Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-05-16

on this daring and
.plucky expedition
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-Cairo
railway-that great dream of 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
a successful termination such 81
gantic feat as that which Lieutenant
Graetz set himself in his famous AT
rican 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 sIn-
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. Chi
GUIANA, Fort tombstone, Lake Nyassa,
Karonga 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 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 Leopoldville, and thus to
the mouth of the Congo.
Take up n map of Africa and trace
out this route for yourself. and you
may 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
sieur Octave Fiere.
Graetz had heard of the magic
Lake Bangweolo from the Awem'
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 were to be found colossal ele-
plants and gigantic giraffes, while on
its waters swan huge sea-serpents
and other strange creatures. From
the surface 9. the lake hot springs
fose and fell like fountains In the air;
und 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
fantastically shaped canoes had ever
returned 1t was regarded by some
tribes as sort of Hades, where de-
parted souls suffered continually the
most dreadful torments; while others
again thought that 1t was the APP
proa h to Paradise, where the spirits
of their dead relatives enjoyed per-
feet life under the protection of their
gods
It was known to be surrounded by
thick and impenetrable rushes. max
ing its exploration a matter of great
difficulty The great prize which
Graetz hoped to secure. In addition to
being the first explorer of this won
derful lake set deep in the heart of
the wilds of Africa, was specimens of
a species of gigantic buffalo, which
were commonly believed by the ma
uves to make their home on the
shores of the lake. They were known
to be unusually fierce and dangerous,
but this did not deter Graetz and his
plucky companion from their adven-
turous quest after them.
Lieutenant Graetz left Berlin on
February rs, 1911. accompanied by
Fiere and his motor-launch, the Sarot-
H. Elaborate arrangements were