"But, it seems to be inhabited,
doctor."
"Joe is right; and, unless I'm mistak=
en,
there is a
group of about a score of natives on it
now."
"We'll make them scatter; there'll be=
no
great trouble
in that," responded Ferguson.
"So be it," chimed in the hunter=
.
The sun was at the zenith as the balloon
approached
the island.
The blacks, who were members of the Makado
tribe,
were howling lustily, and one of them waved
his bark hat
in the air. Kennedy took aim at him, fired,
and his hat
flew about him in pieces. Thereupon there =
was
a general
scamper. The natives plunged headlong into=
the
river,
and swam to the opposite bank. Immediately,
there came
a shower of balls from both banks, along w=
ith
a perfect
cloud of arrows, but without doing the bal=
loon
any damage,
where it rested with its anchor snugly sec=
ured
in the
fissure of a rock. Joe lost no time in sli=
ding
to the ground.
"The ladder!" cried the doctor.
"Follow me, Kennedy."
"What do you wish, sir?"
"Let us alight. I want a witness.&quo=
t;
"Here I am!"
"Mind your post, Joe, and keep a good
lookout."
"Never fear, doctor; I'll answer for =
all
that."
"Come, Dick," said the doctor, a=
s he
touched the ground.
So saying, he drew his companion along tow=
ard
a
group of rocks that rose upon one point of=
the
island;
there, after searching for some time, he b=
egan
to rummage
among the brambles, and, in so doing,
scratched his hands
until they bled.
Suddenly he grasped Kennedy's arm, exclaim=
ing:
"Look! look!"
"Letters!"
Yes; there, indeed, could be descried, with
perfect
precision of outline, some letters carved =
on
the rock. It
was quite easy to make them out:
"A. D."
"A.D.!" repeated Dr. Ferguson.
"Andrea Debono--
the very signature of the traveller who
farthest ascended
the current of the Nile."
"No doubt of that, friend Samuel,&quo=
t;
assented Kennedy.
"Are you now convinced?"
"It is the Nile! We cannot entertain a
doubt on that
score now," was the reply.
The doctor, for the last time, examined th=
ose
precious
initials, the exact form and size of which=
he
carefully noted.
"And now," said he--"now for
the balloon!"
"Quickly, then, for I see some of the
natives getting
ready to recross the river."
"That matters little to us now. Let t=
he wind
but
send us northward for a few hours, and we
shall reach
Gondokoro, and press the hands of some of =
our
countrymen."
Ten minutes more, and the balloon was
majestically
ascending, while Dr. Ferguson, in token of
success, waved
the English flag triumphantly from his car=
.
The Nile.--The Trembling Mountain.--A
Remembrance of the Country.--The
Narratives of the Arabs.--The
Nyam-Nyams.--Joe's Shrewd Cogitations.--The
Balloon runs the Gantlet.--Aerostatic
Ascensions.--Madame Blanchard.
"Which way do we head?" asked
Kennedy, as he
saw his friend consulting the compass.
"North-northeast."
"The deuce! but that's not the
north?"
"No, Dick; and I'm afraid that we sha=
ll
have some
trouble in getting to Gondokoro. I am sorry
for it; but,
at last, we have succeeded in connecting t=
he
explorations
from the east with those from the north; a=
nd
we must
not complain."
The balloon was now receding gradually from
the Nile.
"One last look," said the doctor,
"at this impassable
latitude, beyond which the most intrepid
travellers could
not make their way. There are those
intractable tribes,
of whom Petherick, Arnaud, Miuni, and the
young traveller
Lejean, to whom we are indebted for the be=
st
work
on the Upper Nile, have spoken."
"Thus, then," added Kennedy,
inquiringly, "our discoveries
agree with the speculations of science.&qu=
ot;
"Absolutely so. The sources of the Wh=
ite
Nile, of
the Bahr-el-Abiad, are immersed in a lake =
as
large as a
sea; it is there that it takes its rise.
Poesy, undoubtedly,
loses something thereby. People were fond =
of
ascribing
a celestial origin to this king of rivers.=
The
ancients gave
it the name of an ocean, and were not far =
from
believing
that it flowed directly from the sun; but =
we
must come
down from these flights from time to time,=
and
accept
what science teaches us. There will not al=
ways
be scientific
men, perhaps; but there always will be
poets."
"We can still see cataracts," sa=
id
Joe.
"Those are the cataracts of Makedo, in
the third degree
of latitude. Nothing could be more accurat=
e.
Oh, if we could
only have followed the course of the Nile =
for
a few hours!"
"And down yonder, below us, I see the=
top
of a mountain,"
said the hunter.
"That is Mount Longwek, the Trembling
Mountain of
the Arabs. This whole country was visited =
by
Debono,
who went through it under the name of
Latif-Effendi.
The tribes living near the Nile are hostil=
e to
each other,
and are continually waging a war of
extermination. You
may form some idea, then, of the difficult=
ies
he had to
encounter."
The wind was carrying the balloon toward t=
he
northwest,
and, in order to avoid Mount Longwek, it w=
as
necessary
to seek a more slanting current.
"My friends," said the doctor,
"here is where OUR passage
of the African Continent really commences;=
up
to this time
we have been following the traces of our
predecessors.
Henceforth we are to launch ourselves upon=
the
unknown.
We shall not lack the courage, shall we?&q=
uot;
"Never!" said Dick and Joe toget=
her,
almost in a shout.
"Onward, then, and may we have the he=
lp
of Heaven!"
At ten o'clock at night, after passing over
ravines,
forests, and scattered villages, the aeron=
auts
reached the
side of the Trembling Mountain, along whose
gentle slopes
they went quietly gliding. In that memorab=
le
day, the 23d of
April, they had, in fifteen hours, impelle=
d by
a rapid
breeze, traversed a distance of more than
three hundred and
fifteen miles.
But this latter part of the journey had le=
ft
them in
dull spirits, and complete silence reigned=
in
the car. Was
Dr. Ferguson absorbed in the thought of his
discoveries?
Were his two companions thinking of their =
trip
through
those unknown regions? There were, no doub=
t,
mingled
with these reflections, the keenest
reminiscences of home
and distant friends. Joe alone continued to
manifest the
same careless philosophy, finding it QUITE
NATURAL that
home should not be there, from the moment =
that
he left
it; but he respected the silent mood of his
friends, the
doctor and Kennedy.
About ten the balloon anchored on the side=
of
the
Trembling Mountain, so called, because, in
Arab tradition,
it is said to tremble the instant that a
Mussulman sets
foot upon it. The travellers then partook =
of a
substantial
meal, and all quietly passed the night as
usual, keeping
the regular watches.
On awaking the next morning, they all had
pleasanter
feelings. The weather was fine, and the wi=
nd
was blowing
from the right quarter; so that a good
breakfast,
seasoned with Joe's merry pranks, put them=
in
high good-humor.
The region they were now crossing is very
extensive.
It borders on the Mountains of the Moon on=
one
side,
and those of Darfur on the other--a space
about as
broad as Europe.
"We are, no doubt, crossing what is
supposed to be
the kingdom of Usoga. Geographers have
pretended that
there existed, in the centre of Africa, a =
vast
depression,
an immense central lake. We shall see whet=
her
there is
any truth in that idea," said the doc=
tor.
"But how did they come to think so?&q=
uot;
asked Kennedy.
"From the recitals of the Arabs. Those
fellows are
great narrators--too much so, probably. So=
me
travellers,
who had got as far as Kazeh, or the great
lakes, saw
slaves that had been brought from this reg=
ion;
interrogated
them concerning it, and, from their differ=
ent
narratives,
made up a jumble of notions, and deduced
systems
from them. Down at the bottom of it all th=
ere
is some
appearance of truth; and you see that they
were right
about the sources of the Nile."
"Nothing could be more correct,"
said Kennedy. "It
was by the aid of these documents that some
attempts at
maps were made, and so I am going to try to
follow our
route by one of them, rectifying it when n=
eed
be."
"Is all this region inhabited?"
asked Joe.
"Undoubtedly; and disagreeably inhabi=
ted,
too."
"I thought so."
"These scattered tribes come, one and
all, under the
title of Nyam-Nyams, and this compound wor=
d is
only a
sort of nickname. It imitates the sound of
chewing."
"That's it! Excellent!" said Joe,
champing his teeth
as though he were eating;
"Nyam-Nyam."
"My good Joe, if you were the immedia=
te
object of
this chewing, you wouldn't find it so
excellent."
"Why, what's the reason, sir?"
"These tribes are considered
man-eaters."
"Is that really the case?"
"Not a doubt of it! It has also been
asserted that
these natives had tails, like mere quadrup=
eds;
but it was
soon discovered that these appendages belo=
nged
to the
skins of animals that they wore for
clothing."
"More's the pity! a tail's a nice thi=
ng
to chase away
mosquitoes."
"That may be, Joe; but we must consign
the story to
the domain of fable, like the dogs' heads
which the
traveller, Brun-Rollet, attributed to other
tribes."
"Dogs' heads, eh? Quite convenient for
barking, and
even for man-eating!"
"But one thing that has been,
unfortunately, proven
true, is, the ferocity of these tribes, who
are really very
fond of human flesh, and devour it with
avidity."
"I only hope that they won't take suc=
h a
particular
fancy to mine!" said Joe, with comic
solemnity.
"See that!" said Kennedy.
"Yes, indeed, sir; if I have to be ea=
ten,
in a moment
of famine, I want it to be for your benefit
and my master's;
but the idea of feeding those black
fellows--gracious! I'd
die of shame!"
"Well, then, Joe," said Kennedy,
"that's understood;
we count upon you in case of need!"
"At your service, gentlemen!"
"Joe talks in this way so as to make =
us
take good care
of him, and fatten him up."
"Maybe so!" said Joe. "Every
man for himself."
In the afternoon, the sky became covered w=
ith
a warm
mist, that oozed from the soil; the browni=
sh
vapor scarcely
allowed the beholder to distinguish object=
s,
and so, fearing
collision with some unexpected mountain-pe=
ak,
the doctor,
about five o'clock, gave the signal to hal=
t.
The night passed without accident, but in =
such
profound
obscurity, that it was necessary to use
redoubled vigilance.
The monsoon blew with extreme violence dur=
ing
all
the next morning. The wind buried itself in
the lower
cavities of the balloon and shook the
appendage by which
the dilating-pipes entered the main appara=
tus.
They had,
at last, to be tied up with cords, Joe acq=
uitting
himself
very skilfully in performing that operatio=
n.
He had occasion to observe, at the same ti=
me,
that the
orifice of the balloon still remained
hermetically sealed.
"That is a matter of double importance
for us," said
the doctor; "in the first place, we a=
void
the escape of
precious gas, and then, again, we do not l=
eave
behind us
an inflammable train, which we should at l=
ast
inevitably
set fire to, and so be consumed."
"That would be a disagreeable travell=
ing
incident!"
said Joe.
"Should we be hurled to the ground?&q=
uot;
asked Kennedy.
"Hurled! No, not quite that. The gas
would burn
quietly, and we should descend little by
little. A similar
accident happened to a French aeronaut, Ma=
dame
Blanchard.
She ignited her balloon while sending off
fireworks,
but she did not fall, and she would not ha=
ve
been killed,
probably, had not her car dashed against a
chimney and
precipitated her to the ground."
"Let us hope that nothing of the kind=
may
happen to
us," said the hunter. "Up to this
time our trip has not
seemed to me very dangerous, and I can see
nothing to
prevent us reaching our destination."=
"Nor can I either, my dear Dick;
accidents are generally
caused by the imprudence of the aeronauts,=
or
the
defective construction of their apparatus.
However, in
thousands of aerial ascensions, there have=
not
been twenty
fatal accidents. Usually, the danger is in=
the
moment of
leaving the ground, or of alighting, and
therefore at those
junctures we should never omit the utmost
precaution."
"It's breakfast-time," said Joe;
"we'll have to put up
with preserved meat and coffee until Mr.
Kennedy has had
another chance to get us a good slice of
venison."
The Celestial Bottle.--The Fig-Palms.--The
Mammoth Trees.--The Tree of
War.--The Winged Team.--Two Native Tribes =
in
Battle.--A Massacre.--An
Intervention from above.
The wind had become violent and irregular;=
the
balloon
was running the gantlet through the air.
Tossed
at one moment toward the north, at another
toward the
south, it could not find one steady curren=
t.
"We are moving very swiftly without
advancing
much," said Kennedy, remarking the
frequent oscillations
of the needle of the compass.
"The balloon is rushing at the rate o=
f at
least thirty
miles an hour. Lean over, and see how the
country is
gliding away beneath us!" said the
doctor.
"See! that forest looks as though it =
were
precipitating
itself upon us!"
"The forest has become a clearing!&qu=
ot;
added the other.
"And the clearing a village!"
continued Joe, a moment or two
later. "Look at the faces of those
astonished darkys!"
"Oh! it's natural enough that they sh=
ould
be astonished,"
said the doctor. "The French peasants,
when they
first saw a balloon, fired at it, thinking
that it was an aerial
monster. A Soudan negro may be excused, th=
en, for
opening his
eyes VERY wide!"
"Faith!" said Joe, as the Victor=
ia
skimmed closely
along the ground, at scarcely the elevatio=
n of
one hundred
feet, and immediately over a village,
"I'll throw them
an empty bottle, with your leave, doctor, =
and
if it reaches
them safe and sound, they'll worship it; i=
f it
breaks, they'll
make talismans of the pieces."
So saying, he flung out a bottle, which, of
course, was
broken into a thousand fragments, while the
negroes
scampered into their round huts, uttering
shrill cries.
A little farther on, Kennedy called out:
"Look at that
strange tree! The upper part is of one kind
and the
lower part of another!"
"Well!" said Joe, "here's a
country where the trees
grow on top of each other."
"It's simply the trunk of a fig-tree,=
"
replied the doctor,
"on which there is a little vegetating
earth. Some fine
day, the wind left the seed of a palm on i=
t,
and the
seed has taken root and grown as though it
were on the
plain ground."
"A fine new style of gardening,"
said Joe, "and I'll
import the idea to England. It would be ju=
st
the thing
in the London parks; without counting that=
it
would be
another way to increase the number of
fruit-trees. We
could have gardens up in the air; and the
small house-owners
would like that!"
At this moment, they had to raise the ball=
oon
so as to
pass over a forest of trees that were more
than three
hundred feet in height--a kind of ancient
banyan.
"What magnificent trees!" exclai=
med
Kennedy. "I
never saw any thing so fine as the appeara=
nce
of these
venerable forests. Look, doctor!"
"The height of these banyans is really
remarkable,
my dear Dick; and yet, they would be nothi=
ng
astonishing
in the New World."
"Why, are there still loftier trees in
existence?"
"Undoubtedly; among the 'mammoth tree=
s'
of California,
there is a cedar four hundred and eighty f=
eet
in
height. It would overtop the Houses of
Parliament, and
even the Great Pyramid of Egypt. The trunk=
at
the
surface of the ground was one hundred and
twenty feet in
circumference, and the concentric layers of
the wood
disclosed an age of more than four thousand
years."
"But then, sir, there was nothing
wonderful in it!
When one has lived four thousand years, one
ought to be
pretty tall!" was Joe's remark.
Meanwhile, during the doctor's recital and=
Joe's
response,
the forest had given place to a large
collection of
huts surrounding an open space. In the mid=
dle
of this
grew a solitary tree, and Joe exclaimed, a=
s he
caught
sight of it:
"Well! if that tree has produced such
flowers as
those, for the last four thousand years, I
have to offer
it my compliments, anyhow," and he
pointed to a gigantic
sycamore, whose whole trunk was covered wi=
th
human
bones. The flowers of which Joe spoke were
heads freshly
severed from the bodies, and suspended by
daggers thrust
into the bark of the tree.
"The war-tree of these cannibals!&quo=
t;
said the doctor;
"the Indians merely carry off the sca=
lp,
but these negroes
take the whole head."
"A mere matter of fashion!" said
Joe. But, already,
the village and the bleeding heads were
disappearing on
the horizon. Another place offered a still
more revolting
spectacle--half-devoured corpses; skeletons
mouldering
to dust; human limbs scattered here and th=
ere,
and left
to feed the jackals and hyenas.
"No doubt, these are the bodies of cr=
iminals;
according
to the custom in Abyssinia, these people h=
ave
left them a
prey to the wild beasts, who kill them with
their terrible
teeth and claws, and then devour them at t=
heir
leisure.
"Not a whit more cruel than
hanging!" said the
Scot; "filthier, that's all!"
"In the southern regions of Africa, t=
hey
content themselves,"
resumed the doctor, "with shutting up=
the
criminal
in his own hut with his cattle, and someti=
mes
with his
family. They then set fire to the hut, and=
the
whole
party are burned together. I call that cru=
el;
but, like
friend Kennedy, I think that the gallows is
quite as cruel,
quite as barbarous."
Joe, by the aid of his keen sight, which he
did not fail
to use continually, noticed some flocks of
birds of prey
flitting about the horizon.
"They are eagles!" exclaimed
Kennedy, after reconnoitring
them through the glass, "magnificent
birds, whose flight
is as rapid as ours."
"Heaven preserve us from their
attacks!" said the
doctor, "they are more to be feared b=
y us
than wild
beasts or savage tribes."
"Bah!" said the hunter, "we=
can
drive them off with
a few rifle-shots."
"Nevertheless, I would prefer, dear D=
ick,
not having
to rely upon your skill, this time, for the
silk of our
balloon could not resist their sharp beaks;
fortunately, the
huge birds will, I believe, be more fright=
ened
than attracted
by our machine."
"Yes! but a new idea, and I have doze=
ns
of them,"
said Joe; "if we could only manage to
capture a team of
live eagles, we could hitch them to the
balloon, and they'd
haul us through the air!"
"The thing has been seriously
proposed," replied the
doctor, "but I think it hardly
practicable with creatures
naturally so restive."
"Oh! we'd tame them," said Joe.
"Instead of driving
them with bits, we'd do it with eye-blinke=
rs
that would
cover their eyes. Half blinded in that way,
they'd go to
the right or to the left, as we desired; w=
hen
blinded
completely, they would stop."
"Allow me, Joe, to prefer a favorable
wind to your
team of eagles. It costs less for fodder, =
and
is more
reliable."
"Well, you may have your choice, mast=
er,
but I stick
to my idea."
It now was noon. The Victoria had been goi=
ng
at
a more moderate speed for some time; the
country merely
passed below it; it no longer flew.
Suddenly, shouts and whistlings were heard=
by
our
aeronauts, and, leaning over the edge of t=
he
car, they saw
on the open plain below them an exciting
spectacle.
Two hostile tribes were fighting furiously,
and the air
was dotted with volleys of arrows. The
combatants were
so intent upon their murderous work that t=
hey
did not
notice the arrival of the balloon; there w=
ere
about three
hundred mingled confusedly in the deadly
struggle: most
of them, red with the blood of the wounded=
, in
which they
fairly wallowed, were horrible to behold.<= o:p>
As they at last caught sight of the balloo=
n,
there was
a momentary pause; but their yells redoubl=
ed,
and some
arrows were shot at the Victoria, one of t=
hem
coming
close enough for Joe to catch it with his
hand.
"Let us rise out of range,"
exclaimed the doctor; "there
must be no rashness! We are forbidden any
risk."
Meanwhile, the massacre continued on both
sides, with
battle-axes and war-clubs; as quickly as o=
ne
of the combatants
fell, a hostile warrior ran up to cut off =
his
head,
while the women, mingling in the fray,
gathered up these
bloody trophies, and piled them together at
either extremity
of the battle-field. Often, too, they even
fought
for these hideous spoils.
"What a frightful scene!" said
Kennedy, with profound disgust.
"They're ugly acquaintances!" ad=
ded
Joe; "but then,
if they had uniforms they'd be just like t=
he
fighters of all
the rest of the world!"
"I have a keen hankering to take a ha=
nd
in at that
fight," said the hunter, brandishing =
his
rifle.
"No! no!" objected the doctor,
vehemently; "no,
let us not meddle with what don't concern =
us.
Do you
know which is right or which is wrong, that
you would
assume the part of the Almighty? Let us,
rather, hurry
away from this revolting spectacle. Could =
the
great
captains of the world float thus above the
scenes of their
exploits, they would at last, perhaps,
conceive a disgust
for blood and conquest."
The chieftain of one of the contending par=
ties
was
remarkable for his athletic proportions, h=
is
great height,
and herculean strength. With one hand he p=
lunged
his
spear into the compact ranks of his enemie=
s,
and with the
other mowed large spaces in them with his
battle-axe.
Suddenly he flung away his war-club, red w=
ith
blood,
rushed upon a wounded warrior, and, choppi=
ng
off his arm
at a single stroke, carried the dissevered
member to his
mouth, and bit it again and again.
"Ah!" ejaculated Kennedy, "=
the
horrible brute! I
can hold back no longer," and, as he
spoke, the huge
savage, struck full in the forehead with a
rifle-ball, fell
headlong to the ground.
Upon this sudden mishap of their leader, h=
is
warriors
seemed struck dumb with amazement; his
supernatural
death awed them, while it reanimated the
courage and
ardor of their adversaries, and, in a
twinkling, the field
was abandoned by half the combatants.
"Come, let us look higher up for a
current to bear us
away. I am sick of this spectacle," s=
aid
the doctor.
But they could not get away so rapidly as =
to
avoid
the sight of the victorious tribe rushing =
upon
the dead
and the wounded, scrambling and disputing =
for
the still
warm and reeking flesh, and eagerly devour=
ing
it.
"Faugh!" uttered Joe, "it's
sickening."
The balloon rose as it expanded; the howli=
ngs
of the
brutal horde, in the delirium of their org=
y,
pursued them
for a few minutes; but, at length, borne a=
way
toward the
south, they were carried out of sight and
hearing of this
horrible spectacle of cannibalism.
The surface of the country was now greatly
varied,
with numerous streams of water, bearing to=
ward
the east.
The latter, undoubtedly, ran into those
affluents of Lake
Nu, or of the River of the Gazelles,
concerning which M.
Guillaume Lejean has given such curious
details.
At nightfall, the balloon cast anchor in
twenty-seven
degrees east longitude, and four degrees
twenty minutes
north latitude, after a day's trip of one
hundred and fifty
miles.
Strange Sounds.--A Night Attack.--Kennedy =
and
Joe in the Tree.--Two
Shots.--"Help! help!"--Reply in
French.--The Morning.--The Missionary.
--The Plan of Rescue.
The night came on very dark. The doctor had
not
been able to reconnoitre the country. He h=
ad
made fast
to a very tall tree, from which he could
distinguish only a
confused mass through the gloom.
As usual, he took the nine-o'clock watch, =
and
at midnight
Dick relieved him.
"Keep a sharp lookout, Dick!" was
the doctor's good-night injunction.
"Is there any thing new on the
carpet?"
"No; but I thought that I heard vague
sounds below
us, and, as I don't exactly know where the
wind has
carried us to, even an excess of caution w=
ould
do no harm."
"You've probably heard the cries of w=
ild
beasts."
"No! the sounds seemed to me something
altogether
different from that; at all events, on the
least alarm
don't fail to waken us."
"I'll do so, doctor; rest easy."=
After listening attentively for a moment or
two longer,
the doctor, hearing nothing more, threw
himself on his
blankets and went asleep.
The sky was covered with dense clouds, but=
not
a
breath of air was stirring; and the balloo=
n,
kept in
its place by only a single anchor, experie=
nced
not
the slightest oscillation.
Kennedy, leaning his elbow on the edge of =
the
car, so
as to keep an eye on the cylinder, which w=
as
actively at
work, gazed out upon the calm obscurity; he
eagerly
scanned the horizon, and, as often happens=
to
minds that
are uneasy or possessed with preconceived
notions, he
fancied that he sometimes detected vague
gleams of light
in the distance.
At one moment he even thought that he saw =
them
only
two hundred paces away, quite distinctly, =
but
it was a
mere flash that was gone as quickly as it
came, and he
noticed nothing more. It was, no doubt, on=
e of
those
luminous illusions that sometimes impress =
the
eye in the
midst of very profound darkness.
Kennedy was getting over his nervousness a=
nd
falling
into his wandering meditations again, when=
a
sharp whistle
pierced his ear.
Was that the cry of an animal or of a
night-bird, or
did it come from human lips?
Kennedy, perfectly comprehending the gravi=
ty
of the
situation, was on the point of waking his
companions, but
he reflected that, in any case, men or
animals, the creatures
that he had heard must be out of reach. So=
he
merely
saw that his weapons were all right, and t=
hen,
with his
night-glass, again plunged his gaze into
space.
It was not long before he thought he could
perceive
below him vague forms that seemed to be
gliding toward
the tree, and then, by the aid of a ray of
moonlight that
shot like an electric flash between two ma=
sses
of cloud, he
distinctly made out a group of human figur=
es
moving in
the shadow.
The adventure with the dog-faced baboons
returned
to his memory, and he placed his hand on t=
he
doctor's
shoulder.
The latter was awake in a moment.
"Silence!" said Dick. "Let =
us
speak below our breath."
"Has any thing happened?"
"Yes, let us waken Joe."
The instant that Joe was aroused, Kennedy =
told
him
what he had seen.
"Those confounded monkeys again!"
said Joe.
"Possibly, but we must be on our
guard."
"Joe and I," said Kennedy,
"will climb down the tree
by the ladder."
"And, in the meanwhile," added t=
he
doctor, "I will
take my measures so that we can ascend rap=
idly
at a
moment's warning."
"Agreed!"
"Let us go down, then!" said Joe=
.
"Don't use your weapons, excepting at=
the
last extremity!
It would be a useless risk to make the nat=
ives
aware of our presence in such a place as
this."
Dick and Joe replied with signs of assent,=
and
then
letting themselves slide noiselessly toward
the tree, took
their position in a fork among the strong
branches where
the anchor had caught.
For some moments they listened minutely and
motionlessly
among the foliage, and ere long Joe seized
Kenedy's hand
as he heard a sort of rubbing sound against
the bark of
the tree.
"Don't you hear that?" he whispe=
red.
"Yes, and it's coming nearer."
"Suppose it should be a serpent? That
hissing or
whistling that you heard before--"
"No! there was something human in
it."
"I'd prefer the savages, for I have a
horror of those
snakes."
"The noise is increasing," said
Kennedy, again, after
a lapse of a few moments.
"Yes! something's coming up toward
us--climbing."
"Keep watch on this side, and I'll ta=
ke
care of the other."
"Very good!"
There they were, isolated at the top of on=
e of
the
larger branches shooting out in the midst =
of
one of
those miniature forests called baobab-tree=
s.
The darkness,
heightened by the density of the foliage, =
was
profound;
however, Joe, leaning over to Kennedy's ear
and pointing
down the tree, whispered:
"The blacks! They're climbing toward
us."
The two friends could even catch the sound=
of
a few
words uttered in the lowest possible tones=
.
Joe gently brought his rifle to his should=
er
as he spoke.
"Wait!" said Kennedy.
Some of the natives had really climbed the
baobab,
and now they were seen rising on all sides,
winding along
the boughs like reptiles, and advancing sl=
owly
but surely,
all the time plainly enough discernible, n=
ot
merely to the
eye but to the nostrils, by the horrible o=
dors
of the rancid
grease with which they bedaub their bodies=
.
Ere long, two heads appeared to the gaze of
Kennedy
and Joe, on a level with the very branch to
which they
were clinging.
"Attention!" said Kennedy.
"Fire!"
The double concussion resounded like a
thunderbolt
and died away into cries of rage and pain,=
and
in a
moment the whole horde had disappeared.
But, in the midst of these yells and howls=
, a
strange,
unexpected--nay what seemed an impossible-=
-cry
had
been heard! A human voice had, distinctly,
called aloud
in the French language--
"Help! help!"
Kennedy and Joe, dumb with amazement, had
regained
the car immediately.
"Did you hear that?" the doctor
asked them.
"Undoubtedly, that supernatural cry, =
'A
moi! a moi!'
comes from a Frenchman in the hands of the=
se
barbarians!"
"A traveller."
"A missionary, perhaps."
"Poor wretch!" said Kennedy,
"they're assassinating
him--making a martyr of him!"
The doctor then spoke, and it was impossib=
le
for him
to conceal his emotions.
"There can be no doubt of it," he
said; "some unfortunate
Frenchman has fallen into the hands of the=
se
savages. We must not leave this place with=
out
doing all
in our power to save him. When he heard the
sound of
our guns, he recognized an unhoped-for
assistance, a
providential interposition. We shall not
disappoint
his last hope. Are such your views?"<= o:p>
"They are, doctor, and we are ready t=
o obey
you."
"Let us, then, lay our heads together=
to
devise some
plan, and in the morning we'll try to resc=
ue
him."
"But how shall we drive off those
abominable blacks?"
asked Kennedy.
"It's quite clear to me, from the way=
in
which they
made off, that they are unacquainted with
fire-arms. We
must, therefore, profit by their fears; bu=
t we
shall await
daylight before acting, and then we can fo=
rm
our plans of
rescue according to circumstances."
"The poor captive cannot be far
off," said Joe, "because--"
"Help! help!" repeated the voice,
but much more
feebly this time.
"The savage wretches!" exclaimed
Joe, trembling
with indignation. "Suppose they should
kill him
to-night!"
"Do you hear, doctor," resumed
Kennedy, seizing the
doctor's hand. "Suppose they should k=
ill
him to-night!"
"It is not at all likely, my friends.
These savage
tribes kill their captives in broad daylig=
ht;
they must
have the sunshine."
"Now, if I were to take advantage of =
the
darkness to
slip down to the poor fellow?" said
Kennedy.
"And I'll go with you," said Joe,
warmly.
"Pause, my friends--pause! The sugges=
tion
does
honor to your hearts and to your courage; =
but
you would
expose us all to great peril, and do still
greater harm to
the unfortunate man whom you wish to
aid."
"Why so?" asked Kennedy. "T=
hese
savages are
frightened and dispersed: they will not
return."
"Dick, I implore you, heed what I say=
. I
am acting
for the common good; and if by any accident
you should
be taken by surprise, all would be lost.&q=
uot;
"But, think of that poor wretch, hopi=
ng
for aid, waiting
there, praying, calling aloud. Is no one t=
o go
to his
assistance? He must think that his senses
deceived him;
that he heard nothing!"
"We can reassure him, on that
score," said Dr. Ferguson
--and, standing erect, making a
speaking-trumpet
of his hands, he shouted at the top of his
voice, in French:
"Whoever you are, be of good cheer! T=
hree
friends are
watching over you."
A terrific howl from the savages responded=
to
these
words--no doubt drowning the prisoner's re=
ply.
"They are murdering him! they are
murdering him!"
exclaimed Kennedy. "Our interference =
will
have served
no other purpose than to hasten the hour of
his doom.
We must act!"
"But how, Dick? What do you expect to=
do
in the
midst of this darkness?"
"Oh, if it was only daylight!"
sighed Joe.
"Well, and suppose it were
daylight?" said the doctor,
in a singular tone.
"Nothing more simple, doctor," s=
aid
Kennedy. "I'd
go down and scatter all these savage villa=
ins
with powder
and ball!"
"And you, Joe, what would you do?&quo=
t;
"I, master? why, I'd act more prudent=
ly,
maybe, by
telling the prisoner to make his escape in=
a
certain
direction that we'd agree upon."
"And how would you get him to know
that?"
"By means of this arrow that I caught
flying the other
day. I'd tie a note to it, or I'd just call
out to him in a
loud voice what you want him to do, because
these black
fellows don't understand the language that
you'd speak
in!"
"Your plans are impracticable, my dear
friends. The
greatest difficulty would be for this poor
fellow to escape
at all--even admitting that he should mana=
ge
to elude
the vigilance of his captors. As for you, =
my
dear Dick,
with determined daring, and profiting by t=
heir
alarm at
our fire-arms, your project might possibly
succeed; but,
were it to fail, you would be lost, and we
should have two
persons to save instead of one. No! we must
put ALL the
chances on OUR side, and go to work
differently."
"But let us act at once!" said t=
he
hunter.
"Perhaps we may," said the docto=
r,
throwing considerable
stress upon the words.
"Why, doctor, can you light up such
darkness as this?"
"Who knows, Joe?"
"Ah! if you can do that, you're the
greatest learned
man in the world!"
The doctor kept silent for a few moments; =
he
was
thinking. His two companions looked at him
with much
emotion, for they were greatly excited by =
the
strangeness
of the situation. Ferguson at last resumed=
:
"Here is my plan: We have two hundred
pounds of
ballast left, since the bags we brought wi=
th
us are still
untouched. I'll suppose that this prisoner,
who is evidently
exhausted by suffering, weighs as much as =
one
of
us; there will still remain sixty pounds of
ballast to throw
out, in case we should want to ascend
suddenly."
"How do you expect to manage the
balloon?" asked Kennedy.
"This is the idea, Dick: you will adm=
it
that if I can
get to the prisoner, and throw out a quant=
ity
of ballast,
equal to his weight, I shall have in nowise
altered the
equilibrium of the balloon. But, then, if I
want to get a
rapid ascension, so as to escape these
savages, I must
employ means more energetic than the cylin=
der.
Well,
then, in throwing out this overplus of bal=
last
at a given
moment, I am certain to rise with great
rapidity."
"That's plain enough."
"Yes; but there is one drawback: it
consists in the fact that,
in order to descend after that, I should h=
ave
to part with a
quantity of gas proportionate to the surpl=
us
ballast that I
had thrown out. Now, the gas is precious; =
but
we must not
haggle over it when the life of a
fellow-creature is at stake."
"You are right, sir; we must do every
thing in our
power to save him."
"Let us work, then, and get these bags
all arranged on
the rim of the car, so that they may be th=
rown
overboard
at one movement."
"But this darkness?"
"It hides our preparations, and will =
be
dispersed only
when they are finished. Take care to have =
all
our weapons
close at hand. Perhaps we may have to fire=
; so
we
have one shot in the rifle; four for the t=
wo
muskets;
twelve in the two revolvers; or seventeen =
in
all, which
might be fired in a quarter of a minute. B=
ut
perhaps we
shall not have to resort to all this noisy
work. Are you
ready?"
"We're ready," responded Joe.
The sacks were placed as requested, and the
arms
were put in good order.
"Very good!" said the doctor.
"Have an eye to
every thing. Joe will see to throwing out =
the
ballast,
and Dick will carry off the prisoner; but =
let
nothing be
done until I give the word. Joe will first
detach the
anchor, and then quickly make his way back=
to
the car."
Joe let himself slide down by the rope; an=
d,
in a few
moments, reappeared at his post; while the
balloon, thus
liberated, hung almost motionless in the a=
ir.
In the mean time the doctor assured himsel=
f of
the
presence of a sufficient quantity of gas in
the mixing-tank
to feed the cylinder, if necessary, without
there being any
need of resorting for some time to the Bun=
tzen
battery.
He then took out the two perfectly-isolated
conducting-wires,
which served for the decomposition of the
water, and,
searching in his travelling-sack, brought
forth two pieces
of charcoal, cut down to a sharp point, and
fixed one at
the end of each wire.
His two friends looked on, without knowing
what he
was about, but they kept perfectly silent.
When the doctor
had finished, he stood up erect in the car=
, and,
taking
the two pieces of charcoal, one in each ha=
nd,
drew their
points nearly together.
In a twinkling, an intense and dazzling li=
ght
was
produced, with an insupportable glow betwe=
en
the two
pointed ends of charcoal, and a huge jet of
electric
radiance literally broke the darkness of t=
he
night.
"Oh!" ejaculated the astonished
friends.
"Not a word!" cautioned the doct=
or.
The Jet of Light.--The Missionary.--The Re=
scue
in a Ray of Electricity.--A
Lazarist Priest.--But little Hope.--The
Doctor's Care.--A Life of Self-Denial.
--Passing a Volcano.
Dr. Ferguson darted his powerful electric =
jet
toward
various points of space, and caused it to =
rest
on a spot
from which shouts of terror were heard. His
companions
fixed their gaze eagerly on the place.
The baobab, over which the balloon was han=
ging
almost
motionless, stood in the centre of a clear=
ing,
where,
between fields of Indian-corn and sugar-ca=
ne,
were seen
some fifty low, conical huts, around which
swarmed a
numerous tribe.
A hundred feet below the balloon stood a l=
arge
post,
or stake, and at its foot lay a human bein=
g--a
young man
of thirty years or more, with long black h=
air,
half naked,
wasted and wan, bleeding, covered with wou=
nds,
his head
bowed over upon his breast, as Christ's wa=
s,
when He
hung upon the cross.
