Joseph Thompson, African Explorer by J. B. Thomson details from sapnaonline

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1897. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... chapter xii. A health-quest in south africa. The explorer's arrival had been anxiously anticipated. In his letters home he had, with instinctive considerateness, made light of his bodily troubles. But the long unexplained delay of eight months at Blantyre was ominous, and meantime evil rumours of various sorts with respect to his condition had leaked out. It was variously reported in this country that he was suffering from cancer, tumour in the bladder, and other things. These circumstances had prepared his friends to expect a change in his appearance, and, when he did arrive, it wanted no skilled eye to note the traces of much sore suffering. He had left for the Zambesi the picture of health and strength, but now, despite the fact that his rest at Blantyre had done much to improve his physical condition, he was but the shadow of his former self. It was with a sense of unspeakable relief that he reached once more his father's fireside; for with his wonted hopefulness he assured himself that his native air and the treatment of experts would speedily put matters to rights with him. Merciful was the cloud that veiled from his knowledge the immediate future--the weary months and years of stress for body and mind which lay before him. Strong man as he was, even his T brave heart could not have borne tbe anticipation of his coming experiences. In his active career the courage of a manly soul had been tried in a thousand forms by privations and hardships and difficulties, by wild beasts and savage men. But not less terribly was his courage to be tried in another way. For now he had entered upon his "Valley of Shadows," when, amid the consciousness of weakness, the depressing sense of enforced inaction, and the never-ceasing burden of pain, yet with intellect clear and ...