Complete Works of Joseph Conrad (Illustrated) (900 page)

Through Mr. R.C. have made the acquain80 of Mr. Underwood, the Manager of the English Factory (Hatton & Cookson) in Kalla Kalla. Avfle com” — - hearty and kind. Lunched there on the 21st.

24th. Gosse and R.C. gone with a large lot of ivory down to Boma. On G.[‘s] return intend to start up the river. Have been myself busy packing ivory in casks. Idiotic employment. Health good up to now.

1On his voyage from Europe presumably.

•2Afterwards the notorious Sir Roger Casement, who was hanged for treason on August 3,1916 — the very date of which Conrad died eight years later. At this Casement was in the economy of a commercial firm in the Congo. In 1898 he became British Counsul in the Congo Free State.

Wrote to Simpson, to Gov. B., to Purd.,1 to Hope,2 to Capt. Froud,3 and to Mar.4 Prominent characteristic of the social life here; people speaking ill of each other.5

Saturday, 28th June. Left Matadi with Mr. Harou6 and a caravan of 31 men.7 Parted with Casement in a very friendly manner. Mr. Gosse saw us off as far as the State station. First halt, M’poso. 2 Danes in Company.8 Sundfay], 29th. Ascent of Pataballa sufficiently fatiguing. Camped at 11 a.m. at Nsoke river. Mosquitos [always spelt thus].

Monday, 30th. To Congo da Lemba after passing black rocks. Long ascent. Harou giving up.9 Bother, Camp bad. Water far. Dirty. At night Harou better.

Tuesday 1st July. Left early in a heavy mist, marching towards Lufu river. Part route through forest on the sharp slope

‘Probably Captain Purely, an acquaintance of Conrad.

2Conrad’s old friend, now living in Esser, Mr. G.F.W. Hope. In 1900 Conrad dedicated “Lord Jim” to Mr. and Mrs. Hope,” with grateful affection after many years of friendship.”

^he then Secretary of the London Ship-Master’s Society. See “A Personal Record” (Concord Edition), p.7. “Dear Captain Froud — it is impossible not to pay him the tribute of affectionate familiarity at this distance of years — had very sound views as to the advancement of knowledge and status for the whole body of the officers of the mercantile marine.”

4Probably Marguerite Poradowska, his aunt.

sThis was also a failing of the white men at the “Central Station” in “Heart of Darkness.”

“Harou was an official of the Etat Independant du Congo Beige.

‘Compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.70: “Next day I left that station at last with a caravan of 60 men for a 200-mile tramp.” On 13 out of the 19 travelling days taken by Conrad on this overland journey he kept a record of the distance covered, and it totals 197^ miles.

‘Curiously enough, the identity of these two Danes was discovered by Monsieur G. Jean-Aubry in Brussels early in 1925. Not knowing that they were mentioned in the diary, he ommitted to take names of particulars.

“He seems to have been constantly unwell and one may compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.71: “I had a white companion too, not a bad chap, but rather too fleshly, and with the exasperating habit of fainting on the hot hillsides, miles away from the least bit of shade or water.”

of a high mountain. Very long descent. Then market place from where short walk to the bridge (good) and camp. V.G. Bath. Clear river. Feel well. Harou all right. 1st chicken, 2 p. [m.] No sunshine to-day.

Wednesday, 2nd July. Started at 5:30 after a sleepless night. Country more open. Gently undulating hills. Road good, in perfect order. (District of Lukungu.) Great market at 9.30. Bought eggs and chickens. Feel not well to-day. Heavy cold in the head. Arrived at 11 at Banza Manteka. Camped on the market place. Not well enough to call on the missionary. Water scarce and bad. Camp9 place dirty. 2 Danes still in Company.

Thursday, 3rd July. Left at 6 a.m. after a good night’s rest. Crossed a low range of hills and entered a broad, valley, or rather plain, with a break in the middle. Met an offer of the State inspecting. A few minutes afterwards saw at a camp3 place the dead body of a Backongo. Shot?1 Horrid smell.

Crossed a range of mountains, running N.W. — S.E. by a low pass. Another broad flat valley with a deep ravine through the centre. Clay and gravel. Another range parallel to the first mentioned, with a chain of low foothills running close to it. Between the two came to camp on the banks of the Luinzono river. Camp9 place clean. River clear. Gov1 Zanzibari2 with register. Canoe. 2 Danes camp3 on the other bank. Health good.

General tone of landscape gray-yellowish (dry grass) with reddish patches (soil) and clumps of dark green vegetation scattered sparsely about. Mostly in steep gorges between the high mountains or in ravines cutting the plain.3

‘Compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.71: “Once a white man in an unbuttoned uniform camping on the path ... was looking after the upkeep of the road, he declared. Can’t say I saw any road or any upkeep, unless the body of a middle-aged negro with a bullet-hole in the forehead, upon which I absolutely stumbled three miles further on, may be considered as a permanent improvement.”

2Compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.71, in which he mentioned his meeting with a white man, who was accompanied by “an armed escort of lank Zanzibaris.”

3ln “Heart of Darkness,” p.70, the country of the march is described as “a stamped-in network of paths spreading over the empty land, through long grass, through burnt grass, thickets, down and up hilly ravines, up and down stony hills ablaze with heat.”

Noticed Palma Christi — Oil Palm. Very straight, tall and thick trees in some places. Name not known to me. Villages quite invisible. Infer their existence from calbashes [s/cj suspended to palm trees for the “Malafu.” Good many caravans and travellers. No women, unless on the market place.

Bird notes charming. One especially a flute-like note. Another, kind of “boom” resembling [s/c] the very distant baying of a bound. Saw only pigeons and a few green parroquets. Very small and not many. No birds of prey seen by me.1

Up to 9 a.m. sky clouded and calm. Afterwards gentle breeze from the Nn generally and sky clearing. Nights damp and cool. White mists on the hills up about half way. Water effects very beautiful this morning. Mists generally raising before sky clears.

Distance 15 miles. General direction N.N.E. — S.S.W. Friday, 4th July Left camp at 6.a.m. after a very unpleasant night. Marching across a chain of hills and then in a maze of hills. At 8:15 opened out into an undulating plain. Took bearings of a break in the chain of mountains on the other side. Bearing N.N.E. Road passes through that. Sharp ascents up very steep hills not very high. The higher mountains recede sharply and show a low hilly country. At 9:30 market place. At 10 passed R. Lukanga and at 10:30 camped on the Mpwe R.

To-day’s march. Direction N.N. E.1/2 — N. Dist®° 13 miles. Saw another dead body lying by the path in an attitude of meditative repose.2

In the evening three women, of whom one albino, passed our camp; horrid chalky white with pink blotches; red eyes; red hair; features very negroid and ugly. Mosquitos. At night when the moon rose heard shouts and drumming in distant villages.3 Passed a bad night.

‘These natural history observations are curious, as Conrad practically never should the slightest interest in such subjects.

‘The most “Conradesque” phrase in the diary.

3Compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.71: “Perhaps so some quiet night the tremor of far-off drums, sinking, swelling, a tremor vast, faint; a sound weird, appealing, suggestive, and wild — and perhaps with as profound a meaning as the sound of bells in a Christian country.”

Saturday, 5th July. Left at 6:15. Morning cool, even cold, and very damp. Sky densely overcast. Gentle breeze from N.E. Road through a narrow plain up to R. Kwilu. Swift flowing and deep, 50 yds. wide. Passed in canoes. After* up and down very steep hills interested by deep ravines. Mains chain of heights running mostly N.W. — S.E. or W. and E. at times. Stopped at Manyamba Camp3 place bad — in a hollow — water very indifferent. Tent set at 10:15. N.N.E. Dist00 12 m.

Today fell into a muddy puddle — beastly! The fault of the man that carried me. After camp® went to small stream, bathed and washed clothes. Getting jolly well sick of this fun.

Tomorrow expect a long march to get to Nsona, 2 days from Manyanga. No sunshine to-day.

Sunday 6th July. Started at 5:40. The route at first hilly, then, after a sharp descent, traversing a broad plain. At the end of it a large market place. At 10 sun came out. After leaving the market passed another plain, then, walking on the crest of a chain of hills, passed 2 villages and at 11 arrived at Nsona. Village invisible.

Direction about N.N.E. Distance 18 miles.

In this camp (Nsona) there is a good camp9 place. Shady, water far and not very good. This night no mosquitos owing to large fires, all round our tent. Afternoon very close; night clear and starry.

Monday 7th July. Left at 6, after a good night’s rest, on the road to Inkandu, which is some distance past Lukunga Govt, station. Route very accidented.1 Succession of round steep hills. At times walking along the crest of a chain of hills. Just before Lukunga our carriers took a wide sweep to the southward till the station bore N*. Walking through long grass for Vh hours. Crossed a broad river about 100 feet wide and 4 deep.

After another V2 hour’s walk through manioc plantations in good order rejoined our route to the Ed of the Lukunga sta00, walking along an undulating plain towards the Inkandu market on a hill. Hot, thirsty and tired. At 11 arrived on the m1”1 place. About 200 people. Business

‘An odd Gallicism. Conrad knew French long before he knew English; moreover, he was naturally talking much French at this time.

brisk. No water; no campfl place. After remaining for one hour left in search of a resting place. Row with carriers. No water. At last about 1 vfe p.m. camped on an exposed hill side near a muddy creek. No shade. Tent on a slope. Sun heavy. Wretched.