The hair, cut shorter on the top of his sk=
ull,
still
indicated the place of a half-effaced tons=
ure.
"A missionary! a priest!" exclai=
med
Joe.
"Poor, unfortunate man!" said
Kennedy.
"We must save him, Dick!" respon=
ded
the doctor;
"we must save him!"
The crowd of blacks, when they saw the bal=
loon
over
their heads, like a huge comet with a trai=
n of
dazzling
light, were seized with a terror that may =
be
readily imagined.
Upon hearing their cries, the prisoner rai=
sed
his
head. His eyes gleamed with sudden hope, a=
nd,
without
too thoroughly comprehending what was taki=
ng
place, he
stretched out his hands to his unexpected
deliverers.
"He is alive!" exclaimed Ferguso=
n.
"God be praised!
The savages have got a fine scare, and we
shall save him!
Are you ready, friends?"
"Ready, doctor, at the word."
"Joe, shut off the cylinder!"
The doctor's order was executed. An almost
imperceptible
breath of air impelled the balloon directly
over
the prisoner, at the same time that it gen=
tly
lowered with
the contraction of the gas. For about ten
minutes it remained
floating in the midst of luminous waves, f=
or
Ferguson
continued to flash right down upon the thr=
ong
his
glowing sheaf of rays, which, here and the=
re,
marked out
swift and vivid sheets of light. The tribe,
under the
influence of an indescribable terror,
disappeared little by
little in the huts, and there was complete
solitude around
the stake. The doctor had, therefore, been
right in counting
upon the fantastic appearance of the ballo=
on
throwing
out rays, as vivid as the sun's, through t=
his
intense gloom.
The car was approaching the ground; but a =
few
of the
savages, more audacious than the rest,
guessing that their
victim was about to escape from their
clutches, came back
with loud yells, and Kennedy seized his ri=
fle.
The doctor,
however, besought him not to fire.
The priest, on his knees, for he had not t=
he
strength to
stand erect, was not even fastened to the
stake, his weakness
rendering that precaution superfluous. At =
the
instant
when the car was close to the ground, the
brawny Scot,
laying aside his rifle, and seizing the pr=
iest
around the
waist, lifted him into the car, while, at =
the
same moment,
Joe tossed over the two hundred pounds of
ballast.
The doctor had expected to ascend rapidly,
but, contrary
to his calculations, the balloon, after go=
ing
up some
three or four feet, remained there perfect=
ly
motionless.
"What holds us?" he asked, with =
an
accent of terror.
Some of the savages were running toward th=
em,
uttering
ferocious cries.
"Ah, ha!" said Joe, "one of
those cursed blacks is
hanging to the car!"
"Dick! Dick!" cried the doctor,
"the water-tank!"
Kennedy caught his friend's idea on the
instant, and,
snatching up with desperate strength one of
the water-tanks
weighing about one hundred pounds, he toss=
ed
it
overboard. The balloon, thus suddenly
lightened, made a
leap of three hundred feet into the air, a=
mid
the howlings
of the tribe whose prisoner thus escaped t=
hem
in a blaze
of dazzling light.
"Hurrah!" shouted the doctor's
comrades.
Suddenly, the balloon took a fresh leap, w=
hich
carried
it up to an elevation of a thousand feet.<= o:p>
"What's that?" said Kennedy, who=
had
nearly lost
his balance.
"Oh! nothing; only that black villain
leaving us!"
replied the doctor, tranquilly, and Joe,
leaning over, saw
the savage that had clung to the car whirl=
ing
over and
over, with his arms outstretched in the ai=
r,
and presently
dashed to pieces on the ground. The doctor
then separated
his electric wires, and every thing was ag=
ain
buried
in profound obscurity. It was now one o'cl=
ock
in the
morning.
The Frenchman, who had swooned away, at le=
ngth
opened his eyes.
"You are saved!" were the doctor=
's
first words.
"Saved!" he with a sad smile rep=
lied
in English,
"saved from a cruel death! My brethre=
n, I
thank you,
but my days are numbered, nay, even my hou=
rs,
and I
have but little longer to live."
With this, the missionary, again yielding =
to
exhaustion,
relapsed into his fainting-fit.
"He is dying!" said Kennedy.
"No," replied the doctor, bending
over him, "but he
is very weak; so let us lay him under the
awning."
And they did gently deposit on their blank=
ets
that
poor, wasted body, covered with scars and
wounds, still
bleeding where fire and steel had, in twen=
ty
places, left
their agonizing marks. The doctor, taking =
an
old handkerchief,
quickly prepared a little lint, which he
spread
over the wounds, after having washed them.
These rapid
attentions were bestowed with the celerity=
and
skill of a
practised surgeon, and, when they were com=
plete,
the doctor,
taking a cordial from his medicine-chest,
poured a few
drops upon his patient's lips.
The latter feebly pressed his kind hands, =
and
scarcely
had the strength to say, "Thank you!
thank you!"
The doctor comprehended that he must be le=
ft perfectly
quiet; so he closed the folds of the awning
and resumed
the guidance of the balloon.
The latter, after taking into account the
weight of the
new passenger, had been lightened of one
hundred and
eighty pounds, and therefore kept aloft
without the aid of
the cylinder. At the first dawn of day, a
current drove it
gently toward the west-northwest. The doct=
or
went in
under the awning for a moment or two, to l=
ook
at his still
sleeping patient.
"May Heaven spare the life of our new
companion!
Have you any hope?" said the Scot.
"Yes, Dick, with care, in this pure,
fresh atmosphere."
"How that man has suffered!" said
Joe, with feeling.
"He did bolder things than we've done=
, in
venturing all
alone among those savage tribes!"
"That cannot be questioned," ass=
ented
the hunter.
During the entire day the doctor would not
allow the
sleep of his patient to be disturbed. It w=
as
really a long
stupor, broken only by an occasional murmu=
r of
pain that
continued to disquiet and agitate the doct=
or
greatly.
Toward evening the balloon remained statio=
nary
in the
midst of the gloom, and during the night,
while Kennedy
and Joe relieved each other in carefully
tending the sick
man, Ferguson kept watch over the safety of
all.
By the morning of the next day, the balloon
had moved,
but very slightly, to the westward. The da=
wn
came up
pure and magnificent. The sick man was abl=
e to
call his
friends with a stronger voice. They raised=
the
curtains
of the awning, and he inhaled with delight=
the
keen
morning air.
"How do you feel to-day?" asked =
the
doctor.
"Better, perhaps," he replied.
"But you, my friends,
I have not seen you yet, excepting in a dr=
eam!
I can,
indeed, scarcely recall what has occurred.=
Who
are you
--that your names may not be forgotten in =
my
dying
prayers?"
"We are English travellers," rep=
lied
Ferguson. "We
are trying to cross Africa in a balloon, a=
nd,
on our way,
we have had the good fortune to rescue
you."
"Science has its heroes," said t=
he
missionary.
"But religion its martyrs!" rejo=
ined
the Scot.
"Are you a missionary?" asked the
doctor.
"I am a priest of the Lazarist missio=
n.
Heaven sent
you to me--Heaven be praised! The sacrific=
e of
my life
had been accomplished! But you come from
Europe;
tell me about Europe, about France! I have
been without
news for the last five years!"
"Five years! alone! and among these
savages!" exclaimed
Kennedy with amazement.
"They are souls to redeem! ignorant a=
nd
barbarous
brethren, whom religion alone can instruct=
and
civilize."
Dr. Ferguson, yielding to the priest's req=
uest,
talked
to him long and fully about France. He
listened eagerly,
and his eyes filled with tears. He seized
Kennedy's and
Joe's hands by turns in his own, which were
burning with
fever. The doctor prepared him some tea, a=
nd
he drank
it with satisfaction. After that, he had
strength enough
to raise himself up a little, and smiled w=
ith
pleasure at
seeing himself borne along through so pure=
a
sky.
"You are daring travellers!" he
said, "and you will
succeed in your bold enterprise. You will
again behold
your relatives, your friends, your
country--you--"
At this moment, the weakness of the young
missionary
became so extreme that they had to lay him
again on the
bed, where a prostration, lasting for seve=
ral
hours, held
him like a dead man under the eye of Dr. F=
erguson.
The
latter could not suppress his emotion, for=
he
felt that this
life now in his charge was ebbing away. We=
re
they then
so soon to lose him whom they had snatched
from an
agonizing death? The doctor again washed a=
nd
dressed
the young martyr's frightful wounds, and h=
ad
to sacrifice
nearly his whole stock of water to refresh=
his
burning
limbs. He surrounded him with the tenderest
and most
intelligent care, until, at length, the si=
ck
man revived,
little by little, in his arms, and recover=
ed
his consciousness
if not his strength.
The doctor was able to gather something of=
his
history
from his broken murmurs.
"Speak in your native language,"=
he
said to the sufferer;
"I understand it, and it will fatigue=
you
less."
The missionary was a poor young man from t=
he
village
of Aradon, in Brittany, in the Morbihan
country. His
earliest instincts had drawn him toward an
ecclesiastical
career, but to this life of self-sacrifice=
he
was also desirous
of joining a life of danger, by entering t=
he
mission of the
order of priesthood of which St. Vincent de
Paul was the
founder, and, at twenty, he quitted his
country for the
inhospitable shores of Africa. From the
sea-coast, overcoming
obstacles, little by little, braving all
privations,
pushing onward, afoot, and praying, he had
advanced to
the very centre of those tribes that dwell
among the tributary
streams of the Upper Nile. For two years h=
is
faith
was spurned, his zeal denied recognition, =
his
charities
taken in ill part, and he remained a priso=
ner
to one of the
cruelest tribes of the Nyambarra, the obje=
ct
of every
species of maltreatment. But still he went=
on
teaching,
instructing, and praying. The tribe having
been dispersed
and he left for dead, in one of those comb=
ats
which
are so frequent between the tribes, instea=
d of
retracing his
steps, he persisted in his evangelical
mission. His most
tranquil time was when he was taken for a
madman.
Meanwhile, he had made himself familiar wi=
th
the idioms
of the country, and he catechised in them.=
At
length,
during two more long years, he traversed t=
hese
barbarous
regions, impelled by that superhuman energy
that comes
from God. For a year past he had been resi=
ding
with
that tribe of the Nyam-Nyams known as the
Barafri,
one of the wildest and most ferocious of t=
hem
all. The
chief having died a few days before our
travellers appeared,
his sudden death was attributed to the
missionary, and
the tribe resolved to immolate him. His
sufferings had
already continued for the space of forty
hours, and, as the
doctor had supposed, he was to have perish=
ed
in the blaze
of the noonday sun. When he heard the soun=
d of
fire-arms,
nature got the best of him, and he had cri=
ed
out, "Help!
help!" He then thought that he must h=
ave
been dreaming,
when a voice, that seemed to come from the
sky, had
uttered words of consolation.
"I have no regrets," he said,
"for the life that is passing
away from me; my life belongs to God!"=
;
"Hope still!" said the doctor;
"we are near you, and
we will save you now, as we saved you from=
the
tortures
of the stake."
"I do not ask so much of Heaven,"
said the priest,
with resignation. "Blessed be God for
having vouchsafed
to me the joy before I die of having press=
ed
your friendly
hands, and having heard, once more, the
language of my
country!"
The missionary here grew weak again, and t=
he
whole
day went by between hope and fear, Kennedy
deeply
moved, and Joe drawing his hand over his e=
yes
more
than once when he thought that no one saw =
him.
The balloon made little progress, and the =
wind
seemed
as though unwilling to jostle its precious
burden.
Toward evening, Joe discovered a great lig=
ht
in the
west. Under more elevated latitudes, it mi=
ght
have been
mistaken for an immense aurora borealis, f=
or
the sky
appeared on fire. The doctor very attentiv=
ely
examined
the phenomenon.
"It is, perhaps, only a volcano in fu=
ll
activity," said he.
"But the wind is carrying us directly
over it," replied
Kennedy.
"Very well, we shall cross it then at=
a
safe height!"
said the doctor.
Three hours later, the Victoria was right
among the
mountains. Her exact position was twenty-f=
our
degrees
fifteen minutes east longitude, and four
degrees forty-two
minutes north latitude, and four degrees
forty-two
minutes north latitude. In front of her a
volcanic crater
was pouring forth torrents of melted lava,=
and
hurling
masses of rock to an enormous height. There
were jets,
too, of liquid fire that fell back in dazz=
ling
cascades--a
superb but dangerous spectacle, for the wi=
nd
with unswerving
certainty was carrying the balloon directly
toward this
blazing atmosphere.
This obstacle, which could not be turned, =
had
to be
crossed, so the cylinder was put to its ut=
most
power, and
the balloon rose to the height of six thou=
sand
feet, leaving
between it and the volcano a space of more
than three
hundred fathoms.
From his bed of suffering, the dying
missionary could
contemplate that fiery crater from which a
thousand jets
of dazzling flame were that moment escapin=
g.
"How grand it is!" said he,
"and how infinite is the
power of God even in its most terrible
manifestations!"
This overflow of blazing lava wrapped the
sides of the
mountain with a veritable drapery of flame;
the lower
half of the balloon glowed redly in the up=
per
night; a
torrid heat ascended to the car, and Dr.
Ferguson made
all possible haste to escape from this
perilous situation.
By ten o'clock the volcano could be seen o=
nly
as a red
point on the horizon, and the balloon
tranquilly pursued
her course in a less elevated zone of the
atmosphere.
Joe in a Fit of Rage.--The Death of a Good
Man.--The Night of watching
by the Body.--Barrenness and Drought.--The
Burial.--The Quartz Rocks.
--Joe's Hallucinations.--A Precious
Ballast.--A Survey of the Gold-bearing
Mountains.--The Beginning of Joe's Despair=
.
A magnificent night overspread the earth, =
and
the
missionary lay quietly asleep in utter
exhaustion.
"He'll not get over it!" sighed =
Joe.
"Poor young
fellow--scarcely thirty years of age!"=
;
"He'll die in our arms. His breathing,
which was so
feeble before, is growing weaker still, an=
d I
can do nothing
to save him," said the doctor,
despairingly.
"The infamous scoundrels!" excla=
imed
Joe, grinding
his teeth, in one of those fits of rage th=
at
came over him
at long intervals; "and to think that=
, in
spite of all, this
good man could find words only to pity the=
m,
to excuse,
to pardon them!"
"Heaven has given him a lovely night,
Joe--his last
on earth, perhaps! He will suffer but litt=
le
more after
this, and his dying will be only a peaceful
falling asleep."
The dying man uttered some broken words, a=
nd
the
doctor at once went to him. His breathing
became difficult,
and he asked for air. The curtains were dr=
awn
entirely back, and he inhaled with rapture=
the
light
breezes of that clear, beautiful night. The
stars sent
him their trembling rays, and the moon wra=
pped
him in
the white winding-sheet of its effulgence.=
"My friends," said he, in an
enfeebled voice, "I am
going. May God requite you, and bring you =
to
your safe
harbor! May he pay for me the debt of
gratitude that I
owe to you!"
"You must still hope," replied
Kennedy. "This is
but a passing fit of weakness. You will not
die. How
could any one die on this beautiful summer
night?"
"Death is at hand," replied the
missionary, "I know
it! Let me look it in the face! Death, the
commencement
of things eternal, is but the end of earth=
ly
cares.
Place me upon my knees, my brethren, I bes=
eech
you!"
Kennedy lifted him up, and it was distress=
ing
to see
his weakened limbs bend under him.
"My God! my God!" exclaimed the
dying apostle,
"have pity on me!"
His countenance shone. Far above that eart=
h on
which he had known no joys; in the midst of
that night
which sent to him its softest radiance; on=
the
way to
that heaven toward which he uplifted his
spirit, as though
in a miraculous assumption, he seemed alre=
ady
to live and
breathe in the new existence.
His last gesture was a supreme blessing on=
his
new
friends of only one day. Then he fell back
into the arms
of Kennedy, whose countenance was bathed in
hot tears.
"Dead!" said the doctor, bending
over him, "dead!"
And with one common accord, the three frie=
nds
knelt
together in silent prayer.
"To-morrow," resumed the doctor,
"we shall bury him in the
African soil which he has besprinkled with=
his
blood."
During the rest of the night the body was
watched,
turn by turn, by the three travellers, and=
not
a word
disturbed the solemn silence. Each of them=
was
weeping.
The next day the wind came from the south,=
and
the
balloon moved slowly over a vast plateau of
mountains:
there, were extinct craters; here, barren
ravines; not a
drop of water on those parched crests; pil=
es
of broken
rocks; huge stony masses scattered hither =
and
thither,
and, interspersed with whitish marl, all
indicated the most
complete sterility.
Toward noon, the doctor, for the purpose o=
f burying
the body, decided to descend into a ravine=
, in
the midst
of some plutonic rocks of primitive format=
ion.
The surrounding
mountains would shelter him, and enable hi=
m to
bring his car to the ground, for there was=
no
tree in sight
to which he could make it fast.
But, as he had explained to Kennedy, it was
now impossible
for him to descend, except by releasing a
quantity
of gas proportionate to his loss of ballas=
t at
the time when
he had rescued the missionary. He therefore
opened the
valve of the outside balloon. The hydrogen
escaped, and
the Victoria quietly descended into the
ravine.
As soon as the car touched the ground, the
doctor
shut the valve. Joe leaped out, holding on=
the
while to
the rim of the car with one hand, and with=
the
other
gathering up a quantity of stones equal to=
his
own weight.
He could then use both hands, and had soon
heaped into
the car more than five hundred pounds of
stones, which
enabled both the doctor and Kennedy, in th=
eir
turn, to
get out. Thus the Victoria found herself b=
alanced,
and
her ascensional force insufficient to raise
her.
Moreover, it was not necessary to gather m=
any
of
these stones, for the blocks were extremely
heavy, so much
so, indeed, that the doctor's attention was
attracted by
the circumstance. The soil, in fact, was
bestrewn with
quartz and porphyritic rocks.
"This is a singular discovery!" =
said
the doctor, mentally.
In the mean while, Kennedy and Joe had
strolled away
a few paces, looking up a proper spot for =
the
grave. The
heat was extreme in this ravine, shut in a=
s it
was like a
sort of furnace. The noonday sun poured do=
wn
its rays
perpendicularly into it.
The first thing to be done was to clear the
surface of
the fragments of rock that encumbered it, =
and
then a
quite deep grave had to be dug, so that the
wild animals
should not be able to disinter the corpse.=
The body of the martyred missionary was th=
en
solemnly placed in it. The earth was throw=
n in
over
his remains, and above it masses of rock w=
ere
deposited,
in rude resemblance to a tomb.
The doctor, however, remained motionless, =
and
lost in
his reflections. He did not even heed the =
call
of his
companions, nor did he return with them to
seek a shelter
from the heat of the day.
"What are you thinking about,
doctor?" asked Kennedy.
"About a singular freak of Nature, a
curious effect of
chance. Do you know, now, in what kind of =
soil
that
man of self-denial, that poor one in spiri=
t,
has just been
buried?"
"No! what do you mean, doctor?"<= o:p>
"That priest, who took the oath of
perpetual poverty,
now reposes in a gold-mine!"
"A gold-mine!" exclaimed Kennedy=
and
Joe in one breath.
"Yes, a gold-mine," said the doc=
tor,
quietly. "Those
blocks which you are trampling under foot,
like worthless
stones, contain gold-ore of great
purity."
"Impossible! impossible!" repeat=
ed
Joe.
"You would not have to look long among
those
fissures of slaty schist without finding
peptites
of considerable value."
Joe at once rushed like a crazy man among =
the
scattered
fragments, and Kennedy was not long in
following
his example.
"Keep cool, Joe," said his maste=
r.
"Why, doctor, you speak of the thing
quite at your ease."
"What! a philosopher of your
mettle--"
"Ah, master, no philosophy holds good=
in
this case!"
"Come! come! Let us reflect a little.
What good
would all this wealth do you? We cannot ca=
rry
any of
it away with us."
"We can't take any of it with us,
indeed?"
"It's rather too heavy for our car! I
even hesitated
to tell you any thing about it, for fear of
exciting your
regret!"
"What!" said Joe, again,
"abandon these treasures
--a fortune for us!--really for us--our
own--leave it
behind!"
"Take care, my friend! Would you yiel=
d to
the thirst
for gold? Has not this dead man whom you h=
ave
just
helped to bury, taught you the vanity of h=
uman
affairs?"
"All that is true," replied Joe,
"but gold! Mr. Kennedy,
won't you help to gather up a trifle of all
these
millions?"
"What could we do with them, Joe?&quo=
t;
said the hunter,
unable to repress a smile. "We did not
come hither in
search of fortune, and we cannot take one =
home
with us."
"The millions are rather heavy, you
know," resumed
the doctor, "and cannot very easily be
put into one's
pocket."
"But, at least," said Joe, drive=
n to
his last defences,
"couldn't we take some of that ore for
ballast, instead of
sand?"
"Very good! I consent," said the
doctor, "but you
must not make too many wry faces when we c=
ome
to
throw some thousands of crowns' worth
overboard."
"Thousands of crowns!" echoed Jo=
e;
"is it possible
that there is so much gold in them, and th=
at
all this is
the same?"
"Yes, my friend, this is a reservoir =
in
which Nature
has been heaping up her wealth for centuri=
es!
There is
enough here to enrich whole nations! An
Australia and
a California both together in the midst of=
the
wilderness!"
"And the whole of it is to remain
useless!"
"Perhaps! but at all events, here's w=
hat
I'll do to
console you."
"That would be rather difficult to
do!" said Joe, with
a contrite air.
"Listen! I will take the exact bearin=
gs
of this spot,
and give them to you, so that, upon your r=
eturn
to England,
you can tell our countrymen about it, and =
let
them have a
share, if you think that so much gold would
make them
happy."
"Ah! master, I give up; I see that you
are right, and
that there is nothing else to be done. Let=
us
fill our car
with the precious mineral, and what remain=
s at
the end of
the trip will be so much made."
And Joe went to work. He did so, too, with=
all
his
might, and soon had collected more than a
thousand pieces
of quartz, which contained gold enclosed as
though in an
extremely hard crystal casket.
The doctor watched him with a smile; and,
while Joe
went on, he took the bearings, and found t=
hat
the missionary's
grave lay in twenty-two degrees twenty-thr=
ee
minutes east
longitude, and four degrees fifty-five min=
utes
north latitude.
Then, casting one glance at the swelling of
the soil,
beneath which the body of the poor Frenchm=
an
reposed,
he went back to his car.
He would have erected a plain, rude cross =
over
the
tomb, left solitary thus in the midst of t=
he
African deserts,
but not a tree was to be seen in the envir=
ons.
"God will recognize it!" said
Kennedy.
An anxiety of another sort now began to st=
eal
over
the doctor's mind. He would have given muc=
h of
the
gold before him for a little water--for he=
had
to replace
what had been thrown overboard when the ne=
gro
was
carried up into the air. But it was imposs=
ible
to find it
in these arid regions; and this reflection
gave him great
uneasiness. He had to feed his cylinder
continually; and
he even began to find that he had not enou=
gh
to quench
the thirst of his party. Therefore he
determined to lose
no opportunity of replenishing his supply.=
Upon getting back to the car, he found it
burdened
with the quartz-blocks that Joe's greed had
heaped in it.
He got in, however, without saying any thi=
ng.
Kennedy
took his customary place, and Joe followed,
but not without
casting a covetous glance at the treasures=
in
the ravine.
The doctor rekindled the light in the
cylinder; the
spiral became heated; the current of hydro=
gen
came in a
few minutes, and the gas dilated; but the
balloon did not
stir an inch.
Joe looked on uneasily, but kept silent.
"Joe!" said the doctor.
Joe made no reply.
"Joe! Don't you hear me?"
Joe made a sign that he heard; but he would
not understand.
"Do me the kindness to throw out some=
of
that quartz!"
"But, doctor, you gave me leave--&quo=
t;
"I gave you leave to replace the ball=
ast;
that was all!"
"But--"
"Do you want to stay forever in this
desert?"
Joe cast a despairing look at Kennedy; but=
the
hunter
put on the air of a man who could do nothi=
ng
in the
matter.
"Well, Joe?"
"Then your cylinder don't work,"
said the obstinate
fellow.
"My cylinder? It is lit, as you perce=
ive.
But the
balloon will not rise until you have thrown
off a little
ballast."
Joe scratched his ear, picked up a piece of
quartz, the
smallest in the lot, weighed and reweighed=
it,
and tossed
it up and down in his hand. It was a fragm=
ent
of about
three or four pounds. At last he threw it =
out.
But the balloon did not budge.
"Humph!" said he; "we're not
going up yet."
"Not yet," said the doctor.
"Keep on throwing."
Kennedy laughed. Joe now threw out some ten
pounds,
but the balloon stood still.
Joe got very pale.
"Poor fellow!" said the doctor.
"Mr. Kennedy, you
and I weigh, unless I am mistaken, about f=
our
hundred
pounds--so that you'll have to get rid of =
at
least that
weight, since it was put in here to make up
for us."
"Throw away four hundred pounds!"
said Joe, piteously.
"And some more with it, or we can't r=
ise.
Come,
courage, Joe!"
The brave fellow, heaving deep sighs, bega=
n at
last to
lighten the balloon; but, from time to tim=
e,
he would stop,
and ask:
"Are you going up?"
"No, not yet," was the invariable
response.
"It moves!" said he, at last.
"Keep on!" replied the doctor.
"It's going up; I'm sure."
"Keep on yet," said Kennedy.
And Joe, picking up one more block,
desperately tossed it out
of the car. The balloon rose a hundred fee=
t or
so, and, aided
by the cylinder, soon passed above the
surrounding summits.
"Now, Joe," resumed the doctor,
"there still remains
a handsome fortune for you; and, if we can
only keep the
rest of this with us until the end of our
trip, there you
are--rich for the balance of your days!&qu=
ot;
Joe made no answer, but stretched himself =
out
luxuriously
on his heap of quartz.
"See, my dear Dick!" the doctor =
went
on. "Just see
the power of this metal over the cleverest=
lad
in the world!
What passions, what greed, what crimes, the
knowledge
of such a mine as that would cause! It is =
sad
to think
of it!"
By evening the balloon had made ninety mil=
es
to the
westward, and was, in a direct line, fourt=
een
hundred miles
from Zanzibar.
The Wind dies away.--The Vicinity of the
Desert.--The Mistake in the
Water-Supply.--The Nights of the Equator.-=
-Dr.
Ferguson's Anxieties.
--The Situation flatly stated.--Energetic
Replies of Kennedy and Joe.
--One Night more.
The balloon, having been made fast to a
solitary tree,
almost completely dried up by the aridity =
of
the region
in which it stood, passed the night in per=
fect
quietness;
and the travellers were enabled to enjoy a
little of the
repose which they so greatly needed. The
emotions of
the day had left sad impressions on their
minds.
Toward morning, the sky had resumed its
brilliant
purity and its heat. The balloon ascended,
and, after
several ineffectual attempts, fell into a
current that,
although not rapid, bore them toward the
northwest.
"We are not making progress," sa=
id
the doctor. "If
I am not mistaken, we have accomplished ne=
arly
half of
our journey in ten days; but, at the rate =
at
which we are
going, it would take months to end it; and
that is all the
more vexatious, that we are threatened wit=
h a
lack of
water."
"But we'll find some," said Joe.
"It is not to be
thought of that we shouldn't discover some
river, some
stream, or pond, in all this vast extent of
country."
"I hope so."
"Now don't you think that it's Joe's
cargo of stone
that is keeping us back?"
Kennedy asked this question only to tease =
Joe;
and
he did so the more willingly because he ha=
d,
for a moment,
shared the poor lad's hallucinations; but,=
not
finding any
thing in them, he had fallen back into the
attitude of a
strong-minded looker-on, and turned the af=
fair
off with a
laugh.
Joe cast a mournful glance at him; but the
doctor
made no reply. He was thinking, not without
secret terror,
probably, of the vast solitudes of Sahara-=
-for
there
whole weeks sometimes pass without the
caravans meeting
with a single spring of water. Occupied wi=
th
these
thoughts, he scrutinized every depression =
of
the soil with
the closest attention.
These anxieties, and the incidents recently
occurring,
had not been without their effect upon the
spirits of our
three travellers. They conversed less, and
were more
wrapt in their own thoughts.
Joe, clever lad as he was, seemed no longer
the same
person since his gaze had plunged into that
ocean of gold.
He kept entirely silent, and gazed incessa=
ntly
upon the
stony fragments heaped up in the
car--worthless to-day,
but of inestimable value to-morrow.
The appearance of this part of Africa was,
moreover,
quite calculated to inspire alarm: the des=
ert
was gradually
expanding around them; not another village=
was
to be seen--not even a collection of a few
huts; and
vegetation also was disappearing. Barely a=
few
dwarf
plants could now be noticed, like those on=
the
wild heaths
of Scotland; then came the first tract of
grayish sand and
flint, with here and there a lentisk tree =
and
brambles.
In the midst of this sterility, the rudime=
ntal
carcass of the
Globe appeared in ridges of sharply-jutting
rock. These
symptoms of a totally dry and barren region
greatly
disquieted Dr. Ferguson.
It seemed as though no caravan had ever br=
aved
this
desert expanse, or it would have left visi=
ble
traces of its
encampments, or the whitened bones of men =
and
animals.
But nothing of the kind was to be seen, and
the aeronauts
felt that, ere long, an immensity of sand
would cover the
whole of this desolate region.
However, there was no going back; they mus=
t go
forward;
and, indeed, the doctor asked for nothing
better;
he would even have welcomed a tempest to c=
arry
him beyond
this country. But, there was not a cloud in
the sky.
At the close of the day, the balloon had n=
ot
made thirty
miles.
If there had been no lack of water! But, t=
here
remained
only three gallons in all! The doctor put
aside
one gallon, destined to quench the burning
thirst that a
heat of ninety degrees rendered intolerabl=
e.
Two gallons
only then remained to supply the cylinder.
Hence, they
could produce no more than four hundred and
eighty cubic
feet of gas; yet the cylinder consumed abo=
ut
nine cubic
feet per hour. Consequently, they could not
keep on
longer than fifty-four hours--and all this=
was
a
mathematical calculation!
"Fifty-four hours!" said the doc=
tor
to his companions.
"Therefore, as I am determined not to
travel by night, for
fear of passing some stream or pool, we ha=
ve
but three
days and a half of journeying during which=
we
must find
water, at all hazards. I have thought it my
duty to make
you aware of the real state of the case, a=
s I
have retained
only one gallon for drinking, and we shall
have to put
ourselves on the shortest allowance."=
"Put us on short allowance, then,
doctor," responded
Kennedy, "but we must not despair. We
have three days
left, you say?"
"Yes, my dear Dick!"
"Well, as grieving over the matter wo=
n't
help us, in
three days there will be time enough to de=
cide
upon what
is to be done; in the meanwhile, let us
redouble our
vigilance!"
At their evening meal, the water was stric=
tly
measured
out, and the brandy was increased in quant=
ity
in the punch
they drank. But they had to be careful with
the spirits,
the latter being more likely to produce th=
an
to quench
thirst.
The car rested, during the night, upon an
immense
plateau, in which there was a deep hollow;=
its
height was
scarcely eight hundred feet above the leve=
l of
the sea.
This circumstance gave the doctor some hop=
e,
since it recalled
to his mind the conjectures of geographers
concerning
the existence of a vast stretch of water in
the centre
of Africa. But, if such a lake really exis=
ted,
the point was
to reach it, and not a sign of change was
visible in the
motionless sky.
To the tranquil night and its starry
magnificence succeeded
the unchanging daylight and the blazing ra=
ys
of
the sun; and, from the earliest dawn, the
temperature became
scorching. At five o'clock in the morning,=
the
doctor
gave the signal for departure, and, for a
considerable
time, the balloon remained immovable in the
leaden
atmosphere.
The doctor might have escaped this intense
heat by
rising into a higher range, but, in order =
to
do so, he would
have had to consume a large quantity of wa=
ter,
a thing
that had now become impossible. He content=
ed
himself,
therefore, with keeping the balloon at one
hundred feet
from the ground, and, at that elevation, a
feeble current
drove it toward the western horizon.
The breakfast consisted of a little dried =
meat
and pemmican.
By noon, the Victoria had advanced only a =
few
miles.
"We cannot go any faster," said =
the
doctor; "we no
longer command--we have to obey."
"Ah! doctor, here is one of those
occasions when a
propeller would not be a thing to be
despised."
"Undoubtedly so, Dick, provided it wo=
uld
not require
an expenditure of water to put it in motio=
n,
for, in that
case, the situation would be precisely the
same; moreover,
up to this time, nothing practical of the =
sort
has been
invented. Balloons are still at that point
where ships were
before the invention of steam. It took six
thousand years
to invent propellers and screws; so we have
time enough yet."
"Confounded heat!" said Joe, wip=
ing
away the perspiration
that was streaming from his forehead.
"If we had water, this heat would be =
of
service to us,
for it dilates the hydrogen in the balloon,
and diminishes
the amount required in the spiral, althoug=
h it
is true that,
if we were not short of the useful liquid,=
we
should not
have to economize it. Ah! that rascally sa=
vage
who cost
us the tank!"*
* The water-tank had been thrown overboard
when the native
clung to the car.
"You don't regret, though, what you d=
id,
doctor?"
"No, Dick, since it was in our power =
to
save that unfortunate
missionary from a horrible death. But, the
hundred pounds of
water that we threw overboard would be very
useful to us now;
it would be thirteen or fourteen days more=
of
progress secured,
or quite enough to carry us over this
desert."
"We've made at least half the journey,
haven't we?"
asked Joe.
"In distance, yes; but in duration, n=
o,
should the wind
leave us; and it, even now, has a tendency=
to
die away
altogether."
"Come, sir," said Joe, again,
"we must not complain;
we've got along pretty well, thus far, and
whatever
happens to me, I can't get desperate. We'll
find water;
mind, I tell you so."
The soil, however, ran lower from mile to
mile; the
undulations of the gold-bearing mountains =
they
had left
died away into the plain, like the last th=
roes
of exhausted
Nature. Scanty grass took the place of the
fine trees of
the east; only a few belts of half-scorched
herbage still
contended against the invasion of the sand,
and the huge
rocks, that had rolled down from the dista=
nt
summits,
crushed in their fall, had scattered in
sharp-edged pebbles
which soon again became coarse sand, and
finally impalpable dust.
"Here, at last, is Africa, such as you
pictured it to
yourself, Joe! Was I not right in saying,
'Wait a
little?' eh?"
"Well, master, it's all natural, at
least--heat and dust.
It would be foolish to look for any thing =
else
in such a
country. Do you see," he added, laugh=
ing,
"I had no
confidence, for my part, in your forests a=
nd
your prairies;
they were out of reason. What was the use =
of
coming
so far to find scenery just like England?
Here's the first
time that I believe in Africa, and I'm not
sorry to get a
taste of it."
Toward evening, the doctor calculated that=
the
balloon
had not made twenty miles during that whole
burning day,
and a heated gloom closed in upon it, as s=
oon
as the sun
had disappeared behind the horizon, which =
was
traced
against the sky with all the precision of a
straight line.
The next day was Thursday, the 1st of May,=
but
the
days followed each other with desperate
monotony. Each
morning was like the one that had preceded=
it;
noon
poured down the same exhaustless rays, and
night condensed
in its shadow the scattered heat which the=
ensuing
day would again bequeath to the succeeding
night. The
wind, now scarcely observable, was rather a
gasp than a
breath, and the morning could almost be
foreseen when
even that gasp would cease.
The doctor reacted against the gloominess =
of
the situation
and retained all the coolness and
self-possession of a
disciplined heart. With his glass he
scrutinized every
quarter of the horizon; he saw the last ri=
sing
ground
gradually melting to the dead level, and t=
he
last vegetation
disappearing, while, before him, stretched=
the
immensity
of the desert.
The responsibility resting upon him pressed
sorely, but
he did not allow his disquiet to appear. T=
hose
two men,
Dick and Joe, friends of his, both of them=
, he
had induced
to come with him almost by the force alone=
of
friendship
and of duty. Had he done well in that? Was=
it
not like
attempting to tread forbidden paths? Was he
not, in
this trip, trying to pass the borders of t=
he
impossible?
Had not the Almighty reserved for later ag=
es
the knowledge
of this inhospitable continent?
