The Holly chieftain., 1913-07-11
LUND's LONG WALK
Five Thousand Mile Hike Through
Widest Africa.

Carried Seventy Pound Kit and Had
Adventures With Animate, Snakes
md canaIbal Tribss-Fest Not
- Win = Wager.
Emil Lund, q Rhntesian settler Of
thirty-six. has Just completed walk
from Cape Town to Cairo. not in fulfill
msnt OF . wager or without money
or to test q system OF diet or training,
but simply from love OF adventure. He
has been soldier and scout since
he was seventeen. serving in the sec
ond Matabele campaign in 1893. the
Uganda rebellion Of 1S97-9s and the
South African war.
He started from Cape Town and
walked all alone right through the
Cape province and the Transvaal to
Rhodssia. Thence he continued
through the Congo state, tn Sudan and
the Nubian desert to Egypt, distance
Of nearly 5000 miles as the crow
niss. MY WISH" he said, in telling
the story of his great walk to CORE
spondent of the London Standard.
was simply to be the nrst man to &C
oomplish the feat. | am proudest OF
having walked across the Nubian des-
ert That was the hardest tramp OF
all.
Until he left Elizabethyille. In the
Belgian Kongo. he had comparative
ly easy time. for he could obtain sup
plies, good food and good water; but
beyond that point he had very try
ing time. He had no porters, carry.
ing all his own impediments. weigh
ing seventy pounds. This alone is
no mean task In tropical and wild
country. But he could get no natives
to accompany him, owing to tribal hos
tilities being in progress.
During most of the time Mr.. Lund
was obliged to be vegetarian, but
he always had meat when he could
get it. Sometimes" he said, Il shot
a buck; but could only eat the liver
which l broiled In the ashes of my
nre. Having no salt cannot say that
l enjoyed my food. In passing through
the great forests camped on the
ground. lighting a large fire to keep
OF the wild animals. had to be very
careful to keep this going throughout
the night. At early dawn l renewed
my march, tramping continuously till
about II o'clock. After that used
to hunt round. collect wood and cook
my one daily meal Then slept till
sundown. Lions and other carnivora
do not usually attack in the heat of
the day-they are asleep-and 1t is
only when night falls that they set
out in search OF prey"
He met with good many lions. but
was never attacked by one. The idea
that water will protect one from lion
is, he says. erroneous, for lions are
exoellont ewimmers. In the Katanga
district he wa0 bitten by black NAM
b. Saake and would probably have
died, but he reached native kraal
and was treated by woman who ap-
piled decoction Of herbs to the
wound and cured him. She steadfast-
ly refused to say what herbs she used
or how she prepared them.
From Abertville the traveller made
for Lake Albert, and here he had one
of his most unpleasant experiences.
He came across powerful tribe, un-
der the command Of q very suspicious
chief. who, before he would listen to
him. put him through the ordeal OF
dirt" This consists Of eating mouth
full Of earth picked up from the
ground
In the native mind this constitutes
a form of oath, and it is believed that
any one who undergoes the ordeal and
does not speak the truth, will be con-
demned to an eternal diet of dirt. The
ordeal Is called "nkola donga." One of
the worst troubles with which Mr.
Lund had to contend was the veno-
nous flies and insects which swarm
In tropical Africa. He was bitten
near the eye by certain kind of NAL
ignant tick, and for time was near
ly blind. II he had not shortly after
ward reached Fort Portal and obtained
medical treatment he would probably
have lost the sight Of at least one eye
A little farther in the course of his
walk he fell in with the Baluba and
Valessi cannibals. When they have
cannibal feast the victim is usually
Il man accused of some crime. In such
a case the man is offered draft of a
poisonous decoction. If he takes a
long drink the poison Is imperative,
producing merely nausea But IL,
from timidity or guilt, he drinks but
small portion. the effect is almost
Immediately fatal. Women are exclud.
al frnp, thaso faaSta