efficiency o f the boat for all purposes rendered
them unnecessary. However, they were not
wasted. Necessity compelled us, while in Africa,
to employ them for far different purposes from
those for which they had originally been designed.
There lived a clerk at the Langham Hotel,
o f the name o f Frederick Barker, who, smitten
with a desire to g o to A frica, was not to be
dissuaded b y reports o f its unhealthy climate,
its dangerous fevers | or the uncompromising
views o f exploring life given to him. “ He
would g o , he was determined to g o , ” he said.
T o meet the earnest entreaties o f this young
man, I requested him to wait until I should return
from the United States.
Mr. Edwin A rn o ld , o f the D a ily Telegraphy
also suggested that I should be accompanied
b y one o f more young English boatmen o f g o od
character, on the ground that their river knowled
g e would be extremely useful to me. He
mentioned his wish to a most worthy fisherman,
named Henry P o co ck , o f L ow e r Upnor, Kent,
who had k ep t his yacht for him, and who had
fine stalwart sons, who bore the reputation o f
being honest, and trustworthy. Tw o o f these
yo u n g men volunteered at once. Both Mr. A r nold
and myself warned the Pocock family
repeatedly that Africa had a cruel character,
that the sudden change from the daily comforts
o f English life to the rigorous one o f an explorer
MY EUROPEAN STAFF. 7
m -
would try the most perfect constitution; would
most like ly be fatal to the uninitiated and unacclimatized,
But I permitted myself to be overborne
b y the eager courage and devotion o f
K these adventurous lads, and Francis John Pocock
1 and Edward Pocock, two ve ry likely-looking
J young men, were accordingly engaged as my
assistants.
I crossed over to America the guest o f Mr.
B lsm a y , o f the “ White S ta r ” line, to bid farewell
■ to my friends, and after a five days’ sta y return-
B ed in a steamer belonging to the same Com-
III p any.
Meantime, soon after the announcement o f the
“ New Mission,” applications b y the score poured
into the offices o f the D a ily Telegraph and New
York H erald for employment. Before I sailed
from England, over 1200 letters were received
from “ generals,” “ colonels,” “ captains,” “ lieutenants,”
“ midshipmen,” “ engineers,” “ commissioners
o f hotels,” mechanics, waiters, cooks, servants,
somebodies and nobodies, spiritual mediums and
magnetizers, &c. &c. T h e y all knew Africa, were
perfectly acclimatized, were quite sure th ey Would
please me, would do important services, save me
from any number o f troubles b y their ingenuity and
resources, take me up in balloons or b y flying
carriages, make us all invisible b y their magic
arts, or b y the “ science o f magnetism ” would
cause all savages to fall asleep while we might