The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-12 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Okavango River. A narrative of Travel,
Exploration, and Adventure. By Charles John
Andersson, author of " Lake Ngatni." With
numerous illustrations. Hurst and Blackett.

Some few years ago, before the . wastes of Cen-
tral and Western Africa were the great fields
of discovery and adventure, which they have now
become, the attention of the public was attracted
by a gorgeous volume, enriched with plates, and
rife with tales of adventure and narratives of dis-
covery, recounting Mr. Andersson's experince
of that inhospitable country. He was thus one of
the first of that band of adventurous spirits of
whom Dr. Livingstone and M. Du Chaillu aro the
most remarkable, who have undertaken these
hazardous expeditions, and have added largely to
our geographical, ethnological, and zoological lore,
besides opening up new roads for civilization and
commerce. The dangers they encountered, the
loss of health and property they suffered, the
anxiety and perplexity to which they were often
the victims, have unfortunately counterbalanced in
many instances the gratification the travellers
derived from their labours, and added to the debt
due from the public. In Mr. Andersson's instance
this is especially the case, as he underwent the
severest hardships, which seriously affected his
health, incurred great pecuniary loss, and was,
after all, compelled to abandon his expedition just
at its culminating point. All explorers, and, in-
deed, all readers of spirit and intelligence, will
sympathise with his feelings when forced to turn
back just as he had the extraordinary fortune to
discover a large river hitherto totally unknown to
Europeans. Feelings of humanity and prudence
made him abandon the attempt to pursue his inves-
tigatiens further, and he by no means repents of
his decision, although he deeply deplores its neces-
sity. It appears to us, however, that Mr. Anders-
son does not sufficiently estimate the distinction he
has acquired by this important discovery. It was
during his return from an exploring expedition that
he first came upon the river.

THE OKAVANGO RIVER.
After this little delay we again preceded, but had not
gone far before I perceived on the far-away horizon a dis-
tinct dark blue line. "Ah, ah 1" I exclaimed to myself,
"in the valley of which that line evidently forms the bor-
der, there is surely something more than a mere periodical
water course." A few minutes afterwards, catching a
glimpse of an immense sheet of water in the distance, my an-
ticipation was realised to its utmost. A cry of joy and satis-
faction escaped me at this glorious sight. Twenty minutes
more brought us to the banks of a truly noble river, at this
point at least 200 yards wide. This was then, in all pro-
bability, the Mukuru Mukovanja of the Ovamba, which
these people had given us to understand flowed westward.
Taking it for granted that their statement in this respect
was correct, I had stood some time by the water before I
became aware of my mistake. "By heavens" I suddenly
exclaimed, " the water flows towards the heart of the con-
tinent, ilistead of emptying itself into the Atlantic 1" For
a moment I felt amazed at the discovery. "East," I con-
tinued to soliloquise, "why, what stream can this then be,
in this latitude and longitude ? Tioughe ? No ; that
channel alone is much too insignificant to form the outlet for
such a mighty flow of water. Well, then, it must be one
of the chief branches of that magnificent river, the Chobe."
This was my first impression, which was to some extent
corroborated by the natives, who described this river,
called by the Ovaquangari " Okavango," as forking off in
two directions in the neighbourhood of Libebe, one branch
forming the said Tioughe, the other finding its way to the
Chobe. But on more mature consideration, I strongly
question the correctness both of my own impression and of
the account of the natives.

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

_
Here is Mr. Andersson's account of, the causes
which induced him to return from this interesting
expedition :

