Joseph Conrad - Joseph Conrad: The Dover Reader

DOVER THRIFT EDITIONS

G ENERAL E DITOR : M ARY C AROLYN W ALDREP E DITOR OF T HIS V OLUME : A LISON D AURIO

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Copyright 2014 by Dover Publications, Inc.

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Bibliographical Note

Joseph Conrad: The Dover Reader, first published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2014, is a new compilation of works by Joseph Conrad, reprinted from authoritative sources. The Note has been specially prepared for the Dover edition.

International Standard Book Number
eISBN-13: 978-0-486-79900-1

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
79115701 2014
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Widely considered one of the greatest English-language novelists, Joseph Conrad (18571924) was born Jzef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, near Berdichev, in the Polish Ukraine during the Russian occupation. He was orphaned at the age of twelve, and eventually joined the British merchant service, becoming a master mariner and a naturalized British subject by 1886. By the time his first novel was accepted for publication in 1894, Conrad had spent nearly twenty years as a sailor, and his life at sea (much of it in Eastern waters) and his experience in foreign ports furnished the background for his writing. His fiction, which for the most part depicts the life of the seaman in the second half of the nineteenth century, takes as its preeminent themes human isolation and solidarity, the relationship between established moral codes and personal needs and desires, and the sometimes enlightening, sometimes devastating effects of extreme physical and psychological stress. Conrad also shows a deep and troubled awareness of the nature of colonialism, in particular the questions raised about Western values and self-understanding by contact with African and Asian cultures. The stories included in the present volume all draw heavily on Conrads own experiences, and are generally considered among his finest achievements in the genre.

A RRIVED AT M ATADI on the 13th of June, 1890.

Mr. Gosse, chief of the station (O.K.) retaining us for some reason of his own.

Made the acquaintance of Mr. Roger Casement, which I should consider as a great pleasure under any circumstances and now it becomes a positive piece of luck.

Thinks, speaks well, most intelligent and very sympathetic.

Feel considerably in doubt about the future. Think just now that my life amongst the people (white) around here cannot be very comfortable. Intend avoid acquaintances as much as possible.

Through Mr. R.C. have made the acqain[tan]ce of Mr. Underwood, the Manager of the English Factory (Hatton & Cookson) in Kalla Kalla. Av[era]ge com[merci]al hearty and kind. Lunched there on the 21st.

24th. Gosse and R.C. gone with a large lot of ivory down to Boma. On G.[s] return to start up the river. Have been myself busy packing ivory in casks. Idiotic employment. Health good up to now.

Wrote to Simpson, to Gov. B., to Purd., to Hope, to Capt. Froud, and to Mar. Prominent characteristic of the social life here: people speaking ill of each other.

Saturday, 28th June. Left Matadi with Mr. Harou and a caravan of 31 men. Parted with Casement in a very friendly manner. Mr. Gosse saw us off as far as the state station.

First halt, Mposo. 2 Danes in Comp[a]ny.

Sund[ay], 29th. Ascent of Pataballa sufficiently fatiguing. Camped at 11h a.m. at Nsoke River. Mosquitos.

Monday, 30th. To Congo da Lemba after passing black rocks long ascent. Harou giving up. Bother. Camp bad. Water far. Dirty. At night Harou better.

Tuesday, 1st. Left early in a heavy mist, marching towards Lufu River. Part route through forest on the sharp slope of a high mountain. Very long descent. Then market place from where short walk to the bridge (good) and camp. V.[ery] G.[ood] Bath. Clear river. Feel well. Harou all right. 1st chicken. 2 p.[m.] No sunshine today.

Wednesday, 2nd July.

Started at 5:30 after a sleepless night. Country more open. Gently andulating hill. Road good in perfect order. (District of Lukungu.)

Feel not well today. Heavy cold in the head. Arrived at 11 at Banza Manteka. Camped on the market place. Not well enough to call on the missionary. Water scarce and bad. Camp[in]g place dirty. 2 Danes still in Company.

Thursday, 3rd July.

Left 6 a.m. after a good nights rest. Crossed a low range of hills and entered a broad valley, or rather plain with a break in the middle. Met an off[ic]er of the State inspecting; a few minutes afterwards saw at a camp[in]g place the dead body of a Backongo. Shot? Horrid smell. Crossed a range of mountains, running NWSE by a low pass. Another broad flat valley with a deep ravine through the centre. Clay and gravel. Another range parallel to the first mentioned, with a chain of low foothills running close to it. Between the two came to camp on the banks of the Luinzono River. Camp[in]g place clean. River clear Gov[ernment] Zanzibari with register. Canoe. 2 danes camp[in]g on the other band. Health good.

General tone of landscape gray-yellowish (dry grass), with reddish patches (soil) and clumps of dark-green vegetation scattered sparsely about, mostly in steep gorges between the high mountains or in ravines cutting the plain. Noticed Palma ChristiOil palm. Very straight, tall and thick trees in some places. Name not known to me. Villages quite invisible. Infer their existence from cal[a]-bashes suspended to palm trees for the malafu. Good many caravans and travelers. No women unless on the market place.

Bird notes charming. One, especially, a flute-like note. Another kind of boom ressembling the very distant baying of a hound. Saw only pigeons and a few green parroquets; very small and not many. No birds of prey seen by me. Up to 9 a.m. sky clouded and calm. Afterwards gentle breeze from the N[or]th generally and sky clearing. Nights damp and cool. White mists on the hills up about halfway. Water effects very beautiful this morning. Mists generally raising before sky clears.

Section of todays road.
[a drawing: section of the days march]

General direction NNESSW

Distance15 miles.

Friday, 4th July.

Left camp at 6h a.m. after a very unpleasant night. Marching across a chain of hills and then in a maze of hills. At 8:15 opened out into an andulating plain. Took bearings of a break in the chain of mountains on the other side. Bearing NNE. Road passes through that. Sharp ascents up very steep hills not very high. The higher mountains recede sharply and show a low hilly country. At 9:30 market place.

At 10h passed R. Lukanga and at 10:30 camped on the Mpwe R.

Todays march. Direction NNEN. Dist[an]ce 13 miles. [section of the days march]

Saw another dead body lying by the path in an attitude of meditative repose.

In the evening three women of whom one albino passed our camp. Horrid chalky white with pink blotches. Red eyes. Red hair. Features very Negroid and ugly. Mosquitos. At night when the moon rose heard shouts and drumming in distant villages. Passed a bad night.

Saturday, 5th July. go.

Left at 6:15. Morning cool, even cold and very damp. Sky densely overcast. Gently breeze from NE. Road through a narrow plain up to R. Kwilu. Swift-flowing and deep, 50 yds. wide. Passed in canoes. After[war]ds up and down very steep hills intersected by deep ravines. Main chain of heights running mostly NWSE or W and E at times. Stopped at Manyamba. Camp[in]g place badin hollowwater very indifferent. Tent set at 10:15.