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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



HOISTING THE NAVAL AFRICA EXPEDITION S UNION JACK IN THE FIRST CAMP AT 



FUNGURUME 



Fungurume, ioo miles beyond EHzabethville, was the railhead in Cecil Rhodes' "Cape-to- 

 Cairo" project in 19 15. Here the expedition detrained the boats and started its grueling 

 journey through the heart of the Dark Continent. During the last seven years the line has 

 been extended to Sankisia (see K-u, Map of Africa Supplement) 



While preparations were being pushed 

 in England, Lieutenant Lee and I left for 

 Africa on May 22, 191 5, going ahead of 

 the main body to select a route across the 

 African bush from the point where the 

 boats would be taken off the train. 



It was important that a route as free as 

 possible from hills, gorges, etc., yet close 

 to water, should be chosen, as our boats 

 were to be taken over this trail intact, 

 each drawn by a traction engine. 



Great difficulty was experienced in find- 

 ing a suitable route over which to make 

 our road, owing to the hilly nature of the 

 country, as well as to the long stretches 

 of marshland, the breeding ground of 

 malaria-carrying mosquitoes. But at last 

 a route was selected and thousands of 

 natives were recruited from the adjacent 

 villages and set to work under white 

 supervision literally to carve a passage 

 through the bush. 



Where slopes were too steep they were 

 leveled down. Bridges, constructed from 



timber growing on the spot, were thrown 

 across river beds. Giant trees, when 

 blocking our path, were uprooted with 

 dynamite. Rocks and boulders were 

 treated in a similar manner. 



CARVING A I46-MILE ROAD THROUGH 

 AFRICAN BUSH 



Our biggest problem was a dried-up 

 gorge, 40 yards wide and about 20 yards 

 deep. This we filled up completely with 

 tree trunks. 



Thousands of trees were cleared out of 

 the way. The enormity of this task may 

 be appreciated better by the reader when 

 he learns that so dense was the growth of 

 the bush in some sections of the route 

 that it was possible to travel for several 

 days at a time and get only an occasional 

 glimpse of the sky through the tangled 

 foliage overhead. So the 146-mile road- 

 way was pushed ahead, making, as it pro- 

 gressed, an unavoidable climb over a 

 plateau 6,000 feet above sea-level. 



But to return to our main party and the 



