Friend Paul has crossed the Atlantic in a small vessel with all the things he has bought, and you and he will explore the country together.
It is very important that the explorer be exceedingly careful at first, and that he watch the treacherous climate. Many white men in Africa have lost their lives by their own rashness. They go in the sun all day long after flowers, butterflies, insects, birds, or animals, and they perish in a few days, victims of the tropical climate. In the next place, one must not drink spirits. Many lives along the coast have also been lost on that account. The buoyant spirit of youth is quite enough to carry you through all kinds of hardships. It is very nice for every young fellow to rough it, to go through hardships, to have plenty of walking, to eat all kinds of food, to paddle or row. If he does these, he will have plenty of health for the future and no dyspepsia.
The explorer in a wild country should be always on the alert, and think that there is danger lurking everywhere—that an enemy in the shape of a man, or of a wild beast, or of a snake is hiding behind every tree; he must look inside of his hat, on the ground upon which he treads, and in scores of other places, for venomous reptiles or insects.
One has to be patient among savage tribes. One must be very slow to anger, must use great forbearance, and adapt himself to their ways of thinking, remembering always that their ways are not his ways, especially in regard to time, for they seem to think that what can be done one day will be better done the next. In a word, they have no idea whatever of the value of time. Be kind and sympathetic with them. Never do an unjust thing. Act in such a way that they will believe implicitly in your word. Nevertheless, use great firmness, never show any sign of fear; otherwise you are doomed. Use force only in the last extremity. Pay in beads or with other trinkets for everything you get. Never take food by force, for in no country, including our own, would farmers tolerate a band of strangers plundering their fields and killing cattle to feed themselves. They would rise in a body to drive those thieves or marauders away. So we must not find fault with the poor natives when they rise in arms against the travellers and their followers who come to plunder their fields and forage their country.
As I have told you, the explorer has to be wary, to look out for danger everywhere. So Friend Paul thought a great deal of his rifles and guns and revolvers—they were his friends. A brace of revolvers always lay under my head, and were used as pillows. When I suspected danger, I slept with them in the belt round my waist. A couple of rifles were always lying by my side or within my arms during my sleep. I slept with my boots on, so as to be ready at once in case of emergency or sudden attack. During the daytime I never went anywhere without carrying my revolvers, and then I had a rifle or shot-gun in my hand—just as a man carries his umbrella.
No matter how friendly a people appeared, I thought a sudden attack might be made at any time. In my pouch or bag were at least fifty cartridges for rifles, and the same number for my revolvers.
I had a breech-loading rifle which I loved better than all my other rifles, for it was a most powerful weapon. I could use it with either steel-pointed bullets or shells. I named the rifle "Bull-dog." The only fault I found with Bull-dog was that it was very heavy to carry, for it weighed sixteen pounds.
When I carried Bull-dog I had a feeling that I was with my best friend, one upon which I could rely in case of great danger, no matter how huge or fierce the wild animal might be. That feeling always gave me confidence, and I aimed with great steadiness, for my faith in the power of Bull-dog was unbounded, and I knew I had a shot to spare in case of wounding the animal.
Bull-dog was well known among my hunters. They looked at it with wonder, and were always glad when Bull-dog was going with us. They used to say: "Bull-dog never misses, but brings death in its path. The elephants, leopards, gorillas, and hippopotami fall dead when hit by its bullets." My men knew Bull-dog among all my rifles, and there was always rejoicing among them when I said to one of them, "Go and fetch Bull-dog from my hut, and carry it for me until we reach the hunting-ground," or when I started with it.
Bull-dog was so heavy that by the end of the day my shoulders, especially the left one, felt sore. In the course of time that left shoulder had become quite black from the effects of carrying it or other guns. A gun that is quite light the first hour becomes heavier every hour afterwards, and very heavy by the end of the day.