Vol. XLII, No. 4 



WASHINGTON 



October, 1922 



THE 



NATIONAL 

 ro APllC 



COPYRIGHT. I 922. BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. WASHINGTON. D. C. 



TRANSPORTING A NAVY THROUGH THE 

 JUNGLES OF AFRICA IN WAR TIME 



By Frank J. Magee, R. N. V. R. 



With Illustrations from Photographs by the Author 



No single achievement during the World War was distinguished by more 

 bizarre features than the successfully executed undertaking of 28 daring men who 

 transported a "ready-made" navy overland through the wilds of Africa to destroy 

 an enemy flotilla in control of Lake Tanganyika. With the conflict in Europe as 

 the motive background, one of the participants and directors in this amazing 

 adventure recites in his own way here the incidents of a jungle journey which has 

 no counterpart in the history of African exploration. — The: Editor. 



EARLY in the summer of 191 5 

 J. R. Lee arrived in England from 

 Africa and laid a plan before the 

 authorities that were in session at the 

 British Admiralty. 



He proposed that the government send, 

 by an overland route across Africa, two 

 small boats to the assistance of the Bel- 

 gian forces on Lake Tanganyika. Lee, 

 having lived in Africa for some years 

 and possessing an intimate knowledge of 

 its geography, offered to act as guide. 



At first the authorities were inclined to 

 pass over the proposal, so highly impos- 

 sible did it appear ; but a special confer- 

 ence was called at the Admiralty, and 

 after the project had been weighed it was 

 decided that a small expedition should be 

 sent. A forlorn hope, surely. But what 

 were the lives of a handful of men thrown 

 in the balance against what might be 

 achieved ? 



The task of organizing the Naval Africa 

 Expedition, as it was called, was en- 

 trusted to Commander Spicer Simson, 

 R. N., who was given a free hand in the 

 selection of officers and men, 28 all told. 

 He was allowed to choose his crew from 



any branch of the service. J. R. Lee was 

 given the rank of lieutenant, and other 

 officers with a knowledge of bush life 

 and transport were chosen. A doctor 

 specially skilled in the treatment of trop- 

 ical diseases, and navy gunners with ex- 

 ceptional gunnery records, were also 

 selected. 



THE SMALLEST EXPEDITION AGAINST THE 

 ENEMY DURING THE WAR 



This expedition was the smallest sent 

 against the enemy during the war, and, 

 with the exception of the commander, all 

 its members were volunteers. We car- 

 ried no passengers, all officers and men 

 being specialists in their particular lines. 



It was important that no news of the 

 departure or object of the expedition 

 should leak out and get to the enemy. 

 Consequently, officers and men were put 

 on their honor not to divulge, even to 

 their nearest and dearest, where they were 

 bound nor what was their mission. 



Two boats were selected, tried, and 

 found suitable. They were 40-foot mo- 

 tor-boats, with 8- foot beams, capable of 

 doing 18 knots. 