All these thoughts, of the kind that arise=
in
hours of
discouragement, succeeded each other and
multiplied in
his mind, and, by an irresistible associat=
ion
of ideas, the
doctor allowed himself to be carried beyond
the bounds
of logic and of reason. After having
established in his
own mind what he should NOT have done, the
next
question was, what he should do, then. Wou=
ld
it be impossible
to retrace his steps? Were there not curre=
nts
higher up
that would waft him to less arid regions? =
Well
informed
with regard to the countries over which he=
had
passed, he
was utterly ignorant of those to come, and
thus his conscience
speaking aloud to him, he resolved, in his
turn, to
speak frankly to his two companions. He
thereupon
laid the whole state of the case plainly
before them; he
showed them what had been done, and what t=
here
was
yet to do; at the worst, they could return=
, or
attempt it, at
least.--What did they think about it?
"I have no other opinion than that of=
my
excellent
master," said Joe; "what he may =
have
to suffer, I can
suffer, and that better than he can, perha=
ps.
Where he
goes, there I'll go!"
"And you, Kennedy?"
"I, doctor, I'm not the man to despai=
r;
no one was
less ignorant than I of the perils of the
enterprise, but I
did not want to see them, from the moment =
that
you
determined to brave them. Under present
circumstances,
my opinion is, that we should persevere--go
clear to the
end. Besides, to return looks to me quite =
as
perilous as
the other course. So onward, then! you may
count upon us!"
"Thanks, my gallant friends!"
replied the doctor,
with much real feeling, "I expected s=
uch
devotion as this;
but I needed these encouraging words. Yet,
once again,
thank you, from the bottom of my heart!&qu=
ot;
And, with this, the three friends warmly g=
rasped
each
other by the hand.
"Now, hear me!" said the doctor.
"According to
my solar observations, we are not more than
three hundred
miles from the Gulf of Guinea; the desert,
therefore,
cannot extend indefinitely, since the coas=
t is
inhabited, and
the country has been explored for some
distance back into
the interior. If needs be, we can direct o=
ur
course to that
quarter, and it seems out of the question =
that
we should
not come across some oasis, or some well,
where we could
replenish our stock of water. But, what we
want now, is
the wind, for without it we are held here
suspended in the
air at a dead calm.
"Let us wait with resignation," =
said
the hunter.
But, each of the party, in his turn, vainly
scanned the
space around him during that long wearisome
day. Nothing
could be seen to form the basis of a hope.=
The
very
last inequalities of the soil disappeared =
with
the setting
sun, whose horizontal rays stretched in lo=
ng
lines of fire
over the flat immensity. It was the Desert=
!
Our aeronauts had scarcely gone a distance=
of
fifteen
miles, having expended, as on the preceding
day, one
hundred and thirty-five cubic feet of gas =
to
feed the
cylinder, and two pints of water out of the
remaining
eight had been sacrificed to the demands of
intense thirst.
The night passed quietly--too quietly, ind=
eed,
but the
doctor did not sleep!
A Little Philosophy.--A Cloud on the
Horizon.--In the Midst of a Fog.--The
Strange Balloon.--An Exact View of the
Victoria.--The Palm-Trees.--Traces
of a Caravan.--The Well in the Midst of the
Desert.
On the morrow, there was the same purity of
sky, the
same stillness of the atmosphere. The ball=
oon
rose to an
elevation of five hundred feet, but it had
scarcely changed
its position to the westward in any percep=
tible
degree.
"We are right in the open desert,&quo=
t;
said the doctor.
"Look at that vast reach of sand! Wha=
t a
strange spectacle!
What a singular arrangement of nature! Why
should there be,
in one place, such extreme luxuriance of
vegetation yonder,
and here, this extreme aridity, and that in
the same latitude,
and under the same rays of the sun?"<= o:p>
"The why concerns me but little,"
answered Kennedy,
"the reason interests me less than the
fact. The thing is
so; that's the important part of it!"=
"Oh, it is well to philosophize a lit=
tle,
Dick; it does
no harm."
"Let us philosophize, then, if you wi=
ll;
we have time
enough before us; we are hardly moving; the
wind is
afraid to blow; it sleeps."
"That will not last forever," pu=
t in
Joe; "I think I
see some banks of clouds in the east."=
;
"Joe's right!" said the doctor,
after he had taken a look.
"Good!" said Kennedy; "now =
for
our clouds, with a
fine rain, and a fresh wind to dash it into
our faces!"
"Well, we'll see, Dick, we'll see!&qu=
ot;
"But this is Friday, master, and I'm
afraid of Fridays!"
"Well, I hope that this very day you'=
ll
get over those
notions."
"I hope so, master, too. Whew!" =
he
added, mopping his
face, "heat's a good thing, especiall=
y in
winter,
but in summer it don't do to take too much=
of
it."
"Don't you fear the effect of the sun=
's
heat on our
balloon?" asked Kennedy, addressing t=
he
doctor.
"No! the gutta-percha coating resists
much higher
temperatures than even this. With my spira=
l I
have
subjected it inside to as much as one hund=
red
and
fifty-eight degrees sometimes, and the
covering does
not appear to have suffered."
"A cloud! a real cloud!" shouted=
Joe
at this moment,
for that piercing eyesight of his beat all=
the
glasses.
And, in fact, a thick bank of vapor, now q=
uite
distinct,
could be seen slowly emerging above the
horizon.
It appeared to be very deep, and, as it we=
re,
puffed out.
It was, in reality, a conglomeration of
smaller clouds.
The latter invariably retained their origi=
nal
formation,
and from this circumstance the doctor
concluded that
there was no current of air in their colle=
cted
mass.
This compact body of vapor had appeared ab=
out
eight
o'clock in the morning, and, by eleven, it=
had
already
reached the height of the sun's disk. The
latter then
disappeared entirely behind the murky veil,
and the lower
belt of cloud, at the same moment, lifted
above the line
of the horizon, which was again disclosed =
in a
full blaze
of daylight.
"It's only an isolated cloud,"
remarked the doctor.
"It won't do to count much upon
that."
"Look, Dick, its shape is just the sa=
me
as when we
saw it this morning!"
"Then, doctor, there's to be neither =
rain
nor wind, at
least for us!"
"I fear so; the cloud keeps at a great
height."
"Well, doctor, suppose we were to go =
in
pursuit of
this cloud, since it refuses to burst upon
us?"
"I fancy that to do so wouldn't help =
us
much; it
would be a consumption of gas, and,
consequently, of
water, to little purpose; but, in our
situation, we must
not leave anything untried; therefore, let=
us
ascend!"
And with this, the doctor put on a full he=
ad
of flame
from the cylinder, and the dilation of the
hydrogen,
occasioned by such sudden and intense heat,
sent the
balloon rapidly aloft.
About fifteen hundred feet from the ground=
, it
encountered
an opaque mass of cloud, and entered a den=
se
fog, suspended at that elevation; but it d=
id
not meet with
the least breath of wind. This fog seemed =
even
destitute
of humidity, and the articles brought in
contact with it
were scarcely dampened in the slightest
degree. The
balloon, completely enveloped in the vapor,
gained a little
increase of speed, perhaps, and that was a=
ll.
The doctor gloomily recognized what trifli=
ng
success
he had obtained from his manoeuvre, and was
relapsing
into deep meditation, when he heard Joe
exclaim, in tones
of most intense astonishment:
"Ah! by all that's beautiful!"
"What's the matter, Joe?"
"Doctor! Mr. Kennedy! Here's something
curious!"
"What is it, then?"
"We are not alone, up here! There are
rogues about!
They've stolen our invention!"
"Has he gone crazy?" asked Kenne=
dy.
Joe stood there, perfectly motionless, the
very picture
of amazement.
"Can the hot sun have really affected=
the
poor fellow's
brain?" said the doctor, turning towa=
rd
him.
"Will you tell me?--"
"Look!" said Joe, pointing to a =
certain
quarter of
the sky.
"By St. James!" exclaimed Kenned=
y,
in turn, "why,
who would have believed it? Look, look!
doctor!"
"I see it!" said the doctor, very
quietly.
"Another balloon! and other passenger=
s,
like ourselves!"
And, sure enough, there was another balloon
about
two hundred paces from them, floating in t=
he
air with its
car and its aeronauts. It was following
exactly the same
route as the Victoria.
"Well," said the doctor,
"nothing remains for us but
to make signals; take the flag, Kennedy, a=
nd
show them
our colors."
It seemed that the travellers by the other
balloon
had just the same idea, at the same moment,
for the same
kind of flag repeated precisely the same
salute with a
hand that moved in just the same manner.
"What does that mean?" asked
Kennedy.
"They are apes," said Joe,
"imitating us."
"It means," said the doctor,
laughing, "that it is you,
Dick, yourself, making that signal to
yourself; or, in other
words, that we see ourselves in the second
balloon, which
is no other than the Victoria."
"As to that, master, with all respect=
to
you," said Joe,
"you'll never make me believe it.&quo=
t;
"Climb up on the edge of the car, Joe;
wave your
arms, and then you'll see."
Joe obeyed, and all his gestures were
instantaneously
and exactly repeated.
"It is merely the effect of the
MIRAGE," said the doctor,
"and nothing else--a simple optical
phenomenon due to
the unequal refraction of light by differe=
nt
layers of the
atmosphere, and that is all.
"It's wonderful," said Joe, who
could not make up
his mind to surrender, but went on repeati=
ng
his
gesticulations.
"What a curious sight! Do you know,&q=
uot;
said Kennedy,
"that it's a real pleasure to have a =
view
of our
noble balloon in that style? She's a beaut=
y,
isn't she?--
and how stately her movements as she sweeps
along!"
"You may explain the matter as you
like," continued
Joe, "it's a strange thing, anyhow!&q=
uot;
But ere long this picture began to fade aw=
ay;
the
clouds rose higher, leaving the balloon, w=
hich
made no
further attempt to follow them, and in abo=
ut
an hour
they disappeared in the open sky.
The wind, which had been scarcely percepti=
ble,
seemed
still to diminish, and the doctor in perfe=
ct
desperation
descended toward the ground, and all three=
of
the travellers,
whom the incident just recorded had, for a=
few
moments,
diverted from their anxieties, relapsed in=
to
gloomy
meditation, sweltering the while beneath t=
he
scorching
heat.
About four o'clock, Joe descried some obje=
ct
standing
out against the vast background of sand, a=
nd
soon was
able to declare positively that there were=
two
palm-trees
at no great distance.
"Palm-trees!" exclaimed Ferguson;
"why, then
there's a spring--a well!"
He took up his glass and satisfied himself
that Joe's
eyes had not been mistaken.
"At length!" he said, over and o=
ver
again, "water!
water! and we are saved; for if we do move
slowly, still
we move, and we shall arrive at last!"=
;
"Good, master! but suppose we were to
drink a mouthful
in the mean time, for this air is
stifling?"
"Let us drink then, my boy!"
No one waited to be coaxed. A whole pint w=
as
swallowed
then and there, reducing the total remaini=
ng
supply
to three pints and a half.
"Ah! that does one good!" said J=
oe;
"wasn't it
fine? Barclay and Perkins never turned out=
ale
equal to
that!"
"See the advantage of being put on sh=
ort
allowance!"
moralized the doctor.
"It is not great, after all,"
retorted Kennedy; "and if
I were never again to have the pleasure of
drinking water,
I should agree on condition that I should
never be deprived
of it."
At six o'clock the balloon was floating ov=
er
the palm-trees.
They were two shrivelled, stunted, dried-up
specimens
of trees--two ghosts of palms--without
foliage, and more
dead than alive. Ferguson examined them wi=
th
terror.
At their feet could be seen the half-worn =
stones
of a
spring, but these stones, pulverized by the
baking heat
of the sun, seemed to be nothing now but
impalpable dust.
There was not the slightest sign of moistu=
re.
The doctor's
heart shrank within him, and he was about =
to
communicate
his thoughts to his companions, when their
exclamations
attracted his attention. As far as the eye
could
reach to the eastward, extended a long lin=
e of
whitened
bones; pieces of skeletons surrounded the
fountain; a caravan
had evidently made its way to that point,
marking its
progress by its bleaching remains; the wea=
ker
had fallen
one by one upon the sand; the stronger, ha=
ving
at length
reached this spring for which they panted,=
had
there found
a horrible death.
Our travellers looked at each other and tu=
rned
pale.
"Let us not alight!" said Kenned=
y,
"let us fly from
this hideous spectacle! There's not a drop=
of
water
here!"
"No, Dick, as well pass the night her=
e as
elsewhere;
let us have a clear conscience in the matt=
er.
We'll dig
down to the very bottom of the well. There=
has
been a
spring here, and perhaps there's something
left in it!"
The Victoria touched the ground; Joe and
Kennedy
put into the car a quantity of sand equal =
to
their weight,
and leaped out. They then hastened to the
well, and
penetrated to the interior by a flight of
steps that was now
nothing but dust. The spring appeared to h=
ave
been dry
for years. They dug down into a parched and
powdery
sand--the very dryest of all sand,
indeed--there was not
one trace of moisture!
The doctor saw them come up to the surface=
of
the
desert, saturated with perspiration, worn =
out,
covered with
fine dust, exhausted, discouraged and
despairing.
He then comprehended that their search had
been
fruitless. He had expected as much, and he
kept silent,
for he felt that, from this moment forth, =
he
must have
courage and energy enough for three.
Joe brought up with him some pieces of a
leathern
bottle that had grown hard and horn-like w=
ith
age, and
angrily flung them away among the bleaching
bones of
the caravan.
At supper, not a word was spoken by our
travellers,
and they even ate without appetite. Yet th=
ey
had not,
up to this moment, endured the real agonie=
s of
thirst, and
were in no desponding mood, excepting for =
the
future.
One Hundred and Thirteen Degrees.--The
Doctor's Reflections.--A Desperate
Search.--The Cylinder goes out.--One Hundr=
ed
and Twenty-two Degrees.--
Contemplation of the Desert.--A Night
Walk.--Solitude.--Debility.--Joe's
Prospects.--He gives himself One Day more.=
The distance made by the balloon during the
preceding
day did not exceed ten miles, and, to keep=
it
afloat,
one hundred and sixty-two cubic feet of gas
had been
consumed.
On Saturday morning the doctor again gave =
the
signal
for departure.
"The cylinder can work only six hours
longer; and,
if in that time we shall not have found ei=
ther
a well or a
spring of water, God alone knows what will
become of us!"
"Not much wind this morning,
master," said Joe; "but
it will come up, perhaps," he added,
suddenly remarking
the doctor's ill-concealed depression.
Vain hope! The atmosphere was in a dead
calm--one
of those calms which hold vessels captive =
in
tropical seas.
The heat had become intolerable; and the
thermometer,
in the shade under the awning, indicated o=
ne
hundred
and thirteen degrees.
Joe and Kennedy, reclining at full length =
near
each
other, tried, if not in slumber, at least =
in
torpor, to forget
their situation, for their forced inactivi=
ty
gave them
periods of leisure far from pleasant. That=
man
is to be
pitied the most who cannot wean himself fr=
om
gloomy
reflections by actual work, or some practi=
cal
pursuit. But
here there was nothing to look after, noth=
ing
to undertake,
and they had to submit to the situation,
without
having it in their power to ameliorate it.=
The pangs of thirst began to be severely f=
elt;
brandy,
far from appeasing this imperious necessit=
y,
augmented
it, and richly merited the name of
"tiger's milk" applied
to it by the African natives. Scarcely two
pints of water
remained, and that was heated. Each of the
party devoured
the few precious drops with his gaze, yet
neither
of them dared to moisten his lips with the=
m.
Two pints
of water in the midst of the desert!
Then it was that Dr. Ferguson, buried in
meditation,
asked himself whether he had acted with pr=
udence.
Would he not have done better to have kept=
the
water
that he had decomposed in pure loss, in or=
der
to sustain
him in the air? He had gained a little
distance, to be
sure; but was he any nearer to his journey=
's
end? What
difference did sixty miles to the rear mak=
e in
this region,
when there was no water to be had where th=
ey
were?
The wind, should it rise, would blow there=
as
it did here,
only less strongly at this point, if it ca=
me
from the east.
But hope urged him onward. And yet those t=
wo
gallons
of water, expended in vain, would have
sufficed for nine
days' halt in the desert. And what changes
might not
have occurred in nine days! Perhaps, too,
while retaining
the water, he might have ascended by throw=
ing
out
ballast, at the cost merely of discharging
some gas, when
he had again to descend. But the gas in his
balloon was
his blood, his very life!
A thousand one such reflections whirled in
succession
through his brain; and, resting his head
between his
hands, he sat there for hours without rais=
ing
it.
"We must make one final effort,"=
he
said, at last,
about ten o'clock in the morning. "We
must endeavor,
just once more, to find an atmospheric cur=
rent
to bear us
away from here, and, to that end, must risk
our last
resources."
Therefore, while his companions slept, the
doctor raised
the hydrogen in the balloon to an elevated
temperature,
and the huge globe, filling out by the
dilation of the gas,
rose straight up in the perpendicular rays=
of
the sun.
The doctor searched vainly for a breath of
wind, from the
height of one hundred feet to that of five
miles; his
starting-point remained fatally right below
him, and absolute
calm seemed to reign, up to the extreme li=
mits
of the
breathing atmosphere.
At length the feeding-supply of water gave
out; the
cylinder was extinguished for lack of gas;=
the
Buntzen
battery ceased to work, and the balloon,
shrinking together,
gently descended to the sand, in the very
place
that the car had hollowed out there.
It was noon; and solar observations gave
nineteen
degrees thirty-five minutes east longitude,
and six degrees
fifty-one minutes north latitude, or nearly
five hundred
miles from Lake Tchad, and more than four
hundred miles
from the western coast of Africa.
On the balloon taking ground, Kennedy and =
Joe
awoke
from their stupor.
"We have halted," said the Scot.=
"We had to do so," replied the
doctor, gravely.
His companions understood him. The level of
the soil at
that point corresponded with the level of =
the
sea, and,
consequently, the balloon remained in perf=
ect equilibrium,
and absolutely motionless.
The weight of the three travellers was
replaced with
an equivalent quantity of sand, and they g=
ot
out of the
car. Each was absorbed in his own thoughts;
and for
many hours neither of them spoke. Joe prep=
ared
their
evening meal, which consisted of biscuit a=
nd
pemmican,
and was hardly tasted by either of the par=
ty.
A mouthful
of scalding water from their little store
completed this
gloomy repast.
During the night none of them kept awake; =
yet
none
could be precisely said to have slept. On =
the
morrow
there remained only half a pint of water, =
and
this the
doctor put away, all three having resolved=
not
to touch it
until the last extremity.
It was not long, however, before Joe
exclaimed:
"I'm choking, and the heat is getting
worse! I'm
not surprised at that, though," he ad=
ded,
consulting the
thermometer; "one hundred and forty
degrees!"
"The sand scorches me," said the
hunter, "as though
it had just come out of a furnace; and not=
a
cloud in this
sky of fire. It's enough to drive one
mad!"
"Let us not despair," responded =
the
doctor. "In this
latitude these intense heats are invariably
followed by
storms, and the latter come with the
suddenness of lightning.
Notwithstanding this disheartening clearne=
ss
of
the sky, great atmospheric changes may take
place in less
than an hour."
"But," asked Kennedy, "is t=
here
any sign whatever
of that?"
"Well," replied the doctor, &quo=
t;I
think that there is
some slight symptom of a fall in the
barometer."
"May Heaven hearken to you, Samuel! f=
or
here we are
pinned to the ground, like a bird with bro=
ken
wings."
"With this difference, however, my de=
ar
Dick, that
our wings are unhurt, and I hope that we s=
hall
be able to
use them again."
"Ah! wind! wind!" exclaimed Joe;
"enough to
carry us to a stream or a well, and we'll =
be
all right.
We have provisions enough, and, with water=
, we
could
wait a month without suffering; but thirst=
is
a cruel
thing!"
It was not thirst alone, but the unchanging
sight of the
desert, that fatigued the mind. There was =
not
a variation
in the surface of the soil, not a hillock =
of
sand, not a
pebble, to relieve the gaze. This unbroken
level discouraged
the beholder, and gave him that kind of ma=
lady
called the "desert-sickness." The
impassible monotony
of the arid blue sky, and the vast yellow
expanse of the
desert-sand, at length produced a sensatio=
n of
terror. In
this inflamed atmosphere the heat appeared=
to
vibrate
as it does above a blazing hearth, while t=
he
mind grew
desperate in contemplating the limitless c=
alm,
and could
see no reason why the thing should ever en=
d,
since immensity
is a species of eternity.
Thus, at last, our hapless travellers,
deprived of water
in this torrid heat, began to feel symptom=
s of
mental disorder.
Their eyes swelled in their sockets, and t=
heir
gaze
became confused.
When night came on, the doctor determined =
to
combat
this alarming tendency by rapid walking. H=
is
idea
was to pace the sandy plain for a few hour=
s,
not in search
of any thing, but simply for exercise.
"Come along!" he said to his com=
panions;
"believe
me, it will do you good."
"Out of the question!" said Kenn=
edy;
"I could not
walk a step."
"And I," said Joe, "would
rather sleep!"
"But sleep, or even rest, would be
dangerous to you,
my friends; you must react against this
tendency to
stupor. Come with me!"
But the doctor could do nothing with them,
and, therefore,
set off alone, amid the starry clearness of
the night.
The first few steps he took were painful, =
for
they were
the steps of an enfeebled man quite out of
practice in
walking. However, he quickly saw that the
exercise
would be beneficial to him, and pushed on
several miles
to the westward. Once in rapid motion, he =
felt
his spirits
greatly cheered, when, suddenly, a vertigo
came over him;
he seemed to be poised on the edge of an
abyss; his knees
bent under him; the vast solitude struck
terror to his
heart; he found himself the minute
mathematical point,
the centre of an infinite circumference, t=
hat
is to say--a
nothing! The balloon had disappeared entir=
ely
in the
deepening gloom. The doctor, cool, impassi=
ble,
reckless
explorer that he was, felt himself at last
seized with a
nameless dread. He strove to retrace his
steps, but in
vain. He called aloud. Not even an echo
replied, and
his voice died out in the empty vastness o=
f surrounding
space, like a pebble cast into a bottomless
gulf; then,
down he sank, fainting, on the sand, alone,
amid the eternal
silence of the desert.
At midnight he came to, in the arms of his
faithful
follower, Joe. The latter, uneasy at his
master's prolonged
absence, had set out after him, easily tra=
cing
him
by the clear imprint of his feet in the sa=
nd,
and had found
him lying in a swoon.
"What has been the matter, sir?"=
was
the first inquiry.
"Nothing, Joe, nothing! Only a touch =
of
weakness,
that's all. It's over now."
"Oh! it won't amount to any thing, si=
r,
I'm sure of
that; but get up on your feet, if you can.
There! lean
upon me, and let us get back to the
balloon."
And the doctor, leaning on Joe's arm, retu=
rned
along
the track by which he had come.
"You were too bold, sir; it won't do =
to
run such
risks. You might have been robbed," he
added, laughing.
"But, sir, come now, let us talk
seriously."
"Speak! I am listening to you."<= o:p>
"We must positively make up our minds=
to
do something.
Our present situation cannot last more tha=
n a
few
days longer, and if we get no wind, we are
lost."
The doctor made no reply.
"Well, then, one of us must sacrifice
himself for the
good of all, and it is most natural that it
should fall to me
to do so."
"What have you to propose? What is yo=
ur
plan?"
"A very simple one! It is to take
provisions enough,
and to walk right on until I come to some
place, as I must
do, sooner or later. In the mean time, if
Heaven sends
you a good wind, you need not wait, but can
start again.
For my part, if I come to a village, I'll =
work
my way
through with a few Arabic words that you c=
an
write for
me on a slip of paper, and I'll bring you =
help
or lose my
hide. What do you think of my plan?"<= o:p>
"It is absolute folly, Joe, but worth=
y of
your noble
heart. The thing is impossible. You will n=
ot
leave us."
"But, sir, we must do something, and =
this
plan can't
do you any harm, for, I say again, you need
not wait;
and then, after all, I may succeed."<= o:p>
"No, Joe, no! We will not separate. T=
hat
would
only be adding sorrow to trouble. It was
written that
matters should be as they are; and it is v=
ery
probably
written that it shall be quite otherwise
by-and-by. Let
us wait, then, with resignation."
"So be it, master; but take notice of=
one
thing: I
give you a day longer, and I'll not wait a=
fter
that. To-day
is Sunday; we might say Monday, as it is o=
ne
o'clock
in the morning, and if we don't get off by
Tuesday, I'll
run the risk. I've made up my mind to
that!"
The doctor made no answer, and in a few mi=
nutes
they
got back to the car, where he took his pla=
ce
beside Kennedy,
who lay there plunged in silence so comple=
te
that
it could not be considered sleep.
Terrific Heat.--Hallucinations.--The Last
Drops of Water.--Nights
of Despair.--An Attempt at Suicide.--The
Simoom.--The Oasis.--The
Lion and Lioness.
The doctor's first care, on the morrow, wa=
s to
consult
the barometer. He found that the mercury h=
ad
scarcely
undergone any perceptible depression.
"Nothing!" he murmured,
"nothing!"
He got out of the car and scrutinized the
weather;
there was only the same heat, the same
cloudless sky, the
same merciless drought.
"Must we, then, give up to despair?&q=
uot;
he exclaimed,
in agony.
Joe did not open his lips. He was buried in
his own
thoughts, and planning the expedition he h=
ad
proposed.
Kennedy got up, feeling very ill, and a pr=
ey
to nervous
agitation. He was suffering horribly with
thirst, and his
swollen tongue and lips could hardly
articulate a syllable.
There still remained a few drops of water.
Each of
them knew this, and each was thinking of i=
t,
and felt
himself drawn toward them; but neither of =
the
three dared
to take a step.
Those three men, friends and companions as
they were,
fixed their haggard eyes upon each other w=
ith
an instinct
of ferocious longing, which was most plain=
ly
revealed in
the hardy Scot, whose vigorous constitution
yielded the
soonest to these unnatural privations.
Throughout the day he was delirious, pacin=
g up
and
down, uttering hoarse cries, gnawing his
clinched fists,
and ready to open his veins and drink his =
own
hot blood.
"Ah!" he cried, "land of
thirst! Well might you be
called the land of despair!"
At length he sank down in utter prostratio=
n,
and his
friends heard no other sound from him than=
the
hissing of
his breath between his parched and swollen
lips.
Toward evening, Joe had his turn of deliri=
um.
The
vast expanse of sand appeared to him an
immense pond,
full of clear and limpid water; and, more =
than
once, he
dashed himself upon the scorching waste to
drink long
draughts, and rose again with his mouth
clogged with hot
dust.
"Curses on it!" he yelled, in his
madness, "it's nothing
but salt water!"
Then, while Ferguson and Kennedy lay there
motionless,
the resistless longing came over him to dr=
ain
the last
few drops of water that had been kept in
reserve. The
natural instinct proved too strong. He dra=
gged
himself
toward the car, on his knees; he glared at=
the
bottle
containing the precious fluid; he gave one
wild, eager
glance, seized the treasured store, and bo=
re
it to his lips.
At that instant he heard a heart-rending c=
ry
close
beside him--"Water! water!"
It was Kennedy, who had crawled up close to
him, and
was begging there, upon his knees, and wee=
ping
piteously.
Joe, himself in tears, gave the poor wretch
the bottle,
and Kennedy drained the last drop with sav=
age
haste.
"Thanks!" he murmured hoarsely, =
but
Joe did not
hear him, for both alike had dropped faint=
ing
on the sand.
What took place during that fearful night
neither of
them knew, but, on Tuesday morning, under
those showers
of heat which the sun poured down upon the=
m,
the
unfortunate men felt their limbs gradually
drying up, and
when Joe attempted to rise he found it
impossible.
He looked around him. In the car, the doct=
or,
completely
overwhelmed, sat with his arms folded on h=
is
breast, gazing with idiotic fixedness upon
some imaginary
point in space. Kennedy was frightful to
behold. He
was rolling his head from right to left li=
ke a
wild beast in
a cage.
All at once, his eyes rested on the butt of
his rifle,
which jutted above the rim of the car.
"Ah!" he screamed, raising himse=
lf
with a superhuman effort.
Desperate, mad, he snatched at the weapon,=
and
turned
the barrel toward his mouth.
"Kennedy!" shouted Joe, throwing
himself upon his friend.
"Let go! hands off!" moaned the
Scot, in a hoarse,
grating voice--and then the two struggled
desperately for
the rifle.
"Let go, or I'll kill you!" repe=
ated
Kennedy. But
Joe clung to him only the more fiercely, a=
nd
they had
been contending thus without the doctor se=
eing
them for
many seconds, when, suddenly the rifle went
off. At the
sound of its discharge, the doctor rose up
erect, like a
spectre, and glared around him.
But all at once his glance grew more anima=
ted;
he extended
his hand toward the horizon, and in a voic=
e no
longer human shrieked:
"There! there--off there!"
There was such fearful force in the cry th=
at
Kennedy
and Joe released each other, and both look=
ed
where the
doctor pointed.
The plain was agitated like the sea shaken=
by
the fury
of a tempest; billows of sand went tossing
over each other
amid blinding clouds of dust; an immense
pillar was seen
whirling toward them through the air from =
the
southeast,
with terrific velocity; the sun was
disappearing behind an
opaque veil of cloud whose enormous barrier
extended
clear to the horizon, while the grains of =
fine
sand went
gliding together with all the supple ease =
of
liquid particles,
and the rising dust-tide gained more and m=
ore
with
every second.
Ferguson's eyes gleamed with a ray of
energetic hope.
"The simoom!" he exclaimed.
"The simoom!" repeated Joe, with=
out
exactly knowing what it meant.
"So much the better!" said Kenne=
dy,
with the bitterness of
despair. "So much the better--we shall
die!"
"So much the better!" echoed the=
doctor,
"for we
shall live!" and, so saying, he began
rapidly to throw out
the sand that encumbered the car.
At length his companions understood him, a=
nd
took
their places at his side.
"And now, Joe," said the doctor,
"throw out some
fifty pounds of your ore, there!"
Joe no longer hesitated, although he still
felt a fleeting
pang of regret. The balloon at once began =
to
ascend.
"It was high time!" said the doc=
tor.
The simoom, in fact, came rushing on like a
thunderbolt,
and a moment later the balloon would have =
been
crushed, torn to atoms, annihilated. The a=
wful
whirlwind
was almost upon it, and it was already pel=
ted
with showers
of sand driven like hail by the storm.
"Out with more ballast!" shouted=
the
doctor.
"There!" responded Joe, tossing =
over
a huge fragment
of quartz.
With this, the Victoria rose swiftly above=
the
range
of the whirling column, but, caught in the
vast displacement
of the atmosphere thereby occasioned, it w=
as
borne
along with incalculable rapidity away above
this foaming
sea.
The three travellers did not speak. They
gazed, and
hoped, and even felt refreshed by the brea=
th
of the tempest.
About three o'clock, the whirlwind ceased;=
the
sand,
falling again upon the desert, formed
numberless little
hillocks, and the sky resumed its former
tranquillity.
The balloon, which had again lost its
momentum, was
floating in sight of an oasis, a sort of i=
slet
studded with
green trees, thrown up upon the surface of
this sandy
ocean.
"Water! we'll find water there!"
said the doctor.
And, instantly, opening the upper valve, he
let some
hydrogen escape, and slowly descended, tak=
ing
the ground
at about two hundred feet from the edge of=
the
oasis.
In four hours the travellers had swept ove=
r a
distance
of two hundred and forty miles!
The car was at once ballasted, and Kennedy,
closely
followed by Joe, leaped out.
"Take your guns with you!" said =
the
doctor; "take
your guns, and be careful!"
Dick grasped his rifle, and Joe took one of
the fowling-pieces.
They then rapidly made for the trees, and =
disappeared
under
the fresh verdure, which announced the
presence of abundant
springs. As they hurried on, they had not
taken notice of
certain large footprints and fresh tracks =
of
some living
creature marked here and there in the damp
soil.
Suddenly, a dull roar was heard not twenty
paces from them.
"The roar of a lion!" said Joe.<= o:p>
"Good for that!" said the excited
hunter; "we'll
fight him. A man feels strong when only a
fight's in
question."
"But be careful, Mr. Kennedy; be care=
ful!
The lives
of all depend upon the life of one."<= o:p>
But Kennedy no longer heard him; he was
pushing
on, his eye blazing; his rifle cocked; fea=
rful
to behold in
his daring rashness. There, under a palm-t=
ree,
stood an
enormous black-maned lion, crouching for a
spring on his
antagonist. Scarcely had he caught a glimp=
se
of the
hunter, when he bounded through the air; b=
ut
he had not
touched the ground ere a bullet pierced his
heart, and he
fell to the earth dead.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted Joe, w=
ith
wild exultation.
Kennedy rushed toward the well, slid down =
the
dampened
steps, and flung himself at full length by=
the
side of
a fresh spring, in which he plunged his
parched lips. Joe
followed suit, and for some minutes nothing
was heard but
the sound they made with their mouths,
drinking more
like maddened beasts than men.
"Take care, Mr. Kennedy," said J=
oe
at last; "let us
not overdo the thing!" and he panted =
for
breath.
But Kennedy, without a word, drank on. He =
even
plunged his hands, and then his head, into=
the
delicious
tide--he fairly revelled in its coolness.<= o:p>
"But the doctor?" said Joe;
"our friend, Dr. Ferguson?"
That one word recalled Kennedy to himself,
and, hastily
filling a flask that he had brought with h=
im,
he started on
a run up the steps of the well.
But what was his amazement when he saw an
opaque
body of enormous dimensions blocking up the
passage!
Joe, who was close upon Kennedy's heels,
recoiled with
him.
"We are blocked in--entrapped!"<= o:p>
"Impossible! What does that mean?--&q=
uot;
Dick had no time to finish; a terrific roa=
r made
him
only too quickly aware what foe confronted
him.
"Another lion!" exclaimed Joe.
"A lioness, rather," said Kenned=
y.
"Ah! ferocious
brute!" he added, "I'll settle y=
ou
in a moment more!"
and swiftly reloaded his rifle.
In another instant he fired, but the animal
had disappeared.
"Onward!" shouted Kennedy.
"No!" interposed the other,
"that shot did not kill
her; her body would have rolled down the
steps; she's
up there, ready to spring upon the first o=
f us
who appears,
and he would be a lost man!"
"But what are we to do? We must get o=
ut
of this,
and the doctor is expecting us."
"Let us decoy the animal. Take my pie=
ce,
and give
me your rifle."
"What is your plan?"
"You'll see."
And Joe, taking off his linen jacket, hung=
it
on the end
of the rifle, and thrust it above the top =
of
the steps. The
lioness flung herself furiously upon it.
Kennedy was on
the alert for her, and his bullet broke her
shoulder. The
lioness, with a frightful howl of agony,
rolled down the
steps, overturning Joe in her fall. The po=
or
fellow imagined
that he could already feel the enormous pa=
ws
of the
savage beast in his flesh, when a second
detonation
resounded in the narrow passage, and Dr.
Ferguson appeared
at the opening above with his gun in hand,=
and
still smoking
from the discharge.
Joe leaped to his feet, clambered over the
body of the
dead lioness, and handed up the flask full=
of
sparkling
water to his master.
To carry it to his lips, and to half empty=
it
at a draught,
was the work of an instant, and the three
travellers offered
up thanks from the depths of their hearts =
to
that Providence
who had so miraculously saved them.
An Evening of Delight.--Joe's Culinary
Performance.--A Dissertation on Raw
Meat.--The Narrative of James Bruce.--Camp=
ing
out.--Joe's Dreams.--The
Barometer begins to fall.--The Barometer r=
ises
again.--Preparations for
Departure.--The Tempest.
The evening was lovely, and our three frie=
nds
enjoyed
it in the cool shade of the mimosas, after=
a
substantial
repast, at which the tea and the punch were
dealt out with
no niggardly hand.
Kennedy had traversed the little domain in=
all
directions.
He had ransacked every thicket and satisfi=
ed
himself
that the balloon party were the only living
creatures
in this terrestrial paradise; so they
stretched themselves
upon their blankets and passed a peaceful
night that
brought them forgetfulness of their past
sufferings.
On the morrow, May 7th, the sun shone with=
all
his
splendor, but his rays could not penetrate=
the
dense screen
of the palm-tree foliage, and as there was=
no
lack of provisions,
the doctor resolved to remain where he was
while
waiting for a favorable wind.
Joe had conveyed his portable kitchen to t=
he
oasis, and proceeded
to indulge in any number of culinary
combinations, using water
all the time with the most profuse
extravagance.
"What a strange succession of annoyan=
ces
and enjoyments!"
moralized Kennedy. "Such abundance as
this after such
privations; such luxury after such want! A=
h! I
nearly went mad!"
