A WOMAN'S TREK

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 744, 17 February 1910, Page 3

A WOMAN'S TREK

■/■MISS MAIt"r.:HALL'S:TRAVELS. ; ,.V Miss Mary; Hall,.'the ; English -traveller, who' arrived'rsome. weeks, ago ifrom Eng« 'land,:.with;theiinteiition'.of: resting for;a tinie -in "the Dominion to recover -.from a nervous breakdown, and :whb, immediately, went , into .the country , ! ,'-has now returned to"town, and yesterday-'a,rbpresentative"of interviovy with her. ■; , v:J(iw^!Hall''.is. , .a7middVe-agccl' : ;'.!ady;.",mtir , nothing .in :,her ■' oppearance - to, mark her ■' outs as .a -icarless, ■intrepid , ' traveller, and : o'jifi lancies that' many.a-man must have talked-; in her'; presence about his own unimportantv"littl>)' ; 'e>;p'jditiJ:iS' ; ; without- , the,: 'least'.idea, that lady was tho' heroine ; r of'--such;a remarkable journey, and certainly: rio'one T co'uld': talk, of: her adventurps in a-xalmer.-way!: l .•■■■■'.-'■ .: .:' . •{ It is-'difficult to understand'"what/spirit : .of wildVadventuro' led'.Miss -Hall; to take .such a ; jpurhey, ajour'ney #-hich' , she/,was-. |:tlie\flrst;-.white'woman,''and among , the: 'first of 'Bnglisa'pedple, to. undertake. Men' ■ haVo made , such' arduous expeditions,. .but usually ; with" some; definite object'in view , at tho end' of-tho l travels.'. Led by the , pVimitiye; instincts of the hun-: 'ter, .they have rpe'netrated'.among fast-" nessosV'-lcilliiis as they'.went;'. or, .bitten by the, more'civilised■ and:still.more jlar.ihg mania ; ,of the'collector,, they'have.-ven-fared-into the most dangerous sppts::But none of: these ; motives 'tempted Miss Mary ; .Hill."' She bogan .V cbtE'paiatirely: small 1 ,oxpc-dition,: and; wandered , ohifarther'and farther, until:■ she. 'determined.'to , maiu , the whilojjourney.:' v> ,v j-''-.-.'-y"'.' -. s/ , . .She went alone, with'only-her : escort of ,natives,..who..carried her and ; all her ■ pdraphtirnalia,''.'ciad".during her'., jnurncy' she changed her , :servants.-much'; oftener: even: than a mistress in .town: would have .iipne,-. f or.. naturaljy; the -men would only • enlist for a cortajn distance, , :and'in ,, this :must' have, been: one', of'. the '.great, danfor. if at any stage'.Miss.Hall.failed to -make new arrangements, or if her new 'escort failediher,, she .would.ihave , ':been placed , in-, a very, unfortunate position: -'■:•■ : -iFortane.smiled-.pn her,' however, all the time, Jand she. '.\yent";.through-...-.that-; 'long, "journey, .taking: eight: mpntlj.s , '■! over 'it, /without 'arij.-really. serious mishap or any; illnessi.:".Sho did;not.know.:the:language.. At :first./sight-there::seemed-no ; advantage; in 'knowing ' any;.' native , ' '.'language, -. for' ? thbre are" a , hundred, different .dialects,, and' c'afch--would; only serve:.through'i.a''small. 'district. Miss Hall■■foimttafterwards;that had ; sh2.known- Swahili,;as. her boy; did, ■she. could- have >made'herself!■ understood- ; all;.along: the; line, though not ;s\ifficiently, : to, be-' ablp. to.,- hold any" important cout: versatipns'with' the people. She. could not ■by-.'its! means have ..made .investigations into' their,, ideas, and .traditions.'' ;.. ;: .* ■'

."They .spent months, in malaria or fever districts,.but lliss.,HaU-appearecl:;'.to jbe •immune,. tjjpuglC three of "ner, men- died as'j.they: returned, froin their stage,.of the j,ourneji r .;"lt'was.a;'go6d thing that' no other woman'was .with-,me," .said' "Miss Hall,f "fo'r'Whila'l: had "the good to/..come T through; it .would: have;\bSen; al- ; ■ most, impossible, for,,.two ,of.;us to'i I been^so'-,fortnnate.":^v> , ;; .; '■!', '>'' : -'/S'-

