The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
AFRICAN HONEYMOON
EXPLORER HoLUB TELLS OF HIS
ADVENTURES WITH HIS BRIDE.
They plan Another Expedition to n
Region I'm Africa, where They Had
Narrow Escape from Death.
PHILADELPHIA Press.


Africa, from Cape Colony to the land
of the Observation-Disclosures tribes on the
Zambesi river. eleven years spent in
seeking knowledge of country into
which the foot of civilized man had
never trod, is the experience of DIR.
Emil Holub, the Austro- Hungarian ex-
plorer who was in this city last week.
In 1872, without wealth or influence,
but with thorough training in the
practice of medicine, abundant courage
and physical health, and a perspi-
cacity that urged him on. DR.. Holub
went to South Africa, locating in Cape
Town, where he worked at his profess
sion. He gained in a year sufficient
means to fit out the modest equipment
with which he made his first venture
as an explorer. penetrating the wilder
ness as far north as the Zambesian
tributary, the Lechobe.
Six years later he returned home,
bringing with him a magnificent collec-
ton of specimens of natural history and
ethnology and a great fund Of knowl-
edge about the unexplored Ma-Ta-Bele
land and the kingdom of Ma-Rutse-Ma-
Bunde.
Brought thus into some prominence
he set out again in 1883 on a wedding
tour with his bride to reach the land
of Ma-Shu Kalumbe, beyond the Fam
best. No bride was ever destined for a
more hazardous honeymoon. and one
filled with hardships and adventure
which would appal a strong man. Yet
she bore them with equanimity and en-
joyed the trip, bearing with fortitude
the malarious attacks which afflicted
them and the hostilities of the Ma-Shu-
Kalumbe.
gave the closest attention to all the
details of life among the natives, TAX
ing sketches and measuring accurately
the carcasses of animals whose skins
they wished to preserve. In this way
they were enabled to give such direc-
lions to the taxidermists that the col
lection is shown by the photograp pliers
TO SO closely resemble nature as to de-
ceive experienced persons into believing
they were taken on the spot.
BY such measurements, too, DR.. HOlub
constructed life-sized models, represent
Ing fourteen tribes of savages engaged
In the occupations of their daily life. In
1891 this collection was first exhibited in
the Crystal Palace in Vienna, occupying
10000 square feet of floor space and at
tracing the attention of ethnologists
and scientists generally, by its realism
and truthfulness.
THEIR HARDSHIPS.
The hardshipS of travel, said DR.. Ho-
1uo, were not very severe until they
approached the upper Zambesi. They
were transported in OK wagons, and as
the country is to a. great extent level
the only serious difficulty was scarcity
of water. There were no. tribes between
Kimberle and the Zambesi with which
they could not readily make friends,
first by the superstitious awe in which
many of them held white men, and then
DIR. Holub by directing his professional
skill to the i'll or wounded at once
established a confidence with the kings
and dignitaries Of the tribes.
The retinue of carriers and guides,
which was necessary, was secured from
the villages along the route and hired
from the kings for the trip. The wages
of a man for a year were an old gun,
while comparatively new one secured
a two years service, but as the pay was
made to the king the servants were
often not to be depended upon and
speedily deserted at first signs of dam
ger.
AS they drew near to the territory
of the Ma-Shu-Kalumbe the explorers
were cautioned not to venture beyond
the Zambesi. for the hostility of that
tribe was implacable. DR.. Holub had
determined on the exploration of that
particular part and in the middle of
Augustine height of the South African
winter-he crossed the river and entered
the land in which the party was destined
to endure the severest trials Of the
whole journey.
Knowing the warlke disposition Of the
Ma-Shu-K alumbe, the natives of the
neighboring tribes were extremely chary
OF risking their lives in an expedition
into that territory, and it was only with
the greatest difficulty that a retinue of
twenty men could be obtained.
From the very first they were treated
with manifestations of distrust, and it
was impossible to gain the least con-
fidence. Even the skill Of the physician
failed here, for they would not permit
DR.. Holub to try any remedy or to go
near the sick. The explorers were not
permitted to enter the town, but forced
to encamp on the outskirts, and finally
We're warned to leave the country on
penalty of death; and the thrilling ex-
perience of that retreat is a graphic IL
lustration of what the traveller in South
AFRICA may expect to endure
TOO SICK TO RUN
At the very outset of danger nineteen
OF the twenty carriers fled. and when
DR.. Holub praised the twentieth for his
fidelity he found the reason for his faith
fulness was that he was sick and unable
to travel with the others. Before them
lay a vast swamp, beyond which they
were told was village where dwelt a
white trader. so 1t was decided to cross
the swamp and seek shelter and assist
ance there rather than turn back At
nightfall, after spreading their blankets
on the ground as though they were
asleep under them, so as to deceive the
natives, they started to cross this wide
field of mud and water which stretched
unfortunately before them.
The temperature fell to freezing point,
and thin ice formed on the water,
while around them the condensed moist
ure fell in heavy frost. Up to the arm
pits, most OF the time they plodded on
Their feet were benumbed, and at every
step sank into the soft mud. Seven
miles were traversed in this laborious
way. Then they came to colony of ant
hills, the cone-shaped tops of which rose
above the swamp and formed the foun-
dation for a dense forest of fell palms.
The fallen leaves, thick with long, slen-
der thorns, strewed the bottom of the
swamp. and the thorns sank into the
flesh. Stopping to remove some of these,
the men found that they had lost their
shoes in the soft mud.
The distance across this part was
something like two miles. and it was
daybreak when, exhausted and bleeding,
4Ia.aN 49,. 49, u