Direction N.E. by N. — Distance 22 miles.

Night miserably cold. No sleep. Mosquitos.

Tuesday, 8th July. Left at 6 a.m. About ten minutes from camp left main Gov1 path for the Manyanga track. Sky overcast. Rode up and down all the time, passing a couple of villages. The country presents a confused wilderness of hills, landships on their sides showing red. Fine effect of red hill covered in places by dark green vegetation. hour before beginning the descent got a glimpse of the Congo. Sky clouded.

To-day’s march — 3 h. General direction N. by E. DisP 9M> miles.

Arrived at Manyanga at 9 a.m. Received most kindly by Messrs. Heyn and Jaeger. Most comfortable and pleasant halt.

Stayed here till the 25. Both have been sick. Most kindly care taken of us. Leave with sincere regrets.

Friday the 25th July, 1890. Left Manyanga at 21/a p.m. with plenty of hammock carriers. H. lame and not in very good form. Myself ditto but not lame. Walked as far as Mafiela and camped — 2 h.

Saturday 26th. Left very early. Road ascending all the time. Passed villages. Country seems thickly inhabited. At 11 arrived at large market place. Left at noon and camped at l.p.m.

General direction E Yz N-W1/2 S. Sun visible at 8 a.m. Very hot. Distance 18 miles.

Sunday, 27th. Left at 8.a.m. Sent luggage carriers straight on to Luasi, and went ourselves round by the Mission of Sutili. Hospitable reception by Mrs. Comber. All the missio, absent. The looks of the whole establishment eminently civilized and very refreshing to see after the lots of tumbled down hovels in which the State & Company agents are content to live. Fine buildings. Position on a hill. Rather breezy.

Left at 3.p.m. At the first heavy ascent met Mr. Davis, Miss.,

returning from a preaching trip. Rev. Bentiey away in the south with his wife. This being off the road, no section given.1

Distance traversed about 15 miles. Gen. direction E. N. E.

At Luasi we get on again on to the gov1 road.

Camped at 41A p. m. With Mr. Heche in company. To-day no sunshine. Wind remarkably cold. Gloomy day.

Monday, 28th. Left camp at 6:30 after breakfasting with Heche. Road at first hilly. Then walking along the ridges of hill chains with valleys on both sides. The country more open and there is much more trees2 growing in large clumps in the ravines.

Passed Nzungi and camped, 11, on the right bank of the Ngoma, a rapid little river with rocky bed. Village on a hill to the right.

General direction E. N. E. — Distance 14 miles.

No sunshine. Gloomy cold day. Squalls.

Tuesday 29th Left camp at 7, after a good night’s rest. Continuous ascent; rather easy at first. Crossed wooded ravines and the river Lunzadi by a very decent bridge. At 9 met Mr. Louette escorting a sick agent of the compy back to Matadi. Looking very well. Bad news from up the river. All the steamers disabled - one wrecked.3 Country wooded. At 10:30 camped at Inkissi.

General direction E. N. E. — Dist^lS miles.

Sun visible at 6:30. Very warm day.

Inkissi River very rapid; is about 100 yards broad. Passage in canoes. Banks wooded very densely, and valley of the river rather deep, but very narrow.

To-day did not set the tent, but put up in Gov: shimbek.

‘Sections of the day’s marches, with numerous names on them, were given under the following dates: July 3rd. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. 25th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, August 1st.

‘One of the few un-English phrases in the diary. By 1890 Conrad had been a British subject for six years, but he never learnt the language until he was grown up.

^Compare “Heart of Darkness,” p.72: “One of them [the white men at the Central Station] . .informed me with great volubility and many digressions ... that my steamer was at the bottom of the river.”

Zanzibar!1 in charge — very obliging. Met ripe pineapple for the first time. On the road to-day passed a skeleton tied up to a post. Also white man’s grave — no name — heap of stones in the form of a cross. Health good now.

Wednesday, 30th. Left at 6 a.m. intending to camp at Kinfumu. Two hours sharp walk brought me to Nsona na Nsefe. Market. V2 hour after Harou arrived very ill with billious [s/c\ attack and fever. Laid him down in Gov’- shimbek.

Does of ipeca. Vomiting bile in enormous quantities. At 11 gave him 1 gramme of quinine and lots of hot tea. Hot fit ending in heavy perspiration. At 2 p.m. put him in hammock and started for Kinfumu. Row. with carriers all the way.2 Harou suffering much through the jerks of the hammock. Camped at a small stream. At 4 harou better; fever gone.