Democratic messenger., 1921-01-22
WRITER TELLS
OF JUNGLE LIFE
Marcosson Spends Eight Months
in Central Africa.
PASSES WEEK WITH SHUTS

General Who Once Fought Against
Britain Now Holding South Africa
to the Mother Country by His Great
AbiIity-Mareosson Escapes African
Germs Only to Contract Cold In
New York-6elgium Has Done Great
Work In Development Of the Congo.
Isaac +. MarcOssOn. the American
writer on economic subjects. who re-
turned recently to New York from an
eight months trip through Central
Africa. said that he had Travelled
25.OO0 miles. visited the least known
parts Of the jungle, and lived with
cannlbals and pygmles without having
q days illness.
II saw men die of sleeping sick
ness. black fever. plague and cholera
and escaped all these perils.' he said.
"and never had days Illness until
! reached New York and caught cold
This demonstrates once more that the
germs OF the civilized areas are more
deadly than those encountered In thu
jungle.
81 was aided In my trip. the most
hazardous one ] have ever made. by
letters from King Albert of Belgium
and Lloyd George. the British pre-.
mier. When l arrived at Cape Town.
South Africa, spent a week with
Gen. Jan G. Smuts, the premier
whom the Beers call slim Jan and
II was n most interesting experience.
He Is fighting the battle of his life
now In ruling the country at the head
of the minority in the government.
One Of the StrangcSt things Is tha!
Gen. SHUTS fought against the Brit
iSh In the Bocr war and is now 10y
ally defending them and holding
South Africa to the mother country
by his great ability.
Through Rhodesia.
After leaving cape Town" Mr.
Marcosson continued, III travelled
through Rh"desa. a magnificent
country for white men. by train 2,3n0
miles to the ralhcad at Bukama On
the route from the Cape to Cairo.
"This will lee completed in three
years. hut will never be accomplished
aS Cecil Rhodes. the great African
pionecer and empire builder, designed
il Ia he.
From that point steamboat Is
taken on the lualaba river 10 Con
cola. and then the rail again to Stan
hey Falls. from which point il i
Journey of 700 miles by river to sen
har on the White Nile. which is The
present southern end of the Egyptian
railways from Cairo via khartum.
The British South African and Cen
tral African railways Will build lines
another 200 miles 70 MahaGi. and the
Egyptian railways will meet them
there from Scnhar. distance OF 400
miles. So that passengers will be able
to make the entire journey from the
Cape To Cairo by train and steam
boats very comfortably. In addition.
the Belgian government is construct
ing railroad which will run through
from Eukama Ia the west coast ~
Africa at Dakkar
"Thc steamboats, are about hfly
tons register and stop nj night he
cause the river is fun Of hiproS and
crocodlcs which make II unhealthy
for the natives to wade in the water
and load IN The wood for the stoke
hole In the dark The trains also
stop M night and travellers sleep ~
the native l,nts with their own bed
ding which they take along and also
their own serv1nt> and food. also
made trip of COO miles on the Kas-
sal river. which is one of the chief
tributaries of the Congo.
Heat Was Intense.
Although the heat was intense IN
The middle of the day suffered from
the cold at night right on the equator
In the midst of the Jungle OF Central
Africa. For land travelling through
the forests ! was carried in n teapoy
by forty negroes and had 100 natives
altogether In my train. from Bnk
a