Chapter III: Foreword

In the beginning, when I first went out to West Africa, it had never entered into my head for a single instant that my experiences there might form the subject of a book. But I fell into the habit of keeping a diary of my journeyings, and afterwards many of my friends, as also other people in a position to judge, seemed to think it almost a pity that the adventures and impressions of the first white woman to travel through Togoland from the sea to the northern border and back again, should go unrecorded. It was pointed out to me, too, that the fact of my being the first cinema actress to perform in savage Africa, and with savages as "supers," would most certainly add to the interest, even if it did not enhance the value, of such a record.

In this way the present volume came into being: a creation born--to be perfectly and absolutely frank--of egoism and flattered vanity. I should like to say at the outset, however, that it does not make any pretence to add to the sum of human knowledge in a scientific sense; it is merely a plain and simple narrative of a girl's seeings and doings amongst strange and primitive folk living in a remote and little known land. Still, should there be found in it anything new of anthropological or ethnological value, it will be to me an added pleasure; for I particularly tried, to the best of my ability, to keep my eyes and ears open for the reception of such. Likewise, I shall be glad if this, my first attempt at authorship, helps to win friends for the colonial cause, and tends to dispel the altogether erroneous idea anent West Africa being, in the sense in which the phrase is usually interpreted and understood, the "white man's grave."

Speaking for myself and on the whole, I was both healthy and happy out there. I received nothing but kindness from white and black people alike; so much so, indeed, that I have come to love and admire the country into which I first adventured myself with feelings akin to fear and repulsion. Africa, in short, has cast her spell over me, as she does, I am told, over most others. Even as I write these few last lines I can feel "the call of the wild" stirring my blood.

In concluding this brief foreword, I should wish to be permitted to thank His Highness the Duke of Mecklenburg, Governor of Togoland, whose personal interest in the welfare of the expedition, shown in many ways and at divers times, made it possible for us to carry it out in its entirety on the lines originally laid down.

My thanks are also due to Commander Triebe, of the S.S. _Henny Woermamm_, for many kindnesses and courtesies received on the outward voyage, as well as to his colleague, Captain Pankow, of the _Eleonore Woermamm_, for other similar evidences of good-will on the voyage home; to Lieutenant von Rentzel, who so kindly placed his house at our disposal on our first arrival in Lome, the capital and port of Togo; and to Mr. Kuepers, the head-master of the Government school in Sokode, for welcome hospitality freely extended to us.

Especially, too, am I grateful to Captain von Hirschfeld, District Commissioner of Mangu, who not only showed us personally every hospitality and kindness during visits extending altogether to over a month, but who also went out of his way, at considerable trouble and inconvenience, to help us in filming many subjects, scenes, and incidents of native life, which we should otherwise hardly have been able to secure; his efforts in this latter direction being ably seconded by his two European assistants, Messrs Sonntag and Gardin.

Mr. Muckè, of Bassari, also showed us many kindnesses for which I am sincerely grateful; and my best thanks are likewise due to Herr von Parpart, District Commissioner of Sokode, whose hospitality on our return journey to the coast made our last evening in the African bush an outstandingly pleasant recollection. Mr. James S. Hodgson, our camera man, besides proving himself a first-rate and exceedingly careful operator, kept us lively of an evening by his clever playing on the mandoline, while his imperturbable good-humour, even in the most trying circumstances, helped to make our trip a pleasant and agreeable one.

Finally, I should wish to thank my friend, Mr. C. L. McCluer Stevens, of "Ivydene," New Malden, Surrey, author and journalist, for the skilful and painstaking manner in which he has edited my rough manuscript and put it in trim for the publishers, as well as for valuable advice and help regarding the treatment and scope of the various chapters and the work as a whole.

M. GEHRTS.
LONDON, _July 1, 1914_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

LONDON TO LOME
PAGES
I am "up against" a queer business proposition--Doubts and
difficulties--Assent--Major Schomburgk, F.R.G.S., the
leader of the expedition--His African experiences--
Filming cinema pictures in the tropics--The start from
England--Dover to Madeira--Life on board ship--Madeira
--Teneriffe--Las Palmas--Motoring under difficulties--
Arrival in Togo--"Yellow Jack"--Kindness of H.H. the Duke
of Mecklenburg, the Governor of Togoland--A jolly dinner
party--Rickshaw riding in Lome--Off to Atakpame 17-28

CHAPTER II

HOW WE FILMED "THE WHITE GODDESS OF THE WANGORA"

A tiresome railway journey--My hut in the forest--A trying
toilet--Native inquisitiveness--_Haute cuisine_ in the
heart of Africa--Mosquitoes--My first night in the bush
--A very primitive shower-bath--Rehearsing our first
cinema drama--Savages as "supers"--Irritating delays--
A false alarm--Filming the principal scene in the _White
Goddess_--I am knocked up--And laid up--Malarial fever
--"If you cough you'll die"--Convalescence--I try
cookery--A disconcerting experience--Eating 9863 chickens
--A little about lizards--Also about ants and beetles 29-39

CHAPTER III

LIFE AT KAMINA

Troubles of cinema playing in Central Africa--Enforced leisure
--Native girls and a gramophone--Women and work--Native
children--A negro philosopher--Native servants--
Learning to cycle--Improvising a studio--Wild monkeys--
Native dances--A perilous climb 40-48

CHAPTER IV

STARTING "ON TREK"

On the march into "the back of beyond"--Packing our "chop
boxes"--Quinine--"I didn't want to do it"--The starting
of the caravan--Good-bye to Kamina--Kindly forethought
of the Duke of Mecklenburg--Our first day's march--
Sleeping out in the bush--Rest-houses--Our operator goes
astray--Dish-washing extraordinary--Our cook disappears
--To return with a wife--I try my hand at bush cooking--
"Feed the brute"--A native belle 49-56

CHAPTER V

ATAKPAME TO SOKODE

Our friend the doctor--A new way with natives--Laughable
results--And to Njamassila--Travelling by hammock
--A rash resolve--Njamassila to Agbandi--Sleeping
on the march--A native giant--Agbandi to Djabotaure
--Depressing effects of the West African climate--An
adventure at Djabotaure--Native festivities on the eve of
Ramadam--Djabotaure to Audasi--Incompetent hammock boys
--"Sea-sickness" on land--A moonlight night in the bush
--Nearing Sokode--Our horses waiting for us in charge of
a European--A bush toilet--Arrival in Sokode--Kindly
hospitality 57-68

CHAPTER VI

IN THE CAPITAL OF TSCHAUDJOLAND

In camp at Paratau--Uro Djabo, paramount chief of the
Tschaudjo--A courtly savage--The Tschaudjo a conquering
tribe who came riding on horses from the north--Djabo's
palace--His wives--A much-married monarch--His prime
minister and attendants--He comes to afternoon tea--A
democratic king--Tschaudjo horsemen--An accident--
I nearly lose my life--A nervous breakdown--We leave
Paratau in a hurry--Kindness of the German Government
officials at Sokode--They lend us one hundred carriers
--On the road to Aledjo-Kadara, "the Switzerland of
Togo" 69-79