The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-05-16

are Of too recent occurrence TO nave
been entirely forgotten.
To have crossed Africa in an auto
mobile is no mean boast, when one
remembers that there are no roads
and no repair or gasoline supply
stores en- route. The Cape-to'Calro
railway that great dream OF a truly
great empire builder Cecil Rhodes-is
fast nearing completion; and IN A
year or perhaps little more, travel
ers may Journey in luxurious com
fort by train and steamer from Cape
Town to Alexandria. They who DO
this will be able then to realize to the
fullest possible extent what the
pioneers Of travel in the African him
terland had to contend with.
One would think that to bring to
successful termination such 81
gantic feat as that which Lieutenant
Graetz set himself in his famous At
rcan automobile expedition would be
sufficient TO satisfy even the most
gluttonous appetite for adventure. Yet
It is typical of Lieutenant Graetz that
he should not rest content with this
one truly great achievement.
His project, undertaken on behalf
of the African World, was to cross
the great and practically unknown re
gions OF Central Africa from the In.
dian TO the Atlantic ocean, by way
OF the Zambesi river, Lake Bang
weolo and the Congo river How
ever not by automobile this time. but
by motor boat This offered some
thing unique in the way of African
travel 1t meant hardships and dis
appointments innumerable, but what
OF that?
lie mapped out route that would
take him from Quilimane, the port on
the coast Of Portuguese East Africa.
to the mysterious Lake Bangweolo,
by way of the River Quaqua LAGER
donna, River Shire, Port Herald Chi
GUIANA. Fort tombstone. Lake Nyassa,
Karouga and then across the water
shed TO Fife The motor-boat was
specially prepared for this part OF the
Journey. being fitted with wheels for
use OH land
From Fife he decided to travel by
way of the Chambesi river, Kabinga,
and thus arrive at the shores of the
small inland sea. Lake Bangweolo,
upon which no white man had ever
sailed. After spending some time ex-
ploring this unknown water and col
lecting specimens of aquatic and land
life. GraetZ planned to push on to the
Atlantic by way of the Luapula, Lake
Meru. Paula. Kasengo, Lukongzolva
Kiambi, Stanleyyille, Coquillhatville
Y4n3RAE Am Leopoldville, and thus 70
1ne mouth of the Congo.
Take up a map of Africa and trace
out this route for yourself, and you
NAV realize in part what this stupen'
dous journey of six thousand miles
(allowing for the necessarily tortuous
route to be followed) meant TO Lieu
tenant Graetz and his companion, the
French cinematograph operator, Mon
gieur Octave Fiere.
Graetz had heard of the magic
Lake Rangweolo from the Awemba
triba {; had a sinister reputation
among the native tribes resident both
near and far from its shores. The
Awenba people told him that Bang
weolo was studded with Islands. on
which were to be found colossal ele-
phants and gigantic giraffes, while on
its waters swan huge sea-serpents
and other strange creatures From
the surface of the lake hot springs
rose and fell like fountains in the air;
and pestilential winds, sweeping
across the reedy marshes carried
death TO all living beings
No health resort this; rather
Daute's Inferno No natives ventur-
ing upon it's waters in their frail
fantastieally shaped canoes had ever
returned 1t was regarded by some
tribes as a sort of FIades, where de
parted souls suffered continually tbs
most dreadful torments; while others
again thought that it was the ap
prcach to Paradise, where the spirit:
of their dead relatives enjoyed per
feet life under the projection of theil
gods
n was known to be surrounded b,
thick and impenetrable rushes max
ing its exploration a matter Of grea
difficulty The great prize whicl
Graetz hoped to secure, in addition t
being the first explorer of this Won
derful lake set deep in the heart o
the wilds of Africa was specimens e
species of gigantic buffalo whicl
were commonly believed by the ne
ttves to make their home on tn
shores Of the lake They were know
to be unusually fierce and dangerous
but this did not deter Graetz and hi
plucky companion from their adver
turous quest after them
Lieutenant Graetz left Berlin o
February 25. 1911, accompanied b
Fiere and his motor-launch. the Saro
IL Elaborate arrangements wer
made at Quilimane for their plung
into the wilderness.
At last all was ready for the stall
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