Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Handling

The introduction is over.William Amory got busy.In his position as an ordinary astronomer at the Cape Town Observatory, he considers himself hierarchically subordinate to Colonel Everett, since the latter is the representative of the British government and co-leads this project with Mathieu Strux scientific committee.In addition, he knew Everett as a distinguished scientist; he had become famous for reductive sexts and calculated occultations.The forty-year-old astronomer was a calm, methodical man who lived his life with hour-to-hour precision.Nothing is unexpected for him.He is as accurate in all things as the passage of the heavenly bodies along the lines of longitude.It can be said that every act of his life is as accurate as a chronometer.Knowing this of him, William Amory never doubted that the Scientific Committee would arrive as scheduled.

But the young astronomer expected the Colonel to explain what he was going to do in South Africa, but Colonel Everett said nothing, and William Amory felt it inappropriate to ask.Perhaps the hour to talk about it had not yet struck in the Colonel's mind. William Amory also knew that the Lord John Murray, a wealthy scholar and rival to James Ross and Lord Elkin, though not yet an official title, had brought glory to England by his prolific achievements.Science owed him a great debt, and he had spent £20,000 building a gigantic reflector to rival the Parsons Telescope, with which data on some double stars had just been established.He was a man of forty at the most, with an aristocratic air, but his expression gave nothing away from his character.

For the three Russians, Strux, Barlander, and Monsieur Zorn, their names were familiar to William Amory, but personally unknown to the young astronomer.Both Nicolas Ballendre and Michel Zorn showed a certain respect for Mathieu Strux, a respect guaranteed by his leadership position because of his mediocre achievements. The only thing William Amory noticed was that the scientists of both countries were equal in number, three Englishmen and three Russians.Even the crew of the steamship "Queen and Tsar" totaled ten people, five of whom were from England and five from Russia. "Mr. Amory," said Colonel Everett, "once we got to know each other, we now know each other as if we had floated together on the journey from London to Wolpass Point. Besides, to you , I have a special respect not only for your achievements at such a young age, but also for your reputation for integrity. At my request, the British Government has appointed you to participate in the experiments we will conduct in southern Africa."

William Amory bowed in gratitude, thinking he was going to tell himself what his motives were for bringing this scientific committee all the way to the southern hemisphere.Yet Colonel Everett made no explanation on this point. "Mr. Amory," continued the colonel, "I should like to know whether the preparations are in place." "Everything is in order, Colonel. Following the advice given to me in my letter by the esteemed Mr. Alley, I left Cape Town a month ago for the La Taku Observatory. There I gathered all the necessary materials for my explorations in the interior of Africa. Food and carriages, horses and Bushmen. A guard of a hundred hard-working men awaits you at La Taku, led by a well-known and capable hunter--permit me to introduce you Morcum the Bushman."

"Morcombe, the Bushman!" cried Colonel Everett, confirmed by his icy tone. "Morcombe, the Bushman! His name is too familiar to me." "It is the name of a swift and tenacious African," interjected John Murray, turning to the hunter.The broad airs of these Europeans did not embarrass the hunter in the slightest. "Hunter Morcum." William Amory introduced his companion to them. "Bushman, your name is well known in the United Kingdom," said Colonel Everett, "you were a friend of Anderson's, and guide to David Livingstone—a friendship with whom I am very pleased." It is an honor. The English thank you through my mouth and I congratulate Mr. Amory on choosing you as the leader of the expedition. A hunter like you should love weapons and we have a good stock of weapons of all kinds, I beg you Choose the favorite among them, we know that a good gun should be held in the hands of a good shooter."

A satisfied smile appeared on the corner of Bushman's mouth.It may have touched him that his work was valued by the British, but no evidence of such value was better than Colonel Everett himself.He then thanked him very politely, and remained alone on the other side while William Amory's conversation with the Europeans continued. The young astronomer once again fully explained the details of the expedition organized by himself. Colonel Everett seemed very happy, so he decided to go to Lataku City as soon as possible, because the expedition team must catch up after the rainy season, that is, Depart in the first few days of March.

"Colonel, how would you like to get to that city?" William Amory asked. "By the Orange, for its tributary, the Julyman, flows through La Taku." "It is true," replied the astronomer, "but no matter how advanced and fast your steamboat is, it cannot pass the Molkata Falls." "We'll go around the falls, Mr. Amory," retorted the colonel. "We'll carry the boat around the falls and upriver and retake the channel. If I'm not mistaken, the stretch from here to La Taku The waterway is passable for steamboats of very shallow draft."

"Perhaps, Colonel," said the astronomer, "but this steamer is so heavy..." "Mr. Amory," said the colonel, "this ship is a masterpiece of Liverpool Leird's, capable of being disassembled piece by piece, and easily reassembled, a rudder pin and a few screws. You took a carriage to the waterfall?" "Yes, Colonel," replied William Amory, "our camp is less than a mile from here." "Good. I'll ask the Bushmans to drive the wagon to the mooring, and they'll dismantle the ship's parts, along with the steam engine, and put them on board, and then we'll go straight to where the upper Orange River can be navigated again. "

The men split up to carry out Colonel Everett's orders.The Bushmen disappeared into the jungle after returning before one o'clock as promised.The steamboat was quickly taken apart.The cargo on board was not much, but a few boxes of physical instruments, a large number of guns manufactured by Paddymore and Edinburgh, a few barrels of brandy, a few barrels of dried meat, a few boxes of ammunition, a few pieces of luggage that could not be less, and some tent cloth. And as paraphernalia as it came out of a tourist shop, a carefully folded marley dinghy took up only the space of a drape, some everyday stuff, etc., etc., and finally the sector machine gun, It is a very imperfect missile, but it is enough to make the enemy dare to approach the steamer.

