The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-05-12
LITTLE JACK HoRe.
Tho Only white Boy who Has Ever Seer
the Lakes OF Central Africa.


father was q missionary and Jack and
his mother were on the way to the homo
that had been prepared for them in Gen.
tral Africa. Thcjourney was eight hum
dred miles long, up hill and down,
through jungle, forest and plain, and
il was a serious question how little Jack
could be carried comfortably over the
rude native paths to Lako Tanganyika.
His father thought that n whcelbarrow
was likely to be the best vehicle for Jack,
and so arrangements had been made in
England to have Jack trundled in a
barrow all the way from the coast to
the big lake where he was to live.
A deep and commodious basket was
provided for tho baby. On the bottom
of the basket was as soft little bed as
could be made. and the entire inside
was padded so that Jack could not
easily hurt himself The basket was
placed in steel whcelbarrow frame
An awning above the basket was sup
ported by iron rods, and, when required,
mosquito curtains could be let down.
This was to be jacks carriage on the
march, and when in camp at night the
basket was to be placed in Mrs. Hore's S
tent to serve Jack us a bed.
Jack was asleep in his fathers arms
when he landed on the coast of Africa
at Saadani. near Zanzibar. He was
tucked away in his little basket, and
one of the portcrs trundlcd him along
in his whoelbarrow near the head of
the caravan. Close behind him rode
Jacks mother on a donkey. Once in s
while the baby was lifted out of the
whcelbarrow for change and carried
q mile or two in his mothers arms.
Usually Jack rode along in the little
vehicle very quietly, and he seemed to
take as kindly to his wheelbarrow as
other babies do to the most comfortable
of cradles. Even when the road was
hummocky Jack did not seem to mind
it, and the jouncing he got only seemed
to put him in good humor for nap. 1t
happened. however, that Jack was not
destined to travel all the way to Cen
trail Africa in wheelbarrow. After
they had climbed the coast mountains
and were hundred and fifty miles on
their way it was found. .inexpedient on
account of unexpected difficulties on
the road for Mrs. Hore and the baby to
go any further that year. So Jack was
wheeled back to the coast again and
before long he turned up in England
mona tl,a ,yorSo for 1,;c ;orot ~ throa
hundred miles in wheelbarrow.
Early in 1884, when Jack was lit
tie over two years old, he landed again
at Saadani. There w ere stories from
up country of widespread drought and
famine, but nothing daunted Mr.. Hore,
who had come all the way from Cen trail
Africa to meet his family. decided to
set out with them at once on the long
journey to tho beautiful lake, which,
though narrow, is one of the longest
frcsh-water lakes in the world. This
lime the wheelbarrow was discarded.
The willow body of a baby carriage
was turned into tiny palanquin for
Jacks accommodation. 1t was sus-
pended by stout ropes from couple
Of bamboos. Along tho bamboos was
stretched canvas awning. impervious
alike to sun or rain, with movable sides,
that could be fastened up or down at
pleasure. Four natives were assigned
to the task of carrying Master Jack in
his unique little conveyance. The
Damboos were supple, and as the car
:iers trudged along there was u de-
Iightful springiness about the rig that
greatly pleased Jack. His mother was
carried in bath chair rugged up in
similar fashion.
Jack got along famo usly until he was
with fever, and then he in-
sisted much of the time upon travel
ing in his mothers lap. When the
long caravan halted for the noontime
lunch the first duty OF the men was to
pitch tent in which to shelter Jack
and his mother from the scorching sun.
The little fellows great delight was in
crossing rivers in the big canoes the
natives keep for ferrying cara vans. He
usually sat in state in his little arm
chair, and sometimes used string and
a bent pin to fish for rocodiles, with
invariably poor success. One day
porter ran away with a canvas bag
containing large part OF Jacks ward
robe. In land where caravans use a
great deal of cotton cloth to pay their
way there was of course plenty of
at hand to repair Jacks loss,
which he bore with more cquanimity
than the rest of his family. Sometimes
they Travelled for hours through grass
that was high above their heads, and in
the early morning Jack liked to listen
to the dew drops as they fell like rain
upon the top of his palanquin, while
the carriers plodded along through the
luxuriant growth of grass. Many of
the marches were very wearisome. and
Mrs. Hore wrote that she and Jack
often presented a very draggled APP
pearance when the halt was made for
the day.
The journey lasted ninety days. At
last the beautiful waters of Lake Tan
ganyika came into view. an i little Jack
was delighted when his family en-
barked in big boat for the long jour-
ney to the island of Kavaia. He thought
t he songs of the crew rs they bent to
their oars were particularly jolly. He
is now living on Kayala Island, and,
hough he is the only little white boy in
Central Africa, he seems to be thorough
ly enjoying his boyhood Friends in