DUTY AND AMBITION.
With one or two exceptions, all my native servants were
at this time prostrated by the fever, Pereira and Morta
alone being still unaffected by it ; and as I had at an early
period taken the precaution of administering to those men
quinine and brandy, antidotes, I believed, against the dis-
ease, I had some faint hopes that they might escape the
infection, and thus afford me at least some help in carrying
out my Plans. But in this hope I was disappointed ; for
after about a month's stay on the river both these men were
suddenly confined to their beds. To add to my dismay, the
other patients, instead of improving, were rapidly getting
worse, in short, sinking into their graves. Had I then,
under these circumstances, persisted on prosecuting my
long cherished project, I should certainly have been much
to blame ; for I had the sad experience and melancholy fate
of former explorers, who had obstinately, in a similar
situation, persevered in darling schemes, become hopeless,
ever before me, ever forcibly present to my mind. What
then was to no To linger where we were seemed
n.rtain death ; and my vision. of future success I might
still entertain were too remote to justir, in imperilling
so fearfully the lives of my fellow •creatures. A precipitate
retreat appeared therefore quite imperative. It cost, never-
theless, a severe struggle between duty and ambitlo..
I could resolve upon it. I obeyed at last the monitions of
conscience, and bade with a sigh farewell to the pursuit of
fame and glory for ever. That this act of self-renuncia-
tion was not determined on without acute pangs, it would
be useless to deny. After such toils, such hardships, such
sacrifices, and with the prospect of a final crowning success
just dawning upon me, it may well be imagined that I
turned my back on the land of promise with drooping spirits
and a heavy heart.
Thus ended my short but memorable visit to the Oka-
vango river. I sincerely trust that future explorers of these
parts may meet with better success. An excursion up this
stream towards its source would undoubtedly prove very
interesting, for it is, I believe, perfectly unknown to Euro-
peans ; I doubt oven whether the native Portuguese are
aware of its very existence ; they are certainly quite insen-
sible to its importance in a commercial point of view.
Navigable it must be throughout a great (if not the greater)
portion of its course, even to vessels of some pretension.
Numerous tribes, more or less intelligent, more or less
traders and acquainted with the art of agriculture, possess
permanent habitations along its banks. The unhealthiness
of the climate may, it is true, be considered as prohibitive
of any frequent or constant intercourse with this country.
I strongly suspect, however, that this objection would only
apply to a certain season, i.e., to the time when, the annual
flow of the river ceasing, exhalations from the surrounding
swamps and marshes poison the atmosphere. In the months
of June, July, and August one might, I firmly believe, visit
the Okavango with comparative safety. It is only, I think,
in the spring, when I was unfortunately in its neighbour-
hood, that the malaria from the Lagoons is so fatal.
We trust that better health and more favourable
circumstances will await Mr. Andersson's next visit

sufferings in dismal howls half stifled in the utterance.
Some of the mon were nearly as much affected.
Most fortunately, after such fearful risks—the
whole party, both man and beast, escaped with life,
and this was one of several occasions on which Mr.
Anderson's humanity overcame his eager desire to
press forward. In the earlier part of his journey
the obstacles offered by the roads were serious.

A ROUGH ROAD.
After a few days' stay on the Omaruru river, we took our
departure again for the north. The rains had now ceased
to annoy us, or at least fell only in such limited quantities
as not to impede our progress. But this was only changing
one evil for another, for harassing thorn jungles at present
beset us on every side. Hitherto we had, by choping awaY
an occasional bush or two, managed to get through corn'
fortably enough, but now the country had become densely
wooded and continued to be so for a very considerable dis-
tance. Indeed, for upwards of one hundred miles we bad
literally to cut our way step by step ; it was not mete bushes
either that we had to clear away, but trees also, varying
from a fow inches to as much as two feet in diameter. Pick
and crowbar (for fortunately I had taken the precaution to
bo pretty well provided with road making implements)
were besides frequently put into requisition—in shorty it
was chop, pick, and heave the livelong day, from sunrise to
sunset. It was most severe and harassing work. The
waggon sail, which was made of the best ship's canvas, was
torn to shreds—a good criterion of the terrible uncouth^
ness of the country. For fear of being without a roof alto-
gether, we were obliged to patch up, as we went along;
the ragged sail with the skins of the slaughtered sheep and
goats.

