THROUGH CENTRAL AFRICA ON A STANDARD FOUR-WHEELED LORRY.
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The Conclusion of the Narrative Dealing with the Remarkable 7,000-mile Journey of an International 1-ton Lorry. Crossing the Sahara Desert.
IN the two preceding issues of this journal, we have recounted in an absorbingly interesting narrative the journey of Mr. C. N. King, of the general office of the International Harvester Export Co. with a standard International 1-ton lorry which he drove through Central Africa from Nairobi to Kano. The difficulties which be had to face were many, but despite their severity, they pale into insignificance before those encountered by Sir Charles Markham and Baron Blixem who completed the journey through to Algiers by way of the Sahara Desert.
The diary of Sir Charles tells a tale of fears and misgivings which brought the venture within an ace of dire disaster and, although we have not the space at our disposal to publish it in full, the resume which we give will need no imaginative elaboration to indicate the trying nature of the ordeal through which these intrepid adventurers passed on their journey across the most arid stretch of country in the world. They are ungrudging in their praise of the performance of the International lorry, which proved its worth under the most adverse conditions, and had any serious mechanical hitch occurred it is certain that this story would have remained untold. . . .
Before leaving Fort Lamy for Kano to pick up the lorry, the purchase of which had then been arranged, the Governor, Mons. de Coppet. endeavoured to persuade Sir Charles Markham to abandon his project, his reasons being (1) vehicle unsuitable, owing to smallsize tyres and the absence of a very low gear, necestary (so he said) for ploughing through sand; (2) danger of bandits, who infest the Southern Sahara, coming from Rio de Oro on the west and of 'rripolitans from the Mediterranean ; (3) lack of knowledge of the desert; (4) wrong time of the year, as water holes, if any, would be dry ; (5) high winds in April causing sand-storms. This warning went unheeded, however, although it impressed upon Sir Charles and his companion the magnitude of the task before them.
They reached Kano on March 24th last when the lorry was carefully examined and it was found in a condition that hardly suggested it had recently completed a gruelling journey of 3,000 odd miles. There were practically no tools on board, only one spare rim and tyre and no rim tool.
On March 26th all arrangements for the start had been completed. Every item to be carried was carefully weighed to keep the load down as much as possible, and the total weight was made up as follows :—Sir Charles Markham 190 lb., Baron Blixem 160 lb., native boy 120 lb., 120 gallons of petrol 1,200 lb., 6 gallons of oil 60 lb., two rolls of bedding 100 lb., two small suit eases 50 lb., one food and cooking bdx 40 lb., 1 box of tools 30 lb. and one box of sundries, photographic apparatus, etc., 50 lb. In addition, two new tyres were carried, two new ones having already been fitted on the back wheels, the old ones acting as spares—in all six spare tyres and eight tubes. The original tyres came through from Nairobi to Kano without any trouble, but as they were of the semi-low-pressure type it was felt that those on the back wheels might not stand the strain of a long desert crossing, and they were accordingly replaced by Dunlop buttressed .cords.
A start on the perilous journey was made at 1 a.m. on March 27th, the first lap being to Zincler. The colonel commanding this military post advised Sir Charles to follow the Niger as far as Gao, close to Timbuctoo, and then to travel northwards. At Can, it was said, a French company would be found that sold petrol, so 56 gallons of fuel were left at Zinder to lighten the lorry's
burden. The next day proved uneventful, although the water in the cooling system of the International boiled rather badly, owing to the excessive heat, which a thermometer showed to be 125 degrees in the shade. On March 30th Niamey, the capital of the Niger Colony, was reached. Here the tyres received attention and the lorry was thoroughly greased. The engine required no oil, and its low consumption in this • connection was a perpetual source of surprise ; only a gallon was consumed during the whole of this portion of the journey.
After leaving Niamey progress was at the rate of only 10 m.p.h., owing to the nature of the surface, and late at night the route was lost in the hills. Roadmaking in this part of the world is, says
Sir Charles, a simple matter. Small piles of stones are heaped together every 100 yards or so, but sand-storms frequently bury these landmarks for considerable stretches. After wandering about and going round in circles for some time it was decided to call a halt until the morning, but restful sleep was not possible as two lions were heard calling and there was no chance of lighting a fire.