"My dear Dick," replied the doct=
or,
"had it not been
for Joe, you would not be sitting here,
to-day, discoursing
on the instability of human affairs."=
"Whole-hearted friend!" said
Kennedy, extending
his hand to Joe.
"There's no occasion for all that,&qu=
ot;
responded the latter;
"but you can take your revenge some t=
ime,
Mr. Kennedy,
always hoping though that you may never ha=
ve
occasion
to do the same for me!"
"It's a poor constitution this of our=
s to
succumb to so
little," philosophized Dr. Ferguson.<= o:p>
"So little water, you mean, doctor,&q=
uot;
interposed Joe;
"that element must be very necessary =
to
life."
"Undoubtedly, and persons deprived of
food hold out
longer than those deprived of water."=
"I believe it. Besides, when needs mu=
st,
one can eat
any thing he comes across, even his fellow=
-creatures,
although that must be a kind of food that's
pretty hard
to digest."
"The savages don't boggle much about
it!" said
Kennedy.
"Yes; but then they are savages, and
accustomed to
devouring raw meat; it's something that I'd
find very
disgusting, for my part."
"It is disgusting enough," said =
the
doctor, "that's a
fact; and so much so, indeed, that nobody
believed the
narratives of the earliest travellers in
Africa who brought
back word that many tribes on that contine=
nt
subsisted
upon raw meat, and people generally refuse=
d to
credit the
statement. It was under such circumstances
that a very
singular adventure befell James Bruce.&quo=
t;
"Tell it to us, doctor; we've time en=
ough
to hear it,"
said Joe, stretching himself voluptuously =
on
the cool
greensward.
"By all means.--James Bruce was a
Scotchman, of
Stirlingshire, who, between 1768 and 1772,
traversed all
Abyssinia, as far as Lake Tyana, in search=
of
the sources
of the Nile. He afterward returned to Engl=
and,
but did
not publish an account of his journeys unt=
il
1790. His
statements were received with extreme
incredulity, and
such may be the reception accorded to our =
own.
The
manners and customs of the Abyssinians see=
med
so different
from those of the English, that no one wou=
ld
credit the
description of them. Among other details,
Bruce had put
forward the assertion that the tribes of
Eastern Africa fed
upon raw flesh, and this set everybody aga=
inst
him. He
might say so as much as he pleased; there =
was
no one
likely to go and see! One day, in a parlor=
at
Edinburgh,
a Scotch gentleman took up the subject in =
his
presence, as
it had become the topic of daily pleasantr=
y,
and, in reference
to the eating of raw flesh, said that the
thing was
neither possible nor true. Bruce made no
reply, but went
out and returned a few minutes later with a
raw steak,
seasoned with pepper and salt, in the Afri=
can
style.
"'Sir,' said he to the Scotchman, 'in
doubting my
statements, you have grossly affronted me;=
in
believing
the thing to be impossible, you have been
egregiously
mistaken; and, in proof thereof, you will =
now
eat this
beef-steak raw, or you will give me instant
satisfaction!'
The Scotchman had a wholesome dread of the
brawny
traveller, and DID eat the steak, although=
not
without a
good many wry faces. Thereupon, with the
utmost coolness,
James Bruce added: 'Even admitting, sir, t=
hat
the
thing were untrue, you will, at least, no
longer maintain
that it is impossible.'"
"Well put in!" said Joe, "a=
nd
if the Scotchman
found it lie heavy on his stomach, he got =
no
more than he
deserved. If, on our return to England, th=
ey
dare to
doubt what we say about our travels--"=
;
"Well, Joe, what would you do?"<= o:p>
"Why, I'll make the doubters swallow =
the
pieces of
the balloon, without either salt or
pepper!"
All burst out laughing at Joe's queer noti=
ons,
and thus
the day slipped by in pleasant chat. With
returning
strength, hope had revived, and with hope =
came
the courage
to do and to dare. The past was obliterate=
d in
the
presence of the future with providential
rapidity.
Joe would have been willing to remain fore=
ver
in this
enchanting asylum; it was the realm he had
pictured in
his dreams; he felt himself at home; his
master had to
give him his exact location, and it was wi=
th
the gravest
air imaginable that he wrote down on his
tablets fifteen
degrees forty-three minutes east longitude,
and eight degrees
thirty-two minutes north latitude.
Kennedy had but one regret, to wit, that he
could not
hunt in that miniature forest, because,
according to his
ideas, there was a slight deficiency of
ferocious wild beasts
in it.
"But, my dear Dick," said the
doctor, "haven't you
rather a short memory? How about the lion =
and
the
lioness?"
"Oh, that!" he ejaculated with t=
he
contempt of a
thorough-bred sportsman for game already
killed. "But
the fact is, that finding them here would =
lead
one to
suppose that we can't be far from a more
fertile country."
"It don't prove much, Dick, for those
animals, when
goaded by hunger or thirst, will travel lo=
ng
distances, and
I think that, to-night, we had better keep=
a
more vigilant
lookout, and light fires, besides."
"What, in such heat as this?" sa=
id
Joe. "Well, if it's
necessary, we'll have to do it, but I do t=
hink
it a real pity
to burn this pretty grove that has been su=
ch a
comfort to us!"
"Oh! above all things, we must take t=
he
utmost care
not to set it on fire," replied the
doctor, "so that others
in the same strait as ourselves may some d=
ay
find shelter
here in the middle of the desert."
"I'll be very careful, indeed, doctor;
but do you think
that this oasis is known?"
"Undoubtedly; it is a halting-place f=
or
the caravans
that frequent the centre of Africa, and a
visit from one
of them might be any thing but pleasant to
you, Joe."
"Why, are there any more of those
rascally Nyam-Nyams
around here?"
"Certainly; that is the general name =
of
all the neighboring
tribes, and, under the same climates, the =
same
races are likely to have similar manners a=
nd
customs."
"Pah!" said Joe, "but, after
all, it's natural enough.
If savages had the ways of gentlemen, wher=
e would
be the
difference? By George, these fine fellows
wouldn't have
to be coaxed long to eat the Scotchman's r=
aw
steak, nor
the Scotchman either, into the bargain!&qu=
ot;
With this very sensible observation, Joe b=
egan
to get
ready his firewood for the night, making j=
ust
as little of
it as possible. Fortunately, these precaut=
ions
were superfluous;
and each of the party, in his turn, dropped
off into
the soundest slumber.
On the next day the weather still showed no
sign of
change, but kept provokingly and obstinate=
ly
fair. The
balloon remained motionless, without any
oscillation to
betray a breath of wind.
The doctor began to get uneasy again. If t=
heir
stay in the
desert were to be prolonged like this, the=
ir
provisions
would give out. After nearly perishing for=
want
of
water, they would, at last, have to starve=
to
death!
But he took fresh courage as he saw the
mercury fall
considerably in the barometer, and noticed
evident signs
of an early change in the atmosphere. He
therefore resolved
to make all his preparations for a start, =
so
as to
avail himself of the first opportunity. The
feeding-tank
and the water-tank were both completely
filled.
Then he had to reestablish the equilibrium=
of
the balloon,
and Joe was obliged to part with another
considerable
portion of his precious quartz. With resto=
red
health,
his ambitious notions had come back to him,
and he made
more than one wry face before obeying his
master; but
the latter convinced him that he could not
carry so considerable
a weight with him through the air, and gav=
e
him his choice between the water and the g=
old.
Joe
hesitated no longer, but flung out the
requisite quantity
of his much-prized ore upon the sand.
"The next people who come this way,&q=
uot;
he remarked,
"will be rather surprised to find a
fortune in such a
place."
"And suppose some learned traveller
should come
across these specimens, eh?" suggested
Kennedy.
"You may be certain, Dick, that they
would take him
by surprise, and that he would publish his
astonishment
in several folios; so that some day we sha=
ll
hear of a
wonderful deposit of gold-bearing quartz in
the midst of the
African sands!"
"And Joe there, will be the cause of =
it
all!"
This idea of mystifying some learned sage
tickled Joe
hugely, and made him laugh.
During the rest of the day the doctor vain=
ly
kept on
the watch for a change of weather. The
temperature rose,
and, had it not been for the shade of the
oasis, would have
been insupportable. The thermometer marked=
a
hundred
and forty-nine degrees in the sun, and a
veritable rain of
fire filled the air. This was the most int=
ense
heat that
they had yet noted.
Joe arranged their bivouac for that evenin=
g,
as he had
done for the previous night; and during the
watches kept
by the doctor and Kennedy there was no fre=
sh
incident.
But, toward three o'clock in the morning,
while Joe
was on guard, the temperature suddenly fel=
l;
the sky
became overcast with clouds, and the darkn=
ess
increased.
"Turn out!" cried Joe, arousing =
his
companions.
"Turn out! Here's the wind!"
"At last!" exclaimed the doctor,
eying the heavens.
"But it is a storm! The balloon! Let =
us
hasten to the
balloon!"
It was high time for them to reach it. The
Victoria
was bending to the force of the hurricane,=
and
dragging
along the car, the latter grazing the sand.
Had any portion
of the ballast been accidentally thrown ou=
t,
the
balloon would have been swept away, and all
hope of
recovering it have been forever lost.
But fleet-footed Joe put forth his utmost
speed, and
checked the car, while the balloon beat up=
on
the sand, at
the risk of being torn to pieces. The doct=
or,
followed by
Kennedy, leaped in, and lit his cylinder,
while his companions
threw out the superfluous ballast.
The travellers took one last look at the t=
rees
of the
oasis bowing to the force of the hurricane,
and soon,
catching the wind at two hundred feet above
the ground,
disappeared in the gloom.
Signs of Vegetation.--The Fantastic Notion=
of
a French Author.--A
Magnificent Country.--The Kingdom of
Adamova.--The Explorations of
Speke and
Mountains.--The River Benoue.--The City of=
Mendif.
From the moment of their departure, the
travellers
moved with great velocity. They longed to
leave behind
them the desert, which had so nearly been
fatal to them.
About a quarter-past nine in the morning, =
they
caught
a glimpse of some signs of vegetation: her=
bage
floating
on that sea of sand, and announcing, as the
weeds upon
the ocean did to Christopher Columbus, the
nearness of
the shore--green shoots peeping up timidly
between pebbles
that were, in their turn, to be the rocks =
of
that vast
expanse.
Hills, but of trifling height, were seen in
wavy lines
upon the horizon. Their profile, muffled by
the heavy
mist, was defined but vaguely. The monoton=
y,
however,
was beginning to disappear.
The doctor hailed with joy the new country
thus disclosed,
and, like a seaman on lookout at the
mast-head, he
was ready to shout aloud:
"Land, ho! land!"
An hour later the continent spread broadly
before their
gaze, still wild in aspect, but less flat,
less denuded, and
with a few trees standing out against the =
gray
sky.
"We are in a civilized country at
last!" said the hunter.
"Civilized? Well, that's one way of
speaking; but
there are no people to be seen yet."<= o:p>
"It will not be long before we see
them," said Ferguson,
"at our present rate of travel."=
"Are we still in the negro country,
doctor?"
"Yes, and on our way to the country of
the Arabs."
"What! real Arabs, sir, with their ca=
mels?"
"No, not many camels; they are scarce=
, if
not altogether
unknown, in these regions. We must go a few
degrees farther
north to see them."
"What a pity!"
"And why, Joe?"
"Because, if the wind fell contrary, =
they
might be of
use to us."
"How so?"
"Well, sir, it's just a notion that's=
got
into my head:
we might hitch them to the car, and make t=
hem
tow us
along. What do you say to that, doctor?&qu=
ot;
"Poor Joe! Another person had that id=
ea
in advance
of you. It was used by a very gifted French
author--
M. Mery--in a romance, it is true. He has =
his
travellers
drawn along in a balloon by a team of came=
ls;
then a lion
comes up, devours the camels, swallows the
tow-rope, and
hauls the balloon in their stead; and so on
through the
story. You see that the whole thing is the
top-flower of
fancy, but has nothing in common with our
style of locomotion."
Joe, a little cut down at learning that his
idea had
been used already, cudgelled his wits to
imagine what
animal could have devoured the lion; but he
could not
guess it, and so quietly went on scanning =
the
appearance
of the country.
A lake of medium extent stretched away bef=
ore
him,
surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, wh=
ich
yet could
not be dignified with the name of mountain=
s.
There were
winding valleys, numerous and fertile, with
their tangled
thickets of the most various trees. The
African oil-tree
rose above the mass, with leaves fifteen f=
eet
in length upon
its stalk, the latter studded with sharp
thorns; the bombax,
or silk-cotton-tree, filled the wind, as it
swept by,
with the fine down of its seeds; the punge=
nt
odors of the
pendanus, the "kenda" of the Ara=
bs,
perfumed the air
up to the height where the Victoria was
sailing; the
papaw-tree, with its palm-shaped leaves; t=
he
sterculier,
which produces the Soudan-nut; the baobab,=
and
the
banana-tree, completed the luxuriant flora=
of
these
inter-tropical regions.
"The country is superb!" said the
doctor.
"Here are some animals," added J=
oe.
"Men are not
far away."
"Oh, what magnificent elephants!"
exclaimed Kennedy.
"Is there no way to get a little
shooting?"
"How could we manage to halt in a cur=
rent
as strong
as this? No, Dick; you must taste a little=
of
the torture
of Tantalus just now. You shall make up fo=
r it
afterward."
And, in truth, there was enough to excite =
the
fancy of
a sportsman. Dick's heart fairly leaped in=
his
breast as
he grasped the butt of his Purdy.
The fauna of the region were as striking as
its flora.
The wild-ox revelled in dense herbage that
often concealed
his whole body; gray, black, and yellow
elephants of the
most gigantic size burst headlong, like a
living hurricane,
through the forests, breaking, rending,
tearing down,
devastating every thing in their path; upon
the woody
slopes of the hills trickled cascades and
springs flowing
northward; there, too, the hippopotami bat=
hed
their huge
forms, splashing and snorting as they
frolicked in the
water, and lamantines, twelve feet long, w=
ith
bodies like
seals, stretched themselves along the bank=
s,
turning up
toward the sun their rounded teats swollen
with milk.
It was a whole menagerie of rare and curio=
us
beasts in
a wondrous hot-house, where numberless bir=
ds
with plumage
of a thousand hues gleamed and fluttered in
the sunshine.
By this prodigality of Nature, the doctor
recognized
the splendid kingdom of Adamova.
"We are now beginning to trench upon =
the
realm of
modern discovery. I have taken up the lost
scent of preceding
travellers. It is a happy chance, my frien=
ds,
for
we shall be enabled to link the toils of
Captains Burton and
Speke with the explorations of Dr. Barth. =
We
have left
the Englishmen behind us, and now have cau=
ght
up with
the Hamburger. It will not be long, either,
before we
arrive at the extreme point attained by th=
at
daring explorer."
"It seems to me that there is a vast =
extent
of country
between the two explored routes,"
remarked Kennedy;
"at least, if I am to judge by the
distance that we have
made."
"It is easy to determine: take the map
and see what
is the longitude of the southern point of =
Lake
Ukereoue,
reached by Speke."
"It is near the thirty-seventh
degree."
"And the city of Yola, which we shall
sight this evening,
and to which Barth penetrated, what is its
position?"
"It is about in the twelfth degree of
east longitude."
"Then there are twenty-five degrees, =
or,
counting sixty
miles to each, about fifteen hundred miles=
in
all."
"A nice little walk," said Joe,
"for people who have
to go on foot."
"It will be accomplished, however.
Livingstone and
Moffat are pushing on up this line toward =
the
interior.
Nyassa, which they have discovered, is not=
far
from Lake
Tanganayika, seen by Burton. Ere the close=
of
the century
these regions will, undoubtedly, be explor=
ed.
But," added
the doctor, consulting his compass, "I
regret that the
wind is carrying us so far to the westward=
. I
wanted to
get to the north."
After twelve hours of progress, the Victor=
ia
found herself
on the confines of Nigritia. The first
inhabitants of
this region, the Chouas Arabs, were feeding
their wandering
flocks. The immense summits of the Atlanti=
ka
Mountains
seen above the horizon--mountains that no
European
foot had yet scaled, and whose height is
computed to be
ten thousand feet! Their western slope
determines the
flow of all the waters in this region of
Africa toward the
ocean. They are the Mountains of the Moon =
to
this part
of the continent.
At length a real river greeted the gaze of=
our
travellers,
and, by the enormous ant-hills seen in its
vicinity, the
doctor recognized the Benoue, one of the g=
reat
tributaries
of the Niger, the one which the natives ha=
ve
called "The
Fountain of the Waters."
"This river," said the doctor to=
his
companions, "will,
one day, be the natural channel of
communication with
the interior of Nigritia. Under the comman=
d of
one of
our brave captains, the steamer Pleiad has
already ascended
as far as the town of Yola. You see that we
are
not in an unknown country."
Numerous slaves were engaged in the labors=
of
the
field, cultivating sorgho, a kind of millet
which forms the
chief basis of their diet; and the most st=
upid
expressions
of astonishment ensued as the Victoria sped
past like a
meteor. That evening the balloon halted ab=
out
forty miles
from Yola, and ahead of it, but in the
distance, rose the
two sharp cones of Mount Mendif.
The doctor threw out his anchors and made =
fast
to the
top of a high tree; but a very violent wind
beat upon the
balloon with such force as to throw it ove=
r on
its side, thus
rendering the position of the car sometimes
extremely
dangerous. Ferguson did not close his all
night, and
he was repeatedly on the point of cutting =
the
anchor-rope
and scudding away before the gale. At leng=
th,
however,
the storm abated, and the oscillations of =
the
balloon ceased
to be alarming.
On the morrow the wind was more moderate, =
but
it
carried our travellers away from the city =
of
Yola, which
recently rebuilt by the Fouillans, excited
Ferguson's curiosity.
However, he had to make up his mind to bei=
ng
borne farther
to the northward and even a little to the
east.
Kennedy proposed to halt in this fine
hunting-country,
and Joe declared that the need of fresh me=
at
was beginning
to be felt; but the savage customs of the
country,
the attitude of the population, and some s=
hots
fired at the
Victoria, admonished the doctor to continue
his journey.
They were then crossing a region that was =
the
scene of
massacres and burnings, and where warlike
conflicts between
the barbarian sultans, contending for their
power
amid the most atrocious carnage, never cea=
se.
Numerous and populous villages of long low
huts
stretched away between broad pasture-fields
whose dense
herbage was besprinkled with violet-colored
blossoms.
The huts, looking like huge beehives, were
sheltered behind
bristling palisades. The wild hill-sides a=
nd
hollows
frequently reminded the beholder of the gl=
ens
in the Highlands
of Scotland, as Kennedy more than once
remarked.
In spite of all he could do, the doctor bo=
re
directly to
the northeast, toward Mount Mendif, which =
was
lost in
the midst of environing clouds. The lofty
summits of
these mountains separate the valley of the
Niger from the
basin of Lake Tchad.
Soon afterward was seen the Bagele, with i=
ts
eighteen
villages clinging to its flanks like a who=
le
brood of children
to their mother's bosom--a magnificent
spectacle for
the beholder whose gaze commanded and took=
in the
entire
picture at one view. Even the ravines were
seen to
be covered with fields of rice and of
arachides.
By three o'clock the Victoria was directly=
in
front of
Mount Mendif. It had been impossible to av=
oid
it; the
only thing to be done was to cross it. The
doctor, by
means of a temperature increased to one
hundred and
eighty degrees, gave the balloon a fresh
ascensional force
of nearly sixteen hundred pounds, and it w=
ent
up to an
elevation of more than eight thousand feet,
the greatest
height attained during the journey. The
temperature of
the atmosphere was so much cooler at that
point that the
aeronauts had to resort to their blankets =
and
thick coverings.
Ferguson was in haste to descend; the cove=
ring
of the
balloon gave indications of bursting, but =
in
the meanwhile
he had time to satisfy himself of the volc=
anic
origin of the
mountain, whose extinct craters are now but
deep abysses.
Immense accumulations of bird-guano gave t=
he
sides of
Mount Mendif the appearance of calcareous
rocks, and there
was enough of the deposit there to manure =
all
the lands in
the United Kingdom.
At five o'clock the Victoria, sheltered fr=
om
the south
winds, went gently gliding along the slope=
s of
the mountain,
and stopped in a wide clearing remote from=
any
habitation.
The instant it touched the soil, all needf=
ul
precautions
were taken to hold it there firmly; and
Kennedy,
fowling-piece in hand, sallied out upon the
sloping plain.
Ere long, he returned with half a dozen wi=
ld
ducks and a
kind of snipe, which Joe served up in his =
best
style. The
meal was heartily relished, and the night =
was
passed in
undisturbed and refreshing slumber.
Mosfeia.--The Sheik.--Denham, Clapperton, =
and
Oudney.--Vogel.--The Capital
of Loggoum.--Toole.--Becalmed above
Kernak.--The Governor and his Court.
--The Attack.--The Incendiary Pigeons.
On the next day, May 11th, the
adventurous journey. Her passengers had the
same confidence
in her that a good seaman has in his ship.=
In terrific hurricanes, in tropical heats,
when making
dangerous departures, and descents still m=
ore
dangerous,
it had, at all times and in all places, co=
me
out safely. It
might almost have been said that Ferguson
managed it
with a wave of the hand; and hence, without
knowing in
advance, where the point of arrival would =
be,
the doctor
had no fears concerning the successful iss=
ue
of his journey.
However, in this country of barbarians and
fanatics, prudence
obliged him to take the strictest precauti=
ons.
He
therefore counselled his companions to have
their eyes
wide open for every thing and at all hours=
.
The wind drifted a little more to the
northward, and,
toward nine o'clock, they sighted the larg=
er
city of Mosfeia,
built upon an eminence which was itself
enclosed between
two lofty mountains. Its position was
impregnable,
a narrow road running between a marsh and a
thick wood
being the only channel of approach to it.<= o:p>
At the moment of which we write, a sheik,
accompanied
by a mounted escort, and clad in a garb of
brilliant
colors, preceded by couriers and trumpeter=
s,
who put aside
the boughs of the trees as he rode up, was
making his
grand entry into the place.
The doctor lowered the balloon in order to=
get
a better
look at this cavalcade of natives; but, as=
the
balloon
grew larger to their eyes, they began to s=
how
symptoms
of intense affright, and at length made of=
f in
different
directions as fast as their legs and those=
of
their horses
could carry them.
The sheik alone did not budge an inch. He
merely
grasped his long musket, cocked it, and
proudly waited in
silence. The doctor came on to within a
hundred and
fifty feet of him, and then, with his roun=
dest
and fullest
voice, saluted him courteously in the Arab=
ic
tongue.
But, upon hearing these words falling, as =
it
seemed,
from the sky, the sheik dismounted and
prostrated himself
in the dust of the highway, where the doct=
or
had to
leave him, finding it impossible to divert=
him
from his
adoration.
"Unquestionably," Ferguson remar=
ked,
"those people
take us for supernatural beings. When Euro=
peans
came
among them for the first time, they were
mistaken for
creatures of a higher race. When this sheik
comes to
speak of to-day's meeting, he will not fai=
l to
embellish the
circumstance with all the resources of an =
Arab
imagination.
You may, therefore, judge what an account
their
legends will give of us some day."
"Not such a desirable thing, after
all," said the Scot,
"in the point of view that affects
civilization; it would be
better to pass for mere men. That would gi=
ve
these negro
races a superior idea of European power.&q=
uot;
"Very good, my dear Dick; but what ca=
n we
do about
it? You might sit all day explaining the
mechanism of
a balloon to the savants of this country, =
and
yet they would
not comprehend you, but would persist in
ascribing it to
supernatural aid."
"Doctor, you spoke of the first time
Europeans visited
these regions. Who were the visitors?"
inquired Joe.
"My dear fellow, we are now upon the =
very
track of
Major Denham. It was at this very city of
Mosfeia that
he was received by the Sultan of Mandara; =
he
had quitted
the Bornou country; he accompanied the she=
ik
in an expedition
against the Fellatahs; he assisted in the
attack
on the city, which, with its arrows alone,
bravely resisted
the bullets of the Arabs, and put the shei=
k's
troops to
flight. All this was but a pretext for
murders, raids, and
pillage. The major was completely plundered
and stripped,
and had it not been for his horse, under w=
hose
stomach he
clung with the skill of an Indian rider, a=
nd
was borne with
a headlong gallop from his barbarous pursu=
ers,
he never
could have made his way back to Kouka, the
capital of
Bornou."
"Who was this Major Denham?"
"A fearless Englishman, who, between =
1822
and 1824,
commanded an expedition into the Bornou
country, in
company with Captain Clapperton and Dr.
Oudney. They
set out from Tripoli in the month of March,
reached Mourzouk,
the capital of Fez, and, following the rou=
te
which at
a later period Dr. Barth was to pursue on =
his
way back to
Europe, they arrived, on the 16th of Febru=
ary,
1823, at
Kouka, near Lake Tchad. Denham made several
explorations
in Bornou, in Mandara, and to the eastern
shores of
the lake. In the mean time, on the 15th of
December,
1823, Captain Clapperton and Dr. Oudney had
pushed
their way through the Soudan country as fa=
r as
Sackatoo,
and Oudney died of fatigue and exhaustion =
in
the town
of Murmur."
"This part of Africa has, therefore, =
paid
a heavy tribute
of victims to the cause of science," =
said
Kennedy.
"Yes, this country is fatal to
travellers. We are moving
directly toward the kingdom of Baghirmi, w=
hich
Vogel
traversed in 1856, so as to reach the Wadai
country, where
he disappeared. This young man, at the age=
of
twenty-three,
had been sent to cooperate with Dr. Barth.
They
met on the 1st of December, 1854, and ther=
eupon
commenced
his explorations of the country. Toward 18=
56,
he
announced, in the last letters received fr=
om
him, his
intention to reconnoitre the kingdom of Wa=
dai,
which no
European had yet penetrated. It appears th=
at
he got as
far as Wara, the capital, where, according=
to
some accounts,
he was made prisoner, and, according to
others,
was put to death for having attempted to
ascend a sacred
mountain in the environs. But, we must not=
too
lightly
admit the death of travellers, since that =
does
away with
the necessity of going in search of them. =
For
instance,
how often was the death of Dr. Barth repor=
ted,
to his
own great annoyance! It is, therefore, very
possible that
Vogel may still be held as a prisoner by t=
he
Sultan of
Wadai, in the hope of obtaining a good ran=
som
for him.
"Baron de Neimans was about starting =
for
the Wadai
country when he died at Cairo, in 1855; an=
d we
now know
that De Heuglin has set out on Vogel's tra=
ck
with the
expedition sent from Leipsic, so that we s=
hall
soon be
accurately informed as to the fate of that
young and
interesting explorer."*
* Since the doctor's departure, letters
written from El'Obeid
by Mr. Muntzinger, the newly-appointed hea=
d of
the expedition,
unfortunately place the death of Vogel bey=
ond
a doubt.
Mosfeia had disappeared from the horizon l=
ong
ere this,
and the Mandara country was developing to =
the
gaze of
our aeronauts its astonishing fertility, w=
ith
its forests of
acacias, its locust-trees covered with red
flowers, and the
herbaceous plants of its fields of cotton =
and
indigo trees.
The river Shari, which eighty miles farthe=
r on
rolled its
impetuous waters into Lake Tchad, was quite
distinctly
seen.
The doctor got his companions to trace its
course upon
the maps drawn by Dr. Barth.
"You perceive," said he, "t=
hat
the labors of this savant
have been conducted with great precision; =
we
are moving
directly toward the Loggoum region, and
perhaps toward
Kernak, its capital. It was there that poor
Toole died, at
the age of scarcely twenty-two. He was a y=
oung
Englishman,
an ensign in the 80th regiment, who, a few
weeks
before, had joined Major Denham in Africa,=
and
it was
not long ere he there met his death. Ah! t=
his
vast
country might well be called the graveyard=
of
European
travellers."
Some boats, fifty feet long, were descendi=
ng
the current
of the Shari. The Victoria, then one thous=
and
feet
above the soil, hardly attracted the atten=
tion
of the
natives; but the wind, which until then had
been blowing
with a certain degree of strength, was fal=
ling
off.
"Is it possible that we are to be cau=
ght
in another dead
calm?" sighed the doctor.
"Well, we've no lack of water, nor the
desert to fear,
anyhow, master," said Joe.
"No; but there are races here still m=
ore
to be dreaded."
"Why!" said Joe, again,
"there's something like a town."
"That is Kernak. The last puffs of the
breeze are
wafting us to it, and, if we choose, we can
take an exact
plan of the place."
"Shall we not go nearer to it?"
asked Kennedy.
"Nothing easier, Dick! We are right o=
ver
it. Allow
me to turn the stopcock of the cylinder, a=
nd
we'll not be
long in descending."
Half an hour later the balloon hung motion=
less
about
two hundred feet from the ground.
"Here we are!" said the doctor,
"nearer to Kernak
than a man would be to London, if he were
perched in the
cupola of St. Paul's. So we can take a sur=
vey
at our
ease."
"What is that tick-tacking sound that=
we
hear on all sides?"
Joe looked attentively, and at length
discovered that
the noise they heard was produced by a num=
ber
of weavers
beating cloth stretched in the open air, on
large trunks of
trees.
The capital of Loggoum could then be seen =
in
its entire
extent, like an unrolled chart. It is real=
ly a
city with
straight rows of houses and quite wide
streets. In the
midst of a large open space there was a sl=
ave-market,
attended by a great crowd of customers, for
the Mandara
women, who have extremely small hands and
feet, are in
excellent request, and can be sold at
lucrative rates.
At the sight of the Victoria, the scene so
often produced
occurred again. At first there were outcri=
es,
and
then followed general stupefaction; busine=
ss
was abandoned;
work was flung aside, and all noise ceased.
The
aeronauts remained as they were, completely
motionless,
and lost not a detail of the populous city.
They even
went down to within sixty feet of the grou=
nd.
Hereupon the Governor of Loggoum came out =
from
his residence,
displaying his green standard, and accompa=
nied
by his
musicians, who blew on hoarse buffalo-horn=
s,
as though
they would split their cheeks or any thing
else,
excepting their own lungs. The crowd at on=
ce
gathered
around him. In the mean while Dr. Ferguson
tried to
make himself heard, but in vain.
This population looked like proud and
intelligent people,
with their high foreheads, their almost
aquiline noses,
and their curling hair; but the presence of
the Victoria
troubled them greatly. Horsemen could be s=
een
galloping
in all directions, and it soon became evid=
ent
that the
governor's troops were assembling to oppos=
e so
extraordinary
a foe. Joe wore himself out waving
handkerchiefs
of every color and shape to them; but his
exertions were
all to no purpose.
However, the sheik, surrounded by his cour=
t,
proclaimed
silence, and pronounced a discourse, of wh=
ich
the
doctor could not understand a word. It was
Arabic, mixed
with Baghirmi. He could make out enough,
however, by
the universal language of gestures, to be
aware that he
was receiving a very polite invitation to
depart. Indeed,
he would have asked for nothing better, but
for lack of
wind, the thing had become impossible. His
noncompliance,
therefore, exasperated the governor, whose
courtiers
and attendants set up a furious howl to
enforce immediate
obedience on the part of the aerial monste=
r.
They were odd-looking fellows those courti=
ers,
with
their five or six shirts swathed around th=
eir
bodies! They
had enormous stomachs, some of which actua=
lly
seemed
to be artificial. The doctor surprised his
companions by
informing them that this was the way to pay
court to the
sultan. The rotundity of the stomach indic=
ated
the ambition
of its possessor. These corpulent gentry
gesticulated
and bawled at the top of their voices--one=
of
them
particularly distinguishing himself above =
the
rest--to
such an extent, indeed, that he must have =
been
a prime
minister--at least, if the disturbance he =
made
was any
criterion of his rank. The common rabble of
dusky denizens
united their howlings with the uproar of t=
he
court,
repeating their gesticulations like so many
monkeys, and
thereby producing a single and instantaneo=
us
movement
of ten thousand arms at one time.
To these means of intimidation, which were
presently
deemed insufficient, were added others sti=
ll
more formidable.
Soldiers, armed with bows and arrows, were
drawn
up in line of battle; but by this time the
balloon was
expanding, and rising quietly beyond their
reach. Upon
this the governor seized a musket and aime=
d it
at the
balloon; but, Kennedy, who was watching hi=
m,
shattered
the uplifted weapon in the sheik's grasp.<= o:p>
At this unexpected blow there was a general
rout.
Every mother's son of them scampered for h=
is
dwelling
with the utmost celerity, and stayed there=
, so
that the
streets of the town were absolutely desert=
ed
for the remainder
of that day.
Night came, and not a breath of wind was
stirring.
The aeronauts had to make up their minds to
remain
motionless at the distance of but three
hundred feet
above the ground. Not a fire or light shon=
e in
the deep
gloom, and around reigned the silence of
death; but the
doctor only redoubled his vigilance, as th=
is
apparent quiet
might conceal some snare.
And he had reason to be watchful. About
midnight,
the whole city seemed to be in a blaze.
Hundreds of
streaks of flame crossed each other, and s=
hot
to and fro
in the air like rockets, forming a regular
network of fire.
"That's really curious!" said the
doctor, somewhat
puzzled to make out what it meant.
"By all that's glorious!" shouted
Kennedy, "it looks
as if the fire were ascending and coming up
toward us!"
And, sure enough, with an accompaniment of
musket-shots,
yelling, and din of every description, the
mass of
fire was, indeed, mounting toward the
Victoria. Joe got
ready to throw out ballast, and Ferguson w=
as
not long at
guessing the truth. Thousands of pigeons,
their tails garnished
with combustibles, had been set loose and =
driven
toward the Victoria; and now, in their ter=
ror,
they were
flying high up, zigzagging the atmosphere =
with
lines of
fire. Kennedy was preparing to discharge a=
ll
his batteries
into the middle of the ascending multitude,
but what
could he have done against such a numberle=
ss
army?
The pigeons were already whisking around t=
he
car; they
were even surrounding the balloon, the sid=
es
of which,
reflecting their illumination, looked as
though enveloped
with a network of fire.
The doctor dared hesitate no longer; and,
throwing
out a fragment of quartz, he kept himself
beyond the
reach of these dangerous assailants; and, =
for
two hours
afterward, he could see them wandering hit=
her
and thither
through the darkness of the night, until,
little by little,
their light diminished, and they, one by o=
ne,
died out.
"Now we may sleep in quiet," said
the doctor.
"Not badly got up for barbarians,&quo=
t;
mused friend Joe,
speaking his thoughts aloud.
"Oh, they employ these pigeons
frequently, to set fire
to the thatch of hostile villages; but this
time the village
mounted higher than they could go."
"Why, positively, a balloon need fear=
no
enemies!"
"Yes, indeed, it may!" objected
Ferguson.
"What are they, then, doctor?"
"They are the careless people in the =
car!
So, my friends,
let us have vigilance in all places and at=
all
times."
Departure in the Night-time.--All
Three.--Kennedy's Instincts.--Precautions.--
The Course of the Shari River.--
Hippopotamus.--One Bullet thrown away.
About three o'clock in the morning, Joe, w=
ho
was then
on watch, at length saw the city move away
from beneath
his feet. The
both the doctor and Kennedy awoke.
The former consulted his compass, and saw,=
with
satisfaction,
that the wind was carrying them toward the
north-northeast.
"We are in luck!" said he;
"every thing works in
our favor: we shall discover Lake Tchad th=
is
very day."
"Is it a broad sheet of water?"
asked Kennedy.
"Somewhat, Dick. At its greatest leng=
th
and breadth,
it measures about one hundred and twenty
miles."
"It will spice our trip with a little
variety to sail
over a spacious sheet of water."
"After all, though, I don't see that =
we
have much to
complain of on that score. Our trip has be=
en
very much
varied, indeed; and, moreover, we are gett=
ing
on under
the best possible conditions."
"Unquestionably so; excepting those
privations on
the desert, we have encountered no serious
danger."
"It is not to be denied that our noble
balloon has
behaved wonderfully well. To-day is May 12=
th,
and we
started on the 18th of April. That makes
twenty-five
days of journeying. In ten days more we sh=
all
have
reached our destination."
"Where is that?"
"I do not know. But what does that
signify?"
"You are right again, Samuel! Let us
intrust to Providence
the care of guiding us and of keeping us in
good
health as we are now. We don't look much as
though
we had been crossing the most pestilential
country in the
world!"
"We had an opportunity of getting up =
in
life, and that's
what we have done!"
