New Britain herald., 1927-02-03
ROTARIANS TRAVEL
 AFRICAN JUNGLES
Dark Continent Explored and
 Civilized in 30 Minutes

Members Of the New Britain Rotary club today turned back their calendars to a point 42 years ago. before some of them were born, and shipped on a steamer bound for Africa, where they spent half hour with the Rev. William Ross, ex- ploring the jungles of The Dark Continent"
 With the minister, in his capacity as Baptist medical-missionary and a representative of the Royal Geo. graphical Society of London. they stopped at the famous Gold Coast, engaged black boys as burden and gun bearers and started trail blazing through the hitherto almost unex- plored jungles.
 They stood on top of some of Africa's highest peaks and gazed far beyond the horizon to the point where David Livingstone disappear ed they talked with Henry M. Stan- ley, who, travelling for New York newspaper. found Livingstone but failed to persuade him to return to London.
 They held powwows with savage medicine men and tribal chiefs, dis tributed tiny brass bells to children, small mirrors, buttons, brass and copper wire to the natives and slowly but surely won their way up the val ley of the famous Congo river.
 They carried bolts of cloth and many stores, but suhsisted In many cases on food brought down by their rifles. You cant miss them, no matter how you were taught to shoot" said Rev. Mir. Ross, and Ro- tarians in their imagination brought down whole herds of elephants and hung their ivory tuslls about the pillars of the Burritt hotel dining room.
 The dining tables with their linen clothes faded out Of sight and Rotarians with their guide sat Oil the ground and ate dried buffalo meat. Their comfortable homes In New Britain forgotten, they slept in grass matched cottages, while native witch doctors danced and howled outside.
 They met few white men, but the minister having studied medi- cine prior to the trip in 1883, they administered treatment to sick na- tives, including reigning monarchs and had three white men die on their hands from jungle fever.
 They met few renegade white men, who ruthlessly murdered na- tives so as to keep the others cowed. They took the first steann- boat which ever sailed the Congo river, which was built in London and shipped in sections to Africa. and piloted it up the river for thousands of miles. They unloaded at many rapids and by means Of chains and other aids pulled the steamer through the rushing Wa ters. They actually took the boat apart and carried it through the forest to pass q waterfall.
 They found to their astonish- ment, that. savage as he was. the African native was not dangerous by nature. T would rather leave my children in the forests of Africa than among some of the whites in this country" said the minister, pointing out that when entrusted with something the African native is honorable.
 They completed their Journey and returned to New Britain. On their way back they saw time change. The year of the original journey. 1883, passed away and 1927 arrived. Steamers ply back and forth on the Congo. carrying on a regular trade. The old steam CT they helped carry up the river, the first time the stream was navi- gated, has been dissembled and pieces are distributed all over the world, one of them being in the pastors study In this city.
 Alongside the river banks. rail- roads run where formerly were im- penetrable thickets. Missionaries and traders find no difficulties, towns have grown up and white set dement's are numerous. Africa has become civilized but the Rotary club members voted that minutes was entirely too short to complete the job. MT. Ross may be invited to take them on another journey. but to spend moro time there, in the future when he can tell them about the monkeys and girafres, and the in the river. the customs of the different tribes and the life of an explorer in general.
 Among the visitors were Adon H. Brownell, president of the Rotary club of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Will liam Peary of Hartford.
 Past President Frank H. Shield was presented with a white button for two years perfect attendance.
 It was reported that William c. Muller fell and fractured wrist.
 In a Rotary education contest conducted the proceeding Thursday Police Commissioner Orville F. Parker got 9S per cent and Leon A. Sprague. first president of the New Britain club, a5 per cent.
 Miss Dorothy Hotchkiss of the !