Chapter 15 Chapter 15 advances another latitude

After the separation, the British astronomers continued their geodetic work, and their work would be more onerous, but the experiments themselves could not be harmed by this.They will apply the same accuracy and rigor to the measurement of the new longitude, and will do the checking work with the same meticulousness.It's just that the work is shared by three people, the speed of progress is slowed down, and people will be more tired, but they are not people who are afraid of hardship. What the Russians will do, they can also do on the new longitude. When necessary, National pride will support them in this long and arduous work.Three operators now need to take on the work of six people, and they must put all their thoughts on their work at every moment.William Amory must indulge less in his dreams, and Lord John should not study his weapons and the beasts of South Africa as he used to.

The three scientists quickly settled on a new plan in which each would share a portion of the work.His Excellency John and the Colonel were in charge of the zenith and geodetic observations, while Amory took over Barendre's calculations.The selection of observation points and the placement of benchmarks are jointly decided by everyone, and there is no longer any need to worry about differences of opinion among the three.Brave Morcombe, as before, was hunter and guide of the expedition, and the six English sailors, who had once formed half of the crew of the Queen and Tsar, now followed, of course, their English leader.Although steamboats were reserved for the Russians, rubber boats sufficient to cross small rivers belonged to their equipment.As for the carts, they are assigned according to the nature of the food they carry.Supplies and even living equipment were guaranteed for both expeditions.As for the native detachment led by the Bushmen, they were divided into two parts with equal numbers, and their attitude did not hide their dissatisfaction with the division. Perhaps they were right on the point of overall security.These Bushmen had to move away from their familiar territory, away from their accustomed pastures and rivers, and come to a northern region where they had the misfortune to be shuttled by wandering tribes hostile to southern Africans.It is not appropriate to spread their strength in this situation.In the end, with the help of Morcum and Forobel, they agreed to divide the expedition into two groups, but they had to work in the same area and in places closer to each other—this was the reason that touched the Bushmen the most.

On August 31, Colonel Everett's party left Coloban and headed for the dolmen that had been used as a post during the latest survey.They returned to the burned forest and reached the hill.Experiment restarted on September 2nd.A large triangle, the apex of which would be erected on pillars raised on a mound, would push observers 10-12 miles north immediately west of the old meridian. Six days later, on September 8, a series of auxiliary triangles were completed, and Colonel Everett, in agreement with his colleagues, checked the map and selected a line which they would measure to 20°S. outside the new longitude.This meridian lies 1° west of the old meridian, at 23° east.Thus the British work only 60 miles from the Russians, but that distance is long enough to prevent the two sets of triangles from intersecting.Under these conditions, it is impossible for the two groups to meet when triangulating, and therefore it is impossible for the choice of the pole to be the cause of a quarrel or perhaps a regrettable conflict.

The area that the British observers passed through in September was fertile, undulating, and sparsely populated, which was conducive to the progress of the expedition.The sky was cloudless, clear and fogless.Observations went well.It is rare to see large tracts of forest, only widely distributed undergrowth, large areas of grassland, and mounds rising everywhere are very suitable for setting benchmarks during the day or night, and are conducive to the normal use of instruments.At the same time, it is an area rich in natural products.Many wild flowers attract swarms of scarabs by their rich fragrance, and especially a species of bee which closely resembles the European honey bee, which produces white, thin, delicious honey in crevices of rocks or in cracks in tree trunks.Certain tall animals sometimes ventured around the camp at night, giraffes, various antelopes, a few beasts of prey, hyenas or rhinos, and elephants.But Lord John did not want to be distracted by them any longer, and his hands were tending to the telescope, not the shotgun.

In this case it was Morcombe and a few natives who were in charge of supplying the meat, but one can believe that the sound of their guns would have set the venerable Lord John's pulse sharply.Under the muzzle of Mocum, two or three tall grass buffaloes fell. These Poquerocro from Betjoana are 4 meters long from the tip of the mouth to the tail, 2 meters high from the feet to the shoulders, and black. His skin had a light blue glow.These formidable animals have short, powerful limbs, small heads, and wild eyes.Thick black horns atop a fierce forehead.This fresh game meat enriched the daily meals of the expedition team.

