viii PEEFACB 



human nature, white and black, that under such conditions 

 we were bound to have come across ; and of the effect upon 

 the imagination of nature in regions never before visited : 

 if only all these things could be faithfully depicted they 

 would be instructive, and, therefore, of scientific value. 



I saw his point, and that must be my excase for this book. 

 But not my only excuse, for at the same time I believed 

 that, if only I could succeed, I should be placing a monu- 

 ment in their country to two brave men, who lie in the earth 

 too far away for many to read the records over their 

 graves. 



But had it not been for the help of my brother, Herbert, 

 I fear I should have found it impossible to present in other 

 than quite inadequate literary shape the rough material with 

 which I returned. 



I am anxious to acknowledge the kindness of Mrs. Gosling 

 in placing at my disposal her son's diary and photographs 

 which have been of very great help to me ; and I could only 

 wish for the sake of my book that I had been able to use the 

 diary still more, for there are many interesting notes to which 

 I have not the key, as we were often separated for weeks 

 ,at a time, working at great distances from one another. 



My thanks are also due to Mr. Talbot for the account of 

 the Survey Expedition which he made with my brother, and 

 for a number of the photographs which illustrate this book. 



I have endeavoured as far as possible to convey the 

 impression of a continuous forward movement, as being one 

 less tiring for my readers to follow. But this was most diffi- 

 cult to do with that part of the story told iii the, first volume 

 which sometimes has to deal with three cojunms working in 



