Heart of Darkness and the Congo Diary (27 page)

i1
:
This map demonstrates how, less than a century before Conrad's journey to the Congo, virtually no exploration or colonization of Africa had occurred. In fact, Africa would have actually appeared largely white (unexplored) on this map until roughly 1885. [“Regions connues” indicates explored or known regions; “Regions inexplorées” are unexplored regions.]

i2
:
This second map shows the enormous expansion of colonization in Africa between 1800 and 1900, particularly after the Berlin Conference of 1885, during which European countries essentially divided up the continent among themselves.

i3
:
This image shows a large, oceangoing steamer similar to the one both Conrad and Marlow would have taken from Europe to the Congo. It lies in the Congo River near Matadi, the site of the “Company's station” where Marlow observes the “grove of death” and meets the accountant.

i4
:
This is an image of Boma, the “seat of the government,” from afar. It reveals a fairly substantial city in the Congo, with a number of large buildings.

i5
:
A closer view of two buildings in Boma, one of which contains four stories.

i6
:
A view of a lonely bridge and a simple path through an impressive amount of overgrown forest.

i7
:
Another view of the desolate land across which Marlow and Conrad marched for days on end.

i8
:
A picture of an African man who served as fireman on an actual Congo steamer. Notice the distinctive tattooing on his face and chest.

i9
:
This steamboat closely approximates the actual structure of the
Roi des Belges
, the actual Congo steamer that Conrad briefly commanded during his time in the Congo, as well as the steamboat that Marlow describes in
Heart of Darkness
. It includes a pilot-house on top of the roof, a funnel located in the middle of the ship, and a paddlewheel at the rear. This particular vessel, however, seems to be of a much higher quality than Conrad's boat, with a much more sturdy and polished appearance than the somewhat crude look of the
Roi des Belges
.

i10
:
Though it does not match up well with the structure of Conrad's steamer, the general appearance of this steamboat, the
Ville de Gand
, with its rougher wood and thin supports, matches more closely both Conrad's steamboat and the one that Marlow describes here in the text.

i11
:
While this image portrays a vessel without a paddlewheel (and thus not a steamboat), this photograph captures very well how Marlow's steamer would have appeared to the Africans as well as the Russian as they looked from the forest out onto the river. It is a fascinating glimpse.