Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The Desert

What now spreads under the travelers' feet is actually a desert. On December 25, after measuring another latitude longitude and completing the 48th triangle, Everett and others came to the northern edge of the Karoo. They could not find the slightest difference between the dry land and the land they had just passed. The animals used by the expedition suffered from the lack of pastures.Water was also lacking, and the ponds dried up to the last drop. The land was a mixture of earth and sand, which was very unfavorable to vegetation. Sandstone, a formation that cannot hold a single particle of liquid, disappears.

This was one of the dry regions which Dr. Livingstone traversed more than once in his expeditions.Not only the earth, but the air is so dry that iron objects exposed to the air will not rust.According to Dr. Scientist, the crumpled leaves were sluggish, and the mimosa leaves were tightly closed during the day as at night. The scarab lay on the ground and died after a few seconds.The bulb of the thermometer was inserted 3 inches into the ground, and at noon the column of mercury indicated 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Such were certain parts of southern Africa which appeared to the famous traveler, and such is the land between the edge of the Karoo and Lake Ngami now presented to the English astronomer.They are very tired and miserable, especially because of the lack of water.This difficult situation has an even more pronounced impact on livestock, which are barely fed on scarce, dry, dusty grass.This vast area is desert, not only because it is dry, but because few living things venture there.Birds have escaped the Zambezi River, looking for trees and flowers there, and beasts will not dare to enter this place that cannot provide any life resources.During the first fifteen days of January, the hunters of the expedition had barely caught a glimpse of two or three antelopes that could go without water for weeks on end, and among them was the Oryx who looked as strongly as it had upset Lord John. Lix, and especially the kamas, with their gentle eyes and gray, chrysanthemum-spotted dresses, are harmless creatures whose flesh is highly regarded, compared with Grasslands in fertile areas, they seem to prefer dry plains.

Yet walking under the fiery sun, through air devoid of a speck of water vapour, and carrying out geodetic surveys during days and nights without a breath of wind and high temperatures, astronomers were visibly fatigued.Their reserves of water, held in buckets heated by the heat, were dwindling, and they had already had to limit their use, a limitation that made them very uncomfortable.But they were full of enthusiasm and energy, overcame fatigue and difficulties, and did not let go of any detail in a large number of meticulous work. On January 25, the seventh part of the longitude, the length of another latitude was calculated with the help of 9 new triangles, and the total number of triangles reached 57 at this time.

The astronomers had only one stretch of desert left to cross, and according to the Bushmen's advice, they should reach the shores of Lake Ngami by the end of January.The Colonel and his colleagues were able to vouch for themselves and follow through. But the Bushmans on the expedition were not tempered by the heat, and as hired men their interests were not to be confused with the scientific interests of the expedition.These natives, who were reluctant to move on, could not stand the test of the road and were especially sensitive to the scarcity of water.The draft animals, almost enfeebled by hunger and thirst, had to be left behind, and it was feared that their numbers would grow day by day.Complaints, accusations and increased fatigue, Morcum's role was so difficult that his influence declined.

It was evident that the lack of water would soon become an insurmountable difficulty, and they would have to stop their northward advance and either turn back or go to the right of the meridian—thus possibly meeting a Russian expedition to reach such a journey as Livingstone As shown, small towns distributed in wetter areas. On 15 February the Bushmans reported mounting difficulties to Colonel Everett, and his efforts at this were in vain.The coachman had begun to disobey his orders, and every morning, when the tents were dismantled, most of the natives would join in the rebellion.It should be admitted that these unfortunate people, overwhelmed by the heat and consumed by thirst, were sympathetic.In addition, cattle and horses are not enough to eat on short hay, and they are unwilling to leave without drinking a drop of water.

