FROM CAPE TO CAIRO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 842, 14 June 1910, Page 6

FROM CAPE TO CAIRO.

MISS MART HALL'S LECTURE. Long before S o'clock last night tho Concert Hall was packed with people to hear Miss Mary Hall's lecture on her trip from the Cape to Cairo, and a thousand people arriving cheerfully, and as they thought in goad time, found the doors closed against them. A rumour was spread-that Miss Hall would lecture in tho large hall instawl,. and in the darkness tho outsiders hopefully filed into ■the gallery and body of the liall. But when tho lights were turned up, it was only to illumine the speaker who came to tell them that it would not be possible to tauisicr Miss ILiU's lantern and paraphernalia in tune for a lecture that evening. Then tho light went, out, and so did tho hopeless majority. Those who wero ablo to got into the Concert Hall were very hot and stifled, but equally fortunate, for the lecture was very interesting, and the pictutes shown were magnificent. Mr. Wilford presided, and at the conclusion of the lecture moved a vote of thanks.

Jfiss Holl has a very pleasant manner, a pretty sense .of humour, and a. voice that carries well, and she told her story with a simplicity and directness, and a want c-f sensationalism that was very effective. Her • journey occupied nine mouths, and naturally only a sketchy description of it could be given in alecture of less than an houi and a half, especially when that lecture was illustrated with many pictures, .but., by ignoring everything tnat was no', essential, and ohoosing her incidents ck'orly. Miss Hall gave a very suggestive O~scription, and left her nudioncß wishing she could fill in the gaps. The most thrilling part of her journey camo on tho march from take Tanganyika to Lake Victoria Nyanza., through a country that had been recently disturbed, and where it was very questionable whether it was safo to travel. Thirty men, who were not anxious to form 'her escort, but might be ovcrpersuaded to do so, were beaten up s\t Ujiji, out they looked such a band of cutthroats that Miss Hall decided not to apply the persuasion necessary, and waited till she reached tho northern end of the lake before she provided herself, by the. aid of the German officials, aid native soldiery with a company of spearmen who were willing to escort her through tho more dangerous territory. Eight through Miss Hall showed that European missionaries or officials had directed tho erection of very fiue buildings that gave an air of great solidity to their settlements. Very line, too, were tho pictures of the steamers that ply on the rivers. One of those on Lake Tanganyika had been brought through the country in sections in no less than 3500 packages, and an idea of the difficulty of the task was given by the statement that over the worst part of the journey 450 natives had devoted their entiro attention to tho transport of the boiler alone. And not less impressive, in its way, was the picture of a missionary and her little daughter, the child's vivid face peering out of a roughly-constructed palanquin, 'pioneers on , their way to make their home in the centre of the dark Continent. On the journey from Tanganyika to Victoria Nyanza 'where native tracks servcjl for the only roads, and native guides had to bo persuaded and' commandeered, Miss Hall once found herself in a sufficiently alarming position. The population of a village had lied at their approach, leaving only one man behind whom her oscort took with them as guide as on they went. Later the village brandishing their spears toro after in pursuit and demanded the return of the man and certain stolen spears. Miss Hall had a little interview "sitting on' a case of tinned fruit, and wondering whether I should livedo eat it," and the matter was arranged courteously on both sides, to the satisfaction of each party, .but it must, have been with a feeling of great relief that tho solitary Englishwoman resumed her journey. The most part terminated at, Lake Victoria. Nyanza, and it was there; that Miss Hall, really finished her lecture, pausing only to show two or three pictures of Khartum. :