Next morning (April 1st) the tracks, so difficult to follow the night before," were soon found and G.ao was quickly reached after plonghing through many miles of deep sand. The resistance of the sand placed a great strain on the transmission and differential, but, nevertheless, the lorry continued to function perfectly. The French cornpany already referred to was visited, but they had no petrol available and it looked like a month's delay until supplies could he sent down from Banaako, but for the fact that the captain commanding the garrison offered to advance supplies from the Government aviation stock, providing they were replaced
later. He also procured a guide to show the way as far as In Tassit, 130 Idioms. from Gao. Although marked on the map, In Tassit is, in point of fact, only a water-hole. He told Sir Charles Markham and Baron Blixem that they should follow old tracks all the way and that they might count on two more water-holes one at Tabankort and the other at .k.sselagh.
Up till now 1,680 liiloms. had been covered since leaving Kano. A winding trail through thorn-bush and around drifting sandbank brought In Tassit in view and the night was spent here. The guide was paid oft on the following morning and the small desolate outpost of Tabankort was readied several hours later.
At this point let extracts from the diary of Sir Charles continue the story, for the realistic atmosphere would be lost by attempting to paraphrase the descriptive detail. -Under date of April 2nd entries in his diary run: "This so-called post (Tabfinkort) has now been completely abandoned. How it ever existed cannot be understood. The heat is beyond description. The water was almost as salt as that in the sea. We decided not to fill our two 10gallon water drums as, according to the captain (at G-ao), we should pass another well about 60 miles farther on, where the water was said to be better. However, we filled our two 4-gallon tins, which were fixed to the running-board. Owing to the intense heat water consumption, even going at only 15 m.p.h., necessitated our filling the radiator every 10 miles. We continued on our way, no friendly heap of stones, only old six-wheeler tracks of cars belonging to the Trans-Saharan Co., which cross the desert when passengers are willing to risk their lives. These vehicles carry a complete wireless transmitting and receiving set. They can thus at any time get into communication with their base.
"On we went, the tracks in places almost impossible to see. By mid-day we had not found a water-hole, but kept going, thinking, perhaps, that the captain had made a mistake in the distances. At 6.30 p.m. we came to the conelusion that we had either missed the well or that the tracks did not lead to.it.• "We were thus faced with the alternative of either going on or of returning to pick up water at Tabankort, which, in reality, meant going back to Colo, as we should not have sufficient petrol to recontinue as from Tabankort. Either way courted death. Returning was, on the face of it, the simpler plan, but the going had been so bad that we doubted our water supply holding out. We should also have the wind behind us, mining the engine to overheat still
more. To go on would mean that we were pushing into the empty spaces of the worst desert ki the world. We had only five gallons of water left. Ali (the native) was by now reduced to a state of useless flesh; he lay at the bottom of the vehicle, moaning and crying.
" Both wrote our decisions on a bit of paper, so that neither could say that the other first suggested what to do. We both voted to go on. We were forced to dispense with food, clothing and equipment, together with our two big water drums.
"We now fully realized — perhaps for the first time— the seriousness of our situation. We felt so small, alone in this vast desert, where not even man, without his own invention (the motor vehicle) could penetrate and come out alive. A sea of sand all around us, baked by the scorching sun. There is no mercy from the desert. We passed too many tokens as it was—ships of the desert, camels. Their bones told their own tale—lack of water. Water, which at Tabankort we regarded as ob jectionable, s u d denly tasted like champagne. On we went, mile after mile, no improvement in the going except that travelling at 10 m.p.h. the vehicle consumed the minimum of water. At 2.30 a.m., overcome by exhaustion, we were compelled to stop. A small glass of water each and dry biscuits.
" April 3rd.—We started off at 5.30 a.m., neither baying much to say to the
other, The going became worse, in volving the use of corrugated iron sheets under the wheels, which otherwise would have sunk up to the axles in sand. Forward four feet. Stop, scratch sand, replace sheets. Again forward four feet, and so on for hundreds of yards on end through deep drifts of loose sand.