Colonel Everett was fully aware of the situation, but as hard on himself as he was on others.He didn't want to interrupt the triangulation experiment for any reason, and declared that, even alone, he would keep going.His two colleagues agreed with him, and they were ready to follow the colonel as far as he pleased. The Bushmen made renewed efforts and recruited a few natives who were willing to go on with him for some distance.According to his estimates, the expedition is only 5-6 days away from Lake Ngami.There, cows and horses will find fresh pastures and shady woods again, and people will have a piece of fresh water to quench their thirst.Morcombe stressed these reasons to the principal Bushmen, and proved to them that the shortest way to get supplies was to go north.Indeed, to go west is to go blindly; to go back is to return to the desolate Karoo, where the river must have dried up.Finally, the aborigines gave in under so many reasons and requests, and the nearly exhausted expedition continued to Ngami Lake.

Very fortunately, in this vast plain, experiments with triangulation were carried out very well with the aid of poles or pillars.To save time, the astronomers worked day and night, and by the light of electric lamps they obtained very clear angles consistent with the strictest determinations. The work is coordinated and carried out in an orderly manner, and the triangle series is gradually increasing. On January 16, for a moment, the expedition could believe that the water they had saved so stingily could be repaid in large quantities. A large lake about two miles wide just appeared on the horizon.

One can see how welcome this news was.The whole expedition moved swiftly in the direction indicated, toward a vast expanse of water gleaming in the sun. They reached the lagoon around 5pm.A few of the horses broke free from the pull of the coachman and bounded toward the water they so longed for, sniffing it, breathing it, and in a few moments were in the water from the chest down. But the horses soon came ashore without quenching their thirst with the liquid, and when the Bushmen arrived they found themselves before a lake of water soaked with salt, which they could not use to quench their thirst in the heat.

The disappointment, one could say, was huge.Nothing is crueler than lost hopes!Morcombe thought it impossible to give up guiding the aborigines to the other side of the lagoon.Fortunately for the expedition's advance, they were already close to Lake Ngami and a tributary of the Zambezi River, and drinking water could be found everywhere in the area.Quenching the thirst of the whole depends on moving on.Provided there are no delays in the geodetic work, the expedition will reach the shores of Lake Ngami within four days. They were on their way again.Colonel Everett took advantage of the ground conditions and established some large triangles that did not require frequent posting.Because they mostly operate on clear nights, and the light signs are very clear, they can use theodolite or re-measurement theodolite to make extremely accurate measurements.This saves both time and fatigue, but it must be admitted that neither the intrepid scientists inspired by scientific zeal, nor the thirsty natives in a dire climate, nor the livestock used by the expedition , It should be time to reach Ngami Lake.No one was able to walk another 15 days under the same conditions.

On January 21, the flat ground began to change significantly and became uneven.Around 10:00 am a small mountain range 500-600 feet high appeared about 15 miles to the northwest.This is Mount Skolzew. The Bushmen carefully observed the situation here, and after observing for a long time, he stretched out his hand to the north: "Lake Ngami is there!" "Ngami! Ngami!" the natives yelled, accompanied by loud explanations. The Bushmen wanted to keep going and run the 15 miles before reaching the lake circle.But the hunter finally stopped them and reminded them not to break into chaos in this area infested by the Marco Rolo.

