The
Land of the Long Night
The
Land of the Long Night
By
Paul Du Chaillu
Author of "The Viking Age," "Ivar the Viking," "The
Land of the Midnight Sun," "Exploration
in Equatorial Africa," etc.
Illustrated by M. J. Burns
New York
Charles Scribner's Sons
1901
Copyright, 1899,
By Charles Scribner's Sons.
University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A.
TO
EX-CHIEF JUSTICE CHARLES P. DALY
As I write this dedication, dear Judge Daly, a flood of recollectionscomes over me of unbroken friendship and great kindnesson your part and that of your wife, whose memory I venerate andcherish. This friendship has never faltered for a moment, but hasgrown stronger and stronger as the years have rolled by. Fortunateis the man who wins for himself two such friends! I have neverceased to remember the warm interest you and your noble-heartedwife took from the first in my explorations in Africa. I can onlygive you in return love and devotion for all the kindness I haveexperienced at your hands.
Your devoted friend,
Paul Du Chaillu.
September 1,
1899.
Introduction
My Dear Young Folks:
Friend Paul has led many of you into the greatEquatorial Forest of Africa. We met there manystrange and wild tribes of men, and lived among cannibalsand dwarfs or pygmies. We hunted together,and killed many elephants, fierce gorillas, leopards,huge crocodiles, hippopotami, buffalos, antelopes,strange-looking monkeys, wonderful chimpanzees ofdifferent varieties,—some of them white, others yellowor black,—and many other kinds of animals.
In this book I am going to take you to a very differentpart of the world. I am going to lead youtowards the far North, to "The Land of the LongNight,"—a land where during a part of the year thesun is not seen, for it does not rise above the horizon,and in some parts of the country does not show itselffor sixty-seven days, during which time the moon,stars, and the aurora borealis take its place.
"The Land of the Long Night" is a land of darkness,of snow, of wind, and at times of intense cold;and we shall have a long journey before us, and shallhave to change horses and vehicles at many poststations, and at those places we shall get meals andlodgings.[viii]
When once in "The Land of the Long Night,"we shall roam far and wide—east, west, north—overa vast trackless region, covered with deep snow, drawnby reindeer instead of horses, and sometimes we shallwalk or run with skees, which are the snowshoes ofthat country, and very unlike those used by ourIndians.
We shall sleep on the snow in bags made of reindeerskins, follow the nomadic Laplander and hisreindeer, live with him and sleep in his kåta or tent.We shall hunt wolves, bears, and different kinds offoxes and other animals, and sail and fish on thestormy Arctic seas.
We shall have plenty of fun, in spite of the snow,the terrific wind, and the