My personal experiences in equatorial Africa : as medical officer of the Emin Pasha relief expedition / by Thomas Heazle Parke.

  • Parke, Thomas Heazle, 1857-1893.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: My personal experiences in equatorial Africa : as medical officer of the Emin Pasha relief expedition / by Thomas Heazle Parke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    we reach it. The boat had now been in the water for the past ninety-two days. The road which I had prepared yesterday was utilised for the march out of camp; and the mingled picture—of scenic loveliness and ghastly human bereavement—which lay around us as we prepared to move, could hardly be overdrawn in the wildest flights of imagination. The continuous melancholy moan of the cataract close by, made the picture more impres- sive ; it was altogether the most heartrending good-bye I have ever experienced or witnessed. I cannot fancy a more trying- position than that of abandoning, in this wilderness of hunger and desolation, our white companion and so many faithful men; every one of whom has risked his life dozens of times for the relief of our hypothetical friend, Emin Pasha. And so we turned our backs on our poor helpless comrade, and the fifty-two morbid specimens of humanity which were strewn around him, on the lone sandy terrace formed by the southern bank of the Ituri. The surrounding prospect was limited to the river and the junction of its two formative tributaries, shut in by steep and woody hills, rising from the water’s edge to a height of about 600 feet. And the only sound was the monotonous roar and splash of the cataracts and rapids, which might have been enjoyable enough in another place, and under more favourable circumstances. [This is “ Starvation Camp ” No. I.] Oct. 7.—Mr. Stanley went in advance to-day ; Stairs, Jepli- son, and myself formed the rear guard of the column. The numbers were now so reduced, that we three were the only men available for the rear guard, and it was a continuous scene of pushing the men along, and lifting boxes on their heads. We did not reach camp for the night. The boat was always behind; being caught every few yards in the vines and bush, as the pioneers had cut but an imperfect path for us. I had a severe feverish attack to-day, so I did little except look out for a stray shot, which, however, I did not succeed in obtaining. Mr. Stanley hit an elephant, which escaped to an island. We are now living on our only all, viz., two tea- spoonfuls of arrowroot twice a day, supplemented by fungoids and amoma, fruit, etc. We marched about eleven miles to-day. Oct. 8—We started at day-break. Jephson and Stairs