"At 5.30 p.m. we lost all signs of the
track. We took a wide circle, but no trace of them could be found. Our only hope lay in going on with the use of the compass. We did not even possess a decent map, only a general smallscale map of Africa. We now had less than a galloreand-a-half of water left, and were still barely half way. "Arta 4th.—Oft at 5 a.m., setting our course due north. Sand worse, if possible, than yesterday, water dwindling. We now ceased drinking. Our position was practically hopeless. At 12.30 p.m. we again ran into the old tracks. We were glad, but felt that now it scarcely mattered. At 1.30 p.m. we see a speck on the horizon. What is it?' we ask each other. It is a drum. Can it contain water? We accelerate. Empty! We cannot describe our bitter disappointment; new born hope dashed to the ground! Empty !
"At 3.30 a.m. we run into a deep sand valley. The lorry sinks in and stops, this time up to the axle. Only a quart of water left 'For the engine, or ourselves? We compromise by taking a mouthful each; the vehicle has the rest and asks for more. We jack up the lorry and again place the sheets . under the wheels. Clouds of steam emerging from under the bonnet We climb a small escarpment with considerable difficulty. What do we • see? No, it cannot be, but yes! Five drums standing in solitary state barely a milt away !
"The international is driven to the utmost Again we ran into a patch of loose sand halfway to the drums. Blixem gets out and
staggers towards them. His pace is slow, at least, sitting in the vehicle I feel it is. I see Blixem shake the nearest drum, it is apparently full, but, is it water or petrol? With feverish haste he comes back to get a spanner to open • the bung. We again use the sheets and
eventually stop alongside the drums. It takes little time to open the first drum in order to ascertain our fate.It is water ! We drink and drink the precious liquid which sends new life through our veins. We are safe! At least we feel so, al-though still only about half-way across. We see the rolling Tanesruft Desert stretching apparently dinterminably. The whole position was changed in the twinkling of an eye. It took some
time to revive poor All; natives have neither courage nor stamina.
Four drums were full and the fifth two-thirds full. This we purloined. We again started off full of hope, the sand greatly improved, enabling us to increase our average. Petrol consumption' had, naturally, been high. Had conditions continued as in the past, we should have been faced with another danger, that of running out of petrol before reaching Reggan. It appeared that the drums of water were part of the dump of the Trans-Saharan Co.
"The going for the last four hours had been excellent until the tracks came to a dead end in front of a sand dune 50ft. high. We stopped here for the night in order to snatch a few hours rest."
On the following morning a way was soon found around the dune and the going improved so much that top-gear running was possible for long periods. The lorry was now in the middle of the great Tanesruft Desert, where it has never been known to rain. The vehicle was driven right through the night, and civilization, or at least its outpostReggan—was reached at 10.30 a.m. on April 6th. Since leaving Kano 3,010 kiloms. had now been covered, the last 1,200 kiloms. without water or the sight of a human being. Roggen is the headquarters of the Trans-Saharan Co. In the early evening of the same day a halt was made at Adrah, the farthest military outpost in Southern Algeria. A day was lost here in securing a small supply of petrol—condemned aviation fuel, but the relief from driving for about 20 hours a day under terrible conditions was most welcome.
Setting out from Adrah in the evening of April 9th, Timinium was reached early the following morning. Little of outstanding importance occurred on the following day, and, after travelling over sharp flints and loose boulders, Gardya was reached. The chief troubles of the journey were virtually at an end, for from now onwards the lorry was able to travel on the world-famous Route Nationale. Further petrol supplies were secured at Laghuat, which was reached late on April 11th. The following day, which took Sir Charles Markham and Baron Blixem Algiers, was, in a way, the best, for the road traversed was in a good state and enabled a speed of 30 m.p.h. to he maintained. It was 3 p.m. on this day that Algiers was reached, and it was then found that 4,535 kiloms. had been covered in 16 days.
From Kano to Algiers the engine consumed 156 gallons of petrol, sand, as already said, 1 gallon of oil. The tyres gave no really serious trouble and behaved well when one considers that they had to travel over thorn-bush, hills strewn with stones and loose sand, which became so hot that it was scarcely possible to touch it From Algiers the vehicle was taken to Marseilles and then to Paris. It can now be seen id the London showrooms of the International Harvest2r Co. of Great Britain, Ltd., 259, City Road, E.C.1.
Thus ended a journey begun and carried out without any previous experience of the route or special prepara
tions of any kind. As Sir Charles Markham says, if he were asked to state why the crossing of the Sahara was made, it would be difficult to answer, beyond admitting that the seemingly impossible was attempted and successfully accomplished.