The aborigines processed these rhino meat into dried meat patties in the way that the northern Indians used to, so that they could be preserved for a long time.Europeans followed suit with interest, but at first they seemed reluctant.After the rhino meat was sliced ​​and dried in the sun, it was stuffed tightly inside tanned hides and flailed so hard that they were reduced to barely palpable pieces, pulverized flesh and blood, which were then Meat powder is packed in animal skin sacks, compacted, and moistened in boiling rhino fat.Admittedly, African cooks have added to this somewhat fatty fat the fine bone marrow and the berries of a few small bushes, whose sugar content seems incompatible with the nitrogen content of the animal meat.Finally, the oiled meat powder pockets are mixed together, beaten and ground, and when cooled, meat cakes that are as hard as stones will be made.

When it was done, Morcum asked the astronomers to taste his national delicacy, the dried meatloaf.The Europeans gave in to his entreaties, and the first few bites were uncomfortable, but they soon got used to the African sausage and seemed to love it.Indeed, it is a very nutritious food, very suitable for the needs of such an expedition that goes deep into strange lands and lacks fresh food.This highly nutritious substance is easy to carry, almost never spoils, and packs a lot of nutrients in an extremely small patty.With Morcombe's efforts, the storage of dried meatloaf reached several hundred pounds, ensuring future needs.

Time passed day by day, and sometimes night time was used for observation.William Amory was always thinking of his friend Michel Zorn, and lamented that sudden misfortune cut short their close friendship.Yes, he missed Zorn, and the nature of the great wilderness filled him with feelings, but he did not know whom to tell them to.He put his heart and soul into the calculation, hiding in the pile of numbers with the tenacity of a Barendre.It was like this for an hour, and an hour passed.Colonel Everett, he was the same man, the same cold man with a passion for triangulation.As for Lord John, he frankly lamented his half-free situation, but he did his best to keep himself from complaining.

But good fortune often compensated him.Even though he no longer had time to hunt in the coppice or nearby areas, on some occasions the animals "invited" him to come over, trying to interrupt his observations.In this case, the hunter and the scientist are no longer alone, and Lord John feels he is in self-defense.In this way, on September 12, he had a serious encounter with an old rhino nearby.It was a "high priced" encounter, as one will see. For some time, the animal had been stalking the fringes of the expedition with a malicious intent.The gigantic "Yuju," as the Bushmans gave the animal, was fourteen feet long and six feet high, and its black fur was less coarse than its Asian counterparts.Morcum had recognized it as a dangerous animal, for the black beasts were more agile and aggressive than their white counterparts, and would even attack men or other animals without provocation.

His Excellency John, accompanied by Morecombe, went that day to a high ground six miles from the observation point, on which Colonel Everett wanted to erect a post.On a certain hunch, His Excellency John carried a rifle with a conical cartridge, not an ordinary shotgun.Even though he hadn't noticed the old rhino for two days, Lord John didn't want to walk unarmed through unfamiliar terrain.Morcum and others had once hit the pachyderm, but they missed, and the giant still couldn't give up its attempt. Sir John does not regret his prudent actions.He and his companions reached the designated high place all the way without incident, and climbed up to the steepest apex. At this moment, in a clump of short and sparse thorns at the bottom of the hill, "Yujulao" suddenly appeared.His Excellency John had never seen it so close.It was indeed a formidable animal, with small sparkling eyes, and two straight horns, each about two feet in length, bent slightly back at the tip, firmly planted one behind the other on the top of a large bony snout. , forming a formidable weapon.