"Hurrah for trips in the air!" c=
ried
Joe. "Here we
are at the end of twenty-five days in good
condition, well
fed, and well rested. We've had too much r=
est
in fact,
for my legs begin to feel rusty, and I
wouldn't be vexed
a bit to stretch them with a run of thirty
miles or so!"
"You can do that, Joe, in the streets=
of
London, but
in fine we set out three together, like
Denham, Clapperton,
and Overweg; like Barth, Richardson, and
Vogel, and,
more fortunate than our predecessors here,=
we
are three
in number still. But it is most important =
for
us not to
separate. If, while one of us was on the
ground, the
Victoria should have to ascend in order to
escape some
sudden danger, who knows whether we should
ever see
each other again? Therefore it is that I s=
ay
again to
Kennedy frankly that I do not like his goi=
ng
off alone to
hunt."
"But still, Samuel, you will permit m=
e to
indulge that
fancy a little. There is no harm in renewi=
ng
our stock of
provisions. Besides, before our departure,=
you
held out
to me the prospect of some superb hunting,=
and
thus far I
have done but little in the line of the
Andersons and Cummings."
"But, my dear Dick, your memory fails
you, or your
modesty makes you forget your own exploits=
. It
really
seems to me that, without mentioning small
game, you
have already an antelope, an elephant, and=
two
lions on
your conscience."
"But what's all that to an African
sportsman who sees
all the animals in creation strutting along
under the
muzzle of his rifle? There! there! look at
that troop of
giraffes!"
"Those giraffes," roared Joe;
"why, they're not as big
as my fist."
"Because we are a thousand feet above
them; but close
to them you would discover that they are t=
hree
times as
tall as you are!"
"And what do you say to yon herd of
gazelles, and
those ostriches, that run with the speed of
the wind?"
resumed Kennedy.
"Those ostriches?" remonstrated =
Joe,
again; "those
are chickens, and the greatest kind of
chickens!"
"Come, doctor, can't we get down near=
er to
them?"
pleaded Kennedy.
"We can get closer to them, Dick, but=
we
must not
land. And what good will it do you to stri=
ke
down those
poor animals when they can be of no use to
you? Now,
if the question were to destroy a lion, a
tiger, a cat, a
hyena, I could understand it; but to depri=
ve
an antelope
or a gazelle of life, to no other purpose =
than
the gratification
of your instincts as a sportsman, seems ha=
rdly
worth
the trouble. But, after all, my friend, we=
are
going to
keep at about one hundred feet only from t=
he
soil, and,
should you see any ferocious wild beast,
oblige us by sending
a ball through its heart!"
The Victoria descended gradually, but still
keeping at a safe
height, for, in a barbarous, yet very popu=
lous
country, it was
necessary to keep on the watch for unexpec=
ted
perils.
The travellers were then directly following
the course
of the Shari. The charming banks of this r=
iver
were
hidden beneath the foliage of trees of var=
ious
dyes; lianas
and climbing plants wound in and out on all
sides and
formed the most curious combinations of co=
lor.
Crocodiles
were seen basking in the broad blaze of the
sun or plunging
beneath the waters with the agility of
lizards, and in
their gambols they sported about among the
many green
islands that intercept the current of the
stream.
It was thus, in the midst of rich and verd=
ant
landscapes
that our travellers passed over the distri=
ct
of Maffatay,
and about nine o'clock in the morning reac=
hed
the
southern shore of Lake Tchad.
There it was at last, outstretched before
them, that
Caspian Sea of Africa, the existence of wh=
ich
was so long
consigned to the realms of fable--that
interior expanse of
water to which only Denham's and Barth's
expeditions
had been able to force their way.
The doctor strove in vain to fix its preci=
se
configuration
upon paper. It had already changed greatly
since
1847. In fact, the chart of Lake Tchad is =
very
difficult to
trace with exactitude, for it is surrounde=
d by
muddy and
almost impassable morasses, in which Barth
thought that
he was doomed to perish. From year to year
these
marshes, covered with reeds and papyrus
fifteen feet high,
become the lake itself. Frequently, too, t=
he
villages on
its shores are half submerged, as was the =
case
with Ngornou
in 1856, and now the hippopotamus and the =
alligator
frisk and dive where the dwellings of Born=
ou
once stood.
The sun shot his dazzling rays over this
placid sheet
of water, and toward the north the two
elements merged
into one and the same horizon.
The doctor was desirous of determining the
character
of the water, which was long believed to be
salt. There
was no danger in descending close to the l=
ake,
and the car
was soon skimming its surface like a bird =
at
the distance
of only five feet.
Joe plunged a bottle into the lake and dre=
w it
up half
filled. The water was then tasted and foun=
d to
be but
little fit for drinking, with a certain
carbonate-of-soda
flavor.
While the doctor was jotting down the resu=
lt
of this
experiment, the loud report of a gun was h=
eard
close beside
him. Kennedy had not been able to resist t=
he
temptation
of firing at a huge hippopotamus. The latt=
er,
who
had been basking quietly, disappeared at t=
he
sound of the
explosion, but did not seem to be otherwise
incommoded
by Kennedy's conical bullet.
"You'd have done better if you had
harpooned him,"
said Joe.
"But how?"
"With one of our anchors. It would ha=
ve
been a hook
just big enough for such a rousing beast as
that!"
"Humph!" ejaculated Kennedy,
"Joe really has an
idea this time--"
"Which I beg of you not to put into
execution," interposed
the doctor. "The animal would very
quickly have
dragged us where we could not have done mu=
ch
to help
ourselves, and where we have no business to
be."
"Especially now since we've settled t=
he
question as to
what kind of water there is in Lake Tchad.=
Is
that sort
of fish good to eat, Dr. Ferguson?"
"That fish, as you call it, Joe, is
really a mammiferous
animal of the pachydermal species. Its fle=
sh
is said to be
excellent and is an article of important t=
rade
between the
tribes living along the borders of the
lake."
"Then I'm sorry that Mr. Kennedy's sh=
ot
didn't do
more damage."
"The animal is vulnerable only in the
stomach and between
the thighs. Dick's ball hasn't even marked
him;
but should the ground strike me as favorab=
le,
we shall halt
at the northern end of the lake, where Ken=
nedy
will find
himself in the midst of a whole menagerie,=
and
can make
up for lost time."
"Well," said Joe, "I hope t=
hen
that Mr. Kennedy
will hunt the hippopotamus a little; I'd l=
ike
to taste the
meat of that queer-looking beast. It doesn=
't
look exactly
natural to get away into the centre of Afr=
ica,
to feed on
snipe and partridge, just as if we were in
England."
The Capital of Bornou.--The
Doctor's Anxieties.--His Precautions.--An
Attack in Mid-air.--The Balloon
Covering torn.--The Fall.--Sublime
Self-Sacrifice.--The Northern Coast of
the
Since its arrival at
a current that edged it farther to the wes=
tward.
A few
clouds tempered the heat of the day, and,
besides, a little
air could be felt over this vast expanse of
water; but about
one o'clock, the Victoria, having slanted
across this part
of the lake, again advanced over the land =
for
a space of
seven or eight miles.
The doctor, who was somewhat vexed at firs=
t at
this
turn of his course, no longer thought of
complaining when
he caught sight of the city of Kouka, the
capital of Bornou.
He saw it for a moment, encircled by its w=
alls
of
white clay, and a few rudely-constructed
mosques rising
clumsily above that conglomeration of hous=
es
that look
like playing-dice, which form most Arab to=
wns.
In the
court-yards of the private dwellings, and =
on
the public
squares, grew palms and caoutchouc-trees
topped with a
dome of foliage more than one hundred feet=
in
breadth.
Joe called attention to the fact that these
immense parasols
were in proper accordance with the intense
heat of
the sun, and made thereon some pious
reflections which it
were needless to repeat.
Kouka really consists of two distinct town=
s,
separated
by the "Dendal," a large bouleva=
rd
three hundred
yards wide, at that hour crowded with hors=
emen
and foot
passengers. On one side, the rich quarter
stands squarely
with its airy and lofty houses, laid out i=
n regular
order;
on the other, is huddled together the poor
quarter, a miserable
collection of low hovels of a conical shap=
e,
in which
a poverty-stricken multitude vegetate rath=
er
than live,
since Kouka is neither a trading nor a
commercial city.
Kennedy thought it looked something like
Edinburgh,
were that city extended on a plain, with i=
ts
two distinct
boroughs.
But our travellers had scarcely the time to
catch even
this glimpse of it, for, with the ficklene=
ss
that characterizes
the air-currents of this region, a contrary
wind suddenly
swept them some forty miles over the surfa=
ce
of Lake Tchad.
Then then were regaled with a new spectacl=
e.
They
could count the numerous islets of the lak=
e,
inhabited by
the Biddiomahs, a race of bloodthirsty and
formidable
pirates, who are as greatly feared when
neighbors as are
the Touaregs of Sahara.
These estimable people were in readiness to
receive the
Victoria bravely with stones and arrows, b=
ut
the balloon
quickly passed their islands, fluttering o=
ver
them, from one
to the other with butterfly motion, like a
gigantic beetle.
At this moment, Joe, who was scanning the
horizon,
said to Kennedy:
"There, sir, as you are always thinki=
ng
of good sport,
yonder is just the thing for you!"
"What is it, Joe?"
"This time, the doctor will not
disapprove of your shooting."
"But what is it?"
"Don't you see that flock of big birds
making for us?"
"Birds?" exclaimed the doctor,
snatching his spyglass.
"I see them," replied Kennedy;
"there are at least a
dozen of them."
"Fourteen, exactly!" said Joe.
"Heaven grant that they may be of a k=
ind
sufficiently
noxious for the doctor to let me peg away =
at
them!"
"I should not object, but I would much
rather see
those birds at a distance from us!"
"Why, are you afraid of those
fowls?"
"They are condors, and of the largest
size. Should
they attack us--"
"Well, if they do, we'll defend
ourselves. We have a
whole arsenal at our disposal. I don't thi=
nk
those birds
are so very formidable."
"Who can tell?" was the doctor's
only remark.
Ten minutes later, the flock had come with=
in
gunshot,
and were making the air ring with their ho=
arse
cries. They
came right toward the Victoria, more irrit=
ated
than frightened
by her presence.
"How they scream! What a noise!"
said Joe.
"Perhaps they don't like to see anybo=
dy
poaching in their
country up in the air, or daring to fly li=
ke
themselves!"
"Well, now, to tell the truth, when I
take a good look
at them, they are an ugly, ferocious set, =
and
I should think
them dangerous enough if they were armed w=
ith
Purdy-Moore
rifles," admitted Kennedy.
"They have no need of such weapons,&q=
uot;
said Ferguson,
looking very grave.
The condors flew around them in wide circl=
es,
their
flight growing gradually closer and closer=
to
the balloon.
They swept through the air in rapid, fanta=
stic
curves,
occasionally precipitating themselves head=
long
with the
speed of a bullet, and then breaking their
line of projection
by an abrupt and daring angle.
The doctor, much disquieted, resolved to
ascend so as
to escape this dangerous proximity. He
therefore dilated
the hydrogen in his balloon, and it rapidly
rose.
But the condors mounted with him, apparent=
ly
determined
not to part company.
"They seem to mean mischief!" sa=
id
the hunter, cocking
his rifle.
And, in fact, they were swooping nearer, a=
nd
more than
one came within fifty feet of them, as if
defying the fire-arms.
"By George, I'm itching to let them h=
ave
it!" exclaimed
Kennedy.
"No, Dick; not now! Don't exasperate =
them
needlessly.
That would only be exciting them to attack=
us!"
"But I could soon settle those
fellows!"
"You may think so, Dick. But you are
wrong!"
"Why, we have a bullet for each of
them!"
"And suppose that they were to attack=
the
upper part
of the balloon, what would you do? How wou=
ld
you get
at them? Just imagine yourself in the pres=
ence
of a troop
of lions on the plain, or a school of shar=
ks
in the open
ocean! For travellers in the air, this
situation is just as
dangerous."
"Are you speaking seriously,
doctor?"
"Very seriously, Dick."
"Let us wait, then!"
"Wait! Hold yourself in readiness in =
case
of an attack,
but do not fire without my orders."
The birds then collected at a short distan=
ce,
yet to
near that their naked necks, entirely bare=
of
feathers, could
be plainly seen, as they stretched them ou=
t with
the effort
of their cries, while their gristly crests,
garnished with a
comb and gills of deep violet, stood erect
with rage. They
were of the very largest size, their bodies
being more than
three feet in length, and the lower surfac=
e of
their white
wings glittering in the sunlight. They mig=
ht
well have
been considered winged sharks, so striking=
was
their resemblance
to those ferocious rangers of the deep.
"They are following us!" said the
doctor, as he saw
them ascending with him, "and, mount =
as
we may, they
can fly still higher!"
"Well, what are we to do?" asked
Kennedy.
The doctor made no answer.
"Listen, Samuel!" said the
sportsman. "There are
fourteen of those birds; we have seventeen
shots at our
disposal if we discharge all our weapons. =
Have
we not
the means, then, to destroy them or disper=
se
them? I
will give a good account of some of
them!"
"I have no doubt of your skill, Dick;=
I
look upon all
as dead that may come within range of your
rifle, but I
repeat that, if they attack the upper part=
of
the balloon,
you could not get a sight at them. They wo=
uld
tear the
silk covering that sustains us, and we are
three thousand
feet up in the air!"
At this moment, one of the ferocious birds
darted right
at the balloon, with outstretched beak and
claws, ready to
rend it with either or both.
"Fire! fire at once!" cried the
doctor.
He had scarcely ceased, ere the huge creat=
ure,
stricken
dead, dropped headlong, turning over and o=
ver
in space as
he fell.
Kennedy had already grasped one of the
two-barrelled
fowling-pieces and Joe was taking aim with
another.
Frightened by the report, the condors drew
back for a
moment, but they almost instantly returned=
to
the charge
with extreme fury. Kennedy severed the hea=
d of
one
from its body with his first shot, and Joe
broke the wing
of another.
"Only eleven left," said he.
Thereupon the birds changed their tactics,=
and
by common
consent soared above the balloon. Kennedy
glanced at
Ferguson. The latter, in spite of his
imperturbability,
grew pale. Then ensued a moment of terrify=
ing
silence.
In the next they heard a harsh tearing noi=
se,
as of
something rending the silk, and the car se=
emed
to sink
from beneath the feet of our three aeronau=
ts.
"We are lost!" exclaimed Ferguso=
n,
glancing at the
barometer, which was now swiftly rising.
"Over with the ballast!" he shou=
ted,
"over with it!"
And in a few seconds the last lumps of qua=
rtz
had disappeared.
"We are still falling! Empty the
water-tanks! Do
you hear me, Joe? We are pitching into the
lake!"
Joe obeyed. The doctor leaned over and loo=
ked
out.
The lake seemed to come up toward him like=
a
rising tide.
Every object around grew rapidly in size w=
hile
they were
looking at it. The car was not two hundred
feet from the
surface of Lake Tchad.
"The provisions! the provisions!"
cried the doctor.
And the box containing them was launched i=
nto
space.
Their descent became less rapid, but the
luckless
aeronauts were still falling, and into the
lake.
"Throw out something--something
more!" cried the doctor.
"There is nothing more to throw!"
was Kennedy's
despairing response.
"Yes, there is!" called Joe, and
with a wave of the hand
he disappeared like a flash, over the edge=
of
the car.
"Joe! Joe!" exclaimed the doctor,
horror-stricken.
The Victoria thus relieved resumed her asc=
ending
motion,
mounted a thousand feet into the air, and =
the
wind,
burying itself in the disinflated covering,
bore them away
toward the northern part of the lake.
"Lost!" exclaimed the sportsman,
with a gesture of despair.
"Lost to save us!" responded Fer=
guson.
And these men, intrepid as they were, felt=
the
large
tears streaming down their cheeks. They le=
aned
over
with the vain hope of seeing some trace of
their heroic
companion, but they were already far away =
from
him.
"What course shall we pursue?" a=
sked
Kennedy.
"Alight as soon as possible, Dick, and
then wait."
After a sweep of some sixty miles the Vict=
oria
halted
on a desert shore, on the north of the lak=
e.
The anchors
caught in a low tree and the sportsman
fastened it securely.
Night came, but neither Ferguson nor Kenne=
dy
could
find one moment's sleep.
Conjectures.--Reestablishment of the
of
On the morrow, the 13th of May, our
travellers, for
the first time, reconnoitred the part of t=
he
coast on which
they had landed. It was a sort of island of
solid ground
in the midst of an immense marsh. Around t=
his
fragment
of terra firma grew reeds as lofty as trees
are in Europe,
and stretching away out of sight.
These impenetrable swamps gave security to=
the
position
of the balloon. It was necessary to watch =
only
the
borders of the lake. The vast stretch of w=
ater
broadened
away from the spot, especially toward the
east, and nothing
could be seen on the horizon, neither main=
land
nor islands.
The two friends had not yet ventured to sp=
eak
of their
recent companion. Kennedy first imparted h=
is
conjectures
to the doctor.
"Perhaps Joe is not lost after all,&q=
uot;
he said. "He was
a skilful lad, and had few equals as a
swimmer. He would
find no difficulty in swimming across the
Firth of Forth at
Edinburgh. We shall see him again--but how=
and
where
I know not. Let us omit nothing on our par=
t to
give him
the chance of rejoining us."
"May God grant it as you say, Dick!&q=
uot;
replied the
doctor, with much emotion. "We shall =
do
everything in
the world to find our lost friend again. L=
et
us, in the first
place, see where we are. But, above all
things, let us rid
the Victoria of this outside covering, whi=
ch
is of no further
use. That will relieve us of six hundred a=
nd
fifty pounds,
a weight not to be despised--and the end is
worth the
trouble!"
The doctor and Kennedy went to work at onc=
e,
but
they encountered great difficulty. They ha=
d to
tear the
strong silk away piece by piece, and then =
cut
it in narrow
strips so as to extricate it from the mesh=
es
of the network.
The tear made by the beaks of the condors =
was
found to
be several feet in length.
This operation took at least four hours, b=
ut
at length
the inner balloon once completely extricat=
ed
did not appear
to have suffered in the least degree. The
Victoria was
thus diminished in size by one fifth, and =
this
difference
was sufficiently noticeable to excite
Kennedy's surprise.
"Will it be large enough?" he as=
ked.
"Have no fears on that score, I will
reestablish the
equilibrium, and should our poor Joe retur=
n we
shall find
a way to start off with him again on our o=
ld
route."
"At the moment of our fall, unless I =
am mistaken,
we
were not far from an island."
"Yes, I recollect it," said the
doctor, "but that island,
like all the islands on Lake Tchad, is, no
doubt, inhabited
by a gang of pirates and murderers. They
certainly witnessed
our misfortune, and should Joe fall into t=
heir
hands, what
will become of him unless protected by the=
ir
superstitions?"
"Oh, he's just the lad to get safely =
out
of the scrape, I repeat.
I have great confidence in his shrewdness =
and
skill."
"I hope so. Now, Dick, you may go and
hunt in the
neighborhood, but don't get far away whate=
ver
you do.
It has become a pressing necessity for us =
to
renew our
stock of provisions, since we had to sacri=
fice
nearly all the
old lot."
"Very good, doctor, I shall not be lo=
ng
absent."
Hereupon, Kennedy took a double-barrelled
fowling-piece,
and strode through the long grass toward a
thicket
not far off, where the frequent sound of
shooting soon let
the doctor know that the sportsman was mak=
ing
a good
use of his time.
Meanwhile Ferguson was engaged in calculat=
ing
the
relative weight of the articles still left=
in
the car, and in
establishing the equipoise of the second
balloon. He found
that there were still left some thirty pou=
nds
of pemmican,
a supply of tea and coffee, about a gallon=
and
a half of
brandy, and one empty water-tank. All the
dried meat
had disappeared.
The doctor was aware that, by the loss of =
the
hydrogen
in the first balloon, the ascensional forc=
e at
his disposal
was now reduced to about nine hundred poun=
ds.
He
therefore had to count upon this differenc=
e in
order to
rearrange his equilibrium. The new balloon
measured sixty-seven
thousand cubic feet, and contained
thirty-three
thousand four hundred and eighty feet of g=
as.
The dilating
apparatus appeared to be in good condition,
and neither
the battery nor the spiral had been injure=
d.
The ascensional force of the new balloon w=
as
then
about three thousand pounds, and, in adding
together the
weight of the apparatus, of the passengers=
, of
the stock of
water, of the car and its accessories, and=
putting
aboard
fifty gallons of water, and one hundred po=
unds
of fresh
meat, the doctor got a total weight of
twenty-eight hundred
and thirty pounds. He could then take with=
him
one
hundred and seventy pounds of ballast, for
unforeseen
emergencies, and the balloon would be in e=
xact
balance
with the surrounding atmosphere.
His arrangements were completed accordingl=
y,
and he
made up for Joe's weight with a surplus of
ballast. He
spent the whole day in these preparations,=
and
the latter
were finished when Kennedy returned. The
hunter had
been successful, and brought back a regular
cargo of geese,
wild-duck, snipe, teal, and plover. He wen=
t to
work at
once to draw and smoke the game. Each piec=
e,
suspended
on a small, thin skewer, was hung over a f=
ire
of green
wood. When they seemed in good order, Kenn=
edy,
who
was perfectly at home in the business, pac=
ked
them away
in the car.
On the morrow, the hunter was to complete =
his
supplies.
Evening surprised our travellers in the mi=
dst
of this
work. Their supper consisted of pemmican,
biscuit, and
tea; and fatigue, after having given them
appetite, brought
them sleep. Each of them strained eyes and
ears into the
gloom during his watch, sometimes fancying
that they
heard the voice of poor Joe; but, alas! the
voice that
they so longed to hear, was far away.
"At the first streak of day, the doct=
or
aroused Kennedy.
"I have been long and carefully
considering what
should be done," said he, "to fi=
nd
our companion."
"Whatever your plan may be, doctor, it
will suit me. Speak!"
"Above all things, it is important th=
at
Joe should hear
from us in some way."
"Undoubtedly. Suppose the brave fellow
should take
it into his head that we have abandoned
him?"
"He! He knows us too well for that. S=
uch
a thought
would never come into his mind. But he mus=
t be
informed
as to where we are."
"How can that be managed?"
"We shall get into our car and be off
again through
the air."
"But, should the wind bear us away?&q=
uot;
"Happily, it will not. See, Dick! it =
is
carrying us
back to the lake; and this circumstance, w=
hich
would
have been vexatious yesterday, is fortunate
now. Our
efforts, then, will be limited to keeping
ourselves above
that vast sheet of water throughout the da=
y.
Joe cannot
fail to see us, and his eyes will be
constantly on the
lookout in that direction. Perhaps he will
even manage to
let us know the place of his retreat."=
;
"If he be alone and at liberty, he
certainly will."
"And if a prisoner," resumed the
doctor, "it not being
the practice of the natives to confine the=
ir
captives, he will
see us, and comprehend the object of our
researches."
"But, at last," put in
Kennedy--"for we must anticipate
every thing--should we find no trace--if he
should
have left no mark to follow him by, what a=
re
we to do?"
"We shall endeavor to regain the nort=
hern
part of
the lake, keeping ourselves as much in sig=
ht
as possible.
There we'll wait; we'll explore the banks;
we'll search
the water's edge, for Joe will assuredly t=
ry
to reach the
shore; and we will not leave the country
without having
done every thing to find him."
"Let us set out, then!" said the
hunter.
The doctor hereupon took the exact bearing=
s of
the
patch of solid land they were about to lea=
ve,
and arrived
at the conclusion that it lay on the north
shore of Lake
Tchad, between the village of Lari and the
village of
Ingemini, both visited by Major Denham. Du=
ring
this
time Kennedy was completing his stock of f=
resh
meat.
Although the neighboring marshes showed tr=
aces
of the
rhinoceros, the lamantine (or manatee), and
the hippopotamus,
he had no opportunity to see a single spec=
imen
of
those animals.
At seven in the morning, but not without g=
reat
difficulty
--which to Joe would have been nothing--the
balloon's
anchor was detached from its hold, the gas
dilated,
and the new Victoria rose two hundred feet
into the air.
It seemed to hesitate at first, and went
spinning around,
like a top; but at last a brisk current ca=
ught
it, and it
advanced over the lake, and was soon borne
away at a
speed of twenty miles per hour.
The doctor continued to keep at a height of
from two
hundred to five hundred feet. Kennedy
frequently discharged
his rifle; and, when passing over islands,=
the
aeronauts approached them even imprudently,
scrutinizing
the thickets, the bushes, the underbrush--=
in
fine, every spot
where a mass of shade or jutting rock could
have afforded
a retreat to their companion. They swooped
down close
to the long pirogues that navigated the la=
ke;
and the
wild fishermen, terrified at the sight of =
the
balloon, would
plunge into the water and regain their isl=
ands
with every
symptom of undisguised affright.
"We can see nothing," said Kenne=
dy,
after two hours
of search.
"Let us wait a little longer, Dick, a=
nd
not lose heart.
We cannot be far away from the scene of our
accident."
By eleven o'clock the balloon had gone nin=
ety
miles.
It then fell in with a new current, which,
blowing almost
at right angles to the other, drove them
eastward about
sixty miles. It next floated over a very l=
arge
and populous
island, which the doctor took to be Farram=
, on
which
the capital of the Biddiomahs is situated.
Ferguson expected
at every moment to see Joe spring up out of
some
thicket, flying for his life, and calling =
for
help. Were he
free, they could pick him up without troub=
le;
were he a
prisoner, they could rescue him by repeati=
ng
the manoeuvre
they had practised to save the missionary,=
and
he would
soon be with his friends again; but nothing
was seen, not
a sound was heard. The case seemed despera=
te.
About half-past two o'clock, the Victoria =
hove
in sight
of Tangalia, a village situated on the eas=
tern
shore of
Lake Tchad, where it marks the extreme poi=
nt
attained
by Denham at the period of his exploration=
.
The doctor became uneasy at this persistent
setting
of the wind in that direction, for he felt
that he was being
thrown back to the eastward, toward the ce=
ntre
of Africa,
and the interminable deserts of that regio=
n.
"We must absolutely come to a halt,&q=
uot;
said he, "and
even alight. For Joe's sake, particularly,=
we
ought to
go back to the lake; but, to begin with, l=
et
us endeavor
to find an opposite current."
During more than an hour he searched at
different
altitudes: the balloon always came back to=
ward
the mainland.
But at length, at the height of a thousand
feet, a
very violent breeze swept to the
northwestward.
It was out of the question that Joe should
have been
detained on one of the islands of the lake;
for, in such case
he would certainly have found means to make
his presence
there known. Perhaps he had been dragged to
the mainland.
The doctor was reasoning thus to himself, =
when
he
again came in sight of the northern shore =
of
Lake Tchad.
As for supposing that Joe had been drowned,
that was
not to be believed for a moment. One horri=
ble
thought
glanced across the minds of both Kennedy a=
nd
the doctor:
caymans swarm in these waters! But neither=
one
nor the other had the courage to distinctly
communicate
this impression. However, it came up to th=
em
so forcibly
at last that the doctor said, without furt=
her
preface:
"Crocodiles are found only on the sho=
res
of the islands
or of the lake, and Joe will have skill en=
ough
to avoid
them. Besides, they are not very dangerous;
and the
Africans bathe with impunity, and quite
fearless of their
attacks."
Kennedy made no reply. He preferred keeping
quiet
to discussing this terrible possibility.
The doctor made out the town of Lari about
five
o'clock in the evening. The inhabitants we=
re
at work
gathering in their cotton-crop in front of
their huts,
constructed of woven reeds, and standing in
the midst of clean
and neatly-kept enclosures. This collectio=
n of
about fifty
habitations occupied a slight depression of
the soil, in a
valley extending between two low mountains.
The force
of the wind carried the doctor farther onw=
ard
than he
wanted to go; but it changed a second time,
and bore
him back exactly to his starting-point, on=
the
sort of
enclosed island where he had passed the
preceding night.
The anchor, instead of catching the branch=
es
of the tree,
took hold in the masses of reeds mixed with
the thick mud
of the marshes, which offered considerable
resistance.
The doctor had much difficulty in restrain=
ing
the balloon;
but at length the wind died away with the
setting
in of nightfall; and the two friends kept
watch together
in an almost desperate state of mind.
The Hurricane.--A Forced Departure.--Loss =
of
an Anchor.--Melancholy
Reflections.--The Resolution adopted.--The
Sand-Storm.--The Buried
Caravan.--A Contrary yet Favorable Wind.--=
The
Return southward.--Kennedy
at his Post.
At three o'clock in the morning the wind w=
as
raging.
It beat down with such violence that the <=
st1:State
w:st=3D"on">
not stay near the ground without danger. It
was thrown
almost flat over upon its side, and the re=
eds
chafed the
silk so roughly that it seemed as though t=
hey
would tear it.
"We must be off, Dick," said the
doctor; "we cannot
remain in this situation."
"But, doctor, what of Joe?"
"I am not likely to abandon him. No,
indeed! and
should the hurricane carry me a thousand m=
iles
to the
northward, I will return! But here we are =
endangering
the safety of all."
"Must we go without him?" asked =
the
Scot, with an
accent of profound grief.
"And do you think, then," rejoin=
ed
Ferguson, "that
my heart does not bleed like your own? Am I
not merely
obeying an imperious necessity?"
"I am entirely at your orders,"
replied the hunter;
"let us start!"
But their departure was surrounded with
unusual difficulty.
The anchor, which had caught very deeply,
resisted all
their efforts to disengage it; while the
balloon,
drawing in the opposite direction, increas=
ed
its tension.
Kennedy could not get it free. Besides, in=
his
present
position, the manoeuvre had become a very
perilous one,
for the Victoria threatened to break away
before he should
be able to get into the car again.
The doctor, unwilling to run such a risk, =
made
his
friend get into his place, and resigned
himself to the
alternative of cutting the anchor-rope. The
Victoria made
one bound of three hundred feet into the a=
ir,
and took her
route directly northward.
Ferguson had no other choice than to scud
before the
storm. He folded his arms, and soon became
absorbed in
his own melancholy reflections.
After a few moments of profound silence, he
turned to
Kennedy, who sat there no less taciturn.
"We have, perhaps, been tempting
Providence," said
he; "it does not belong to man to
undertake such a journey!"
--and a sigh of grief escaped him as he sp=
oke.
"It is but a few days," replied =
the
sportsman, "since
we were congratulating ourselves upon havi=
ng
escaped so
many dangers! All three of us were shaking
hands!"
"Poor Joe! kindly and excellent
disposition! brave
and candid heart! Dazzled for a moment by =
his
sudden
discovery of wealth, he willingly sacrific=
ed
his treasures!
And now, he is far from us; and the wind is
carrying us
still farther away with resistless
speed!"
"Come, doctor, admitting that he may =
have
found
refuge among the lake tribes, can he not d=
o as
the travellers
who visited them before us, did;--like Den=
ham,
like
Barth? Both of those men got back to their=
own
country."
"Ah! my dear Dick! Joe doesn't know o=
ne
word of
the language; he is alone, and without
resources. The
travellers of whom you speak did not attem=
pt
to go forward
without sending many presents in advance of
them
to the chiefs, and surrounded by an escort
armed and
trained for these expeditions. Yet, they c=
ould
not avoid
sufferings of the worst description! What,
then, can you
expect the fate of our companion to be? It=
is
horrible to
think of, and this is one of the worst
calamities that it has
ever been my lot to endure!"
"But, we'll come back again,
doctor!"
"Come back, Dick? Yes, if we have to
abandon the
balloon! if we should be forced to return =
to
Lake Tchad
on foot, and put ourselves in communication
with the
Sultan of Bornou! The Arabs cannot have
retained a disagreeable
remembrance of the first Europeans."<= o:p>
"I will follow you, doctor," rep=
lied
the hunter, with
emphasis. "You may count upon me! We
would rather
give up the idea of prosecuting this journ=
ey
than not
return. Joe forgot himself for our sake; we
will sacrifice
ourselves for his!"
This resolve revived some hope in the hear=
ts
of these
two men; they felt strong in the same
inspiration. Ferguson
forthwith set every thing at work to get i=
nto
a contrary
current, that might bring him back again to
Lake
Tchad; but this was impracticable at that
moment, and
even to alight was out of the question on
ground completely
bare of trees, and with such a hurricane
blowing.
The Victoria thus passed over the country =
of
the Tibbous,
crossed the Belad el Djerid, a desert of
briers that
forms the border of the Soudan, and advanc=
ed
into the
desert of sand streaked with the long trac=
ks
of the many
caravans that pass and repass there. The l=
ast
line of vegetation
was speedily lost in the dim southern hori=
zon,
not far
from the principal oasis in this part of
Africa, whose fifty
wells are shaded by magnificent trees; but=
it
was impossible
to stop. An Arab encampment, tents of stri=
ped
stuff, some camels, stretching out their
viper-like heads
and necks along the sand, gave life to this
solitude, but
the Victoria sped by like a shooting-star,=
and
in this way
traversed a distance of sixty miles in thr=
ee
hours, without
Ferguson being able to check or guide her
course.
"We cannot halt, we cannot alight!&qu=
ot;
said the doctor;
"not a tree, not an inequality of the
ground! Are
we then to be driven clear across Sahara?
Surely, Heaven
is indeed against us!"
He was uttering these words with a sort of
despairing
rage, when suddenly he saw the desert sands
rising aloft
in the midst of a dense cloud of dust, and=
go
whirling
through the air, impelled by opposing
currents.
Amid this tornado, an entire caravan,
disorganized,
broken, and overthrown, was disappearing
beneath an
avalanche of sand. The camels, flung pell-=
mell
together,
were uttering dull and pitiful groans; cri=
es
and howls of
despair were heard issuing from that dusty=
and
stifling
cloud, and, from time to time, a parti-col=
ored
garment cut
the chaos of the scene with its vivid hues,
and the moaning
and shrieking sounded over all, a terrible
accompaniment
to this spectacle of destruction.
Ere long the sand had accumulated in compa=
ct
masses;
and there, where so recently stretched a l=
evel
plain as far
as the eye could see, rose now a ridgy lin=
e of
hillocks,
still moving from beneath--the vast tomb o=
f an
entire
caravan!
The doctor and Kennedy, pallid with emotio=
n,
sat
transfixed by this fearful spectacle. They
could no longer
manage their balloon, which went whirling
round and
round in contending currents, and refused =
to
obey the
different dilations of the gas. Caught in
these eddies of
the atmosphere, it spun about with a rapid=
ity
that made
their heads reel, while the car oscillated=
and
swung to and
fro violently at the same time. The
instruments suspended
under the awning clattered together as tho=
ugh
they would
be dashed to pieces; the pipes of the spir=
al
bent to and fro,
threatening to break at every instant; and=
the
water-tanks
jostled and jarred with tremendous din.
Although but
two feet apart, our aeronauts could not he=
ar
each other
speak, but with firmly-clinched hands they
clung convulsively
to the cordage, and endeavored to steady
themselves
against the fury of the tempest.
Kennedy, with his hair blown wildly about =
his
face,
looked on without speaking; but the doctor=
had
regained
all his daring in the midst of this deadly
peril, and not a
sign of his emotion was betrayed in his
countenance, even
when, after a last violent twirl, the Vict=
oria
stopped suddenly
in the midst of a most unlooked-for calm; =
the
north
wind had abruptly got the upper hand, and =
now
drove her
back with equal rapidity over the route she
had traversed
in the morning.
"Whither are we going now?" cried
Kennedy.
"Let us leave that to Providence, my =
dear
Dick; I
was wrong in doubting it. It knows better =
than
we, and
here we are, returning to places that we h=
ad
expected
never to see again!"
The surface of the country, which had look=
ed
so flat
and level when they were coming, now seemed
tossed and
uneven, like the ocean-billows after a sto=
rm;
a long succession
of hillocks, that had scarcely settled to
their places
yet, indented the desert; the wind blew
furiously, and the
balloon fairly flew through the atmosphere=
.
The direction taken by our aeronauts diffe=
red
somewhat
from that of the morning, and thus about n=
ine
o'clock,
instead of finding themselves again near t=
he
borders of
Lake Tchad, they saw the desert still
stretching away
before them.
Kennedy remarked the circumstance.
"It matters little," replied the
doctor, "the important
point is to return southward; we shall come
across the
towns of Bornou, Wouddie, or Kouka, and I
should not
hesitate to halt there."
"If you are satisfied, I am
content," replied the Scot,
"but Heaven grant that we may not be
reduced to cross
the desert, as those unfortunate Arabs had=
to
do! What
we saw was frightful!"
"It often happens, Dick; these trips
across the desert
are far more perilous than those across the
ocean. The
desert has all the dangers of the sea,
including the risk of
being swallowed up, and added thereto are
unendurable
fatigues and privations."