On a similar occasion the traveller mace made an ela-
borate calculation. He says," I had the curiosity to i
count the number of bushes (and trees) cut down n
order to open out a path to a certain distance. 11,1,
this calculation I invariably found in 300 yards,l7v
bushes felled ; that is, about 1,000 bushes a
I reckoned besides four stalks to each bush, a very
low computation, which gave 4,000 distinct branches,
every stalk or branch (varying from the size of a
finger to that of a man's leg), usually requiring
from three to four strokes of the axe ; thus one ase
must actually have descended 12,000 times in the
course of a single mile. Conceive the incredible
amount of labour the passage of one such mile sup-
poses: indeed, we are just now proceeding some-
thing short of a snail's pace." We have, however,
about 200 miles of this sort of country to traverse
before we reach our journey's end, so that in round
numbers there must be 2,400,000 strokes'of one axe,
or 1,200,000 to each of two axes (the number usu-
ally employed), delivered, and no less than 200,000
bushes and trees cut down before we can get over
this space. And this work was successfully per-
formed." The hunting adventures of course occupy
a large portion of the volume. Here is an en-
counter with a rhinoceros.

A FORMIDABLE ENEMY.
1 had taken a step or two forward, and was in some mea-
sure hidden from the animal by a small tree, when suet-
denly I observed my attendants wheel about and retreat
precipitately. Not seeing the cause of their sudden flight
(though of course suspecting it) I stood my ground, when
all at once I caught sight of the brute protruding his ugly
head within a few paces of my person. As he was coming
right at me, I deemed it, under the circumstances, impru-
dent to fire, and quickly took to my heels. He followed at
his best pace, which was really very rapid, considering Ws
crippled condition. In my hurried flight my wide-a-wake
blew off my head, and fell right in the path of the pursuing
beast, who pulled up abruptly at the sight of it. Swift as
thought I turned on my heels and fired, but fairly, I be-
lieve, missed, for the monster at once dashed forward again,
snortly violently. After running for a short distance ha
again halted, but kept looking about him in a very restless
manner. I then crept cautiously up to within about 100
yards of him, and just as for a moment he exposed his
broadside full towards me, I fired. He dropped dead to the
shot.

The hunter's attendant was, however, killed by this
animal.
We found this poor fellow, as I have said, lying under 5,
bush with his head close upon the ground. Had he through-
out kept his position—and probably he did so—it seems
impossible that the rhinoceros should havo seen or smelt
him, especially as the wind was in the man's favour. It 15
my belief, therefore, that the beast was accidentally pass-
ing the spot, and finding his victim in his path had acci-
dentally, as it were, destroyed him. The animal, from the
moment I fired at him the first time until his death from
the second shot, had never stopped running. The accu
racy with which he had hit upon the unfortunate man was
consequently the more remarkable. If the man had
wil-
fully placed himself before him, and said, "Now try to do
your best to hit me here in the head," he could not have
succeeded better. There was one poor consolation "11.
Kozengo's untimely end, viz., he had died instantaneously.
Ho had not had time even to utter a cry; and the agony of
death was over the instant it was felt.
Lions and lion hunts are of frequent recurrence,
and numerous tales are told displaying the ferocity
of some of these creatures. Leopards, giraffes,
and other animals were also objects of pursuit, and
the sportsman will be keenly interested in these
exploits. Other dangers existed in the treachery
and/enmity of the natives. We have not space
to quote the exciting account of his
dealings with these savages, or of the little
fortified camp which was surrounded by incendiary
fires. Mr. Andersson does not excel in style ; his
work is the plain recital of a traveller's adventures,
which occasional attempts at fine writing do not
improve. The narrative is, however, happily inde-
pendent of any extraneous advantage, from the
vivid interest attaching to thr.i story and the value
of the information given. The last few chapters
take a survey of the chief points of interest along
from.hwest PACIO4 6:v
the accounts of other voyagers. There are
some particulars also of the island of Ichaboe,
famous for its guano. We must not omit to men-
tion the large and handsome plates which add
greatly to the attractions of the volume. Tales of
travel and adventure possess peculiar fascinations,
and as the wastes of Central Africa have recently
engaged so much attention, we cannot doubt that
Mr. Andersson's interesting narrative will soon be
in the hands of a very large class of readers.