.':■ They /.travelled.:nearly;.;'al 1./ the / time; through /country and :f orests/inf esfed with big game.' ./Miss "Hall; does "not lay much; stress/ upon" J this.; "O£ /'course,' we-: heard the': lions • rbai ■.at night,"/ she. wjs',' "aiii': ;we/u'sed, to; have-the. fires lighted ; around !,us?at .'night ,to, keep.:theiu way, and. those : lakes ; wo /'missed-- swarmed J'nyith-Arh'inqs and'.hippos" ;i and .'.she;, says/ -.it, yas : ":Wp .*:ouldv,say, ; /;"Qh,';;yes, ,-the f Jones's-were; ,at; : -church-^^^^heyvimarchedioi^aays^ajk 1 ;^':time-ron 'pne :,o.Ccasjp,-;fqr./a : Woiltlirr' ; withpu't'cpiaiiig/ac'ross; any;wWte.-pe6pley : '. 4nd\ never ..during ; that '-.hm'e'./wis /there '.aay'otief-%hit'o;'wo"maii;tq,.bo.sei;ii;: : "Qf ;'cqurse/all".tne, wayVono might/come, across'; ',i '.cb , nimjssio'rieV-'bi' , .some' otner ! official, , - and :there'^erp-.many.■.missionark's'o'f-.different , - ■sc6ts,'';'Sho';says.':-;:.;;'''; ■ ■ ~ };.'.; : >y ! .~i.','-'\;','/\ >:It■'vWaS'. interesting to know. hpw.■ one ■ ■conducted the ; im~suci ; - a. ■supply yqfj. food,:iand' milk,^.and; , ;- ftbovp'; V.-The-'natires' 'foraged .{or .•'.them-:selvesj;:-Hying:-!;:imostly:.'':'oa.f; beans ."-iand itmanas,.! and' such,..food-' a5-';.the3--..coiild , pi6k^up":iii.;thq : .villagejj, :qr near which' they';'passed.';- ;Miss ,: ]Jall : :h.ad,aU' her'ifoqd iiii. tins; 'or and! eyevjv ■ thingvhad, to'beicarried'oh, ihej heads: of' iher. escort ■ Eifce••was i a' staple, and bist cuits .with ,, condensed v milk,. and .all sorts tinned •:• things; ; : had'. ; thp .ordinary-: ■' housekeeper.'s , ! trouble , ' : . about r atilising the,le{t.-oyers.;.- : A';tin;;held-much : for. a meal,: but Ut .was;nqt till'she-found a 1 beef; jar. with: av-lcover'; in"'German": Bast Africar-as' one ..would; 'suspect—that she .had-.any- means.: of .storing fruit'for/the 'secondt. day,.'.-and .she. .remembers- I .how, p'leasant^it-.w'as'io.discoT'er.tliaf , she;had .with..'.-her;. ! .sonie: ~plum-pu(lding3,/ which kept'-without',difficulty,' and- after"a din--ner •wduld.^eryie'.for-;lunch. : .,She'-was ■"com-fortably-'proiriiioned',.'and/ill/along'-the .'route•' they;'fou^d: water':,with'-:,whictt. to. :fill ': the ;,bath;, they■ ■ carriedi -thotiga " not always-';water' -"of .'. the'.-bost'.,';. - She ■', "com-' .plained, : tp; a. German/official l of the ''water' ,t,hey. -had- along™th'eir. route , through,-his/districti: and '-'he replied thai ithey were very proud: indeed'.of their Svafe'r. .suppljy-/VWe.'.hai-e/three kinds," he" said, '■tea,''coffee;-,/and.chocolate'."-.''-'-And;;;in-deed;":"said Miss v Hali; i "it-did ,; .fust look like"; that." ■ ■ ■• : > The ■: book," ; "A ■:' : Woman's •'4.'rek,-"'.in.which 'Miss Hall tells of- her ■yiwaHef, Ms 'profusely'/ illustrated," and■• fromr: : .the-' pictures' 'one , 'gets.-a?good■ ide£t'as-'to:h'o.w-"the' travelling was •a'c'com-' plished. ; . ; One ■ shows'." Miss 'Hallin Vcamp,; sitting ::by-/her. tent.^vith'• her little portable' table; and-comfortable decfc chair,:>; aiid :■ another shows -her. Jh, the slung on; two jlongvpoles.iin which •she-/was' carried through-- the-forests'^-They; used'-to , start yery /.early.- ..in / the ..morning;' about '■'• six, :and;march'Vfor/ : three .or,four .hours'ftill it '. was« too , ' hbt: ito '■. go' any, further; -i and'. .thoy :w6uld;*cam'p.:-:fpiv' the-rest of, tho day,-the ; uat;ives>f6raging- : through the'dis--.trict: for ;fpqd.'-; ? Miss':ga'll used to walk for. tho.'first'-houpon^nost.days,-arid, then •her., bearers/'carried; her. The motion was nail ..right; ;sho ; . says, <"when' the.' nien ■ did not/' walk :;in /step,; -but-/ the:'" hammock rocked;.tdo,uiuca'when they did; ,. At,'in-teryals,-along , thV .way - there ;'were large native .'Tillages',' where it was possible to J get stores,',and"there Miss' Hall would restock .'her.!- larder,;' being quite -V satisfied even; with the', tea .that she'could obtain there. '.A.toSvnsu'ch''as;-TJ,djjdji in. German .Africa has. many : Arab shops, l and Gev- : man/officials, are president ;there, though none. of/them are .allowed; to take their •ivives;,with; them'.'into, the/interior, '-; - '