"I think the wind shows some symptoms=
of
moderating;
the sand-dust is less dense; the undulatio=
ns
of the
surface are diminishing, and the sky is
growing clearer."
"So much the better! We must now
reconnoitre attentively
with our glasses, and take care not to omi=
t a
single point."
"I will look out for that, doctor, and
not a tree shall
be seen without my informing you of it.&qu=
ot;
And, suiting the action to the word, Kenne=
dy
took his
station, spy-glass in hand, at the forward
part of the car.
What happened to Joe.--The Island of the
Biddiomahs.--The Adoration
shown him.--The Island that sank.--The Sho=
res
of the Lake.--The Tree
of the Serpents.--The Foot-Tramp.--Terrible
Suffering.--Mosquitoes
and Ants.--Hunger.--The
--One Last Despairing Cry.
What had become of Joe, while his master w=
as
thus
vainly seeking for him?
When he had dashed headlong into the lake,=
his
first
movement on coming to the surface was to r=
aise
his eyes
and look upward. He saw the Victoria alrea=
dy
risen far
above the water, still rapidly ascending a=
nd
growing
smaller and smaller. It was soon caught in=
a
rapid current
and disappeared to the northward. His
master--both
his friends were saved!
"How lucky it was," thought he,
"that I had that
idea to throw myself out into the lake! Mr.
Kennedy
would soon have jumped at it, and he would=
not
have
hesitated to do as I did, for nothing's mo=
re
natural than
for one man to give himself up to save two
others. That's
mathematics!"
Satisfied on this point, Joe began to thin=
k of
himself.
He was in the middle of a vast lake,
surrounded by tribes
unknown to him, and probably ferocious. All
the greater
reason why he should get out of the scrape=
by
depending
only on himself. And so he gave himself no
farther concern
about it.
Before the attack by the birds of prey, wh=
ich,
according
to him, had behaved like real condors, he =
had
noticed
an island on the horizon, and determining =
to
reach it, if
possible, he put forth all his knowledge a=
nd
skill in the art
of swimming, after having relieved himself=
of
the most
troublesome part of his clothing. The idea=
of
a stretch
of five or six miles by no means disconcer=
ted
him; and
therefore, so long as he was in the open l=
ake,
he thought
only of striking out straight ahead and
manfully.
In about an hour and a half the distance
between him
and the island had greatly diminished.
But as he approached the land, a thought, =
at
first fleeting
and then tenacious, arose in his mind. He =
knew
that
the shores of the lake were frequented by =
huge
alligators,
and was well aware of the voracity of those
monsters.
Now, no matter how much he was inclined to
find
every thing in this world quite natural, t=
he
worthy fellow
was no little disturbed by this reflection=
. He
feared greatly
lest white flesh like his might be
particularly acceptable
to the dreaded brutes, and advanced only w=
ith
extreme
precaution, his eyes on the alert on both
sides and all
around him. At length, he was not more than
one hundred
yards from a bank, covered with green tree=
s,
when
a puff of air strongly impregnated with a
musky odor
reached him.
"There!" said he to himself,
"just what I expected.
The crocodile isn't far off!"
With this he dived swiftly, but not
sufficiently so to
avoid coming into contact with an enormous
body, the
scaly surface of which scratched him as he
passed. He
thought himself lost and swam with despera=
te
energy.
Then he rose again to the top of the water,
took breath
and dived once more. Thus passed a few min=
utes
of unspeakable
anguish, which all his philosophy could not
overcome,
for he thought, all the while, that he hea=
rd
behind
him the sound of those huge jaws ready to =
snap
him up
forever. In this state of mind he was stri=
king
out under
the water as noiselessly as possible when =
he
felt himself
seized by the arm and then by the waist.
Poor Joe! he gave one last thought to his
master; and
began to struggle with all the energy of
despair, feeling
himself the while drawn along, but not tow=
ard
the bottom
of the lake, as is the habit of the crocod=
ile
when about to
devour its prey, but toward the surface.
So soon as he could get breath and look ar=
ound
him,
he saw that he was between two natives as
black as ebony,
who held him, with a firm gripe, and utter=
ed
strange cries.
"Ha!" said Joe, "blacks ins=
tead
of crocodiles! Well,
I prefer it as it is; but how in the misch=
ief
dare these
fellows go in bathing in such places?"=
;
Joe was not aware that the inhabitants of =
the
islands
of Lake Tchad, like many other negro tribe=
s,
plunge with
impunity into sheets of water infested with
crocodiles and
caymans, and without troubling their heads
about them.
The amphibious denizens of this lake enjoy=
the
well-deserved
reputation of being quite inoffensive.
But had not Joe escaped one peril only to =
fall
into
another? That was a question which he left
events to
decide; and, since he could not do otherwi=
se,
he allowed
himself to be conducted to the shore witho=
ut
manifesting
any alarm.
"Evidently," thought he, "t=
hese
chaps saw the Victoria
skimming the waters of the lake, like a
monster of the
air. They were the distant witnesses of my
tumble, and
they can't fail to have some respect for a=
man
that fell
from the sky! Let them have their own way,
then."
Joe was at this stage of his meditations, =
when
he was
landed amid a yelling crowd of both sexes,=
and
all ages
and sizes, but not of all colors. In fine,=
he
was surrounded
by a tribe of Biddiomahs as black as jet. =
Nor
had he to
blush for the scantiness of his costume, f=
or
he saw that he
was in "undress" in the highest
style of that country.
But before he had time to form an exact id=
ea
of the
situation, there was no mistaking the
agitation of which
he instantly became the object, and this s=
oon
enabled him
to pluck up courage, although the adventur=
e of
Kazah did
come back rather vividly to his memory.
"I foresee that they are going to mak=
e a
god of me
again," thought he, "some son of=
the
moon most likely.
Well, one trade's as good as another when a
man has no
choice. The main thing is to gain time. Sh=
ould
the
Victoria pass this way again, I'll take
advantage of my
new position to treat my worshippers here =
to a
miracle
when I go sailing up into the sky!"
While Joe's thoughts were running thus, the
throng
pressed around him. They prostrated themse=
lves
before
him; they howled; they felt him; they beca=
me
even annoyingly
familiar; but at the same time they had the
consideration
to offer him a superb banquet consisting of
sour
milk and rice pounded in honey. The worthy
fellow,
making the best of every thing, took one of
the heartiest
luncheons he ever ate in his life, and gave
his new adorers
an exalted idea of how the gods tuck away
their food upon
grand occasions.
When evening came, the sorcerers of the is=
land
took
him respectfully by the hand, and conducted
him to a sort
of house surrounded with talismans; but, a=
s he
was entering
it, Joe cast an uneasy look at the heaps of
human
bones that lay scattered around this
sanctuary. But he
had still more time to think about them wh=
en
he found
himself at last shut up in the cabin.
During the evening and through a part of t=
he
night,
he heard festive chantings, the reverberat=
ions
of a kind
of drum, and a clatter of old iron, which =
were
very sweet,
no doubt, to African ears. Then there were
howling
choruses, accompanied by endless dances by
gangs of
natives who circled round and round the sa=
cred
hut with
contortions and grimaces.
Joe could catch the sound of this deafening
orchestra,
through the mud and reeds of which his cab=
in
was built;
and perhaps under other circumstances he m=
ight
have been
amused by these strange ceremonies; but his
mind was
soon disturbed by quite different and less
agreeable reflections.
Even looking at the bright side of things,=
he
found
it both stupid and sad to be left alone in=
the
midst of this
savage country and among these wild tribes.
Few travellers
who had penetrated to these regions had ev=
er
again
seen their native land. Moreover, could he
trust to the
worship of which he saw himself the object=
? He
had
good reason to believe in the vanity of hu=
man
greatness;
and he asked himself whether, in this coun=
try,
adoration
did not sometimes go to the length of eati=
ng
the object
adored!
But, notwithstanding this rather perplexing
prospect,
after some hours of meditation, fatigue go=
t the
better of
his gloomy thoughts, and Joe fell into a
profound slumber,
which would have lasted no doubt until
sunrise, had
not a very unexpected sensation of dampness
awakened
the sleeper. Ere long this dampness became
water, and
that water gained so rapidly that it had s=
oon
mounted
to Joe's waist.
"What can this be?" said he; &qu=
ot;a
flood! a water-spout!
or a new torture invented by these blacks?
Faith, though,
I'm not going to wait here till it's up to=
my
neck!"
And, so saying, he burst through the frail=
wall
with
a jog of his powerful shoulder, and found
himself--where?
--in the open lake! Island there was none.=
It
had sunk
during the night. In its place, the watery
immensity of
Lake Tchad!
"A poor country for the
land-owners!" said Joe, once more
vigorously resorting to his skill in the a=
rt
of natation.
One of those phenomena, which are by no me=
ans
unusual
on Lake Tchad, had liberated our brave Joe.
More than
one island, that previously seemed to have=
the
solidity
of rock, has been submerged in this way; a=
nd
the people
living along the shores of the mainland ha=
ve
had to
pick up the unfortunate survivors of these
terrible catastrophes.
Joe knew nothing about this peculiarity of=
the
region,
but he was none the less ready to profit by
it. He caught
sight of a boat drifting about, without
occupants, and was
soon aboard of it. He found it to be but t=
he
trunk of a
tree rudely hollowed out; but there were a
couple of
paddles in it, and Joe, availing himself o=
f a
rapid current,
allowed his craft to float along.
"But let us see where we are," he
said. "The polar-star
there, that does its work honorably in
pointing out
the direction due north to everybody else,
will, most likely,
do me that service."
He discovered, with satisfaction, that the
current was
taking him toward the northern shore of the
lake, and he
allowed himself to glide with it. About two
o'clock in the
morning he disembarked upon a promontory
covered with
prickly reeds, that proved very provoking =
and
inconvenient
even to a philosopher like him; but a tree
grew
there expressly to offer him a bed among i=
ts
branches,
and Joe climbed up into it for greater
security, and there,
without sleeping much, however, awaited the
dawn of day.
When morning had come with that suddenness
which
is peculiar to the equatorial regions, Joe
cast a glance at
the tree which had sheltered him during the
last few
hours, and beheld a sight that chilled the
marrow in his
bones. The branches of the tree were liter=
ally
covered
with snakes and chameleons! The foliage
actually was
hidden beneath their coils, so that the
beholder might
have fancied that he saw before him a new =
kind
of tree
that bore reptiles for its leaves and frui=
t.
And all this
horrible living mass writhed and twisted in
the first rays
of the morning sun! Joe experienced a keen
sensation
or terror mingled with disgust, as he look=
ed
at it, and he
leaped precipitately from the tree amid the
hissings of
these new and unwelcome bedfellows.
"Now, there's something that I would
never have believed!"
said he.
He was not aware that Dr. Vogel's last let=
ters
had
made known this singular feature of the sh=
ores
of Lake
Tchad, where reptiles are more numerous th=
an
in any
other part of the world. But after what he=
had
just seen,
Joe determined to be more circumspect for =
the
future;
and, taking his bearings by the sun, he set
off afoot toward
the northeast, avoiding with the utmost ca=
re
cabins, huts,
hovels, and dens of every description, that
might serve
in any manner as a shelter for human being=
s.
How often his gaze was turned upward to the
sky!
He hoped to catch a glimpse, each time, of=
the
Victoria;
and, although he looked vainly during all =
that
long,
fatiguing day of sore foot-travel, his
confident reliance on
his master remained undiminished. Great en=
ergy
of character
was needed to enable him thus to sustain t=
he
situation
with philosophy. Hunger conspired with fat=
igue
to
crush him, for a man's system is not great=
ly
restored and
fortified by a diet of roots, the pith of
plants, such as the
Mele, or the fruit of the doum palm-tree; =
and
yet, according
to his own calculations, Joe was enabled to
push on
about twenty miles to the westward.
His body bore in scores of places the mark=
s of
the
thorns with which the lake-reeds, the acac=
ias,
the mimosas,
and other wild shrubbery through which he =
had
to force
his way, are thickly studded; and his torn=
and
bleeding
feet rendered walking both painful and
difficult. But at
length he managed to react against all the=
se
sufferings;
and when evening came again, he resolved to
pass the
night on the shores of Lake Tchad.
There he had to endure the bites of myriad=
s of
insects
--gnats, mosquitoes, ants half an inch lon=
g,
literally
covered the ground; and, in less than two
hours, Joe had
not a rag remaining of the garments that h=
ad
covered him,
the insects having devoured them! It was a
terrible night,
that did not yield our exhausted traveller=
an
hour of sleep.
During all this time the wild-boars and na=
tive
buffaloes,
reenforced by the ajoub--a very dangerous
species of lamantine
--carried on their ferocious revels in the
bushes
and under the waters of the lake, filling =
the
night with a
hideous concert. Joe dared scarcely breath=
e.
Even his
courage and coolness had hard work to bear=
up
against so
terrible a situation.
At length, day came again, and Joe sprang =
to
his feet
precipitately; but judge of the loathing he
felt when he
saw what species of creature had shared his
couch--a
toad!--but a toad five inches in length, a
monstrous,
repulsive specimen of vermin that sat there
staring at him
with huge round eyes. Joe felt his stomach
revolt at the
sight, and, regaining a little strength fr=
om
the intensity
of his repugnance, he rushed at the top of=
his
speed and
plunged into the lake. This sudden bath
somewhat allayed
the pangs of the itching that tortured his
whole body;
and, chewing a few leaves, he set forth
resolutely, again
feeling an obstinate resolution in the act,
for which he
could hardly account even to his own mind.=
He
no longer
seemed to have entire control of his own a=
cts,
and, nevertheless,
he felt within him a strength superior to
despair.
However, he began now to suffer terribly f=
rom
hunger.
His stomach, less resigned than he was,
rebelled, and he was
obliged to fasten a tendril of wild-vine
tightly about his
waist. Fortunately, he could quench his th=
irst
at any
moment, and, in recalling the sufferings he
had undergone
in the desert, he experienced comparative
relief in his exemption
from that other distressing want.
"What can have become of the
Victoria?" he wondered.
"The wind blows from the north, and s=
he
should be
carried back by it toward the lake. No dou=
bt
the doctor
has gone to work to right her balance, but
yesterday
would have given him time enough for that,=
so
that may
be to-day--but I must act just as if I was
never to see
him again. After all, if I only get to one=
of
the large
towns on the lake, I'll find myself no wor=
se
off than the
travellers my master used to talk about. W=
hy
shouldn't
I work my way out of the scrape as well as
they did?
Some of them got back home again. Come, th=
en!
the
deuce! Cheer up, my boy!"
Thus talking to himself and walking on
rapidly, Joe
came right upon a horde of natives in the =
very
depths of
the forest, but he halted in time and was =
not
seen by them.
The negroes were busy poisoning arrows with
the juice of
the euphorbium--a piece of work deemed a g=
reat
affair
among these savage tribes, and carried on =
with
a sort of
ceremonial solemnity.
Joe, entirely motionless and even holding =
his
breath,
was keeping himself concealed in a thicket,
when, happening
to raise his eyes, he saw through an openi=
ng
in the
foliage the welcome apparition of the
balloon--the Victoria
herself--moving toward the lake, at a heig=
ht
of only
about one hundred feet above him. But he c=
ould
not
make himself heard; he dared not, could no=
t make
his
friends even see him!
Tears came to his eyes, not of grief but of
thankfulness;
his master was then seeking him; his master
had
not left him to perish! He would have to w=
ait
for the
departure of the blacks; then he could quit
his hiding-place
and run toward the borders of Lake Tchad!<= o:p>
But by this time the Victoria was disappea=
ring
in the
distant sky. Joe still determined to wait =
for
her; she
would come back again, undoubtedly. She di=
d,
indeed,
return, but farther to the eastward. Joe r=
an,
gesticulated,
shouted--but all in vain! A strong breeze =
was
sweeping
the balloon away with a speed that deprived
him of all
hope.
For the first time, energy and confidence
abandoned
the heart of the unfortunate man. He saw t=
hat
he was
lost. He thought his master gone beyond all
prospect of
return. He dared no longer think; he would=
no
longer
reflect!
Like a crazy man, his feet bleeding, his b=
ody
cut and
torn, he walked on during all that day and=
a
part of the
next night. He even dragged himself along,
sometimes
on his knees, sometimes with his hands. He=
saw
the moment
nigh when all his strength would fail, and
nothing would
be left to him but to sink upon the ground=
and
die.
Thus working his way along, he at length f=
ound
himself
close to a marsh, or what he knew would so=
on
become
a marsh, for night had set in some hours
before, and he fell
by a sudden misstep into a thick, clinging
mire. In spite
of all his efforts, in spite of his desper=
ate
struggles, he felt
himself sinking gradually in the swampy oo=
ze,
and in a
few minutes he was buried to his waist.
"Here, then, at last, is death!"=
he
thought, in agony,
"and what a death!"
He now began to struggle again, like a mad=
man;
but
his efforts only served to bury him deeper=
in
the tomb
that the poor doomed lad was hollowing for
himself; not
a log of wood or a branch to buoy him up; =
not
a reed to
which he might cling! He felt that all was
over! His
eyes convulsively closed!
"Master! master!--Help!" were his
last words; but
his voice, despairing, unaided, half stifl=
ed already
by the
rising mire, died away feebly on the night=
.
A Throng of People on the Horizon.--A Troo=
p of
Arabs.--The Pursuit.
--It is He.--Fall from Horseback.--The
Strangled Arab.--A Ball from
Kennedy.--Adroit Manoeuvres.--Caught up
flying.--Joe saved at last.
From the moment when Kennedy resumed his p=
ost
of
observation in the front of the car, he had
not ceased to
watch the horizon with his utmost attentio=
n.
After the lapse of some time he turned tow=
ard
the
doctor and said:
"If I am not greatly mistaken I can s=
ee,
off yonder in
the distance, a throng of men or animals
moving. It is impossible
to make them out yet, but I observe that t=
hey
are in violent
motion, for they are raising a great cloud=
of
dust."
"May it not be another contrary
breeze?" said the
doctor, "another whirlwind coming to
drive us back northward
again?" and while speaking he stood u=
p to
examine
the horizon.
"I think not, Samuel; it is a troop of
gazelles or of
wild oxen."
"Perhaps so, Dick; but yon throng is =
some
nine or
ten miles from us at least, and on my part,
even with the
glass, I can make nothing of it!"
"At all events I shall not lose sight=
of
it. There is
something remarkable about it that excites=
my
curiosity.
Sometimes it looks like a body of cavalry
manoeuvring.
Ah! I was not mistaken. It is, indeed, a
squadron of
horsemen. Look--look there!"
The doctor eyed the group with great
attention, and,
after a moment's pause, remarked:
"I believe that you are right. It is a
detachment of
Arabs or Tibbous, and they are galloping in
the same
direction with us, as though in flight, bu=
t we
are going
faster than they, and we are rapidly gaini=
ng
on them. In
half an hour we shall be near enough to see
them and know
what they are."
Kennedy had again lifted his glass and was
attentively
scrutinizing them. Meanwhile the crowd of
horsemen was
becoming more distinctly visible, and a few
were seen to
detach themselves from the main body.
"It is some hunting manoeuvre,
evidently," said Kennedy.
"Those fellows seem to be in pursuit =
of
something.
I would like to know what they are
about."
"Patience, Dick! In a little while we
shall overtake
them, if they continue on the same route. =
We
are going
at the rate of twenty miles per hour, and =
no
horse can
keep up with that."
Kennedy again raised his glass, and a few
minutes
later he exclaimed:
"They are Arabs, galloping at the top=
of
their speed;
I can make them out distinctly. They are a=
bout
fifty in
number. I can see their bournouses puffed =
out
by the wind.
It is some cavalry exercise that they are
going through.
Their chief is a hundred paces ahead of th=
em
and they
are rushing after him at headlong speed.&q=
uot;
"Whoever they may be, Dick, they are =
not
to be
feared, and then, if necessary, we can go
higher."
"Wait, doctor--wait a little!"
"It's curious," said Kennedy aga=
in,
after a brief pause,
"but there's something going on that I
can't exactly explain.
By the efforts they make, and the irregula=
rity
of
their line, I should fancy that those Arabs
are pursuing
some one, instead of following."
"Are you certain of that, Dick?"=
"Oh! yes, it's clear enough now. I am
right! It is a
pursuit--a hunt--but a man-hunt! That is n=
ot
their chief
riding ahead of them, but a fugitive."=
;
"A fugitive!" exclaimed the doct=
or,
growing more
and more interested.
"Yes!"
"Don't lose sight of him, and let us
wait!"
Three or four miles more were quickly gain=
ed
upon
these horsemen, who nevertheless were dash=
ing
onward
with incredible speed.
"Doctor! doctor!" shouted Kenned=
y in
an agitated
voice.
"What is the matter, Dick?"
"Is it an illusion? Can it be
possible?"
"What do you mean?"
"Wait!" and so saying, the Scot
wiped the sights of
his spy-glass carefully, and looked throug=
h it
again intently.
"Well?" questioned the doctor.
"It is he, doctor!"
"He!" exclaimed Ferguson with
emotion.
"It is he! no other!" and it was
needless to pronounce
the name.
"Yes! it is he! on horseback, and onl=
y a
hundred
paces in advance of his enemies! He is
pursued!"
"It is Joe--Joe himself!" cried =
the
doctor, turning pale.
"He cannot see us in his flight!"=
;
"He will see us, though!" said t=
he
doctor, lowering
the flame of his blow-pipe.
"But how?"
"In five minutes we shall be within f=
ifty
feet of the
ground, and in fifteen we shall be right o=
ver
him!"
"We must let him know it by firing a
gun!"
"No! he can't turn back to come this =
way.
He's
headed off!"
"What shall we do, then?"
"We must wait."
"Wait?--and these Arabs!"
"We shall overtake them. We'll pass t=
hem.
We are
not more than two miles from them, and pro=
vided
that
Joe's horse holds out!"
"Great God!" exclaimed Kennedy,
suddenly.
"What is the matter?"
Kennedy had uttered a cry of despair as he=
saw
Joe
fling himself to the ground. His horse,
evidently
exhausted, had just fallen headlong.
"He sees us!" cried the doctor,
"and he motions to
us, as he gets upon his feet!"
"But the Arabs will overtake him! Wha=
t is
he
waiting for? Ah! the brave lad! Huzza!&quo=
t;
shouted the
sportsman, who could no longer restrain his
feelings.
Joe, who had immediately sprung up after h=
is
fall, just
as one of the swiftest horsemen rushed upon
him, bounded
like a panther, avoided his assailant by
leaping to one
side, jumped up behind him on the crupper,
seized the
Arab by the throat, and, strangling him wi=
th
his sinewy
hands and fingers of steel, flung him on t=
he
sand, and
continued his headlong flight.
A tremendous howl was heard from the Arabs,
but,
completely engrossed by the pursuit, they =
had
not taken
notice of the balloon, which was now but f=
ive
hundred
paces behind them, and only about thirty f=
eet
from the
ground. On their part, they were not twenty
lengths of
their horses from the fugitive.
One of them was very perceptibly gaining on
Joe, and
was about to pierce him with his lance, wh=
en
Kennedy,
with fixed eye and steady hand, stopped him
short with a
ball, that hurled him to the earth.
Joe did not even turn his head at the repo=
rt.
Some
of the horsemen reined in their barbs, and
fell on their
faces in the dust as they caught sight of =
the
Victoria;
the rest continued their pursuit.
"But what is Joe about?" said
Kennedy; "he don't stop!"
"He's doing better than that, Dick! I
understand him!
He's keeping on in the same direction as t=
he
balloon. He
relies upon our intelligence. Ah! the noble
fellow! We'll
carry him off in the very teeth of those A=
rab
rascals! We
are not more than two hundred paces from
him!"
"What are we to do?" asked Kenne=
dy.
"Lay aside your rifle,Dick."
And the Scot obeyed the request at once.
"Do you think that you can hold one
hundred and fifty
pounds of ballast in your arms?"
"Ay, more than that!"
"No! That will be enough!"
And the doctor proceeded to pile up bags of
sand in
Kennedy's arms.
"Hold yourself in readiness in the ba=
ck
part of the car,
and be prepared to throw out that ballast =
at a
single effort.
But, for your life, don't do so until I gi=
ve
the word!"
"Be easy on that point."
"Otherwise, we should miss Joe, and he
would be lost."
"Count upon me!"
The Victoria at that moment almost command=
ed
the
troop of horsemen who were still desperate=
ly
urging their
steeds at Joe's heels. The doctor, standin=
g in
the front
of the car, held the ladder clear, ready to
throw it at any
moment. Meanwhile, Joe had still maintained
the distance
between himself and his pursuers--say about
fifty feet.
The Victoria was now ahead of the party.
"Attention!" exclaimed the docto=
r to
Kennedy.
"I'm ready!"
"Joe, look out for yourself!"
shouted the doctor in his
sonorous, ringing voice, as he flung out t=
he
ladder, the
lowest ratlines of which tossed up the dus=
t of
the road.
As the doctor shouted, Joe had turned his
head, but
without checking his horse. The ladder dro=
pped
close to
him, and at the instant he grasped it the
doctor again
shouted to Kennedy:
"Throw ballast!"
"It's done!"
And the Victoria, lightened by a weight
greater than
Joe's, shot up one hundred and fifty feet =
into
the air.
Joe clung with all his strength to the lad=
der
during
the wide oscillations that it had to descr=
ibe,
and then
making an indescribable gesture to the Ara=
bs,
and climbing
with the agility of a monkey, he sprang up=
to
his companions,
who received him with open arms.
The Arabs uttered a scream of astonishment=
and
rage.
The fugitive had been snatched from them on
the wing,
and the Victoria was rapidly speeding far
beyond
their reach.
"Master! Kennedy!" ejaculated Jo=
e,
and overwhelmed,
at last, with fatigue and emotion, the poor
fellow
fainted away, while Kennedy, almost beside
himself,
kept exclaiming:
"Saved--saved!"
"Saved indeed!" murmured the doc=
tor,
who had recovered
all his phlegmatic coolness.
Joe was almost naked. His bleeding arms, h=
is
body
covered with cuts and bruises, told what h=
is
sufferings had
been. The doctor quietly dressed his wound=
s,
and laid
him comfortably under the awning.
Joe soon returned to consciousness, and as=
ked
for a
glass of brandy, which the doctor did not =
see
fit to refuse,
as the faithful fellow had to be indulged.=
After he had swallowed the stimulant, Joe
grasped the
hands of his two friends and announced tha=
t he
was ready
to relate what had happened to him.
But they would not allow him to talk at th=
at
time, and
he sank back into a profound sleep, of whi=
ch
he seemed to
have the greatest possible need.
The Victoria was then taking an oblique li=
ne
to the
westward. Driven by a tempestuous wind, it=
again
approached
the borders of the thorny desert, which the
travellers
descried over the tops of palm-trees, bent=
and
broken
by the storm; and, after having made a run=
of
two hundred
miles since rescuing Joe, it passed the te=
nth
degree
of east longitude about nightfall.
The
Narrative.--Tagelei.--Kennedy's
Anxieties.--The Route to the
North.--A Night near Aghades.
During the night the wind lulled as though
reposing
after the boisterousness of the day, and t=
he
quietly at the top of the tall sycamore. T=
he
doctor
and Kennedy kept watch by turns, and Joe
availed himself
of the chance to sleep most sturdily for
twenty-four
hours at a stretch.
"That's the remedy he needs," sa=
id
Dr. Ferguson.
"Nature will take charge of his
care."
With the dawn the wind sprang up again in
quite
strong, and moreover capricious gusts. It
shifted abruptly
from south to north, but finally the Victo=
ria
was carried
away by it toward the west.
The doctor, map in hand, recognized the
kingdom of
Damerghou, an undulating region of great
fertility, in
which the huts that compose the villages a=
re
constructed
of long reeds interwoven with branches of =
the
asclepia.
The grain-mills were seen raised in the
cultivated fields,
upon small scaffoldings or platforms, to k=
eep
them out of
the reach of the mice and the huge ants of
that country.
They soon passed the town of Zinder,
recognized by
its spacious place of execution, in the ce=
ntre
of which
stands the "tree of death." At i=
ts
foot the executioner
stands waiting, and whoever passes beneath=
its
shadow is
immediately hung!
Upon consulting his compass, Kennedy could=
not
refrain
from saying:
"Look! we are again moving
northward."
"No matter; if it only takes us to
Timbuctoo, we shall
not complain. Never was a finer voyage
accomplished
under better circumstances!"
"Nor in better health," said Joe=
, at
that instant thrusting
his jolly countenance from between the
curtains of the
awning.
"There he is! there's our gallant
friend--our preserver!"
exclaimed Kennedy, cordially.--"How g=
oes
it, Joe?"
"Oh! why, naturally enough, Mr. Kenne=
dy,
very naturally!
I never felt better in my life! Nothing se=
ts a
man up like a little pleasure-trip with a =
bath
in Lake
Tchad to start on--eh, doctor?"
"Brave fellow!" said Ferguson,
pressing Joe's hand,
"what terrible anxiety you caused
us!"
"Humph! and you, sir? Do you think th=
at I
felt
easy in my mind about you, gentlemen? You =
gave
me
a fine fright, let me tell you!"
"We shall never agree in the world, J=
oe,
if you take
things in that style."
"I see that his tumble hasn't changed=
him
a bit,"
added Kennedy.
"Your devotion and self-forgetfulness
were sublime,
my brave lad, and they saved us, for the
Victoria was falling
into the lake, and, once there, nobody cou=
ld
have extricated her."
"But, if my devotion, as you are plea=
sed
to call my
summerset, saved you, did it not save me t=
oo,
for here we
are, all three of us, in first-rate health?
Consequently we
have nothing to squabble about in the whole
affair."
"Oh! we can never come to a settlement
with that
youth," said the sportsman.
"The best way to settle it," rep=
lied
Joe, "is to say
nothing more about the matter. What's done=
is
done.
Good or bad, we can't take it back."<= o:p>
"You obstinate fellow!" said the
doctor, laughing;
"you can't refuse, though, to tell us
your adventures, at
all events."
"Not if you think it worth while. But=
, in
the first
place, I'm going to cook this fat goose to=
a
turn, for I see
that Mr. Kennedy has not wasted his
time."
"All right, Joe!"
"Well, let us see then how this Afric=
an
game will sit
on a European stomach!"
The goose was soon roasted by the flame of=
the
blow-pipe,
and not long afterward was comfortably sto=
wed
away. Joe took his own good share, like a =
man
who had
eaten nothing for several days. After the =
tea
and the
punch, he acquainted his friends with his
recent adventures.
He spoke with some emotion, even while loo=
king
at things with his usual philosophy. The
doctor could not
refrain from frequently pressing his hand =
when
he saw his
worthy servant more considerate of his
master's safety
than of his own, and, in relation to the
sinking of the island
of the Biddiomahs, he explained to him the
frequency of
this phenomenon upon Lake Tchad.
At length Joe, continuing his recital, arr=
ived
at the
point where, sinking in the swamp, he had
uttered a last
cry of despair.
"I thought I was gone," said he,
"and as you came
right into my mind, I made a hard fight for
it. How, I
couldn't tell you--but I'd made up my mind
that I wouldn't
go under without knowing why. Just then, I
saw--two or
three feet from me--what do you think? the=
end
of a rope
that had been fresh cut; so I took leave to
make another
jerk, and, by hook or by crook, I got to t=
he
rope. When
I pulled, it didn't give; so I pulled again
and hauled away
and there I was on dry ground! At the end =
of
the rope,
I found an anchor! Ah, master, I've a righ=
t to
call that
the anchor of safety, anyhow, if you have =
no
objection. I
knew it again! It was the anchor of the
Victoria! You
had grounded there! So I followed the
direction of the
rope and that gave me your direction, and,
after trying
hard a few times more, I got out of the sw=
amp.
I had
got my strength back with my spunk, and I
walked on
part of the night away from the lake, unti=
l I
got to the
edge of a very big wood. There I saw a
fenced-in place,
where some horses were grazing, without
thinking of any
harm. Now, there are times when everybody
knows how
to ride a horse, are there not, doctor? So=
I
didn't spend
much time thinking about it, but jumped ri=
ght
on the back
of one of those innocent animals and away =
we
went galloping
north as fast as our legs could carry us. I
needn't
tell you about the towns that I didn't see=
nor
the villages
that I took good care to go around. No! I
crossed the
ploughed fields; I leaped the hedges; I
scrambled over
the fences; I dug my heels into my nag; I
thrashed him;
I fairly lifted the poor fellow off his fe=
et!
At last I got to
the end of the tilled land. Good! There was
the desert.
'That suits me!' said I, 'for I can see be=
tter
ahead of me
and farther too.' I was hoping all the tim=
e to
see the balloon
tacking about and waiting for me. But not a
bit of
it; and so, in about three hours, I go plu=
mp,
like a fool,
into a camp of Arabs! Whew! what a hunt th=
at
was!
You see, Mr. Kennedy, a hunter don't know =
what
a real
hunt is until he's been hunted himself! St=
ill
I advise him
not to try it if he can keep out of it! My
horse was so
tired, he was ready to drop off his legs; =
they
were close
on me; I threw myself to the ground; then I
jumped up
again behind an Arab! I didn't mean the fe=
llow
any harm,
and I hope he has no grudge against me for
choking him,
but I saw you--and you know the rest. The
Victoria
came on at my heels, and you caught me up
flying, as a
circus-rider does a ring. Wasn't I right in
counting on
you? Now, doctor, you see how simple all t=
hat
was!
Nothing more natural in the world! I'm rea=
dy
to begin
over again, if it would be of any service =
to
you. And
besides, master, as I said a while ago, it=
's
not worth
mentioning."
"My noble, gallant Joe!" said the
doctor, with great
feeling. "Heart of gold! we were not
astray in trusting
to your intelligence and skill."
"Poh! doctor, one has only just to fo=
llow
things along
as they happen, and he can always work his=
way
out of
a scrape! The safest plan, you see, is to =
take
matters as
they come."
While Joe was telling his experience, the
balloon had
rapidly passed over a long reach of countr=
y,
and Kennedy
soon pointed out on the horizon a collecti=
on
of structures
that looked like a town. The doctor glance=
d at
his map
and recognized the place as the large vill=
age
of Tagelei,
in the Damerghou country.
"Here," said he, "we come u=
pon
Dr. Barth's route.
It was at this place that he parted from h=
is
companions,
Richardson and Overweg; the first was to
follow the Zinder
route, and the second that of Maradi; and =
you
may
remember that, of these three travellers,
Barth was the
only one who ever returned to Europe."=
;
"Then," said Kennedy, following =
out
on the map the
direction of the Victoria, "we are go=
ing
due north."
"Due north, Dick."
"And don't that give you a little
uneasiness?"
"Why should it?"
"Because that line leads to Tripoli, =
and
over the Great
Desert."
"Oh, we shall not go so far as that, =
my
friend--at
least, I hope not."
"But where do you expect to halt?&quo=
t;
"Come, Dick, don't you feel some
curiosity to see
Timbuctoo?"
"Timbuctoo?"
"Certainly," said Joe; "nob=
ody
nowadays can think
of making the trip to Africa without going=
to
see
Timbuctoo."
"You will be only the fifth or sixth
European who has
ever set eyes on that mysterious city.&quo=
t;
"Ho, then, for Timbuctoo!"
"Well, then, let us try to get as far=
as
between the
seventeenth and eighteenth degrees of north
latitude, and
there we will seek a favorable wind to car=
ry
us westward."
"Good!" said the hunter. "B=
ut
have we still far to
go to the northward?"
"One hundred and fifty miles at
least."
"In that case," said Kennedy,
"I'll turn in and sleep
a bit."
"Sleep, sir; sleep!" urged Joe.
"And you, doctor, do
the same yourself: you must have need of r=
est,
for I made
you keep watch a little out of time."=
The sportsman stretched himself under the
awning;
but Ferguson, who was not easily conquered=
by
fatigue,
remained at his post.
In about three hours the Victoria was cros=
sing
with
extreme rapidity an expanse of stony count=
ry,
with ranges
of lofty, naked mountains of granitic
formation at the
base. A few isolated peaks attained the he=
ight
of even
four thousand feet. Giraffes, antelopes, a=
nd
ostriches were
seen running and bounding with marvellous
agility in the
midst of forests of acacias, mimosas, soua=
hs,
and date-trees.
After the barrenness of the desert, vegeta=
tion
was
now resuming its empire. This was the coun=
try
of the
Kailouas, who veil their faces with a band=
age
of cotton,
like their dangerous neighbors, the Touare=
gs.
