New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-04

THE NARRATIVE OF COUNT TELEKIS
EXPEDITION.

A NE NN \ narrative Of count samuel Te'ckls
Exporng and Huntn s EHGed s IN MS Eas c5
panion. Lieutenant Ludwig Won H6hnel Trans
lated by NanGy ne S H edreG mnp WIN two
volumes PIP. Xxx, 49, xii, 391. Iongmans.
Green & Co.
The district traversed by Count Teleld. which
had hitherto been unknown 10 white men. IS
all included between the equator and the NTH
degree Of north latitude. and between the thirty
fifth and thrtyeighth degrees of east longitude
Previous to his explorations. this region was
Stunned for the most part even by the ivory
merchants and other traders. Although Lieu
tenant H0hnel asserts that traffic with the scat
tered tribes has since been carried on busily. his
own description of the country leads to surprise
al the thought of agricultural or pastoral wealth
within its borders The long and toilsome jour
ney from Zanzibar to Lake Mbaringo which lies
at or near the intersection OF the equator and
the thrty-sixth meridian of east longitude. was
only the Necessary preliminary TO the geograph-
ical achievement of the expedition Indeed the
Count had hunted in the neighborhood OF Lake
Mbaringo in previous years. Perhaps the only
really novel episodes in the trip from the coast
the efforts to ascend Mounts Kilimanjaro
and Kenia. In the latter case the Count
reached a point higher than had been attained
before. In approaching Lake Mbaringo. he and
his companion had obtained what information
they could. and the result rude chart. with
bodies OF water indicated upon it az distance
Of fourteen days journey 10 the nOrthward. As
it took the caravan I66 days to make the round
trip. the accuracy OF native information can cas-
lily be estimated. But the tribesmen were GER
tain that one Of he lakes they described was
to travel around it; and 1t might be Of an
extent surprising all human powers Of measure
ment. 1t had been the intention of the two
white men from the first to push beyond the
usual limits Of hunting trip; but the guides
guards and porters began with the belief that
they would turn back at Lake Mbaringo. As
time went on. however, and the weaker and less
willing were lost by one means or another. the
caravan became a very loyal organization. Be |
fore Lake Mbaringo reached the men had |
taken up as watchword the cry that the !
caravan could go anywhere.
AT the threshold Of the new country things |
went well enough. There Is a certain stream |
from the northward which in the rainy season |
flows into Lake Mbaringo but in dry weather |
stops short AT a neighboring marsh. In former |
times. perhaps. the lake extended over the ground
now occupied by the marsh. At any rate, a |
travelling Above the swamp the valley was
much narrower, almost like ravine in fact
but it was carpeted with what the author Of
this book calls Short steppe grass" This ravine
forms pass through what is known as the FL
maroroj mountain chain. and the idylllc delight
of ascending 1t was enhanced just at the proper
moment for camping by stretch Of greensward
at the intersection Of another valley. The men
were carrying what they deemed at the moment
ample supplies Of food. They had small herd
of cattle with them, and the Count was famous
hunter Indeed within the past twenty-four
hours he had killed Two rhinoceroses and one
buffalo, and there yet little prospect Of a
famine. The next day the way was still through
the grass at the bottom Of the valley which only
changed when 1t widened to make room for a
swamp. Perhaps the best feature of the country
was the absence OF people. The speech making
and trading and quarrellng and fighting that
mark a Journey through popuous parts Of Africa
must be as monotonous TO a traveller after long
experience as they are TO people who read books.
1t IA the same old story and over again
With few changes in tribal and individual
names. But in this Happy Valley, the members ,
IF the caravan heard no voices save their own
pr those of a few wild beasts Moreover the
party had suffered much on the plains TO the
southwark from dustaden winds which rose at
he approach of midday and continued far into
he night Now there only a gentle breeze
At every hating place water was easily ac-
'essible and game was, II not abundant at least a
common enough for the needs Of the day +
But the pleasures OF such travel could not last '
orever. The valley gradually rose to a level h
With the surrounding country. and then the scene a
hanged Meanwhile. AT the height Of $500 feet E
bove the sea. vegetation had ceased to be
ropica In case the travellers camped in
grove of cypress. and the landscape was a =
uccession of "blackish-green tree-heaths and {,
ark expresses. draped with creepers rising up 4
fifty from the yellow steppe grass" while the d
ir was almost frosty OF morning and sitting q
I noon The grass and trees belonged only tn Il
he depressons AS for the general surface Of t.
ne wide table-land on which the explorers found 81
themselves, 1t was scorched by the sun and u
wept bare by a bitter east wind The loneli- -
ess which had been ra Their welcome than other {,
asst desert. To the westward. only short al
stance from where the caravan emerged from lie
valley the plain was cut off by sharp preci- 50
ces, which overhung another fiat. uninhabited OF
ain, bounded only by mountains far away. Il
he upper table-land assembled gradually toward n
lie east, but was dominated in the north by 81