2 Chapetr 1.1

Chapter 2

Tanganyika

German East Africa

On the previous day Garnier and his group had abandoned the camp on the shores of Lake Tanganyika; the road was clearly defined in the middle of the forest probably by the frequent transit of mourning caravans of slaves and their captors, so that the travelers were proceeding apace. At a bend in the road, Tswamba, who was always in the forefront, suddenly raised his hand indicating his companions that they should stop immediately. Garnier cocked his rifle in anticipation of danger but it was too late. A number of men armed with rifles trained on them unexpectedly emerged from the trees along the trail.

“Ascaris.” Mused Djamba.

The second in command was referring to the disciplined native troops of the German colonial army, which years later would be distinguished in combat during World War II.

Knowing that resistance was useless Garnier lowered his rifle and told his men to leave the packages on the ground. After a few moments two white men with uniforms and helmets of the Schutztruppe, the German colonial army, appeared at the nearby bend in the road . They were a dapper young officer with the rank of lieutenant and a burly sergeant with a big blond mustache.

“ I'm Lieutenant Helmut Westkamp.” The young man identified himself speaking directly in French, with a strong German accent. “ Who are you and what are you doing in this region?”

“My name Alain Garnier, I am a forestry technician and am locating good sites to clear and later reforest with Hevea brasiliensis. I work for a Belgian company that also has connections with other German companies.”

In saying this Alain extended some documents certifying his identity and mentioning his Belgian nationality and letters of presentation signed by the alleged Belgian company asking that their representative be given free passage and protection by the authorities of the places where they circulated.

“Hevea brasiliensis. I see, that is the rubber tree.” Said the German officer.

Alain was quite surprised by the fact that a military knew the scientific name of the tree he had mentioned but assumed that with all the publicity the rubber tree was having on the world as the new big business of the torrid regions, Westkamp could have heard the term; this surprise would not be the last he was to receive from the officer. The German started then asking some questions about the exploitation of rubber, with the obvious purpose of corroborating the story he was hearing, but Garnier was well prepared to answer them. He was well aware that raising doubts meant being apprehended as a spy which in those times and in that region could mean being shot by a firing Ascari platoon.

Westkamp finally seemed satisfied with the interrogation.

“Well. And what are your next steps?”

“We're going to continue along this path until we reach the Indian Ocean.”

“ It’s a more than 1200 kilometers ride.”

“We have a whole year to complete our study. Anyway we will not stay away of the caravans trails.”

“So you will follow the footsteps of the slaves and ivory traders.” The German´s face showed distaste, which seemed a good sign to Garnier.

“Yes, they are the only geographical references we have.”

“And what will you do in the immediate future?”

“Set up a camp, the night is advancing fast in the jungle.”

“Well, we will escort you to our barracks. You may place your tents there and be safe from the beasts of twos and fours that infest these forests. Follow us!” The lieutenant momentarily stepped away but then turned back to look at Alain and added.

“Tonight you will be my guest for dinner. We do not get many visits from white men around here. Do you accept?”

“With pleasure.”

“At seven is right?”

“ At seven.”

The small contingent followed the officers and the Ascaris until they eventually reached a small native village, which included a military post, a church and a larger building, all surrounded by a wall of logs. Westkamp led the visitors into the village and showed them the most relevant constructions

“This is the school.” Expressed Westkamp pointing to one bricks and mortar building.

“School? For whom?”

“For the black children. Germany takes seriously its civilizing role.” The tone used by the officer evinced pride. “Otherwise our presence on these sites would make no sense.”

The statement surprised Alain, who had only seen greed in the actions of the colonizers, and even brutality in the case of the Belgians, who were accused of being responsible for countless killings and mutilations. He realized that the German was sincere but wondered whether he was naïve or had been brainwashed before arriving in Africa. The Frenchman shook his head in order to keep his own cynical thoughts away.

Garnier and his followers raised their small camp on the outskirts of the village, and therefore were not really protected by the stockade that surrounded it, but the bonfires lit every hundred meters and the sentries patrolling the boundaries provided a sense of security that they had been missing for weeks. Minutes before seven Garnier, already washed and shaved, showed up at the town gate. The sentries, no doubt warned of his coming, let him cross the door without asking any questions. The order and cleanliness prevailing everywhere surprised the visitor so accustomed to chaos and grime of native hamlets of Africa. He went without hesitation to the building that served as headquarters of the reduced garrison. As soon as he stroke the wooden door with his knuckles it was opened immediately by a Ascari dressed with an impeccable uniform, who led him to a large room where a large table surrounded by a dozen chairs, and two armchairs around a small table and some shelves with books stood out. Alain walked unhesitatingly toward the shelves and avidly took several of the books in his hands, placing them afterwards in another small table. As he expected most of the books were written in German, but there were also some written in French and in English. Garnier was completely absorbed in his reading when he heard a slight cough behind him; turning around he found Westkamp who had likely been watching him for some time.