But Colonel Everett, wanting to speed up his approach to Lake Ngami, decided to connect the present observation point with the Skolzew Mountains by a triangle.The summit of the range is a pointed peak that can be precisely aligned for observation.There was therefore no need to wait for night, and no need to send a detachment of sailors and natives ahead of time to fix a lighted sign on the summit of the Skolzew Mountains. The instruments were set up, and the angles of the vertices of the last triangle, which had previously been determined in the south, were measured here again more accurately. Mokum was so eager to reach Lake Ngami that he had a makeshift camp built.He wished very much to reach the lake so desired before night, but not neglecting any of the customary defenses, he sent a few horsemen to prowl around.He lighted the lamp discreetly to illuminate the coppice to the left and right.However, since that trip to hunt Oryx, they have not seen any sign of Marco Roro, and the espionage targeting the expedition appears to have been abandoned.But the skeptical Bushmen still wanted to stand up, just in case. While Morcum stood guard, astronomers were busy building new triangles.According to Amory's determination, this triangle will reach about 20° south latitude, and the longitude line they measured in Africa will find its end at this latitude.With a few more experiments across Lake Ngami, they will likely complete the eighth part of the warp.Then, with the aid of a base-edge check calculation measured directly on the ground, the great work is accomplished.It can be seen with what enthusiasm these courageous men were about to complete the task. How was the work of the Russians going during this time?Six months after the separation of the members of the International Committee, Strux, Ballendre, Zorn, where are they now?Did they suffer the same severe toil as their British colleagues?Did they also suffer from lack of water and the unbearable heat of this climate?Aren't those areas pretty dry on their itinerary, apparently close to David Livingstone's travel itinerary?Perhaps, because from Koloban there were other villages and small towns, such as Skokwane, Skosgon, and others not far to the right of the meridian, where the Russian expedition could go for supplies.But didn't they worry that Strux's little band was a little too exposed in such a relatively fertile area, and therefore constantly subject to raids by marauders?From the fact that the Makroro seem to have abandoned the pursuit of the British expedition, should it be inferred that they turned to the Russian explorers? Colonel Everett was always so absorbed in his work that he didn't think or want to think about these things.But Lord John and Amory would often speak of the fate of their old colleague.Can fate bring them together again?Will the Russians succeed in their careers?At the same time in this area of ​​Africa, they respectively set up triangle series for observation, will the two results obtained be consistent?Amory thought also of his friend, whose absence he had so regretted, and which he knew Zon would never forget. At this point, the measurement of the angular distance has already started.In order to get the angle towards the observation point, two benchmarks need to be established, one of which is the summit of Skorzev's cone. For another post to the left of the meridian, they chose a pointy hill four miles away, the direction of which was given by the mirrors of a repeating theodolite. Having said that, the Skolzew Mountains are still relatively far ahead, but astronomers have no other choice, this butte is the only highest point in this area.There are no other hills to be found either in the north, in the west, or on the other side of Lake Ngami, which cannot be seen.But this great distance would force the observers to travel considerably farther to the right of the meridian, which, after much deliberation, they thought could be done otherwise.They carefully aimed at the solitary peak by means of the second mirror of the re-measurement theodolite, the distance between the two mirrors giving the angular distance of the Skolzew mountains and the hills, and thus the number of angles formed by the observation points.In order to get a more accurate approximation, Colonel Everett constantly changed the position of the lens on the dial, and repeated it 20 times, so that he divided the possible reading error into 20 parts to obtain an absolutely strict angular distance . However impatient the natives were, the unmoved Colonel made his observations with the meticulousness he had brought from the Cambridge Observatory. In this way the whole day of January 21 passed, and it was not until after dark at about five o'clock that reading of the dials became difficult that the colonel ceased his observations. "Order, Morcum," he said to the Bushmen. "It's getting late, Colonel," replied Morcombe. "I'm sorry you didn't get your work done before nightfall. We were going to haul the camp down to the lake!" "But who stops us from starting? The 15-mile road will not stop us even in the dark. The road is straight and plain, so we don't have to worry about getting lost." "Yes . . . indeed . . . " replied the Bushman, as if thinking, "maybe we can take the risk, though I prefer to walk the area near Lake Ngami in daylight. We are alone Go ahead and reach the lagoon. Let's go right away, Colonel." "As long as you like, Morcum!" replied the Colonel. When the decision was unanimous, the oxen were harnessed to the carts, the riders mounted, and the instruments were loaded back into the carts.At seven