The Bushmans first noticed it hidden in a clump of cedarwood half a mile away. "Your Excellency John," he said at once, "you're in luck! 'Juju'!" "Rhino!" cried His Excellency John, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Yes, Sir John. As you can see, this is a beautiful animal, but it seems to be ready to cut off our retreat at any time. Why is this 'Yuju' so enthusiastically against us? I also Can't tell because he's just a herbivore. But it's down there anyway, and it should be removed!" "Can it go all the way up?" asked His Excellency John. "No, sir. Its stubby limbs cannot climb such a steep slope. So it waits!" "Okay, let it wait! When we're done checking out this observation point, we'll get rid of this annoying neighbor." The two resumed the work that had been interrupted just now. They carefully determined the highest position of the hill and selected the place to erect the direction marker.There are also some prominent highlands located in the northwest, which can provide the most favorable conditions for establishing a triangle. After the work was done, His Excellency John turned to the Bushmen: "When do you want to go?" "I listen to your Excellency." "The rhino has been waiting for us?" "Always." "Go down! No matter how strong the animal is, a single shot from my rifle will subdue it." "A bullet!" cried Morcombe. "Your Excellency don't know what a 'jugger' is, do you? These beasts are full of life, and I've never seen a rhino fall to a single bullet, regardless of the gun. How well aimed." "Hmm! Because no tapered bullets are used!" "Whether it's cone or round, your first few shots certainly won't bring down such an animal!" "Well, my brave Morcum." His lord John was preoccupied with his hunter's pride, "I will show you what our European weapons can do, since you have doubts." After finishing speaking, His Excellency John picked up his rifle, and as long as he felt that the distance was appropriate, he began to shoot. "One more word, Your Excellency." Mocum was a little sullen, and stopped his companion with his hand, "Will Your Excellency agree to make a bet with me?" "Why not? My venerable hunter." "I'm not rich, but I voluntarily bet £1 on your first shot." "It's settled!" said His Excellency John immediately, "if the rhino doesn't fall after my first shot, the pound is yours." "Keep your word?" "a man of his words." The two hunters made their way down the steep slope of the hill, and soon came to a distance of 500 feet from the Hugger, where the animal remained motionless.The situation is very favorable to Sir John, and he can aim at will.The respected British even felt that the situation was too favorable. When he was about to start the robbing, he thought that the Bushmans could be allowed to take back the gamble, and asked him: "Still want to gamble?" "More!" Morcum replied quietly. The rhino stood still like a target.Sir John can choose any suitable position to hit it, so that it can be killed immediately.He decided to shoot the rhino in the snout, overexcited by his hunter's pride, and he took aim with extreme care, aided by the accuracy of the weapon itself. The gun rang, but the bullet missed the rhino's flesh, but touched one of its horns, and the tip of the horn flew off in pieces.None of the rhinos seemed to feel the shock. "This shot does not count," said Morcum, "because your lordship did not touch its flesh." "What!" Your Excellency John was a little annoyed. "This shot counts. I lost 1 pound. I will bet with you for the last time. If you don't succeed, double the bet!" "As you please, sir, but you are doomed!" "Let's wait and see!" The bullet is reloaded.Lord John aimed a second shot at the rhino's waist.However, the bullet hit the layers of horn skin, and despite its strong penetrating power, it was bounced to the ground. "Two pounds!" said Morcum. "You want it?" John asked. "certainly." This time, His Excellency John's anger began to rush upwards.Gathering all his composure, he aimed at the rhino's forehead.The bullet hit the target, but it bounced up as if it hit a metal plate. "Four pounds!" said Morcum quietly. "Bet another £4!" His Excellency John was irritated. This time, the bullet passed through the rhino's waist, causing it to leap, but instead of falling dead, it burst out of the brambles in an unspeakable rage, trampling the vegetation. "I think it's still quivering, Lord John," said Morcum simply. His Excellency John could no longer control himself, and completely lost his composure.He bet the £8 he owed Morcombe on the fifth shot, and it missed, and he doubled and doubled again until the ninth shot, the thick skin so vital The heart of the animal was pierced by the bullet, and it fell to the ground and could not get up again. His lord cheered, his bets, his frustrations all forgotten, and only one thing remembered: he killed the rhino. But, as he later told his colleagues at the London Hunters Club: "It was an expensive beast!" Indeed, it cost him £36.The Bushman was paid handsomely for his customary calm.