“Excuse me ...” Sputtered Garnier a bit confused. “But I haven´t held a book in my hands for months. I found their touch pleasant.”

“Please take your time, look all you want. I know what you mean. This tiny library is my treasure.”

Alain was leafing through a treaty of Thermodynamics in German and his host asked.

“Are you familiar with the principles of Thermodynamics?”

“Yes, although I have some doubts about the scope of the second principle. I find it confusing Clausius´ statement based on the experiences of Carnot.”

“Do you know the concept of entropy?”

“ Yes, I find the second principle clearer when expressed in these terms.”

Garnier left the treaty of Thermodynamics on the shelf and explored the bottom shelf until he suddenly came upon a worn book on whose cover he read.

“Das Kapital”

Karl Marx

The discovery astounded him; finding such a book in a German barracks in the middle of the African jungle was indeed something totally unexpected.

“What has called your attention?” Asked Westkamp; Alain noticed that for the first time he was talking to him in a colloquial way.

“The First volume of Marx's Capital.”

“Have you read it?”

“No, but I am aware of its conclusions.”

Thus insensibly the barriers between these two men belonging to two different nations that over time had been and would remain rivals and even enemies began to break. Indeed, each of them owned a broad culture in their time with many points of contact. In their chat both young men discovered similarities and differences in each other´s points of view, warmly sustained in their somewhat unlikely discussions in the middle of the African rainforest. A native servant well dressed and wearing white gloves suddenly appeared at the door. Seeing him Westkamp interrupted his sentence and said.

“Alain. Dinner is ready. Let´s eat and then we can continue this talk.”

After dinner the German offered Garnier a cigar and both men smoked sitting in their armchairs, discussing the realities of the policies of the colonial powers in Africa. At one point Helmut rose from his chair and said.

“Come, come with me. Let's leave the barracks and go to a house I own in this village.”

“Do you have a house in the village? That does surprise me.”

Both young men left the military building and walked a few hundred meters to a brick house with a roof of metal sheet, one of the few built in that way with the exception of the church and the school. Helmut entered the construction followed by Alain. Several kerosene lamps lit the room that looked ample and comfortable. As she heard the sounds of the arriving men an African young woman appeared at the door of what was obviously the kitchen. Tall and slender, with a blackened skin, harmonious face and bright eyes, the lady was dressed in a robe of bright colors with a typical African design; her overall type was elegant and delicate.

“Alain. Let me introduce you to Adia, she is ... my fiancée.”

The revelation caused great surprise to the Frenchman, along with a certain admiration for his new friend. In the late nineteenth century this claim was totally unusual, particularly coming from an army officer trained at the Prussian school. Alain approached her, took the woman's hand and formally kissed it.

“The name Adia means gift of the gods.” Helmut reported.

“Totally justified.” Replied Garnier making the women blush.

Adia turned out to be an educated person, from a princely family in the area, and had studied in religious schools in Dar-es- Salaam. She was serving as a teacher in the local school and provided help in an emergency room in town. Her conversation was fresh and vivid, a completely new experience for Alain in relation to an African woman.

The visit lasted long hours until finally Helmut said.

“Well, we must leave now as Adia has to open the school early morning and I must go on patrol with my men.”

On reaching his camp Alain saw Djamba was still awake.

“You´re not waiting for me, are you?”

“Yes I am! I got anxious about your tardiness. I did not know what those Germans could do to you.”

Garnier could not help laughing.

“Thanks Mama.”

Three days after the pleasant evening with Westkamp, Garnier and his men left the protection offered by the village and went into the savannah that covers much of this part of Eastern Africa. Their goal was to travel north toward the distant Lake Victoria, instead of reaching directly the Indian Ocean to the east. The landscape alternated thick forest patches still existing at that time with the prairies where tree cover does not form a continuous canopy, but baobabs and other species are relatively far apart. Politically they were heading from Tanganyika under German rule towards the British possessions in Kenya and Uganda, which however were still far north.

One day at noon Tswamba, who, as scout usually walked ahead in order to explore the way, returned quite excited and mumbled something that, as often happened, Alain failed to understand. The manyema then addressed Djamba and spoke in Swahili. The latter smiled and approached Garnier.

“Lieutenant, Tswamba brought news that will please you.”

“I told you not to call me lieutenant, at least in German territory, because it can cost us our necks. Well, what are this news?”

“A few kilometers north the Arabs we first found in Ujiji have camped.”

The news brought joy indeed to the Frenchman, who however pretended to be unaffected.

“And why would that please me? In Ujiji they pointed their muskets at us every time we approached.”

“But there is also the Arab girl.”

“Damned African gossipers. Mind your own domestic affairs and not mine.”

That said Garnier turned around so that his men would not see the smile on his face. He sighed and thought.

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