o'clock in the evening, the Bushmen gave the order to set off, and the expedition, spurred by thirst, walked straight to Ngami Lake. In the nature of his scouts, the Bushman asked all three Europeans to be armed and ammunition, while he himself took the rifle that His Excellency John had given him, and his ammo-box was full. They set off, and the night was dark, with thick clouds covering the stars and fog rising from the atmosphere near the ground.Morcum was born with great eyesight, constantly watching the sides and front of the procession.A few words that the Bushmen had with His Excellency John confirmed that he himself was not very sure of the area, and that His Excellency was therefore ready to meet any eventuality. The expedition team marched northward for 3 hours, but they felt exhausted, walked slowly, and often stopped to wait for those who fell behind.They could only travel about 3 miles per hour and were still 6 miles from Lake Ngami at just before 10pm.The animals stopped for a while, barely breathing in the suffocating night, and in this dry air there was not even a trace of dampness to be found under the most obvious atmospheric humidity. Soon, no matter how clearly the Bushmans suggested, the team was no longer a tight core, and people and animals were pulled into a long line.A few cows that were nearly weak fell on the road, and a few fell from their horses and could barely drag forward. They would be easily captured by a very small number of natives.The worried Morcum worked tirelessly, yelling and dragging, from one person to another, trying hard to reorganize the team, but failed. When he was not paying attention, he had already lost several subordinates . At 11:00 p.m., the four-wheeler in front was only three miles from the Skolzew Mountains.Although the night is dark, this lonely peak can still be clearly identified. It stands like a huge pyramid in the darkness. The night makes its real size bigger and its altitude higher. If Mokum is not mistaken, Ngami Lake lies behind the Skolzew Mountains, so it is necessary to bypass the mountains and take the shortest route to reach the vast freshwater lake. The Bushmen, who were leading the way, accompanied the three Europeans, were about to turn to the left when a clear and distant shot stopped him. The three Englishmen clung to their mounts and listened anxiously.In a country where the natives used only spears and bows, such guns should have aroused their astonishment mingled with anxiety. "What's the matter?" asked the Colonel. "Gunshots!" replied His Excellency John. "Shots!" cried the colonel. "In what direction?" The question was addressed to Morcum, and he replied: "These shots are fired from the summit of Skolzew, and you see, the darkness above is illuminated! There is a fight! It is Marcoro Romanians, maybe attacking some Europeans." "Europeans!" said Amory. "Yes, Mr. William," replied Morcombe. "These random gunshots can only be produced by European weapons, and I may add that they are very accurate weapons." "Then who are these Europeans? . . . " But Colonel Everett interrupted him, shouting: "Whoever these Europeans are, help them!" "Yes, yes, go!" repeated Amory, with painful constriction. Before starting their march toward the mountains, the Bushmen tried one last time to regroup the ranks that might be accidentally surrounded by bandits.However, when he turned to the rear, he found that the team had dispersed, the horses had stopped, the four-wheeled cart had been left aside, and several dark figures were wandering on the plain, already heading south. "Cowards!" cried Morcum. "Those overwhelmed with thirst and fatigue will do nothing to escape!" Then, turning to the British and their brave sailors, "We go on!" The Europeans and hunters pulled the horses that could still run quickly, and immediately galloped north. After 20 minutes, they could already clearly hear the cries of the Makorolo, and their number could not be estimated yet.These aboriginal robbers had obviously captured the Skorzev peak. There was a fire on the top of the mountain, and groups of people could be vaguely seen standing on both sides of the mountain. Colonel Everett and others quickly reached the rear of the besieging team. They threw away their exhausted mounts and let out a roar that the besieged must have heard.They fired the first shots into the native crowd, and the Makororo heard the sound of these rapid-fire weapons and thought they were surrounded by a large army.The attack caught them off guard, and they fell back before they had time to use their bows and spears. Colonel Everett, His Excellency John, William Amory, the Bushmen, and the sailors continued to load and shoot, and charged into the band of robbers.About 15 bodies were already lying on the ground. The Makororo dispersed, and the Europeans rushed through the gap, overthrowing the natives who were near them, who got up again and retreated towards the hillside. Within 10 minutes they had reached the summit in the darkness, and the besieged had stopped firing for fear of injuring the sudden rescuers. These besieged are Russians!Strux, Barlander, Zorn, and their 5 sailors, but only the loyal Forobel remained among the indigenous people in the expedition.These disgraceful Bushmen also abandoned them in times of danger. Strux rushes down a small wall on the summit of Skolzew at the same time as Colonel Everett appears: "You, English gentlemen!" cried the astronomer from Blokova. "It's us, Russian gentlemen," said the colonel in a serious tone, "but now there are neither Russians nor British, only Europeans united in self-defense!"