Part 16

I want 300 cloths[1], each four yards long, of[2] such quality as you trade with, which is very different from that we have; but[3] better than all would be ten or fifteen man-loads of rice or grain to fill the pinched[4] bellies immediately, as[5] even with the cloths it would require time to purchase food, and starving people[6] cannot wait. The supplies must arrive within two days, or[7] I may have a fearful time of it among the dying. Of course I hold myself responsible for any[8] expense (S. 16, N. 10) you[9] may incur in the business. What is wanted is immediate relief, and I pray you to[10] use your utmost energies to forward it at once. If (App. § 21) you have such little luxuries[11] as tea, coffee, sugar, and biscuits by you, such[12] as one man can easily carry, I beg you on[13] my own behalf that you will send a small supply[14] and[15] add to the great debt of gratitude due to you upon the timely arrival of the supplies for my people. Until[16] that time I beg you to believe me,

Yours sincerely,

H. M. STANLEY, Commanding[17] the Anglo-American Expedition for[18] the Exploration of Africa.

P.S. You[19] may not know me by name, I therefore add, I[20] am the person that discovered[21] Livingstone in 1871. H. M. S.—H. M. STANLEY, “THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT.”

[1] cloths = pieces _of_ cloth.

[2] of — have = and of that quality with which you trade, which is quite different from ours.

[3] but — grain = but still better would be (Pluperf. Subj.) as much rice or grain as ten or fifteen men (+Leute+) can carry.

[4] = hungry stomachs.

[5] as — food = as (after which place the subject ‘_we_’), even in the possession of the cloths, we should yet want time to exchange provisions for them (S. 4, N. 5, _B_).

[6] +die Hungerleidenden.+

[7] or — dying, Liter. = if (after which place the subject ‘_I_’) among the dying I shall (+soll+) not experience (+durchle´ben+) a dreadful time (App. § 18).

[8] any = all.

[9] +die Ihnen aus dieser Angelegenheit erwachsen mögen.+

[10] to — once = to do the (= your) utmost _in your power_ (+sein Äußerstes thun+) and to send us the same (to agree with relief) at once.

[11] +Luxusartikel+; to have by oneself = to possess.

[12] such = about as much.

[13] on — behalf = for my own person.

[14] supply = quantity.

[15] and — people = and thereby still to increase (+vergrößern+) the great debt of (S. 3, N. 2) gratitude, to which I shall be in duty bound to you (+einem verpflichtet sein+) after the timely (+rechtzeitig+) arrival of the supplies (+Warensendung+).

[16] +Bis dahin empfehle ich mich Ihnen hochachtend und ergebenst.+

[17] +Kommandierender der.+

[18] +zur.+

[19] = Perhaps is my name unknown to you.

[20] I — that = that it is I, who.

[21] +auf´finden+, of which use the Perfect.

_Section 148._

ANSWER TO[1] THE PRECEDING LETTER.

English Factory, Boma, 6th August 1877, 6.30 A.M.

H. M. Stanley, Esq.

Dear Sir,

Your welcome letter came[2] to hand yesterday, _at_ 7 P.M. As[3] soon as its contents were understood, we arranged to despatch to you such articles as you requested, as much as our stock on hand would permit, and other things that we deemed would be suitable in that locality. You will see _that_ we send fifty pieces _of_ cloth, each twenty-four yards long, and some sacks containing sundries for yourself; several[4] sacks _of_ rice, potatoes, a few bundles _of_ fish, a bundle _of_ tobacco, and one demijohn[5] _of_ rum. The carriers are all paid, so that you need not trouble yourself about them. That[6] is all we need say about business. We are exceedingly sorry to hear that you have arrived there in such (+so+) piteous[7] condition, but we send our warmest congratulations to you, and hope that you will soon arrive in Boma. (This[8] place is called Boma by us, though on the map it[9] is Embomma.) Again[10] hoping that you will soon arrive, and that you are not suffering in health,

Believe[11] us to remain,

Your sincere friends,

HATTON & COOKSON.