• The .scenery , ..along"'.'the;.'route, is. grand and magnificent, '■ Missl Hall: says; and, of course, the. lake'scenery is very fine, .'■it Tanganyika, v whero . three,.; steamers'. ply,they had- to 'wait weeks' at , the .'southern end before a steamer appeared, and' then it had' come' on a special mission , to bring some -"official flown.. - The journey, up , the lake took teh'.days, and- it- was"a■■disap-pointment-.-to find.; that-.tK6':steamer did not, as:usual, / once : cross • to. the 'Congo sideV;; Miss .Hall liappened never •to be in Belgian' territory during -'her : journey.* •■' ...It is- a' longaiid an interesting story,'but naturally :the chief interest 'comes in the '.'details day by'day, and-one is:'glad ; "to hearr.that. intends to'-.give f ,a lecture on the, subject'in Wellington, and as she has -a 'magnificent' set 'of.' lantern slides, it should bo. most onioyable. ■ _ English ■papers:' published •-statements that Miss Hall, intended, on leaving-New Zealand; to'visit South: America and travel up, the course .'of - the 'Amazon, -but she.\has.- , nothing-:to: ; say about this, ex-' ; cept. that; her'plans 'are. all vague: 'and nebulous. •' Before' the' summer 'ends, Miss Hall and Mrs..Leonard'Eeid,'with.whom she- is/staying/: are "going- , to' ; . Milfbrd : Sound: :- : r ; c.v: ■;>'■;-;,•■ .:v:-:-■-•■.: : .-:■.: -.

'■_: The'irioderni woman:'likes.";to; see 'all phases': of .'life'- arid .this' ouriositjr, led several 'women last night, to 'the Town' Hall to l see..the Hackenschmidt-Scott i'w'restling mateh; where they "watched" the • whole performance with keen.interest. . "-■;

■ -The fashionable.art of .beautifying the' skin with face creiims, and skin foods has "led , ,; the proprietor of the Medical Hall;': Manners • Street,;: and : the Cecil Buildings, jLambtpn ;Quay, where the Chemist Sale i.r being conducted, to "make;'a: specialty , of'these' ..preparations,' and a large and: extensive variety is being stocked,--which; includes . all the;. leading preparations throughout , the world. '.The prices .are extremely low, and compare , 'favourably with .the leading chemist's ' stores throughout the Dominion.—Advt.