THE INDIAN FAMINE -RELIEF FUND.

On Saturday evening, by the mail which left for
Calcutta, an additional sum of £l,OOO was forwarded
from the Mansion House to the relief committee in
that city towards the further relief of the sufferers
from famine in Upper India. This makes the total
sum forwarded to India by the central committee
in London £107,500, exclusive of the largo
contributions, amounting to neariy £50,000 in
the aggregate, which have been sent direct from
Liverpool, Dublin, Manchester, -Edinburgh,
and Glasgow: Since the subject was
last noticed in this journal additional sums,
amounting in the whole. to £2,138 175., have been
received at the Mansion-house, including £412 odd,
a balance from Oldham; £834 from British Guiana;
£236 odd from Paris (through Galignani) ; £23
from Geneva ; £23 from Malaga; and £448 from
Rio de Janeiro.
The Lord Mayor has received a letter from Mr.
Edmonstone, the Lieutenant-Governor of the
North-Western Provinces, dated from Nanee-
Tal, on the 17th of June, acknowledging the
receipt by him, from the committee of the
Mansion House, of the further sums of £15,000,
£lO,OOO, £lO,OOO, and £5,000. The Lieutenant-
Governor expresses his grateful sense of the gene-
rous sympathy which the people of England have
manifested in the distress that has pro; ailed in parts
of those provinces, and of the nolke liberality with
which they have come forward to .aid in its relief. He
ventures to indulge the hope tkat those on whose be-
half this liberality has been exercised will appreciate
the efforts that have beer, made to help them in their
hour of need, and will show forth their gratitude
in a willing obedience and a true fidelity to the
Government which it has pleased God to place
over them. The measures of relief, he adds, which
were described in a former communication, are,
still in operation, but on a somewhat more extended
scale. Additional relief-houses have been estab-
lished in the interior of some districts ; local works
have been opened out in others; and, as they are
amply supplied with funds, it has been resolved
that a portion of them shall be devoted to the re-
placement of farm-stock and cattle, and to the gra-
tuitous distribution of seed-grain to those who
were unable to provide themselves with either.
To all appearance the rains of the season had set is.
On the 3d of June the rain, which had fallen heavily
during the; preceding week, cleared off, and there
was a break of dry cloudless weather until the
14th, when it recommenced. Since that time there
had been heavy falls daily, unaccompanied by
thunder or lightning, or other indications of their
being but temporary. So far as Mr. Edmonstone's
experience and judgment guide him he was dis-
posed to think that if those falls had extended pretty'
generally to the plains, they might be regarded as
the commencement of the usual rainy season, and tilt;
immediate resumption of agricultural operations all
over the country might be expected. If the rain
should have been general the effect would be
shortly seen in the diminished numbers attending
the poorhouses, and in the withdrawal of manY
from the public relief works. The Lieut.-Governor
further states that the Calcutta Relief Committee
had lately remitted to him £lO,OOO, the distribu;
tion of which had been entrusted to the
Central
Relief Committee at Agra, to whose well-directed
exertions the Government and the people of the
distressed districts are much indebted.