At ten o'clock in the evening, after a
splendid trip of
two hundred and fifty miles, the Victoria
halted over an
important town. The moonlight revealed gli=
mpses
of one
district half in ruins; and some pinnacles=
of
mosques and
minarets shot up here and there, glistenin=
g in
the silvery
rays. The doctor took a stellar observatio=
n,
and discovered
that he was in the latitude of Aghades.
This city, once the seat of an immense tra=
de,
was already
falling into ruin when Dr. Barth visited i=
t.
The Victoria, not being seen in the obscur=
ity
of night,
descended about two miles above Aghades, i=
n a
field of
millet. The night was calm, and began to b=
reak
into
dawn about three o'clock A.M.; while a lig=
ht
wind coaxed
the balloon westward, and even a little to=
ward
the south.
Dr. Ferguson hastened to avail himself of =
such
good
fortune, and rapidly ascending resumed his
aerial journey
amid a long wake of golden morning sunshin=
e.
A Rapid Passage.--Prudent Resolves.--Carav=
ans
in Sight.--Incessant Rains.--
Goa.--The Niger.--Golberry, Geoffroy, and
Gray.--Mungo Park.--Laing.--
Rene Caillie.--Clapperton.--John and Richa=
rd
Lander.
The 17th of May passed tranquilly, without=
any
remarkable
incident; the desert gained upon them once
more; a moderate
wind bore the
swerved to the right or to the left, but h=
er
shadow traced
a perfectly straight line on the sand.
Before starting, the doctor had prudently
renewed his
stock of water, having feared that he shou=
ld
not be able to
touch ground in these regions, infested as
they are by the
Aouelim-Minian Touaregs. The plateau, at an
elevation
of eighteen hundred feet above the level of
the sea, sloped
down toward the south. Our travellers, hav=
ing
crossed
the Aghades route at Murzouk--a route often
pressed by
the feet of camels--arrived that evening, =
in
the sixteenth
degree of north latitude, and four degrees
fifty-five minutes
east longitude, after having passed over o=
ne
hundred
and eighty miles of a long and monotonous
day's journey.
During the day Joe dressed the last pieces=
of
game,
which had been only hastily prepared, and =
he
served up
for supper a mess of snipe, that were grea=
tly
relished.
The wind continuing good, the doctor resol=
ved
to keep on
during the night, the moon, still nearly at
the full,
illumining it with her radiance. The Victo=
ria
ascended to a
height of five hundred feet, and, during h=
er
nocturnal trip
of about sixty miles, the gentle slumbers =
of
an infant
would not have been disturbed by her motio=
n.
On Sunday morning, the direction of the wi=
nd
again
changed, and it bore to the northwestward.=
A
few crows
were seen sweeping through the air, and, o=
ff
on the
horizon, a flock of vultures which,
fortunately,
however, kept at a distance.
The sight of these birds led Joe to compli=
ment
his
master on the idea of having two balloons.=
"Where would we be," said he,
"with only one balloon?
The second balloon is like the life-boat t=
o a
ship;
in case of wreck we could always take to it
and escape."
"You are right, friend Joe," said
the doctor, "only
that my life-boat gives me some uneasiness=
. It
is not so
good as the main craft."
"What do you mean by that, doctor?&qu=
ot;
asked Kennedy.
"I mean to say that the new Victoria =
is
not so good as
the old one. Whether it be that the stuff =
it
is made of is
too much worn, or that the heat of the spi=
ral
has melted
the gutta-percha, I can observe a certain =
loss
of gas. It
don't amount to much thus far, but still i=
t is
noticeable.
We have a tendency to sink, and, in order =
to
keep our
elevation, I am compelled to give greater
dilation to the
hydrogen."
"The deuce!" exclaimed Kennedy w=
ith
concern; "I
see no remedy for that."
"There is none, Dick, and that is why=
we
must hasten
our progress, and even avoid night
halts."
"Are we still far from the coast?&quo=
t;
asked Joe.
"Which coast, my boy? How are we to k=
now
whither chance
will carry us? All that I can say is, that
Timbuctoo is
still about four hundred miles to the
westward.
"And how long will it take us to get
there?"
"Should the wind not carry us too far=
out
of the way,
I hope to reach that city by Tuesday
evening."
"Then," remarked Joe, pointing t=
o a
long file of animals
and men winding across the open desert,
"we shall
arrive there sooner than that caravan.&quo=
t;
Ferguson and Kennedy leaned over and saw an
immense
cavalcade. There were at least one hundred=
and
fifty camels of the kind that, for twelve
mutkals of gold,
or about twenty-five dollars, go from
Timbuctoo to Tafilet
with a load of five hundred pounds upon th=
eir
backs. Each
animal had dangling to its tail a bag to
receive its excrement,
the only fuel on which the caravans can de=
pend
when
crossing the desert.
These Touareg camels are of the very best
race. They
can go from three to seven days without
drinking, and for
two without eating. Their speed surpasses =
that
of the
horse, and they obey with intelligence the
voice of the
khabir, or guide of the caravan. They are
known in the
country under the name of mehari.
Such were the details given by the doctor
while his
companions continued to gaze upon that
multitude of men,
women, and children, advancing on foot and
with difficulty
over a waste of sand half in motion, and
scarcely kept in
its place by scanty nettles, withered gras=
s,
and stunted
bushes that grew upon it. The wind obliter=
ated
the marks
of their feet almost instantly.
Joe inquired how the Arabs managed to guide
themselves
across the desert, and come to the few wel=
ls
scattered
far between throughout this vast solitude.=
"The Arabs," replied Dr. Ferguso=
n,
"are endowed
by nature with a wonderful instinct in fin=
ding
their way.
Where a European would be at a loss, they
never hesitate
for a moment. An insignificant fragment of
rock, a pebble,
a tuft of grass, a different shade of colo=
r in
the sand,
suffice to guide them with accuracy. During
the night
they go by the polar star. They never trav=
el
more than
two miles per hour, and always rest during=
the
noonday
heat. You may judge from that how long it
takes them
to cross Sahara, a desert more than nine
hundred miles in
breadth."
But the Victoria had already disappeared f=
rom
the
astonished gaze of the Arabs, who must have
envied her
rapidity. That evening she passed two degr=
ees
twenty
minutes east longitude, and during the nig=
ht
left another
degree behind her.
On Monday the weather changed completely. =
Rain
began to fall with extreme violence, and n=
ot
only had the
balloon to resist the power of this deluge,
but also the
increase of weight which it caused by wett=
ing
the whole
machine, car and all. This continuous show=
er
accounted
for the swamps and marshes that formed the
sole surface
of the country. Vegetation reappeared,
however, along
with the mimosas, the baobabs, and the
tamarind-trees.
Such was the Sonray country, with its vill=
ages
topped
with roofs turned over like Armenian caps.
There were
few mountains, and only such hills as were
enough to form
the ravines and pools where the pintadoes =
and
snipes went
sailing and diving through. Here and there=
, an
impetuous
torrent cut the roads, and had to be cross=
ed
by the
natives on long vines stretched from tree =
to
tree. The
forests gave place to jungles, which
alligators, hippopotami,
and the rhinoceros, made their haunts.
"It will not be long before we see the
Niger," said the
doctor. "The face of the country alwa=
ys
changes in the
vicinity of large rivers. These moving
highways, as they
are sometimes correctly called, have first
brought vegetation
with them, as they will at last bring civi=
lization.
Thus, in its course of twenty-five hundred
miles, the Niger
has scattered along its banks the most
important cities of
Africa."
"By-the-way," put in Joe, "=
that
reminds me of what
was said by an admirer of the goodness of
Providence, who
praised the foresight with which it had
generally caused
rivers to flow close to large cities!"=
;
At noon the Victoria was passing over a pe=
tty
town,
a mere assemblage of miserable huts, which
once was Goa,
a great capital.
"It was there," said the doctor,
"that Barth crossed
the Niger, on his return from Timbuctoo. T=
his
is the
river so famous in antiquity, the rival of=
the
Nile, to which
pagan superstition ascribed a celestial
origin. Like the
Nile, it has engaged the attention of
geographers in all
ages; and like it, also, its exploration h=
as
cost the lives
of many victims; yes, even more of them th=
an
perished
on account of the other."
The Niger flowed broadly between its banks,
and its
waters rolled southward with some violence=
of
current;
but our travellers, borne swiftly by as th=
ey
were, could
scarcely catch a glimpse of its curious
outline.
"I wanted to talk to you about this
river," said Dr.
Ferguson, "and it is already far from=
us.
Under the
names of Dhiouleba, Mayo, Egghirreou, Quor=
ra,
and other
titles besides, it traverses an immense ex=
tent
of country,
and almost competes in length with the Nil=
e.
These
appellations signify simply 'the River,'
according to the
dialects of the countries through which it
passes."
"Did Dr. Barth follow this route?&quo=
t;
asked Kennedy.
"No, Dick: in quitting Lake Tchad, he
passed through
the different towns of Bornou, and interse=
cted
the Niger
at Say, four degrees below Goa; then he
penetrated to the
bosom of those unexplored countries which =
the
Niger
embraces in its elbow; and, after eight mo=
nths
of fresh
fatigues, he arrived at Timbuctoo; all of
which we may
do in about three days with as swift a win=
d as
this."
"Have the sources of the Niger been
discovered?"
asked Joe.
"Long since," replied the doctor.
"The exploration
of the Niger and its tributaries was the
object of several
expeditions, the principal of which I shall
mention: Between
1749 and 1758, Adamson made a reconnoissan=
ce
of
the river, and visited Gorea; from 1785 to
1788, Golberry
and Geoffroy travelled across the deserts =
of
Senegambia,
and ascended as far as the country of the
Moors, who
assassinated Saugnier, Brisson, Adam, Rile=
y,
Cochelet,
and so many other unfortunate men. Then ca=
me
the illustrious
Mungo Park, the friend of Sir Walter Scott,
and,
like him, a Scotchman by birth. Sent out in
1795 by the
African Society of London, he got as far as
Bambarra,
saw the Niger, travelled five hundred miles
with a slave-merchant,
reconnoitred the Gambia River, and returne=
d
to England in 1797. He again set out, on t=
he
30th of
January, 1805, with his brother-in-law
Anderson, Scott,
the designer, and a gang of workmen; he
reached Gorea,
there added a detachment of thirty-five
soldiers to his
party, and saw the Niger again on the 19th=
of
August.
But, by that time, in consequence of fatig=
ue,
privations,
ill-usage, the inclemencies of the weather,
and the
unhealthiness of the country, only eleven
persons remained
alive of the forty Europeans in the party.=
On
the 16th
of November, the last letters from Mungo P=
ark
reached
his wife; and, a year later a trader from =
that
country
gave information that, having got as far as
Boussa, on the
Niger, on the 23d of December, the unfortu=
nate
traveller's
boat was upset by the cataracts in that pa=
rt
of the river,
and he was murdered by the natives."<= o:p>
"And his dreadful fate did not check =
the
efforts of
others to explore that river?"
"On the contrary, Dick. Since then, t=
here
were two
objects in view: namely, to recover the lo=
st
man's papers,
as well as to pursue the exploration. In 1=
816,
an expedition
was organized, in which Major Grey took pa=
rt.
It arrived
in Senegal, penetrated to the Fonta-Jallon,
visited
the Foullah and Mandingo populations, and
returned to
England without further results. In 1822,
Major Laing
explored all the western part of Africa ne=
ar
to the British
possessions; and he it was who got so far =
as
the sources
of the Niger; and, according to his docume=
nts,
the spring
in which that immense river takes its rise=
is
not two feet
broad.
"Easy to jump over," said Joe.
"How's that? Easy you think, eh?"
retorted the doctor.
"If we are to believe tradition, whoe=
ver
attempts
to pass that spring, by leaping over it, is
immediately
swallowed up; and whoever tries to draw wa=
ter
from it,
feels himself repulsed by an invisible
hand."
"I suppose a man has a right not to
believe a word
of that!" persisted Joe.
"Oh, by all means!--Five years later,=
it
was Major
Laing's destiny to force his way across the
desert of
Sahara, penetrate to Timbuctoo, and perish=
a
few miles
above it, by strangling, at the hands of t=
he
Ouelad-shiman,
who wanted to compel him to turn
Mussulman."
"Still another victim!" said the
sportsman.
"It was then that a brave young man, =
with
his own
feeble resources, undertook and accomplish=
ed
the most
astonishing of modern journeys--I mean the
Frenchman
Rene Caillie, who, after sundry attempts in
1819 and 1824,
set out again on the 19th of April, 1827, =
from
Rio Nunez.
On the 3d of August he arrived at Time, so
thoroughly
exhausted and ill that he could not resume=
his
journey
until six months later, in January, 1828. =
He
then joined
a caravan, and, protected by his Oriental
dress, reached
the Niger on the 10th of March, penetrated=
to
the city
of Jenne, embarked on the river, and desce=
nded
it, as far
as Timbuctoo, where he arrived on the 30th=
of
April. In
1760, another Frenchman, Imbert by name, a=
nd,
in 1810, an
Englishman, Robert Adams, had seen this
curious place;
but Rene Caillie was to be the first Europ=
ean
who could
bring back any authentic data concerning i=
t.
On the 4th
of May he quitted this 'Queen of the deser=
t;'
on the 9th,
he surveyed the very spot where Major Laing
had been
murdered; on the 19th, he arrived at
El-Arouan, and left
that commercial town to brave a thousand
dangers in
crossing the vast solitudes comprised betw=
een
the Soudan
and the northern regions of Africa. At len=
gth
he entered
Tangiers, and on the 28th of September sai=
led
for Toulon.
In nineteen months, notwithstanding one
hundred and
eighty days' sickness, he had traversed Af=
rica
from west
to north. Ah! had Callie been born in Engl=
and,
he
would have been honored as the most intrep=
id
traveller
of modern times, as was the case with Mungo
Park. But
in France he was not appreciated according=
to
his worth."
"He was a sturdy fellow!" said
Kennedy, "but what
became of him?"
"He died at the age of thirty-nine, f=
rom
the consequences
of his long fatigues. They thought they had
done enough
in decreeing him the prize of the Geograph=
ical
Society
in 1828; the highest honors would have been
paid to him
in England.
"While he was accomplishing this
remarkable journey,
an Englishman had conceived a similar
enterprise and
was trying to push it through with equal
courage, if not
with equal good fortune. This was Captain
Clapperton,
the companion of Denham. In 1829 he reente=
red
Africa
by the western coast of the Gulf of Benin;=
he
then followed
in the track of Mungo Park and of Laing,
recovered
at Boussa the documents relative to the de=
ath
of the former,
and arrived on the 20th of August at Sacka=
too,
where
he was seized and held as a prisoner, unti=
l he
expired in the
arms of his faithful attendant Richard
Lander."
"And what became of this Lander?"
asked Joe, deeply interested.
"He succeeded in regaining the coast =
and
returned to
London, bringing with him the captain's
papers, and an
exact narrative of his own journey. He then
offered his
services to the government to complete the
reconnoissance
of the Niger. He took with him his brother
John, the
second child of a poor couple in Cornwall,
and, together,
these men, between 1829 and 1831, redescen=
ded
the river
from Boussa to its mouth, describing it
village by village,
mile by mile."
"So both the brothers escaped the com=
mon
fate?"
queried Kennedy.
"Yes, on this expedition, at least; b=
ut
in 1833 Richard
undertook a third trip to the Niger, and
perished by a
bullet, near the mouth of the river. You s=
ee,
then, my
friends, that the country over which we are
now passing
has witnessed some noble instances of
self-sacrifice which,
unfortunately, have only too often had dea=
th
for their reward."
The Country in the Elbow of the Niger.--A
Fantastic View of the
Hombori Mountains.--Kabra.--Timbuctoo.--The
Chart of Dr. Barth.
--A Decaying City.--Whither Heaven wills.<= o:p>
During this dull Monday, Dr. Ferguson dive=
rted
his
thoughts by giving his companions a thousa=
nd
details
concerning the country they were crossing.=
The
surface,
which was quite flat, offered no impedimen=
t to
their progress.
The doctor's sole anxiety arose from the
obstinate
northeast wind which continued to blow fur=
iously,
and bore
them away from the latitude of Timbuctoo.<= o:p>
The Niger, after running northward as far =
as
that city,
sweeps around, like an immense water-jet f=
rom
some fountain,
and falls into the Atlantic in a broad she=
af.
In the
elbow thus formed the country is of varied
character,
sometimes luxuriantly fertile, and sometim=
es
extremely
bare; fields of maize succeeded by wide sp=
aces
covered
with broom-corn and uncultivated plains. A=
ll
kinds of
aquatic birds--pelicans, wild-duck,
kingfishers, and the
rest--were seen in numerous flocks hovering
about the
borders of the pools and torrents.
From time to time there appeared an encamp=
ment
of
Touaregs, the men sheltered under their
leather tents,
while their women were busied with the
domestic toil
outside, milking their camels and smoking
their
huge-bowled pipes.
By eight o'clock in the evening the Victor=
ia
had advanced
more than two hundred miles to the westwar=
d,
and our aeronauts became the spectators of=
a
magnificent
scene.
A mass of moonbeams forcing their way thro=
ugh
an
opening in the clouds, and gliding between=
the
long lines
of falling rain, descended in a golden sho=
wer
on the ridges
of the Hombori Mountains. Nothing could be
more
weird than the appearance of these seeming=
ly
basaltic
summits; they stood out in fantastic profi=
le
against the
sombre sky, and the beholder might have
fancied them to
be the legendary ruins of some vast city of
the middle
ages, such as the icebergs of the polar se=
as
sometimes
mimic them in nights of gloom.
"An admirable landscape for the
'Mysteries of Udolpho'!"
exclaimed the doctor. "Ann Radcliffe
could not
have depicted yon mountains in a more
appalling aspect."
"Faith!" said Joe, "I would=
n't
like to be strolling
alone in the evening through this country =
of
ghosts. Do
you see now, master, if it wasn't so heavy,
I'd like to carry
that whole landscape home to Scotland! It
would do for
the borders of Loch Lomond, and tourists w=
ould
rush there
in crowds."
"Our balloon is hardly large enough to
admit of that
little experiment--but I think our directi=
on
is changing.
Bravo!--the elves and fairies of the place=
are
quite obliging.
See, they've sent us a nice little southea=
st
breeze,
that will put us on the right track
again."
In fact, the Victoria was resuming a more
northerly
route, and on the morning of the 20th she =
was
passing
over an inextricable network of channels,
torrents, and
streams, in fine, the whole complicated ta=
ngle
of the Niger's
tributaries. Many of these channels, cover=
ed
with a thick
growth of herbage, resembled luxuriant
meadow-lands.
There the doctor recognized the route foll=
owed
by the
explorer Barth when he launched upon the r=
iver
to descend
to Timbuctoo. Eight hundred fathoms broad =
at
this point,
the Niger flowed between banks richly grown
with cruciferous
plants and tamarind-trees. Herds of agile
gazelles were seen
skipping about, their curling horns mingli=
ng
with the tall
herbage, within which the alligator, half
concealed, lay
silently in wait for them with watchful ey=
es.
Long files of camels and asses laden with =
merchandise
from Jenne were winding in under the noble
trees. Ere
long, an amphitheatre of low-built houses =
was
discovered
at a turn of the river, their roofs and
terraces heaped up
with hay and straw gathered from the
neighboring districts.
"There's Kabra!" exclaimed the
doctor, joyously;
"there is the harbor of Timbuctoo, and
the city is not
five miles from here!"
"Then, sir, you are satisfied?" =
half
queried Joe.
"Delighted, my boy!"
"Very good; then every thing's for the
best!"
In fact, about two o'clock, the Queen of t=
he
Desert,
mysterious Timbuctoo, which once, like Ath=
ens
and Rome,
had her schools of learned men, and her
professorships
of philosophy, stretched away before the g=
aze
of our
travellers.
Ferguson followed the most minute details =
upon
the
chart traced by Barth himself, and was ena=
bled
to
recognize its perfect accuracy.
The city forms an immense triangle marked =
out
upon
a vast plain of white sand, its acute angle
directed toward
the north and piercing a corner of the des=
ert.
In the environs
there was almost nothing, hardly even a few
grasses,
with some dwarf mimosas and stunted bushes=
.
As for the appearance of Timbuctoo, the re=
ader
has but
to imagine a collection of billiard-balls =
and
thimbles--such
is the bird's-eye view! The streets, which=
are
quite narrow,
are lined with houses only one story in
height, built
of bricks dried in the sun, and huts of st=
raw
and reeds, the
former square, the latter conical. Upon the
terraces were
seen some of the male inhabitants, careles=
sly
lounging at
full length in flowing apparel of bright
colors, and lance
or musket in hand; but no women were visib=
le
at that
hour of the day.
"Yet they are said to be handsome,&qu=
ot;
remarked the
doctor. "You see the three towers of =
the
three mosques
that are the only ones left standing of a
great number--
the city has indeed fallen from its ancient
splendor! At
the top of the triangle rises the Mosque of
Sankore, with its
ranges of galleries resting on arcades of
sufficiently pure
design. Farther on, and near to the Sane-G=
ungu
quarter,
is the Mosque of Sidi-Yahia and some two-s=
tory
houses.
But do not look for either palaces or
monuments: the
sheik is a mere son of traffic, and his ro=
yal
palace is a
counting-house."
"It seems to me that I can see
half-ruined ramparts,"
said Kennedy.
"They were destroyed by the Fouillane=
s in
1826; the
city was one-third larger then, for Timbuc=
too,
an object
generally coveted by all the tribes, since=
the
eleventh
century, has belonged in succession to the
Touaregs, the
Sonrayans, the Morocco men, and the
Fouillanes; and this
great centre of civilization, where a sage
like Ahmed-Baba
owned, in the sixteenth century, a library=
of
sixteen hundred
manuscripts, is now nothing but a mere
half-way house for
the trade of Central Africa."
The city, indeed, seemed abandoned to supr=
eme
neglect;
it betrayed that indifference which seems
epidemic
to cities that are passing away. Huge heap=
s of
rubbish
encumbered the suburbs, and, with the hill=
on
which the
market-place stood, formed the only
inequalities of the
ground.
When the Victoria passed, there was some
slight show
of movement; drums were beaten; but the la=
st
learned
man still lingering in the place had hardly
time to notice
the new phenomenon, for our travellers, dr=
iven
onward
by the wind of the desert, resumed the win=
ding
course of
the river, and, ere long, Timbuctoo was
nothing more than
one of the fleeting reminiscences of their
journey.
"And now," said the doctor,
"Heaven may waft us
whither it pleases!"
"Provided only that we go westward,&q=
uot;
added Kennedy.
"Bah!" said Joe; "I wouldn'=
t be
afraid if it was to
go back to Zanzibar by the same road, or to
cross the
ocean to America."
"We would first have to be able to do
that, Joe!"
"And what's wanting, doctor?"
"Gas, my boy; the ascending force of =
the
balloon is
evidently growing weaker, and we shall need
all our
management to make it carry us to the
sea-coast. I shall
even have to throw over some ballast. We a=
re
too heavy."
"That's what comes of doing nothing,
doctor; when a
man lies stretched out all day long in his
hammock, he
gets fat and heavy. It's a lazybones trip,
this of ours,
master, and when we get back every body wi=
ll
find us big
and stout."
"Just like Joe," said Kennedy;
"just the ideas for
him: but wait a bit! Can you tell what we =
may have
to
go through yet? We are still far from the =
end
of our trip.
Where do you expect to strike the African
coast, doctor?"
"I should find it hard to answer you,
Kennedy. We
are at the mercy of very variable winds; b=
ut I
should
think myself fortunate were we to strike it
between Sierra
Leone and Portendick. There is a stretch of
country in
that quarter where we should meet with
friends."
"And it would be a pleasure to press
their hands; but,
are we going in the desirable direction?&q=
uot;
"Not any too well, Dick; not any too
well! Look at
the needle of the compass; we are bearing
southward, and
ascending the Niger toward its sources.&qu=
ot;
"A fine chance to discover them,"
said Joe, "if they
were not known already. Now, couldn't we j=
ust
find
others for it, on a pinch?"
"Not exactly, Joe; but don't be alarm=
ed:
I hardly
expect to go so far as that."
At nightfall the doctor threw out the last
bags of sand.
The Victoria rose higher, and the blow-pip=
e,
although working
at full blast, could scarcely keep her up.=
At
that time
she was sixty miles to the southward of
Timbuctoo, and in
the morning the aeronauts awoke over the b=
anks
of the
Niger, not far from Lake Debo.
Dr. Ferguson's Anxieties.--Persistent Move=
ment
southward.--A Cloud of
Grasshoppers.--A View of Jenne.--A View of
Sego.--Change of the
Wind.--Joe's Regrets.
The flow of the river was, at that point,
divided by
large islands into narrow branches, with a
very rapid current.
Upon one among them stood some shepherds'
huts,
but it had become impossible to take an ex=
act
observation
of them, because the speed of the balloon =
was
constantly
increasing. Unfortunately, it turned still
more toward
the south, and in a few moments crossed La=
ke
Debo.
Dr. Ferguson, forcing the dilation of his
aerial craft
to the utmost, sought for other currents of
air at different
heights, but in vain; and he soon gave up =
the
attempt,
which was only augmenting the waste of gas=
by
pressing
it against the well-worn tissue of the
balloon.
He made no remark, but he began to feel ve=
ry
anxious.
This persistence of the wind to head him o=
ff
toward the
southern part of Africa was defeating his
calculations, and
he no longer knew upon whom or upon what to
depend.
Should he not reach the English or French
territories,
what was to become of him in the midst of =
the
barbarous
tribes that infest the coasts of Guinea? H=
ow
should he
there get to a ship to take him back to
England? And
the actual direction of the wind was drivi=
ng
him along to
the kingdom of Dahomey, among the most sav=
age races,
and into the power of a ruler who was in t=
he
habit of
sacrificing thousands of human victims at =
his
public orgies.
There he would be lost!
On the other hand, the balloon was visibly
wearing out,
and the doctor felt it failing him. Howeve=
r,
as the weather
was clearing up a little, he hoped that the
cessation of the
rain would bring about a change in the
atmospheric currents.
It was therefore a disagreeable reminder of
the actual
situation when Joe said aloud:
"There! the rain's going to pour down=
harder
than ever;
and this time it will be the deluge itself=
, if
we're to
judge by yon cloud that's coming up!"=
"What! another cloud?" asked
Ferguson.
"Yes, and a famous one," replied
Kennedy.
"I never saw the like of it," ad=
ded
Joe.
"I breathe freely again!" said t=
he
doctor, laying down
his spy-glass. "That's not a cloud!&q=
uot;
"Not a cloud?" queried Joe, with
surprise.
"No; it is a swarm."
"Eh?"
"A swarm of grasshoppers!"
"That? Grasshoppers!"
"Myriads of grasshoppers, that are go=
ing
to sweep over
this country like a water-spout; and woe to
it! for, should
these insects alight, it will be laid
waste."
"That would be a sight worth
beholding!"
"Wait a little, Joe. In ten minutes t=
hat
cloud will
have arrived where we are, and you can then
judge by the
aid of your own eyes."
The doctor was right. The cloud, thick,
opaque, and
several miles in extent, came on with a
deafening noise,
casting its immense shadow over the fields=
. It
was composed
of numberless legions of that species of
grasshopper
called crickets. About a hundred paces from
the
balloon, they settled down upon a tract fu=
ll
of foliage and
verdure. Fifteen minutes later, the mass
resumed its
flight, and our travellers could, even at a
distance, see the
trees and the bushes entirely stripped, an=
d the
fields as
bare as though they had been swept with the
scythe.
One would have thought that a sudden winter
had just
descended upon the earth and struck the re=
gion
with the
most complete sterility.
"Well, Joe, what do you think of
that?"
"Well, doctor, it's very curious, but
quite natural.
What one grasshopper does on a small scale,
thousands
do on a grand scale."
"It's a terrible shower," said t=
he
hunter; "more so
than hail itself in the devastation it
causes."
"It is impossible to prevent it,"
replied Ferguson.
"Sometimes the inhabitants have had t=
he
idea to burn
the forests, and even the standing crops, =
in
order to arrest
the progress of these insects; but the fir=
st
ranks plunging
into the flames would extinguish them bene=
ath
their mass,
and the rest of the swarm would then pass
irresistibly
onward. Fortunately, in these regions, the=
re
is some sort
of compensation for their ravages, since t=
he
natives gather
these insects in great numbers and greedily
eat them."
"They are the prawns of the air,"
said Joe, who added
that he was sorry that he had never had the
chance to
taste them--just for information's sake!
The country became more marshy toward even=
ing;
the forests dwindled to isolated clumps of
trees; and on
the borders of the river could be seen pla=
ntations
of
tobacco, and swampy meadow-lands fat with
forage. At
last the city of Jenne, on a large island,
came in sight,
with the two towers of its clay-built mosq=
ue,
and the
putrid odor of the millions of swallows' n=
ests
accumulated
in its walls. The tops of some baobabs,
mimosas, and
date-trees peeped up between the houses; a=
nd,
even at
night, the activity of the place seemed ve=
ry
great. Jenne
is, in fact, quite a commercial city: it
supplies all the
wants of Timbuctoo. Its boats on the river,
and its caravans
along the shaded roads, bear thither the
various
products of its industry.
"Were it not that to do so would prol=
ong
our journey,"
said the doctor, "I should like to al=
ight
at this place.
There must be more than one Arab there who=
has
travelled
in England and France, and to whom our sty=
le
of locomotion
is not altogether new. But it would not be
prudent."
"Let us put off the visit until our n=
ext
trip," said Joe,
laughing.
"Besides, my friends, unless I am
mistaken, the wind
has a slight tendency to veer a little mor=
e to
the eastward,
and we must not lose such an
opportunity."
The doctor threw overboard some articles t=
hat
were
no longer of use--some empty bottles, and a
case that had
contained preserved-meat--and thereby mana=
ged
to keep
the balloon in a belt of the atmosphere mo=
re
favorable to
his plans. At four o'clock in the morning =
the
first rays
of the sun lighted up Sego, the capital of
Bambarra, which
could be recognized at once by the four to=
wns
that compose
it, by its Saracenic mosques, and by the
incessant
going and coming of the flat-bottomed boats
that convey
its inhabitants from one quarter to the ot=
her.
But
the travellers were not more seen than they
saw. They
sped rapidly and directly to the northwest,
and the doctor's
anxiety gradually subsided.
"Two more days in this direction, and=
at
this rate of
speed, and we'll reach the Senegal
River."
"And we'll be in a friendly
country?" asked the hunter.
"Not altogether; but, if the worst ca=
me
to the worst,
and the balloon were to fail us, we might =
make
our way
to the French settlements. But, let it hold
out only for a
few hundred miles, and we shall arrive wit=
hout
fatigue,
alarm, or danger, at the western coast.&qu=
ot;
"And the thing will be over!" ad=
ded
Joe. "Heigh-ho!
so much the worse. If it wasn't for the
pleasure of telling
about it, I would never want to set foot on
the ground
again! Do you think anybody will believe o=
ur
story, doctor?"
"Who can tell, Joe? One thing, howeve=
r,
will be
undeniable: a thousand witnesses saw us st=
art
on one
side of the African Continent, and a thous=
and
more will
see us arrive on the other."
"And, in that case, it seems to me th=
at
it would be
hard to say that we had not crossed it,&qu=
ot;
added Kennedy.
"Ah, doctor!" said Joe again, wi=
th a
deep sigh, "I'll
think more than once of my lumps of solid
gold-ore!
There was something that would have given
WEIGHT to our
narrative! At a grain of gold per head, I
could have got
together a nice crowd to listen to me, and
even to admire me!"
The Approaches to Senegal.--The Balloon si=
nks
lower and lower.--They
keep throwing out, throwing out.--The Mara=
bout
Al-Hadji.--Messrs.
Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert.--A Rival of
Mohammed.--The Difficult
Mountains.--Kennedy's Weapons.--One of Joe=
's
Manoeuvres.--A Halt
over a
On the 27th of May, at nine o'clock in the
morning,
the country presented an entirely different
aspect. The
slopes, extending far away, changed to hil=
ls
that gave
evidence of mountains soon to follow. They
would have to
cross the chain which separates the basin =
of
the Niger
from the basin of the Senegal, and determi=
nes
the course
of the water-shed, whether to the Gulf of
Guinea on the
one hand, or to the bay of Cape Verde on t=
he
other.
As far as Senegal, this part of Africa is
marked down
as dangerous. Dr. Ferguson knew it through=
the
recitals
of his predecessors. They had suffered a
thousand privations
and been exposed to a thousand dangers in =
the
midst
of these barbarous negro tribes. It was th=
is
fatal climate
that had devoured most of the companions of
Mungo Park.
Ferguson, therefore, was more than ever
decided not to
set foot in this inhospitable region.
But he had not enjoyed one moment of repos=
e.
The
Victoria was descending very perceptibly, =
so
much so
that he had to throw overboard a number mo=
re
of useless
articles, especially when there was a
mountain-top to pass.
Things went on thus for more than one hund=
red
and
twenty miles; they were worn out with
ascending and
falling again; the balloon, like another r=
ock
of Sisyphus,
kept continually sinking back toward the
ground. The
rotundity of the covering, which was now b=
ut
little inflated,
was collapsing already. It assumed an
elongated shape,
and the wind hollowed large cavities in the
silken surface.
Kennedy could not help observing this.
"Is there a crack or a tear in the
balloon?" he asked.
"No, but the gutta percha has evident=
ly
softened or
melted in the heat, and the hydrogen is
escaping through
the silk."
"How can we prevent that?"
"It is impossible. Let us lighten her.
That is the
only help. So let us throw out every thing=
we
can spare."
"But what shall it be?" said the
hunter, looking at
the car, which was already quite bare.
"Well, let us get rid of the awning, =
for
its weight is
quite considerable."
Joe, who was interested in this order, cli=
mbed
up on
the circle which kept together the cordage=
of
the network,
and from that place easily managed to deta=
ch
the heavy
curtains of the awning and throw them
overboard.
"There's something that will gladden =
the
hearts of a
whole tribe of blacks," said he;
"there's enough to dress
a thousand of them, for they're not very
extravagant with
cloth."
The balloon had risen a little, but it soon
became evident
that it was again approaching the ground.<= o:p>
"Let us alight," suggested Kenne=
dy,
"and see what
can be done with the covering of the
balloon."
"I tell you, again, Dick, that we hav=
e no
means of repairing it."
"Then what shall we do?"
"We'll have to sacrifice every thing =
not
absolutely indispensable;
I am anxious, at all hazards, to avoid a d=
etention
in these
regions. The forests over the tops of whic=
h we
are skimming are
any thing but safe."
"What! are there lions in them, or
hyenas?" asked
Joe, with an expression of sovereign conte=
mpt.
"Worse than that, my boy! There are m=
en,
and some
of the most cruel, too, in all Africa.&quo=
t;
"How is that known?"
"By the statements of travellers who =
have
been here
before us. Then the French settlers, who
occupy the
colony of Senegal, necessarily have relati=
ons
with the
surrounding tribes. Under the administrati=
on
of Colonel
Faidherbe, reconnoissances have been pushed
far up into
the country. Officers such as Messrs. Pasc=
al,
Vincent, and
Lambert, have brought back precious docume=
nts
from their
expeditions. They have explored these
countries formed by
the elbow of the Senegal in places where w=
ar
and pillage
have left nothing but ruins."
"What, then, took place?"
"I will tell you. In 1854 a Marabout =
of
the Senegalese
Fouta, Al-Hadji by name, declaring himself=
to
be inspired
like Mohammed, stirred up all the tribes to
war
against the infidels--that is to say, agai=
nst
the
Europeans. He carried destruction and
desolation over the
regions between the Senegal River and its
tributary,
the Fateme. Three hordes of fanatics led o=
n by
him
scoured the country, sparing neither a vil=
lage
nor a hut
in their pillaging, massacring career. He
advanced in
person on the town of Sego, which was a lo=
ng
time
threatened. In 1857 he worked up farther to
the northward,
and invested the fortification of Medina,
built by the
French on the bank of the river. This
stronghold was
defended by Paul Holl, who, for several
months, without
provisions or ammunition, held out until
Colonel Faidherbe
came to his relief. Al-Hadji and his bands
then
repassed the Senegal, and reappeared in the
Kaarta,
continuing their rapine and murder.--Well,
here below us
is the very country in which he has found
refuge with his
hordes of banditti; and I assure you that =
it
would not be
a good thing to fall into his hands."=
"We shall not," said Joe, "=
even
if we have to throw
overboard our clothes to save the
Victoria."
