GIANTS AND STARVATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

GIANTS AND STARVATION.

BRITISH EXPLORERS' TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS.

; Rcttieb'S Agency has received full details !of the sufferings experienced by the I British expedition under Major Austin, I which for the past 10 months has been ! engaged in surveying along the Anglo- ! Abyssinian frontier. The three remaining I mem of the expedition have reached | England. They are Major H. H. Austin, RE., the leader of the expedition, Major ; V q_ 'p. Bright, Rifle Brigade, second in command, and Dr. J. Gamer, medical officer. The three officers, although now in good health, show traces of the hardships and sufferings endured during their iournev. None of them had previously encountered such severe experiences in any expedition. In the early days of tne journey much delay was occasioned by great swamps. Then waterless desert country had to be crossed, and the travellers suffered much from tnirst. Later, provisions became so scarce that the transport animals had to be killed for food. Finally, when everyone was in great straits,' the expedition had to maintain a running fight with the Turkhana, a race of naked giants round Lake Rudolpn. Most of the equipment had eventually to be thrown away, and when Major Austin and iiis companions reached a British post on Lake Baringo 75 per cent, of the escort and transport men had died. The expedition, which left Omdurman in Decemoer last, with orders to survey the country along the Anglo-Abyssinian frontier, took as escort 20 men of the 10th Soudanese Battalion, tinder Mabruk Effendi, together with transport drivers and personal servants, numbering altogether 59. The transj port animals included 15 camels, 12 mules, ! and 125 donkeys. From Omdurman the journey was made by gunboat to Nasser Fort, where the expedition- disembarked and proceeded south along the J.'ibor River to its junction with the Akobe at lat. 7deg. 47min.

I TRAVERSING ENDLESS SWAMPS. The expedition then entered upon the enj tirely unknown country of Bourn, referred to by Captain Wellby in his book, where the natives were found to be very shy, and gave the white man a wide berth. In March last Major Austin entered upon the desert, where for a period of a month the expedition was in great distress. Often the animals had to be deprived of water for 48 hours. The men suffered greatly during this part of the journey, and became somewhat listless, but there is not the least foundation for the rumours current 'in Cairo of a mutiny. Major Austin speaks in the highest terms of their loyalty and gallantry during a very precarious period. | At the beginning of April water was found, ; the expedition reaching the Sacchi River, |to tho west of the Omo. There Major j Austin found on a bush a curious piece of rag, which on examination proved to be a silk handkerchief with an initial B in the corner. It undoubtedly belonged to the Italian explorer Bottego, who was murdered in this region some years ago. During the whole of tho period the expedition met large herds of elephants and giraffes, but had little opportunity for sport: Four days after leaving the Sacchi Major Austin concluded his survey from the north, having joined up with his previous survey from the Mombasa side. By this time supplies began to give out. and the situation became most critical, officers and men being reduced to less titan half rations. Orders had to be given to kill the transport animals for food, and for tea weeks donkey and mule flesh was the only meat available. As it. was found imI possible to proceed further in this plight it was decided to strike south into the Uganda Protectorate, the main survey having been completed between the Soudan and 'Abyssinia. Heavy rains now set in, and shallow lakes of rain water altered the whole character of the country. Majors Austin and Bright, who had in 1898 been ! over this section of the road., found their I calculations quite upset Jay these floods, I and were unable to follow their old route. A long detour was necessary, and it was hot' until May. that Lake Rudolph was reached. It was now hoped that the chief i difficulties were over, but, as a matter of ! fact, worse was in store. The hardships and privations endured were telling heavny upon all, and Major Austin became seriously ill with an attack of gastritis, occasioning a further delay of some days. The night' before the party reached the lake a band of Turkhana swept down upon some members of the caravan, and murdered three soldiers, whom they left dead upon the ground. At midnight these same people tried to rush the camp, but were eventually beaten off. They followed the expedition for some days, and kept up a desultory rear and flank attack, in which several more of Major Austin's men lost their lives. During the this trying time the Soudanese displayed great gallantry, despite the fact that they were almost starving. The Turkhana are described as a race of very fine physique, mostly over six feet in height. They are quite naked, and wear then- hair arranged as a kind of bag. This hangs to the waist, and is made to hold various trinkets and personal ornament:-. It took over a month to get clear of their country, in which time 30 members of the expedition died of exhaustion. On reaching Lake Baringo, in July, only 14 members of the expedition survived.