(Signed) A. DA MOTTA VEIGA. J. W. HARRISON.

[1] +auf+, with Acc.; A.M. +morgens+; P.M. +abends+.—This letter and the accompanying supplies were received by Mr. Stanley in the morning of the 6th of August, two days after he despatched his letter to Boma. Messrs. A. Da Motta Veiga and J. W. Harrison were the managers of a factory belonging to Messrs. Hatton & Cookson of Liverpool.

[2] came to hand = we have ... received.

[3] As — locality = As soon as we had understood the contents of the same (to agree with letter), we (App. § 14) made arrangements (+Anstalten treffen+) to send you the asked for (+erbeten+) articles, as far as (+so weit+) our stock (+Warenlager+, n., or +Warenvorrat+, m.) would permit us (S. 51, N. 13), and add (supply _noch_) some other things of which we thought they might (= could) be useful to you there.

[4] several, a few = some.

[5] _eine große Korbflasche._

[6] _Weiter haben wir nichts Geschäftliches zu sagen._

[7] _traurig._

[8] Say ‘We call this place (_Ort_, m.) B’.

[9] Say ‘it is called’.

[10] Say ‘Again (_noch einmal_) expressing (S. 111, N. 6), the hope’.

[11] _zeichnen wir in aufrichtiger Freundschaft ergebenst._

_Section 149._

MR. STANLEY’S ACKNOWLEDGMENT[1] OF THE PRECEDING LETTER AND THE SUPPLIES.

I.

Banza M’Buko, August 6, 1877.

Messrs. A. Da Motta Veiga and J. W. Harrison, Embomma, Congo River.

Gentlemen,

I (S. 115, N. 1) have received your welcome letter, but better _than all_, and[2] more welcome, are your supplies. I am unable to express _just_ at present how grateful I feel. At the sight of (+von+) the stores exposed[3] to our hungry eyes—at the sight of (+von+) the rice, the fish, _and_ the rum, and[4] for me—wheaten bread, butter, sardines, jam, peaches, grapes, beer (ye[5] gods! just think of it—three bottles pale ale[6]!), besides tea and sugar, we (App. § 14) are all so over-joyed and confused that we cannot restrain[7] ourselves from falling to and[8] enjoying this sudden bounteous store. I beg you will charge[9] our apparent want of (+an+) thankfulness to our greediness. If we do not thank you sufficiently in words, rest assured we[10] feel what volumes could not describe.

For the next twenty-four hours we shall be too busy eating and drinking to think of anything else much; but I may say that the people[11] will cry out joyfully, while[12] their mouths are full of rice and fish: “Verily, our master has found the sea and his brothers, but we did not believe him until[13] he showed us the rice and the pambe (rum). We did not believe there[14] was any end to the great river; but God be praised for ever, for we shall see white people[15] to-morrow, and our wars[16] and troubles will be over!”[17]

[1] +Anzeige von dem Empfange+; ‘supplies’, here +Warensendung+, f.

[2] Insert the adverb +noch+ here.

[3] It was exposed to my eyes, +es war vor meinen Augen ausgebreitet+; ‘hungry’, here +gierig+.

[4] +und — des für mich bestimmten Weißbrots+; the article, in the Gen. case, must be repeated before each of the following nouns.

[5] ye — it = +o sehet, Ihr Götter+.

[6] +Weißbier.+

[7] +bezwingen+; from falling to, +zuzugreifen+.

[8] +und diese uns so schnell und großmütig zugesandten Vorräte zu verzehren.+

[9] I beg you will charge this to his greediness, +ich bitte Sie, dies seiner Eßbegierde zur Last legen zu wollen+.

[10] we — describe = we feel more than could (App. § 33, and S. 2, N. 1) be described to you through (+durch+) volumes.

[11] +Leute.+

[12] Say ‘while their mouth is still filled with rice and fish’.

[13] +ehe.+

[14] Say ‘the great river had (see App. § 29) ever (+je+) an end’.

