The Washington herald., 1907-09-15


heart OF the Valley Of Insanity in tn,
great Kalahari desert Of British soutl
Africa. and escaped the horrible deatl
which claimed as victims all previou.
Adventures into that mysterious land.
Accompanied BY an aged native witcf
doctor as guide, this daring explorer-noW
ST. Louis man-forced his way across
the uackless, bOne-suewn waste. And
now for the first time, he tells the re-
markable story Of his experiences in the
St Louis Dispatch:
Desiring 10 visit the Kalahari desert
in Africa. I went to Mafeking in Bech-
uanaland. I arrived there" said L. F
Godfrey Just as a sandstorm swept
through the city, hurting pebbles with
the force Of q slungsh0t and filling the
eyes with sand. As the natives were
starving. the soldiers in the Boer-British
war having laid the land waste, had no
trouble next morning in securing ten boys.
Each was TO carry three water bags.
THE British do not permit witch doc
tors TO practice in Africa" said Mr.. Cod
frey, but they do on the sly, and I
found one Of these. q withered old native,
who consented to act as guide. His name
was Umtumba=ahu, and ne called me I'm
lungo, which means I greet. you white
sir
An hour after sunUp We started for
the Langbers Mountains, forty-two miles
away. which skirt the Kalahari Desert
The way was covered with thick thorn
bushes. and when after three days of
strenuous toll, we arrived at the foot OF
the mountains. our clothing was torn and
our hands were bleeding"
AT the base Of the ridge was a village
OF natives who had Waged war against
the white settlers, and only consented to
peace after the whites had hunted them
down like rabbits and destroyed their
poison arrows. These natives furnished
the explorers party with new supply
OF water.
Then began a climb UP the noun
tains." continued Mr.. Godfrey, which
were so steep in places we had 10 crawl
on our hands and knees and hold by
roots and tufts. Once I fell and was
saved from instant death by a guide
After many hours we reached the sum
NIT.
ing but sand, sand. sand as far rs the
eye could reach. The desert appeared as
level as a table.
The guide told me Of a mysterious
people who lived in the desert. in an oasis
called the Valley Of Insanity. I thought
his tale a native superstition. and asked:
Can you direct me 10 these peopleg T
warn you, he said, that no white man
ever reached that valley and lived to
leave If you go there, you die He was
SO serious I believed his story, but laugh
ed at his prophecy
Coyotes Disturb Sleep.
I asked him the direction again. and
lie said: There where the sun moves.
We We're soon on our way into the desert
At night We camped, prone on the sands.
our sleep disturbed by the howl of coy
otes- These animals came up 10 Us, 10
see If we We're alive, as if they knew the
danger Of desert travel and expected homes
TO snarl over. Vultures circled over our
heads, waiting for us to sink in cxhaus-
tion, when they could pick our bones and
leave them 10 whiteu among the skeIe-
tons we saw in the sand
THE next day We arrived at little ele-
walton. We ascended, and from a ridge
looked down into a slOping valley. IN
one place It appeared u drop into the
earth Ike n vast pit. from which rose
thin clouds Of vapor like clear smoke or
blush steam.
4 asked the guide: What is the mean
ing Of that smoke? He answered. At /
the bottom of that pit is the water Of !
many springs. The sun makes the vapor. |
and the depth of the depression gives
the tinge of blue.
7 was now more than ever drawn I
toward that valley" said the adventurer. /
''and I proposed 10 the guide. II you 1
viii follow me into the Valley of Insau- /
ity I viii give you double pay The car |
Tiers hOWled IN protest, revOlteG and /
turned their faces toward civilization
Then turning to the guide. who had not /
answered my question, I asked: And you
ere you Iaint-he3TJed. TOO? He replied. /
indirectly.
Look into that boiling pit. and AT
the steam rising above it. That is the
Valley of Insanity. where the strange
people live They have sworn 70 kill all
who enter their domain.
For a moment I hesitated. deciding
whether the attempt was worth the risk
But the fascination for the unknown
got the best Of me. and I said to the
guide: I must go even If the devil and
his angels in the valley bar the way. I
VIII not turn back He answered. I am
an old man and my days are numbered. |
but l will not leave YOU 10 cross that
valley alone. I viii follow you
Sees Hideous Pictures.
'The next morning We went down to-
ward the valley said Mr. Godfrey. The
effects of desert travel began to ranifesr
themselves. On the second day nv Ilus
began to swell, and my eyes protruded.
The exertion necessary to lift our feet
from under the weight Of sand into which
they sank at every step was nost fa-
tiguing. Ny throat was so drv. 7 had
constantly 10 sip from the heavy water
bottles the desertiou OF our carriers left
us to carry.
Visions rose before my eyes 7 became
weak. and at last very faint. I Iooke5
at my guide. He was bearing his suffer
ing with an Indifference peculiar 10 his
race.
The bones and skulls sticking I'D in I
The desert sands began to GIl me with G
horror. Unfortunate gold hunters min 4;
ers. outlaws. and fugitives from the mer-
ciless war between the Dutch and British
their bones were everywhere Toward
next sundOwn 1 was brought close 90 Z
death. I told my guide; can 20 no fur Il
ther' I began to see hideouS pictures [
there was constant roar in my ears and n
my own voice sounded far away f
The guide answered. Better de D.r
IN the desert sand than fall into tho :
hands of this people you seek
Suddenly what my fast-ebbine iztelH-
gence told me was mirage foated TO- q