---
to the Okavango. In the meantime he has the
glory of its first acquaintance. The reader can
best judge of the perils and hardships the little
party encountered from a few extracts from this
interesting volume. On one occasion they were
suffering fearfully from want of water, and quite
uncertain where to obtain the next supply.
A SEA OF FIRE.
We had proceeded but a comparatively short distance,
and were just escaping out of a thorn thicket, when we
were suddenly startled by a grand but to us appalling
sight.
Turning to Mortar, I exclaimed, ifGood God, our return
is cut off 1" I had seen many wood and grass fires, but
nothing to equal this. Immediately in front of us lay
stretched out like a sea a vast pasture prairie, doted with
occasional trees, bounded in the distance by groves of huge
giraffe thorns—all in a blaze I Through the very midst of
this lay our path. By delaying a few hours the danger
would have been considerably diminished, if not altogether
over, but delay in our case seemed almost more dangerous
than going forward ; and so on we pushed, trusting to
some favourable accident to bring us through the perils we
had to face. As we advanced we heard distinctly the sput-
tering and hissing of the inflamed grasses and brushwood,
the cracking of the trees as they reluctantly yielded their
massive forms to the unrelenting and all-devouring element
the screams of startled birds and other commingling sounds
of terror and devastation. There was a great angle in our
road, running parallel, as it were, to the raging fire, but
afterwards turning abruptly into a burning savannah. By
the time we had reached this point the conflagration, still
in its glory on our right, was fast receding on our left, thus
opening a passage, into which we darted without hesitation,
although the ground was still smouldering and reeking,
and in some places quite alive with flickering sparks from
the recent besom of hot flames which had swept over it.
Tired as our cattle were, this heated state of the ground
made the poor brutes stop out pretty smartly. At times
' we ran great risk of being crushed by the falling timbers.
Once a huge trunk, in flames from top to bottom, fell
athwart our path, sending up millions of sparks, and
scattering innumerable splinters of lighted wood all
around us, whilst the numerous nests of the social cross-
beaks— Texto erythrorhynchus—in the ignited trees
looked like so many lamps suspended in designs at
once natural, plea,ing, and splendid. It was altogether a
glorious illumination, worthy of Nature's palace with its
innumerable windows and stately vaulted canopy. But the
danger associated with the grand spectacle was too great and
too imminent for us thoroughly to appreciate its magnifi-
cence. Indeed, we were really thankful when once our
backs were turned on the awful scene.
At break of day we halted for a few minutes to breathe
and to change oxen, then continued to journey on. I des •
patched all the loose cattle ahead, giving the men orders to
return with a fresh team as soon as they had drunk, fed, and
rested a little. We arrived at the vley a little before mid-
night on the 24th of May, but on attempting to kraal the
trek-oxen, notwithstanding their fatigue, the thirsty brutes
leapt ovpr the stout and tall thorn-fences as if they had
been so many rushes, and with a wild roar set off
_at full
speed for Okaoa fountain, which they reached the following
day, having been more than 150 hours without a single drop
of water I
Before reaching the water the men in charge of the loose
. The cattle, unherded t THE PIT ACCIDENT AT GLASGOW.—As we have
tom will be
cattle had become so exhausted with b long antd incessanti already mentioned, the pit mouth was closed on Thursday
marching, suffering all the time from tuning ht, that afternoon, and will remain so till to-day, when the pit hot
much difficulty •
found their way to the fountain
one by one they had sunk
withoutdn.
hilt
his, and k ' Mr.
brought the dying again inspected. Tho Government inspector
but the wretched horse missed
t. kept wandering Williams, visited the place on Thursday afternoon,
~s
about until he dropped from sheer exhaustion. ion. Some Ovat- of course he can do nothing by way of inspection till access
jimba fortunately foundthe
good-naturedlybrute,
very to their chief, he
• k and fodder, by which
beast some drink
I had no idea that a horse was capable of
means he gradually terday. Four of the colliers are still in a very precarious
found condition. Hopes are entertained that three of them will
recovered, Tho animal when found had been seven days
without water.recover, but the fourth is not expected to survive. The
enduring fatigue and thirst to the extent experienced by this
ob
fe
the forgotten.oata st 0
attention and efforts of Dr. Weir, of Larkhall, will not soon
hack of mine.
The poor dogs were by this time in a fearful state.fferers•
What was once a clear perspicuous ee now appeared The catastrophe and
oazdiemr,inoifstllolraeudldrselleiyef, visitedtothe thesu scene
Lark'
like a mere lustrous speck under a shaggy brow. Blood Rev. Messrs. Sherar, Findlay, and Crichton, of . _
flowed at times from their nostrils ;and ' - • hall, have also visited them daily, and attended both t"
it was with difil- fit 10 7 • i
culty they dragged along their worn and emaciated car- their spiritual and temporal necessities.—Aort,t 4-'1.—
cams, Sometimes they tried to give vent to their great Arag,