INTRODUCTION. XVil

had been sent from Kharttm to Ladd, and only six of these had carried supplies.

From the 8th of October 1878, the day on which I first met Emin Pasha, up to the present time, my admiration and respect

for him have steadily increased. It is impossible to become thoroughly acquainted with any one in a very short time, but perhaps the best chance of getting to know a man’s character quickly is afforded by a meeting such as I experienced with Emin Pasha in the heart of Africa, and shut off completely

from the civilised world. Under such circumstances, if they

possess any points in common, men are rapidly drawn together ;

and there is certainly a wonderful keenness of enjoyment in

such intercourse, contrasting as it does so completely with

the isolation, often experienced for months or years together, by men whose work lies in such remote regions as that which

Himin Pasha has made his home.

Perhaps the thing that struck me most about Dr. oe during my stay with him was the genuine interest he took

in scientific work. Readers of this volume will not have turned over very many pages before they discover that he thought no amount of trouble too much, in order to find some new plant, or make a fresh discovery about the growth of a

tree or the habits of an animal. Marvellous minuteness and

accuracy characterise all his work, and are shown not least in his

letters, which are written in elegant language, with exquisite

neatness, and in an almost microscopic hand. He is a bora

naturalist, and a scientific spirit seems to pervade all his

doings.

He never allowed his favourite studies interfere in any way

with his official duties, and was often obliged to forego the

pleasure of completing an observation or investigating some

interesting fact, because of the imperative calls of duty.

It is this high sense of duty which has prevented his

solving many riddles in African geography. It may have been thought that, with all his undoubted opportunities, he would

b