All these items were placed on the shore.Powered by eight horses, the steam engine was divided into three parts: the boiler, the boiler, and the propeller, and the boiler could be removed from the boiler with just a wrench.These parts are taken away one after another, and the interior of the steamer becomes empty. Apart from the space occupied by the steam engine and fuel, the rest of the ship was divided into two parts: the forward room used by the crew and the aft room used by Captain Everett and his companions.In an instant, bulkheads were removed, boxes and bunks removed, and the ship reduced to a simple empty shell.

This hull, thirty-five feet long, consisted of three parts, like that of the steamer Mar-Robert, which Dr. Livingstone used on his first expedition to the Zambezi.The hull is made of galvanized steel, which is both light and strong.Some screws assemble the planks of the ship to the ribs of the same material, and also ensure the tightness between them and the airtightness of the ship. William Amory was amazed at the ease and speed with which the work was done.Less than an hour after the arrival of the wagon, driven by the hunter and his two Bushmen, the loading of the disassembled steamboat could begin. This wagon was a primitive form of transport, framed on four large, heavy wheels, forming two separate sections at intervals of twenty feet.In length, this is a true American "sedan".The two axles looked harsh, and the axle shoulders extended a full foot beyond the wheels.The cart was drawn by six tame buffaloes, harnessed to each other, sensitive to the goads in the driver's hands.Only this type of ruminant can pull a four-wheeler when it is fully loaded.No matter how dexterous the driver is, there is a chance that the cart will get stuck in the mud more than once. The crew of the "Queen and Tsar" was responsible for loading the vehicle to ensure that all parts of the body were kept in balance, because the flexibility of sailors is well known, and loading was just a game for these brave people. The large parts of the steamer were placed directly The strongest part of a quadricycle above the axle.Cases, barrels, and packages that are light or fragile find a place to rest between the larger components.For these true travelers, a four-mile walk is no more than a walk. At three o'clock in the afternoon, when everything was loaded, Colonel Everett signaled to set off.William Amory led the way, with the colonel and his companions in front, and the Bushmen, crew and coachman walking more slowly and far behind. It's an easy walk.The slope leading up the Orange River made the trip easier and even extended it a lot.It's a good thing for a heavy-duty four-wheeler, as you'll have more time to reach your destination. As for the members of the scientific committee.They climbed briskly up the backside of the hill.Words grew between them, but no one spoke of the purpose of the expedition.These Europeans were so appreciative of the splendor of nature before them, the wild beauty of nature which fascinated them as it had once fascinated the young astronomer, that they were not averse to the journey because of its natural beauty.Their appreciation is restrained, like the Englishman's aversion to everything that is "inappropriate".Molkata Falls got their appreciative applause, maybe just fingertip applause, but it was also meaningful.Disregard isn't exactly their motto. And, William Amory thought it appropriate to pay homage to southern Africa to his guests.He was at home, and, like all overenthusiastic bourgeois, he presented his guests with every plant and tree of his African park. About half-past four they rounded the Molcutta Falls and walked up a plateau where the upper reaches of the Orange River lay before them as far as the eye could see.They were by the river, waiting for the carriage to arrive. The four-wheeler reached the top of the mountain around five o'clock, and its journey was finally over.Colonel Everett immediately ordered the unloading to begin, and at the same time announced that they were on the road again at dawn the next day. All night was used for various tasks.The hull was adjusted in less than an hour, the propellers were reinstalled in their original positions, metal partitions were erected between the fore and aft chambers, the fuel tanks were reinstalled, the various luggage were moved on board in order, everything All quickly took their positions, which once again proved the competence of the crew of the "Queen and Tsar".The English and Russians were handpicked, disciplined, able, and trustworthy men. The next day, February 1, the steamer was waiting for the passengers to board early in the morning.Black smoke was already swirling from the chimneys, mingled with puffs of white steam from the locomotive as the mechanic started the boat.The pressure of the steam engine is very high, there is no condenser, and every time the piston is moved, steam will be ejected.The boiler is equipped with an ingeniously installed boiler with a large heating area, which can meet the required steam within half an hour.They stocked a large quantity of ebony and guaiac wood, which were rich in the local area, and used these precious woods to burn vigorously. At six o'clock Colonel Everett gave the order to depart, and the passengers and crew boarded the Queen and Tsar.The Bushmen, who were well versed in the river course, boarded the boat together and asked the two Bushmen to bring the carriage to La Taku. The moment the steamer let go of its cables, Colonel Everett asked the astronomer, "By the way, Mr. Amory, do you know the purpose of our visit?" "I know nothing, Colonel." "Quite simply, Mr. Amory, we have come to South Africa to measure the length of the meridian."