[15] +Menschen.+

[16] +Kämpfe und Beschwerden.+

[17] This letter, on the morning of the 7th of August, was despatched to Boma, the caravan following slowly, and reaching Boma on the 9th of August 1877, the 999th day from the date of their departure from Zanzibar. The expedition then embarked on board a steamer at Boma, and, on the 11th, descended the river Congo. After steaming northward from the mouth of the Congo for a few hours, the vessel entered the fine bay of Kabinda, on the southern shores of which the native town of that name in the county of Nyoyo is situate. The Expedition, after a stay of eight days at Kabinda, was kindly taken on board the Portuguese gunboat ‘Tamega’ to San Paulo de Loanda. Here they were treated with the utmost hospitality by the Portuguese and the officers of the English navy, who offered the Expedition a passage to Cape Town in H.M.S. ‘Industry’, Commander R. C. Dyer. The Cape of Good Hope was reached on the 21st of October. Here a telegram from the Lords of the British Admiralty was received, authorising the Commodore Francis William Sullivan to prepare H.M.S. ‘Industry’ for the reception of the Expedition and to convey them to Zanzibar, the end of their journey. On the 6th of November H.M.S. ‘Industry’ was equipped and ready for her voyage to Zanzibar, which was reached on the 20th of the same month. By this time the sick had, all but one, recovered, and had improved so much in appearance that few persons ignorant of what they had been, could have supposed that these were the living skeletons that had reeled from sheer weakness through Boma.

_Section 150._

MR. STANLEY’S LETTER (continued).

II.

Dear Sirs,

Though[1] strangers, I feel we shall be great friends, and[2] I shall always remember my feelings of gratefulness, when I first caught sight of your supplies, and my poor, faithful, and brave people cried out: “Master, we are saved!—food[3] is coming!” _The_ old and _the_ young—the men, _the_ women, and _the_ children—lifted their wearied and worn-out[4] frames[5], and began to chant _lustily_ an[6] extemporaneous song, in[7] honour of the white people by (+an+) the great salt sea (the (S. 53, N. 9) Atlantic) who had listened to their prayers. I had[8] to rush to my tent to hide the tears that would issue[9], despite all my attempts to composure[10].

Gentlemen, that the blessing of God may attend your footsteps whithersoever[11] you go, is the very earnest[12] prayer of

Yours faithfully,

H. M. STANLEY,

Commanding the Anglo-American Expedition.—

H. M. STANLEY, “THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT.”

[1] +obgleich wir uns noch fremd sind.+

[2] Say ‘and I shall never forget the feelings of gratefulness which I experienced (+empfinden+, insep. comp. str. v.), when’, etc.

[3] Say ‘there come provisions’!

[4] +abgemagert.+

[5] +Körper+, m., which use in the Sing.

[6] +ein aus dem Stegreife entworfenes Lied+; to chant = to sing.

[7] in — people, +den Weißen ... zu Ehren+; the words +zu Ehren+ must be placed at the end of the clause.

[8] Use the Imperfect of +müssen+.

[9] to issue = to break forth, +hervor´brechen+.

[10] to composure = to compose myself.

[11] The adverbial clause ‘whithersoever you go’ may be briefly rendered by the adverb ‘+stets+’.

[12] earnest = sincere; faithfully, +ergeben+ (adject.).

_Section 151._

RETURNED[1] KINDNESS.

