The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-23
STEAMBOAT JOURNEY OVERLAND.
The Remarkable Trip of a Party
Through the Wilds of Africa.

4AO hC4AtAA h6O40 4ElP Vi a 1Ahy
Through the Wilds of Africa.
From the Building and Engineering Record.
Under the title of Struggles in Africa, :"
John Thornburn has described, in an inter-
esting little pamphlet. the successful trans
portation overland of small steamboat
from near POtchestroom to Delagoa bay, on
the east coast of Africa.
The little vessel was of steel, 81 feet long
and s feet inches beam, drawing % inches
of water, with twin screw propellers of
horsepower. MIR. Thornburn had ordered
her of Edwards & Symes of London to
navigate the upper Vaal river above Kim
berly. but after spending three years time
and $4,000 in endeavoriug to clear
the river OF distractions and
having three times transported
his boat overland between Kimberly and
Potchestroom. distance of POO miles. he
gave up the attempt 30 navigate the Vaal
and concluded to take the vessel across
country TO Delagoa bay, distance of 600
miles. He started with five men besides
himself and son, with the boat on a large
wagon and a smaller tent wagon containing
the boats engines and tools and prov sions,
ETC., all drawn by thirty-two oxen, and
reached his destination in fourteen months
with loss of twenty-five oxen and three
men, OF whom two deserted and one COM
United suicide. He passed through fire and
water, through swamps where the wagons
sank to the axles and had to
be laboriously pried out and
lacked along inch by inch, over two noun
tain ranges, one of them 1000 feet high,
where his large wagon was capsiZed and all
the woodwork of the boat smashed, besides
having one side stove in and a Sc m ripped
open for feet in length. He made NAL
let's and pounded his boat into shape again
and riveted the ruptured seam aud, finally,
after building several bridges and m king
several miles Of road, he had the satisfaction
of seeing the Tembe, for that was her name,
safely aioat on salt water. In all this he
faithfully kept the Sabbath, and seemed
much more disturbed by the sufferings of
his oxen and the blisters on his sons hands
than by any of the difficulties he encoun-
tered.
In fact, he seems to have rather enjoyed
difficulties, for when he had finally accom-
plished his purpose and was making lots of
money! with his little steamer in Delagoa
Bay. his prosperity became unendurably
mouotonous, and he sold out and started for
the gold fields. 1t was, 10y the way, the
repo t of these gold fields, which W ere to
surprise the world" which first led him to
think of taking his steamboat to the east
coast and, curiously enough, his own farm
| in the Transvaal, which he sold on leavi z
for e., 800. proved to be one of the richest
districts, and was res0ld year later for
e32, 900
In his brief preface Mr.. Thorburn
modestly ascribes his success to the fact
that when an English nan undertakes an
enterprise. however difficult, he never re-
| treats nor leaves it until he has ccomplishe |
| his object" While this statement may
seem little strong, we are not disposed to
| quarrel with it, as it serves to explain the
| other fact that Englishpien are excellent
raw material out Of which, in gene alton
or two, very good Americans can be made.