"We are not far from the river,"
said the doctor, "but
I foresee that our balloon will not be abl=
e to
carry
us beyond it."
"Let us reach its banks, at all
events," said the Scot,
"and that will be so much gained.&quo=
t;
"That is what we are trying to do,&qu=
ot;
rejoined Ferguson,
"only that one thing makes me feel
anxious."
"What is that?"
"We shall have mountains to pass, and
that will be
difficult to do, since I cannot augment the
ascensional force
of the balloon, even with the greatest
possible heat that I
can produce."
"Well, wait a bit," said Kennedy,
"and we shall see!"
"The poor Victoria!" sighed Joe;
"I had got fond
of her as the sailor does of his ship, and
I'll not give her
up so easily. She may not be what she was =
at
the start--
granted; but we shouldn't say a word again=
st
her. She
has done us good service, and it would bre=
ak
my heart to
desert her."
"Be at your ease, Joe; if we leave he=
r,
it will be in
spite of ourselves. She'll serve us until
she's completely
worn out, and I ask of her only twenty-four
hours more!"
"Ah, she's getting used up! She grows
thinner and
thinner," said Joe, dolefully, while =
he
eyed her. "Poor
balloon!"
"Unless I am deceived," said
Kennedy, "there on the
horizon are the mountains of which you were
speaking,
doctor."
"Yes, there they are, indeed!"
exclaimed the doctor,
after having examined them through his
spy-glass, "and
they look very high. We shall have some
trouble in
crossing them."
"Can we not avoid them?"
"I am afraid not, Dick. See what an
immense space
they occupy--nearly one-half of the
horizon!"
"They even seem to shut us in,"
added Joe. "They
are gaining on both our right and our
left."
"We must then pass over them."
These obstacles, which threatened such imm=
inent
peril,
seemed to approach with extreme rapidity, =
or,
to speak
more accurately, the wind, which was very
fresh, was
hurrying the balloon toward the sharp peak=
s.
So rise it
must, or be dashed to pieces.
"Let us empty our tank of water,"
said the doctor,
"and keep only enough for one day.&qu=
ot;
"There it goes," shouted Joe.
"Does the balloon rise at all?"
asked Kennedy.
"A little--some fifty feet," rep=
lied
the doctor, who
kept his eyes fixed on the barometer.
"But that is not
enough."
In truth the lofty peaks were starting up =
so
swiftly before
the travellers that they seemed to be rush=
ing
down upon them.
The balloon was far from rising above them.
She lacked an
elevation of more than five hundred feet m=
ore.
The stock of water for the cylinder was al=
so thrown
overboard and only a few pints were retain=
ed,
but still all
this was not enough.
"We must pass them though!" urged
the doctor.
"Let us throw out the tanks--we have
emptied them."
said Kennedy.
"Over with them!"
"There they go!" panted Joe.
"But it's hard to see
ourselves dropping off this way by
piecemeal."
"Now, for your part, Joe, make no att=
empt
to sacrifice
yourself as you did the other day! Whatever
happens,
swear to me that you will not leave us!&qu=
ot;
"Have no fears, my master, we shall n=
ot be
separated."
The Victoria had ascended some hundred and
twenty
feet, but the crest of the mountain still
towered above it.
It was an almost perpendicular ridge that
ended in a regular
wall rising abruptly in a straight line. It
still rose
more than two hundred feet over the aerona=
uts.
"In ten minutes," said the docto=
r to
himself, "our car
will be dashed against those rocks unless =
we
succeed in
passing them!"
"Well, doctor?" queried Joe.
"Keep nothing but our pemmican, and t=
hrow
out all
the heavy meat."
Thereupon the balloon was again lightened =
by
some
fifty pounds, and it rose very perceptibly,
but that was of
little consequence, unless it got above the
line of the
mountain-tops. The situation was terrifyin=
g.
The Victoria
was rushing on with great rapidity. They c=
ould
feel that she would be dashed to pieces--t=
hat
the shock
would be fearful.
The doctor glanced around him in the car. =
It
was
nearly empty.
"If needs be, Dick, hold yourself in
readiness to throw
over your fire-arms!"
"Sacrifice my fire-arms?" repeat=
ed
the sportsman,
with intense feeling.
"My friend, I ask it; it will be
absolutely necessary!"
"Samuel! Doctor!"
"Your guns, and your stock of powder =
and
ball might
cost us our lives."
"We are close to it!" cried Joe.=
Sixty feet! The mountain still overtopped =
the
balloon
by sixty feet.
Joe took the blankets and other coverings =
and
tossed
them out; then, without a word to Kennedy,=
he
threw
over several bags of bullets and lead.
The balloon went up still higher; it
surmounted the
dangerous ridge, and the rays of the sun s=
hone
upon its
uppermost extremity; but the car was still
below the level
of certain broken masses of rock, against
which it would
inevitably be dashed.
"Kennedy! Kennedy! throw out your
fire-arms, or
we are lost!" shouted the doctor.
"Wait, sir; wait one moment!" th=
ey
heard Joe exclaim,
and, looking around, they saw Joe disappear
over
the edge of the balloon.
"Joe! Joe!" cried Kennedy.
"Wretched man!" was the doctor's
agonized expression.
The flat top of the mountain may have had
about
twenty feet in breadth at this point, and,=
on
the other
side, the slope presented a less declivity.
The car just
touched the level of this plane, which
happened to be quite
even, and it glided over a soil composed of
sharp pebbles
that grated as it passed.
"We're over it! we're over it! we're
clear!" cried out
an exulting voice that made Ferguson's hea=
rt
leap to his
throat.
The daring fellow was there, grasping the
lower rim of
the car, and running afoot over the top of=
the
mountain,
thus lightening the balloon of his whole
weight. He had
to hold on with all his strength, too, for=
it
was likely to
escape his grasp at any moment.
When he had reached the opposite declivity,
and the
abyss was before him, Joe, by a vigorous
effort, hoisted
himself from the ground, and, clambering u=
p by
the cordage,
rejoined his friends.
"That was all!" he coolly
ejaculated.
"My brave Joe! my friend!" said =
the
doctor, with
deep emotion.
"Oh! what I did," laughed the ot=
her,
"was not for
you; it was to save Mr. Kennedy's rifle. I
owed him
that good turn for the affair with the Ara=
b! I
like to
pay my debts, and now we are even," a=
dded
he, handing
to the sportsman his favorite weapon.
"I'd feel very
badly to see you deprived of it."
Kennedy heartily shook the brave fellow's
hand, without
being able to utter a word.
The Victoria had nothing to do now but to
descend.
That was easy enough, so that she was soon=
at
a height
of only two hundred feet from the ground, =
and
was then
in equilibrium. The surface seemed very mu=
ch
broken
as though by a convulsion of nature. It
presented numerous
inequalities, which would have been very
difficult to
avoid during the night with a balloon that
could no longer
be controlled. Evening was coming on rapid=
ly,
and,
notwithstanding his repugnance, the doctor=
had
to make
up his mind to halt until morning.
"We'll now look for a favorable
stopping-place," said he.
"Ah!" replied Kennedy, "you
have made up your
mind, then, at last?"
"Yes, I have for a long time been
thinking over a plan
which we'll try to put into execution; it =
is
only six o'clock
in the evening, and we shall have time eno=
ugh.
Throw
out your anchors, Joe!"
Joe immediately obeyed, and the two anchors
dangled
below the balloon.
"I see large forests ahead of us,&quo=
t;
said the doctor; "we
are going to sweep along their tops, and we
shall grapple
to some tree, for nothing would make me th=
ink
of passing
the night below, on the ground."
"But can we not descend?" asked
Kennedy.
"To what purpose? I repeat that it wo=
uld
be dangerous
for us to separate, and, besides, I claim =
your
help
for a difficult piece of work."
The Victoria, which was skimming along the
tops of
immense forests, soon came to a sharp halt.
Her anchors
had caught, and, the wind falling as dusk =
came
on, she
remained motionlessly suspended above a va=
st
field of
verdure, formed by the tops of a forest of
sycamores.
A Struggle of Generosity.--The Last
Sacrifice.--The Dilating Apparatus.
--Joe's Adroitness.--Midnight.--The Doctor=
's
Watch.--Kennedy's Watch.
--The Latter falls asleep at his Post.--The
Fire.--The Howlings of the
Natives.--Out of Range.
Doctor Ferguson's first care was to take h=
is
bearings
by stellar observation, and he discovered =
that
he was
scarcely twenty-five miles from Senegal.
"All that we can manage to do, my
friends," said he,
after having pointed his map, "is to
cross the river; but,
as there is neither bridge nor boat, we mu=
st,
at all hazards,
cross it with the balloon, and, in order t=
o do
that, we must
still lighten up."
"But I don't exactly see how we can do
that?" replied
Kennedy, anxious about his fire-arms,
"unless one of us
makes up his mind to sacrifice himself for=
the
rest,--that
is, to stay behind, and, in my turn, I cla=
im
that honor."
"You, indeed!" remonstrated Joe;
"ain't I used to--"
"The question now is, not to throw
ourselves out of
the car, but simply to reach the coast of
Africa on foot. I
am a first-rate walker, a good sportsman,
and--"
"I'll never consent to it!" insi=
sted
Joe.
"Your generous rivalry is useless, my
brave friends,"
said Ferguson; "I trust that we shall=
not
come to any
such extremity: besides, if we did, instea=
d of
separating,
we should keep together, so as to make our=
way
across the
country in company."
"That's the talk," said Joe; &qu=
ot;a
little tramp won't do
us any harm."
"But before we try that," resumed
the doctor, "we
must employ a last means of lightening the
balloon."
"What will that be? I should like to =
see
it," said
Kennedy, incredulously.
"We must get rid of the cylinder-ches=
ts,
the spiral,
and the Buntzen battery. Nine hundred poun=
ds
make a
rather heavy load to carry through the
air."
"But then, Samuel, how will you dilate
your gas?"
"I shall not do so at all. We'll have=
to
get along
without it."
"But--"
"Listen, my friends: I have calculated
very exactly
the amount of ascensional force left to us,
and it is
sufficient to carry us every one with the =
few
objects that
remain. We shall make in all a weight of
hardly five
hundred pounds, including the two anchors
which I desire
to keep."
"Dear doctor, you know more about the
matter than
we do; you are the sole judge of the
situation. Tell us
what we ought to do, and we will do it.&qu=
ot;
"I am at your orders, master," a=
dded
Joe.
"I repeat, my friends, that however
serious the decision
may appear, we must sacrifice our
apparatus."
"Let it go, then!" said Kennedy,
promptly.
"To work!" said Joe.
It was no easy job. The apparatus had to be
taken
down piece by piece. First, they took out =
the
mixing
reservoir, then the one belonging to the c=
ylinder,
and
lastly the tank in which the decomposition=
of
the water
was effected. The united strength of all t=
hree
travellers
was required to detach these reservoirs fr=
om
the bottom
of the car in which they had been so firmly
secured; but
Kennedy was so strong, Joe so adroit, and =
the
doctor so
ingenious, that they finally succeeded. The
different
pieces were thrown out, one after the othe=
r,
and they
disappeared below, making huge gaps in the
foliage of
the sycamores.
"The black fellows will be mightily a=
stonished,"
said
Joe, "at finding things like those in=
the
woods; they'll
make idols of them!"
The next thing to be looked after was the
displacement
of the pipes that were fastened in the bal=
loon
and
connected with the spiral. Joe succeeded in
cutting the
caoutchouc jointings above the car, but wh=
en
he came to
the pipes he found it more difficult to
disengage them,
because they were held by their upper
extremity and fastened
by wires to the very circlet of the valve.=
Then it was that Joe showed wonderful adro=
itness.
In his naked feet, so as not to scratch the
covering, he
succeeded by the aid of the network, and in
spite of the
oscillations of the balloon, in climbing to
the upper
extremity, and after a thousand difficulti=
es,
in holding on
with one hand to that slippery surface, wh=
ile
he detached
the outside screws that secured the pipes =
in
their place.
These were then easily taken out, and drawn
away by the
lower end, which was hermetically sealed by
means of a
strong ligature.
The Victoria, relieved of this considerable
weight, rose
upright in the air and tugged strongly at =
the
anchor-rope.
About midnight this work ended without
accident, but
at the cost of most severe exertion, and t=
he
trio partook
of a luncheon of pemmican and cold punch, =
as
the doctor
had no more fire to place at Joe's disposa=
l.
Besides, the latter and Kennedy were dropp=
ing
off
their feet with fatigue.
"Lie down, my friends, and get some
rest," said the
doctor. "I'll take the first watch; at
two o'clock I'll
waken Kennedy; at four, Kennedy will waken
Joe, and
at six we'll start; and may Heaven have us=
in
its keeping
for this last day of the trip!"
Without waiting to be coaxed, the doctor's=
two
companions
stretched themselves at the bottom of the =
car
and
dropped into profound slumber on the insta=
nt.
The night was calm. A few clouds broke aga=
inst
the
last quarter of the moon, whose uncertain =
rays
scarcely
pierced the darkness. Ferguson, resting his
elbows on the
rim of the car, gazed attentively around h=
im.
He watched
with close attention the dark screen of
foliage that spread
beneath him, hiding the ground from his vi=
ew.
The least
noise aroused his suspicions, and he
questioned even the
slightest rustling of the leaves.
He was in that mood which solitude makes m=
ore
keenly
felt, and during which vague terrors mount=
to
the brain.
At the close of such a journey, after havi=
ng
surmounted
so many obstacles, and at the moment of
touching the
goal, one's fears are more vivid, one's
emotions keener.
The point of arrival seems to fly farther =
from
our gaze.
Moreover, the present situation had nothing
very consolatory
about it. They were in the midst of a
barbarous
country, and dependent upon a vehicle that
might fail
them at any moment. The doctor no longer
counted implicitly
on his balloon; the time had gone by when =
he
manoevred it boldly because he felt sure of
it.
Under the influence of these impressions, =
the
doctor,
from time to time, thought that he heard v=
ague
sounds in
the vast forests around him; he even fanci=
ed
that he saw
a swift gleam of fire shining between the
trees. He looked
sharply and turned his night-glass toward =
the
spot; but
there was nothing to be seen, and the
profoundest silence
appeared to return.
He had, no doubt, been under the dominion =
of a
mere
hallucination. He continued to listen, but
without hearing
the slightest noise. When his watch had
expired, he
woke Kennedy, and, enjoining upon him to
observe the
extremest vigilance, took his place beside
Joe, and fell
sound asleep.
Kennedy, while still rubbing his eyes, whi=
ch
he could
scarcely keep open, calmly lit his pipe. He
then ensconced
himself in a corner, and began to smoke
vigorously by way
of keeping awake.
The most absolute silence reigned around h=
im;
a light
wind shook the tree-tops and gently rocked=
the
car, inviting
the hunter to taste the sleep that stole o=
ver
him in
spite of himself. He strove hard to resist=
it,
and repeatedly
opened his eyes to plunge into the outer
darkness one
of those looks that see nothing; but at la=
st,
yielding to
fatigue, he sank back and slumbered.
How long he had been buried in this stupor=
he
knew
not, but he was suddenly aroused from it b=
y a
strange,
unexpected crackling sound.
He rubbed his eyes and sprang to his feet.=
An
intense
glare half-blinded him and heated his
cheek--the forest
was in flames!
"Fire! fire!" he shouted, scarce=
ly
comprehending
what had happened.
His two companions started up in alarm.
"What's the matter?" was the
doctor's immediate
exclamation.
"Fire!" said Joe. "But who
could--"
At this moment loud yells were heard under=
the
foliage,
which was now illuminated as brightly as t=
he
day.
"Ah! the savages!" cried Joe aga=
in;
"they have set
fire to the forest so as to be the more
certain of burning
us up."
"The Talabas! Al-Hadji's marabouts, no
doubt," said
the doctor.
A circle of fire hemmed the Victoria in; t=
he
crackling
of the dry wood mingled with the hissing a=
nd
sputtering
of the green branches; the clambering vine=
s,
the foliage,
all the living part of this vegetation,
writhed in the
destructive element. The eye took in nothi=
ng
but one vast
ocean of flame; the large trees stood fort=
h in
black relief
in this huge furnace, their branches cover=
ed
with glowing
coals, while the whole blazing mass, the
entire conflagration,
was reflected on the clouds, and the trave=
llers
could
fancy themselves enveloped in a hollow glo=
be
of fire.
"Let us escape to the ground!"
shouted Kennedy,
"it is our only chance of safety!&quo=
t;
But Ferguson checked him with a firm grasp,
and,
dashing at the anchor-rope, severed it with
one well-directed
blow of his hatchet. Meanwhile, the flames,
leaping up at
the balloon, already quivered on its
illuminated sides; but
the Victoria, released from her fastenings,
spun
upward a thousand feet into the air.
Frightful yells resounded through the fore=
st,
along
with the report of fire-arms, while the
balloon, caught in a
current of air that rose with the dawn of =
day,
was borne to
the westward.
It was now four o'clock in the morning.
The Talabas.--The Pursuit.--A Devastated
Country.--The Wind begins to
fall.--The Victoria sinks.--The last of the
Provisions.--The Leaps of
the Balloon.--A Defence with Fire-arms.--T=
he
Wind freshens.--The Senegal
River.--The Cataracts of Gouina.--The Hot
Air.--The Passage of the River.
"Had we not taken the precaution to
lighten the balloon
yesterday evening, we should have been lost
beyond
redemption," said the doctor, after a
long silence.
"See what's gained by doing things at=
the
right
time!" replied Joe. "One gets ou=
t of
scrapes then, and
nothing is more natural."
"We are not out of danger yet," =
said
the doctor.
"What do you still apprehend?"
queried Kennedy.
"The balloon can't descend without yo=
ur
permission, and
even were it to do so--"
"Were it to do so, Dick? Look!"<= o:p>
They had just passed the borders of the
forest, and
the three friends could see some thirty
mounted men clad
in broad pantaloons and the floating
bournouses. They were
armed, some with lances, and others with l=
ong
muskets,
and they were following, on their quick, f=
iery
little steeds,
the direction of the balloon, which was mo=
ving
at only
moderate speed.
When they caught sight of the aeronauts, t=
hey
uttered
savage cries, and brandished their weapons.
Anger and
menace could be read upon their swarthy fa=
ces,
made
more ferocious by thin but bristling beard=
s.
Meanwhile
they galloped along without difficulty over
the low levels
and gentle declivities that lead down to t=
he
Senegal.
"It is, indeed, they!" said the
doctor; "the cruel
Talabas! the ferocious marabouts of Al-Had=
ji!
I would
rather find myself in the middle of the fo=
rest
encircled by
wild beasts than fall into the hands of th=
ese
banditti."
"They haven't a very obliging look!&q=
uot;
assented Kennedy;
"and they are rough, stalwart
fellows."
"Happily those brutes can't fly,"
remarked Joe; "and
that's something."
"See," said Ferguson, "those
villages in ruins, those
huts burned down--that is their work! Where
vast
stretches of cultivated land were once see=
n,
they have
brought barrenness and devastation."<= o:p>
"At all events, however," interp=
osed
Kennedy, "they
can't overtake us; and, if we succeed in
putting the river
between us and them, we are safe."
"Perfectly, Dick," replied Fergu=
son;
"but we must
not fall to the ground!" and, as he s=
aid
this, he glanced
at the barometer.
"In any case, Joe," added Kenned=
y,
"it would do us
no harm to look to our fire-arms."
"No harm in the world, Mr. Dick! We a=
re
lucky
that we didn't scatter them along the
road."
"My rifle!" said the sportsman.
"I hope that I shall
never be separated from it!"
And so saying, Kennedy loaded the pet piece
with the
greatest care, for he had plenty of powder=
and
ball remaining.
"At what height are we?" he asked
the doctor.
"About seven hundred and fifty feet; =
but
we no longer
have the power of seeking favorable curren=
ts, either
going
up or coming down. We are at the mercy of =
the
balloon!"
"That is vexatious!" rejoined
Kennedy. "The wind
is poor; but if we had come across a hurri=
cane
like some
of those we met before, these vile brigands
would have
been out of sight long ago."
"The rascals follow us at their
leisure," said Joe.
"They're only at a short gallop. Quit=
e a
nice little
ride!"
"If we were within range," sighed
the sportsman, "I
should amuse myself with dismounting a few=
of
them."
"Exactly," said the doctor;
"but then they would
have you within range also, and our balloon
would offer
only too plain a target to the bullets from
their long guns;
and, if they were to make a hole in it, I
leave you to judge
what our situation would be!"
The pursuit of the Talabas continued all
morning;
and by eleven o'clock the aeronauts had ma=
de
scarcely
fifteen miles to the westward.
The doctor was anxiously watching for the
least cloud
on the horizon. He feared, above all thing=
s, a
change in
the atmosphere. Should he be thrown back
toward the
Niger, what would become of him? Besides, =
he
remarked
that the balloon tended to fall considerab=
ly.
Since the
start, he had already lost more than three
hundred feet,
and the Senegal must be about a dozen miles
distant.
At his present rate of speed, he could cou=
nt
upon
travelling only three hours longer.
At this moment his attention was attracted=
by
fresh
cries. The Talabas appeared to be much
excited, and
were spurring their horses.
The doctor consulted his barometer, and at
once discovered
the cause of these symptoms.
"Are we descending?" asked Kenne=
dy.
"Yes!" replied the doctor.
"The mischief!" thought Joe
In the lapse of fifteen minutes the Victor=
ia
was only
one hundred and fifty feet above the groun=
d;
but the
wind was much stronger than before.
The Talabas checked their horses, and soon=
a
volley
of musketry pealed out on the air.
"Too far, you fools!" bawled Joe.
"I think it would
be well to keep those scamps at a
distance."
And, as he spoke, he aimed at one of the
horsemen
who was farthest to the front, and fired. =
The
Talaba fell
headlong, and, his companions halting for a
moment, the
balloon gained upon them.
"They are prudent!" said Kennedy=
.
"Because they think that they are cer=
tain
to take us,"
replied the doctor; "and, they will
succeed if we descend
much farther. We must, absolutely, get hig=
her
into the air."
"What can we throw out?" asked J=
oe.
"All that remains of our stock of
pemmican; that will
be thirty pounds less weight to carry.&quo=
t;
"Out it goes, sir!" said Joe,
obeying orders.
The car, which was now almost touching the
ground,
rose again, amid the cries of the Talabas;
but, half an
hour later, the balloon was again falling
rapidly, because
the gas was escaping through the pores of =
the
covering.
Ere long the car was once more grazing the
soil, and
Al-Hadji's black riders rushed toward it; =
but,
as frequently
happens in like cases, the balloon had
scarcely
touched the surface ere it rebounded, and =
only
came down
again a mile away.
"So we shall not escape!" said
Kennedy, between his teeth.
"Throw out our reserved store of bran=
dy,
Joe," cried
the doctor; "our instruments, and eve=
ry
thing that has
any weight, even to our last anchor, becau=
se
go they must!"
Joe flung out the barometers and thermomet=
ers,
but
all that amounted to little; and the ballo=
on,
which had
risen for an instant, fell again toward the
ground.
The Talabas flew toward it, and at length =
were
not
more than two hundred paces away.
"Throw out the two fowling-pieces!&qu=
ot;
shouted Ferguson.
"Not without discharging them, at
least," responded
the sportsman; and four shots in quick
succession struck
the thick of the advancing group of horsem=
en.
Four
Talabas fell, amid the frantic howls and
imprecations of
their comrades.
The Victoria ascended once more, and made =
some
enormous leaps, like a huge gum-elastic ba=
ll,
bounding
and rebounding through the air. A strange
sight it was
to see these unfortunate men endeavoring to
escape by
those huge aerial strides, and seeming, li=
ke
the giant
Antaeus, to receive fresh strength every t=
ime
they touched
the earth. But this situation had to
terminate. It was
now nearly noon; the Victoria was getting
empty and
exhausted, and assuming a more and more
elongated form
every instant. Its outer covering was beco=
ming
flaccid,
and floated loosely in the air, and the fo=
lds
of the silk
rustled and grated on each other.
"Heaven abandons us!" said Kenne=
dy;
"we have to fall!"
Joe made no answer. He kept looking intent=
ly
at his master.
"No!" said the latter; "we =
have
more than one hundred
and fifty pounds yet to throw out."
"What can it be, then?" said
Kennedy, thinking that
the doctor must be going mad.
"The car!" was his reply; "=
we
can cling to the
network. There we can hang on in the meshes
until we
reach the river. Quick! quick!"
And these daring men did not hesitate a mo=
ment
to
avail themselves of this last desperate me=
ans
of escape.
They clutched the network, as the doctor
directed, and
Joe, holding on by one hand, with the other
cut the cords
that suspended the car; and the latter dro=
pped
to the
ground just as the balloon was sinking for=
the
last time.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the br=
ave
fellow exultingly,
as the Victoria, once more relieved, shot =
up
again to a
height of three hundred feet.
The Talabas spurred their horses, which no=
w came
tearing on at a furious gallop; but the
balloon, falling in
with a much more favorable wind, shot ahea=
d of
them,
and was rapidly carried toward a hill that
stretched across
the horizon to the westward. This was a
circumstance
favorable to the aeronauts, because they c=
ould
rise over
the hill, while Al-Hadji's horde had to
diverge to the
northward in order to pass this obstacle.<= o:p>
The three friends still clung to the netwo=
rk.
They
had been able to fasten it under their fee=
t,
where it had
formed a sort of swinging pocket.
Suddenly, after they had crossed the hill,=
the
doctor
exclaimed: "The river! the river! the
Senegal, my friends!"
And about two miles ahead of them, there w=
as
indeed
the river rolling along its broad mass of
water, while the
farther bank, which was low and fertile,
offered a sure
refuge, and a place favorable for a descen=
t.
"Another quarter of an hour," sa=
id
Ferguson, "and
we are saved!"
But it was not to happen thus; the empty
balloon descended
slowly upon a tract almost entirely bare of
vegetation. It
was made up of long slopes and stony plain=
s, a
few bushes and some coarse grass, scorched=
by
the sun.
The Victoria touched the ground several ti=
mes,
and
rose again, but her rebound was diminishin=
g in
height and
length. At the last one, it caught by the
upper part of
the network in the lofty branches of a bao=
bab,
the only
tree that stood there, solitary and alone,=
in
the midst of
the waste.
"It's all over," said Kennedy.
"And at a hundred paces only from the
river!"
groaned Joe.
The three hapless aeronauts descended to t=
he
ground,
and the doctor drew his companions toward =
the
Senegal.
At this point the river sent forth a prolo=
nged
roaring;
and when Ferguson reached its bank, he
recognized the
falls of Gouina. But not a boat, not a liv=
ing
creature was
to be seen. With a breadth of two thousand
feet, the
Senegal precipitates itself for a height of
one hundred and
fifty, with a thundering reverberation. It
ran, where they
saw it, from east to west, and the line of
rocks that barred
its course extended from north to south. In
the midst of
the falls, rocks of strange forms started =
up
like huge
ante-diluvian animals, petrified there amid
the waters.
The impossibility of crossing this gulf was
self-evident,
and Kennedy could not restrain a gesture of
despair.
But Dr. Ferguson, with an energetic accent=
of
undaunted
daring, exclaimed--
"All is not over!"
"I knew it," said Joe, with that
confidence in his master
which nothing could ever shake.
The sight of the dried-up grass had inspir=
ed
the doctor
with a bold idea. It was the last chance of
escape. He
led his friends quickly back to where they=
had
left the
covering of the balloon.
"We have at least an hour's start of
those banditti,"
said he; "let us lose no time, my
friends; gather a quantity
of this dried grass; I want a hundred poun=
ds
of it, at least."
"For what purpose?" asked Kenned=
y,
surprised.
"I have no more gas; well, I'll cross=
the
river with hot air!"
"Ah, doctor," exclaimed Kennedy,
"you are, indeed,
a great man!"
Joe and Kennedy at once went to work, and =
soon
had
an immense pile of dried grass heaped up n=
ear
the baobab.
In the mean time, the doctor had enlarged =
the
orifice
of the balloon by cutting it open at the l=
ower
end. He
then was very careful to expel the last
remnant of hydrogen
through the valve, after which he heaped u=
p a
quantity of
grass under the balloon, and set fire to i=
t.
It takes but a little while to inflate a
balloon with hot
air. A head of one hundred and eighty degr=
ees
is sufficient
to diminish the weight of the air it conta=
ins
to the
extent of one-half, by rarefying it. Thus,=
the
Victoria
quickly began to assume a more rounded for=
m.
There
was no lack of grass; the fire was kept in
full blast by the
doctor's assiduous efforts, and the balloon
grew fuller every
instant.
It was then a quarter to four o'clock.
At this moment the band of Talabas reappea=
red
about
two miles to the northward, and the three
friends could
hear their cries, and the clatter of their
horses galloping
at full speed.
"In twenty minutes they will be
here!" said Kennedy.
"More grass! more grass, Joe! In ten
minutes we
shall have her full of hot air."
"Here it is, doctor!"
The Victoria was now two-thirds inflated.<= o:p>
"Come, my friends, let us take hold of
the network, as
we did before."
"All right!" they answered toget=
her.
In about ten minutes a few jerking motions=
by
the balloon
indicated that it was disposed to start ag=
ain.
The
Talabas were approaching. They were hardly
five hundred
paces away.
"Hold on fast!" cried Ferguson.<= o:p>
"Have no fear, master--have no
fear!"
And the doctor, with his foot pushed anoth=
er
heap of
grass upon the fire.
With this the balloon, now completely infl=
ated
by the
increased temperature, moved away, sweeping
the branches
of the baobab in her flight.
"We're off!" shouted Joe.
A volley of musketry responded to his
exclamation. A
bullet even ploughed his shoulder; but
Kennedy, leaning
over, and discharging his rifle with one h=
and,
brought
another of the enemy to the ground.
Cries of fury exceeding all description ha=
iled
the departure
of the balloon, which had at once ascended
nearly
eight hundred feet. A swift current caught=
and
swept it
along with the most alarming oscillations,
while the
intrepid doctor and his friends saw the gu=
lf
of the
cataracts yawning below them.
Ten minutes later, and without having
exchanged a
word, they descended gradually toward the
other bank of
the river.
There, astonished, speechless, terrified,
stood a group
of men clad in the French uniform. Judge of
their amazement
when they saw the balloon rise from the ri=
ght
bank
of the river. They had well-nigh taken it =
for
some celestial
phenomenon, but their officers, a lieutena=
nt
of marines
and a naval ensign, having seen mention ma=
de
of Dr. Ferguson's
daring expedition, in the European papers,
quickly
explained the real state of the case.
The balloon, losing its inflation little by
little, settled
with the daring travellers still clinging =
to
its network;
but it was doubtful whether it would reach=
the
land. At
once some of the brave Frenchmen rushed in=
to
the water
and caught the three aeronauts in their ar=
ms
just as the
Victoria fell at the distance of a few fat=
homs
from the left
bank of the Senegal.
"Dr. Ferguson!" exclaimed the
lieutenant.
"The same, sir," replied the doc=
tor,
quietly, "and his
two friends."
The Frenchmen escorted our travellers from=
the
river,
while the balloon, half-empty, and borne a=
way
by a swift
current, sped on, to plunge, like a huge
bubble, headlong
with the waters of the Senegal, into the
cataracts of Gouina.
"The poor Victoria!" was Joe's
farewell remark.
The doctor could not restrain a tear, and
extending his
hands his two friends wrung them silently =
with
that deep
emotion which requires no spoken words.
Conclusion.--The Certificate.--The French
Settlements.--The Post
of Medina.--The Basilic.--Saint Louis.--The
English Frigate.--The
Return to
The expedition upon the bank of the river =
had
been
sent by the governor of
Messrs. Dufraisse, lieutenant of marines, =
and
Rodamel,
naval ensign, and with these were a sergea=
nt
and
seven soldiers. For two days they had been
engaged in
reconnoitring the most favorable situation=
for
a post at
Gouina, when they became witnesses of Dr.
Ferguson's
arrival.
The warm greetings and felicitations of wh=
ich
our travellers
were the recipients may be imagined. The
Frenchmen, and
they alone, having had ocular proof of the
accomplishment
of the daring project, naturally became Dr.
Ferguson's
witnesses. Hence the doctor at once asked =
them
to give
their official testimony of his arrival at=
the
cataracts of Gouina.
"You would have no objection to signi=
ng a
certificate
of the fact, would you?" he inquired =
of
Lieutenant Dufraisse.
"At your orders!" the latter
instantly replied.
The Englishmen were escorted to a provisio=
nal
post
established on the bank of the river, where
they found the
most assiduous attention, and every thing =
to
supply their
wants. And there the following certificate=
was
drawn up
in the terms in which it appears to-day, in
the archives of
the Royal Geographical Society of London:<= o:p>
"We, the undersigned, do hereby decla=
re
that, on the
day herein mentioned, we witnessed the arr=
ival
of Dr.
Ferguson and his two companions, Richard
Kennedy and
Joseph Wilson, clinging to the cordage and
network of a
balloon, and that the said balloon fell at=
a
distance of a few
paces from us into the river, and being sw=
ept
away by the
current was lost in the cataracts of Gouin=
a.
In testimony
whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and
seals beside
those of the persons hereinabove named, for
the information
of all whom it may concern.
"Done at the Cataracts of Gouina, on =
the
24th of May,
1862.
&nb=
sp;
"(Signed),
"SAMUEL FERGUSON
=
"RICHARD KENNEDY,
=
"JOSEPH WILSON,
=
"DUFRAISSE, Lieutenant of Marines,
=
"RODAMEL, Naval Ensign,
=
"DUFAYS, Sergeant,
=
"FLIPPEAU, MAYOR,
}
=
"PELISSIER, LOROIS, } Privates."
=
RASCAGNET, GUIL- }
=
LON, LEBEL, =
}
Here ended the astonishing journey of Dr.
Ferguson
and his brave companions, as vouched for by
undeniable
testimony; and they found themselves among
friends in
the midst of most hospitable tribes, whose
relations with
the French settlements are frequent and
amicable.
They had arrived at Senegal on Saturday, t=
he
24th of
May, and on the 27th of the same month they
reached the
post of Medina, situated a little farther =
to
the north, but
on the river.
There the French officers received them wi=
th
open
arms, and lavished upon them all the resou=
rces
of their
hospitality. Thus aided, the doctor and his
friends were
enabled to embark almost immediately on the
small steamer
called the Basilic, which ran down to the
mouth of the
river.
Two weeks later, on the 10th of June, they
arrived at
Saint Louis, where the governor gave them a
magnificent
reception, and they recovered completely f=
rom
their
excitement and fatigue.
Besides, Joe said to every one who chose to
listen:
That was a stupid trip of ours, after all,=
and
I
wouldn't advise any body who is greedy for
excitement to
undertake it. It gets very tiresome at the
last, and if it
hadn't been for the adventures on Lake Tch=
ad
and at the
Senegal River, I do believe that we'd have
died of yawning."
An English frigate was just about to sail,=
and
the three
travellers procured passage on board of he=
r.
On the 25th
of June they arrived at Portsmouth, and on=
the
next day
at London.
We will not describe the reception they got
from the
Royal Geographical Society, nor the intense
curiosity and
consideration of which they became the
objects. Kennedy
set off, at once, for Edinburgh, with his
famous rifle,
for he was in haste to relieve the anxiety=
of
his faithful
old housekeeper.
The doctor and his devoted Joe remained the
same
men that we have known them, excepting that
one change
took place at their own suggestion.
They ceased to be master and servant, in o=
rder
to
become bosom friends.
The journals of all Europe were untiring in
their
praises of the bold explorers, and the Dai=
ly
Telegraph
struck off an edition of three hundred and
seventy-seven
thousand copies on the day when it publish=
ed a
sketch of
the trip.
Doctor Ferguson, at a public meeting of the
Royal
Geographical Society, gave a recital of his
journey through
the air, and obtained for himself and his
companions the
golden medal set apart to reward the most
remarkable
exploring expedition of the year 1862.
----------
The first result of Dr. Ferguson's expedit=
ion
was to
establish, in the most precise manner, the
facts and
geographical surveys reported by Messrs.
Barth, Burton,
Speke, and others. Thanks to the still more
recent expeditions
of Messrs. Speke and Grant, De Heuglin and
Muntzinger,
who have been ascending to the sources of =
the
Nile, and penetrating to the centre of Afr=
ica,
we shall be
enabled ere long to verify, in turn, the
discoveries of Dr.
Ferguson in that vast region comprised bet=
ween
the fourteenth
and thirty-third degrees of east longitude=
.