When (S. 4, N. 2) the country near[2] Albany was newly settled, a starving Indian came to the inn at Lichfield and asked for a night’s shelter and some supper, at[3] the same time confessing that, from[4] failure in hunting, he had nothing[5] to pay. The hostess drove him away with reproachful[6] epithets, and as the Indian was about (S. 6, N. 4) scornfully to retire,—there being (S. 30, N. 4) no other inn for[7] many a weary mile,—a[8] man, who was sitting by, directed the hostess to supply[9] his wants, and promised to pay her. As[10] soon as the Indian’s supper was ended, he thanked his benefactor, and said he would some day return his kindness. Several years thereafter[11] the settler was taken a prisoner by a hostile tribe, and carried off to (S. 72, N. 4) Canada. His life was spared[12], but he was detained in[13] slavery. One[14] day, however, an Indian came to him, and bade the captive follow him. The Indian never told where they were going, nor[15] what was his object; _but_ day after[16] day the captive followed his mysterious guide, till one afternoon they came suddenly on[17] a beautiful expanse of cultivated fields, with many houses _rising amongst them_. “Do you know that place?” asked the Indian. “Ah, yes—it is Lichfield!” and whilst the astonished exile[18] had not yet recovered from his surprise and (S. 10, N. 9) amazement, the Indian exclaimed: “And I am the starving Indian, on whom, at this _very_ place, you took[19] pity. And now that[20] I have repaid you, I pray you go home!”—DR. DWIGHT.

[1] +vergelten+, insep. comp. str. v.

[2] +unweit+; newly, +eben+; ‘to settle’, here +kolonisieren+.

[3] at — confessing = on which occasion (+wobei+) he confessed.

[4] +wegen erfolgloser Jagd.+

[5] nothing to pay = no money for (+zu+, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.) paying.

[6] reproachful epithets, +Scheltworte+.

[7] for — mile, +meilenweit in der Runde+.

[8] ‘a man’, here = a guest. The verb ‘directed’ (+heißen+, str. v.) must be placed before the subject, since the subordinate clause precedes the principal one.

[9] to supply a person’s wants, +für die Bedürfnisse eines Menschen sorgen+.

[10] Say ‘As soon as the Indian had eaten (+verzehren+) his supper’.

[11] +später.+

[12] +verschonen.+

[13] in slavery = as _a_ slave; ‘to detain’, here +gefangen halten+.

[14] Say ‘One day, however, came an Indian to the prisoner with the intimation (+Weisung+, f.) to follow him’. This construction is necessary to avoid the repetition of the pronoun ‘+ihm+’.

[15] nor — object = or else his intention.

[16] +für.+

[17] +zu einer schönen Fläche urbar gemachter Felder.+

[18] exile = settler.

[19] to take pity on a person, +sich eines Menschen erbarmen+; supply the adverb +einmal+ (one day) before the verb.

[20] that = since, +da+; to repay a person, +einem seine Schuld ab´tragen+.

_Section 152._

NEW YEAR’S EVE[1].

I.

It was dreadfully cold; it snowed, and was beginning to grow dark; it was the last evening of the year,—New-year’s Eve. In this cold, a poor little girl was wandering about the streets with[2] bare head and bare feet. She had slippers on when she left home (+Haus+, with the def. art.), but what was the good of them? They (+Es+) were the large, old slippers of her mother’s—so large that they fell off the little girl’s feet as she hurried across the street to[3] escape a carriage, which came[4] galloping along at a great rate. The one slipper was not to be found, and a boy ran off with the other.

So the little girl wandered about barefooted, with a quantity[5] of matches in an old apron, whilst she held a box[6] of them in her (S. 43, N. 9, _A_) hand. No one had bought _any_ matches of her through[7] the whole livelong day—no one had given her a single farthing[8]. Hungry, and pinched[9] with cold, the poor little girl crept[10] along, the large flakes of snow covering (S. 55, N. 1; use +während+) her yellow hair, which[11] curled round her face.

In[12] a corner between two houses, one projecting beyond the other, she sought shelter. Huddling[13] herself up, she drew her poor little feet, which were red and blue with cold, under her (+sich+) as well _as_ she could, but she[14] was colder than ever, and[15] dared not go home (S. 63, N. 8), for, as she had sold no matches, her cruel[16] father would beat her. Besides[17], it was cold at home (S. 63, N. 8), for they lived just[18] under the roof, and[19] the wind blew in, though straw and rags had been stuffed in the large cracks. Her little hands were quite benumbed with cold. Oh[20], how much good one match would do, if she dared but (+nur+) take it out of the box and draw[21] it across the wall to warm her fingers in the flames!

