TRAVELLING UNDER DIFFICULTIES 



The conditio sine qua non of travelling is a suffi- 

 cient supply of water in the countries in which one 

 travels. In a pre\'ious work I have tried to depict the 

 torments caused by thirst. In the tropics water is more 

 precious than gold; lack of water for more than two 



BURDEN-BEARER SINKING IN THE SWAMP 



or three days means death. It is impossible to travel 

 in the heart of the "Dark Continent" without native 

 guides, who alone know the whereabouts of drinking- 

 places, unless one follows the streams, rivers, and 

 brooks. It is impossible to penetrate into the more 

 or less known wilds of Africa by simply consult- 



381 



