EXPLORATION FILM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 January 1925, Page 6

EXPLORATION FILM.

WITH LIV INCHTUNE J-N .CENTRAL. avr ivlc-A.

The expedition which at the m- . none vinos, Ltu-j ILIL stance ot October lui make a E !‘ S l !t the tin lui oi Livingstone b, nlm ot the iui. “ d t 0 Conand two winte i Bci° the ' expedition throughout a n-e it portion of their journey loliougteat p , i. .. i.y invmgstone to ed. the routel who back v> - it h S a" of Inures I viimstone, it will be recalled, set /: n tB6B to discover the somces o 1 Vile For about three years no fmm.oi-atio,! ,va s f «ivecl Com ta«, t hp fact that he was still ait.t and well was only established in NovZtl 1871. when Stanley dgwW missionary exoloici at U 3131, Lake Tanganyika. Livingstone, clechunc to return with Stanley, to civihsaSon resumed his explorations ot the nthem end of Tanganyika, and he died in 1873, near-Lake Bangweolo, as the result of an attack of dysenteij. His body roughly embalmed, was cai-,-ied with great peril to the coast b.v his faithful followers, and was taken home to England for internment m Westminster Abbey. The Hope Film expedition consisted of Air At Wethereli, leader and producer.’ who impersonated Livingstone; Mr 11 Walton, who took tho pait 01 Stanley; Air. Douglas C'a-tor ( Dl ‘- Moffat an insect collector), and Majoi John- Alackay (treasurer), Mr Cnistay Puli (first c-amera man), and All. VWethereli (second camera man); Mrs. Wetlieiell (Mrs Aloffat), and Aims Moll> Rogers (Miss May Alollatt), who became Mrs. Livingstone. , \ romantic story of the expedition s film work in darkest Africa was .fold to a Daily Telegraph representatit e by Air. Wethereli, who was admirably fitted for liis task by the fact that in addition to having appeared on the London stage, he had spent some years in Africa engaged m fanning and mg game hunting. “I went to Africa, he declared, “and got everything I went for. find everybody has come back side and sound. It was astonishing iibw great was the interest, everyone —both whites, ‘and natives took in our work. The Government oliicials gave us the greatest assistance, and a wreafc deal of bur success was due to tlieih. AVe had the good fortune to experience comparatively little sickness. On arriving at- one village, however, three of our party were struck down with dysentery. The Catholic Alissiou of White Fathers fortunately happened to be close at band, and they did everything they possibly could for bur sick" colleagues, wlio were able to rejoin us later on. These missions, no matter to what denomination they belong, are engaged in a most beneficent work. We came across many natives who had grateful memories of Livingstone, and at Tambora Stanley’s personal boy was introduced to us. Subsequently he appeared in some of our pictures, acquitting himself remarkably well. He is an old man now, and when I asked him, how old he was he replied that when with Stanelv ‘he had not much hair on his chin.’ ” Describing the party’s methods oi procedure. Air. Wethereli explained that while on their .long tramp they used to get out about three in the morning, strike camp, and walk for about twelve miles, when they would have breakfast and then cover another three miles. They would lot the heat of the day get over, and spend Hie cooler neri'ocl taking pictqros and replenishing the larder. Their greatest stretch in one day was twenty-two miles, and as they were entirely without water it Was anything but a pleasant experience.

“It was while encamped near Lake Rukwa that we first came face to face with lions. They were frequently in the neighbourhood of our camp at night, and in the early morning it was no unusual thing for us to find that they had crept into our camp and helped themselves to our provisions. On one occasion some of our boys went out to collect wood for the fires, which we kept alight round the camp at night, when they unexpectedly came across five lions eating an eland which they had recently killed. One of the hoys came rushing back shouting in his own language, ‘Lions are here.’ AVe jumped up, got our camera kit and guns together, and crept to within twenty yards of where the lions were feeding. Just then the wind changed, and they got our scent. At a signal from one old male they cleared into the hush like a lot of rabbits. AVe, however, managed to get- a, lioness which was a little more cheeky than the rest, no doubt due to the fact that she had n cub with her. In her furv she turned round and charged us, but we managed to stop her progress when she was within ten yards of us. Our camera men were thus enabled to got an excellent picture of a charging lioness.”

Mr. Wetherell had an interesting story to relate concerning an encounter with hippopotami. “When taking pictures on the River Kasi, a tributary of the Zambesi,’’ lie said, “we had an exciting time. The water is very deep, and as the shrubbery on the banks is very thick, it is necessary to get out of the way before dark, otherwise the hippos, who then come out in swarms, make things very unpleasant. We were making a dash, to get out when we saw a. shoal o.f hippos in front of us. T fired, and'' shot one and wounded another. Then • they made for us. Our boat narrowly escaped capsizing, and wo lost our oars. Fortunately we managed to reach a little bit of swamp, and here, almost devoured by leeches, we spent the night. It was not until ten o’clock iii the morning, when the sun was high and the hippos had gone to rest, that we were able to get away.” Mr. Wetliercll next told how tliev staged quite a. number of slave raids, in connection with which they built and burned down villages. The natives, being paid, entered heartily into the sport. One old man. however, who had been knocked down by the Angoni ftho raiding tribe) several times, asked in an aggrieved voice when it was going to he his turn to knock the other fellow down. Another old native asked the Chief Commander in a. puzzled tone, “Who is this big man who puts up villages and burns them down again, and gives us money for doing it?” At Zanzibar they secured some realistic slave-market films, the Sultan kindly 'affording every facility.

As to ITjiji, where we also got some good pictures, Mr. Wetliercll said: “The place is practically the Same as when the famous meeting between Stanley and Livingstone took place there. The lake, however, where the the slave dhows used to load their human cargoes, has receded some -100, yards. The dhows are still there, hut are now employed in transporting grain and general merchandise. The mango_jtree, near which Stanley first came fac-e to face with Livingstone, is still there., The cement with which the Portuguese had covered the roots has been taken off, and it is railed in and guarded from relic-hunters by an old native.”