[1] +Der Sylvesterabend.+

[2] with — feet, +barfuß und unbedeckten Hauptes+, which place before ‘about (+durch+) the streets’.

[3] to escape a carriage, +einem Wagen aus dem Weg laufen+. For the translation of the conjunction ‘to’ in this clause compare S. 19, N. 7.

[4] to come galloping along at a great rate, +in vollem Galopp die Straße entlang kommen+.

[5] a quantity = some.

[6] +Schachtel+, f.; of them = of the same.

[7] through — day, +den ganzen Tag lang+, which is best placed at the commencement of the period.

[8] +Heller+, m.

[9] to be pinched with cold, +vor Kälte erstarrt sein+.

[10] to creep along, +sich weiter schleppen+.

[11] Say ‘which in curls surrounded (+umwallen+, insep. comp. w. v.) her face’.

[12] In — other, +In einem durch ein hervorspringendes Haus gebildeten Winkel+.

[13] Say ‘She huddled herself up (+nie´derkauern+, sep. comp. w. v.) and drew her’, etc.

[14] I am cold, +es friert mich+.

[15] Say ‘and yet she (App. § 24, _B_) dared (+wagen+, w. v.) not to go home’.

[16] ‘cruel’, here = severe.

[17] Say ‘And also (App. § 14) at home it was cold’.

[18] ‘just’, here = immediately.

[19] Say ‘through which the wind blew, although the large cracks (+Spalte+, f.) were stuffed (+verstopfen+, insep. comp. w. v.) with straw and rags’.

[20] Say, ‘Oh (+Ach+), how nice (+schön+) must (Imperf. Subj.) a match be’.

[21] +Ein Zündhölzchen an der Mauer an´reiben+, to draw a match across the wall.

_Section 153._

NEW-YEAR’S EVE.

II.

She drew one out—“Ritsh!” how it sputtered[1] and burned! It burned with a warm, bright flame, like a candle, and she bent her hand round it (S. 4, N. 5, _B_), it was a wonderful light! It appeared to the little girl as if she were sitting[2] before a large iron stove, in which the fire burned brightly, and[3] gave out such comfort and such warmth. She stretched out her feet to warm them, too—but the flame went[4] out, the stove disappeared, and there she sat, still holding[5] a little bit of the burnt-out[4] match in her (S. 43, N. 9, _A_) hand.

Another was[6] lighted; it burned, and, where[7] the light fell upon the wall, that[8] became transparent, so that she could see into the room. There the table was covered with a cloth of dazzling white, and with fine china; and a roast goose was smoking most[9] temptingly upon it. But what was still more delightful, the goose sprang down from the table, and[10], with a knife and (S. 10, N. 9) fork _sticking_ in its[11] back, waddled towards the little girl. Then[12] the match went out[4], and she saw nothing but the thick, cold wall.

She lighted a third one (S. 67, N. 3); and now she was sitting under the most splendid Christmas-tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated[13] than the one (S. 16, N. 10) she had seen at Christmas[14] through the window at[15] the rich merchant’s. Hundreds of[16] tapers were burning amongst the green branches, and painted[17] pictures, such[18] as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. She stretched out[19] both _her_ hands, when the match was burnt[4] out,—

[1] +sprühen+, w. v.

[2] Use the Impf. Subj. according to App. § 33; as if, +als+.

[3] +und ich weiß nicht wie viel Behaglichkeit und Wärme ausstrahlte.+

[4] ‘to go out’, and ‘to burn out’, here +erlöschen+, insep. comp. str. v.

[5] The Present Participle may be used here in German, but where must it be placed?

[6] In which Voice is the verb here? Introduce the clause by the grammatical subject ‘+es+’, as explained in S. 104, N. 19.

[7] where = at (+an+) the place (+Stelle+, f.) where.

[8] +diese.+

[9] Use the superlative of +hoch+.

[10] Here follows the verb ‘waddled’.

