Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-05-22

j X eAPSi
are of too recent occurrence 10 nave
been entirely forgotten
To have crossed Africa in an auto
mobile is no mean boast, when one
remembers that there are no roauS
and no repair or gasoline supply
etores en- route. The Cape-to-Cairo
railway-that great dream OF truly
great empire builder, Cecil Rhodes-'s
fast nearing completion; and III
year. or perhaps a little more, traVef
ers may journey in luxurious com
fort by train and steamer from cape
Town TO Alexandria. They VINO 40
this will be able then to realize 10 tho
fullest possible extent what the
pioneers of travel in the African mn
terland had to contend with.
One would think that to bring 10
successful termination such 81
gantic feat as that which Lieutenant
Graetz set himself in his famous Al
rican automobile expedition would De
sufficient to satisfy even the mos,
gluttonous appetite for adventure Yet
1t is typical of Lieutenant Graetz that
ba 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?
He 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
donia. River Shire, Port Herald. Ch,-
GUIANA, Fort tombstone, Lake Nyassa,
Karonga. and then across the water
shed to Fife The motorboat was
specially prepared for this part of the
tourney. being fitted with wheels for
use on 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. Stanleyville Coquillhatville,
Yumbi and LeopoldvilIe, and thus to
the mouth of the Congo.
Take up a map of Africa and trace
out this route for yourself and you
may realize in part what this stupen-
dous tourney of six thousand miles
following for the necessarily tortuous
route to be followed) meant to Lieu
tenant Graetz and his companion, the
French cinematograph operator, Mon
sieur Octave Fiere
Graetz had heard OF the magic
Lake Bangweolo from the Awemba
tribe. 1t had a sinister reputation
among the native tribes resident both
near and far from its shores. The
Awemba people told him that Bang
weolo was studded with islands, on
which we're to be found colossal ele.
phants and gigantic CRATES, while on
It's 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
Dante's Inferno No natives ventur
ing upon its waters in their frail
Enthusiastically shaped canoes had evel
returned 1t was regarded by some
tribes as a sort of Hades. where de
parted souls suffered continually thf
most dreadful toments; while Others
again thought that it was the ap
proarh to Paradise, where the spirits
of their dead relatives enjoyed per
feet life under the protection of thell
gods
It was known to be surrounded by
thick and impenetrable PUSHES, max
ing it's exploration matter of grea
difficulty The great prize which
Graetz hoped to secure, In addition Il
being the first explorer of this won
derful lake set deep in the heart o.
the wilds of Africa, was specimens o.
species of gigantic buffalo, which
were commonly believed by the ma
tives to make their home on the
shores of the lake They were known
to be unusually fierce and dangerous
hut this did not deter Graetz and his
plucky companion from their adven
furious quest after them.
Lieutenant Graetz left Berlin OF
February %, 1911, accompanied by
Fiere and his motor-launch the Sarot
II Elaborate arrangements wer'
made at Quilimane for their plunge
INTO tho wilderness.
At last all was ready for the star