[11] in its = in the, contracted; towards, +auf ... zu+, which latter preposition place at the end of the whole period.

[12] Then = Thereupon.

[13] +auf´putzen+, sep. comp. w. v.

[14] at (+an+, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.) Christmas-day.

[15] =The preposition ‘at,’ in the signification of ‘at the house of’ is generally rendered by the preposition ‘+bei+’, which governs the dative=; as—

At Easter we shall all dine _at my mother’s_.

+Am Ostertage werden wir alle ~bei meiner Mutter~ zu Mittag essen.+

[16] +von.+

[17] painted = coloured, +bunt+.

[18] such as, +wie+.

[19] Supply the pronominal adverb ‘+danach+’ before the particle +aus+, which stands at the end.

_Section 154._

NEW-YEAR’S EVE.

III.

The countless lights rose higher and higher, and she now saw that they (+es+) were _the_ stars, one of which fell[1], leaving a long line of light in the sky.

Some[2] one has (S. 29, N. 3) died just now, the girl said; for her old grandmother, who alone[3] had loved her, but who was now dead, had told her that[4] when a star fell, a soul took (App. §§ 28 and 30) its flight up to heaven.

She drew another match across the wall, and in the light it threw[5] around stood her old grandmother, so bright[6], so mild, and so loving.

“Grandmother,” the little girl cried, “oh, take me with _you_! I know that you will disappear as soon as the match is burnt out, just like the warm stove, the delicious roast goose, and the Christmas-tree!” And hastily she lighted the[7] rest of the matches that remained in the box, for she wished to keep[8] her grandmother with her as long as possible; and the matches burnt so brightly, that it was lighter than day. Never before[9] had she seen her grandmother so beautiful and so tall, and behold, she[10] now took the little girl in her arms, and[11], in radiance and joy, flew high, high up with her into the heaven, where she felt neither (+kein+) cold, nor (+kein+) hunger, nor (+und kein+) fear any more[12],—for she was with God.

But, in the corner between the two houses, in the cold morning air, lay the little girl with pale cheeks and smiling lips. She was frozen[13] to death during the last night of the Old Year. The first light of the New Year shone upon the dead body of the little girl with the matches, one[14] box of which was nearly consumed. “She must have tried to warm herself,” the people said; but no one knew of (+von+) the visions[15] she had had, or of the splendour that (S. 48, N. 6) surrounded her when she entered with her grandmother into the joys of a New Year.—After HANS ANDERSEN, “FAIRY TALES.”

[1] Say ‘fell down and +left (zurück´lassen+) a long line of light (+Lichtstreifen+, m.) in (+an+) the sky’.

[2] This sentence is best introduced by the grammatical subject ‘+es+’, see S. 104, N. 19.

[3] Say ‘alone of all’.

[4] that — fell; +daß beim Herunterfallen eines Sternes+; flight, +Flug+, m.; up to, +zu+, contracted with the dat. of the def. art.

[5] to throw around, +um sich her verbreiten+.

[6] bright = friendly; mild, +sanft+; loving, +liebreich+.

[7] the — box, +die in der Schachtel sich noch befindlichen Zündhölzer+ (Comp. S. 48, N. 6).

[8] to keep with oneself, +bei sich behalten+, insep. comp. str. v. tr.

[9] +zuvor.+

[10] It will be best to begin this clause with the adv. ‘now’, and to turn the personal pronoun ‘she’ into the demonstrative pronoun ‘the same’, to agree with ‘grandmother’. This will commend itself in order to avoid ambiguity.

[11] Here follows the verb ‘flew’; in radiance and joy, +freudestrahlend+, adv.; high — heavens, +mit ihr zum Himmel empor+.

[12] any more, +mehr+, before the verb; ‘with’, here +bei+.

[13] +erfrieren+, insep. comp. str. v., to freeze to death.

[14] Liter. ‘of which nearly a whole box was burnt up’.

[15] +Traumbild+, n.

_Section 155._

PROVIDENCE[1] VINDICATING THE INNOCENT.