Nine European assistants. 600 Zanzibari porters, plus headmen, etc., in six companies; 100 Sudanese and Somali askaris (soldiers); One steel boat, the Advance, able to carry 50 men or 100 loads; One experimental Maxim machine gun, a gift from the inventor; 500 Remington rifles for the askaris, porters, and later for Emin’s men; 50 Winchester repeaters for officers and askaris; The use of three steamers on the River Congo — the Stanley, Peace, and Henry Reed — and all the assistance the Congo Free State authorities can offer; The assistance of Tippu Tib, primarily in the form of 600 porters; 1,000 loads of supplies to carry to Emin Pasha at Lake Albert, plus provisions for the journey. The Officers Henry Morton Stanley, born into poverty in Wales, 1841. Ran away from a workhouse to America; served on both sides in the Civil War; became a journalist and explorer; “found” Livingstone in 1871; first white man to cross Africa from east to west, 1875-7. Very tough, sometimes considered brutal. Never gives up. Known in Congo as Bula Matari, “the Smasher of Rocks,” and he likes this name. Speaks Swahili and several Congo dialects. Major Edmund Barttelot, Royal Fusiliers. Second in Command; age 28; veteran of Afghanistan and the Gordon Relief Expedition. Considered efficient and aggressive but dislikes native Africans; there are a lot of them about. Lieutenant William Stairs, Royal Engineers. A picked volunteer; age 24. Canadian; likeable, highly intelligent, and sensible; clearly a man of determination. Captain Robert Nelson, late of Methuen’s Horse As Stanley says, “fairly distinguished in Zulu campaigns.” Obedient and resourceful. Mr. Arthur Mounteney Jephson, age 29. Something of a swell; gentleman volunteer with no obvious virtues beyond keenness, skill with boats, and the fact that his aunt donated 1,000 Pounds to the expedition. Mr. James Sligo Jameson, age 31. Irish naturalist and traveler with a wife in England; also paid 1,000 Pounds to join expedition. Mr. John Rose Troup, employee of the Congo Free State for three years. Not a gentleman but skilled with the natives, boats, etc.; speaks all local languages. Mr. Herbert Ward, age 24. Traveler and artist with several years in the Congo; showed up on the march with a group of porters and asked to join; speaks several local languages. Surgeon Thomas Heazle Parke, Army Hospital Corps, age 30. Irishman of genial good humor; took leave in Cairo to harass Stanley into accepting him. Sergeant William Bonny, Army Medical Corps, retired. Hired as medical assistant; definitely not a gentleman; considered at the bottom of the list, just above Stanley’s German valet; traveled 2nd class to Africa when the rest of the expedition went 1st class. Things You Should Know Each officer has a company of about 100 men, with loads, for which he is entirely responsible, in addition to any other duties he may have. The expedition has 1,000 porter loads to take to Emin Pasha, each of 60 lbs. Some are still coming upriver with Ward and Troup. It is usual to bring 20% more porters than loads to cover losses from sickness and desertion. Porters are generally irresponsible, shiftless characters prone to dancing all night, eating things that make them sick, fighting with the locals, and running off with anything that comes to hand. They can’t paddle a canoe to save their lives. If they were good workers, they’d get better jobs somewhere safe. Zanzibari porters speak Swahili, the language of the Congo slavers and their bands. Most Congo valley tribes have their own languages, generally mutually incomprehensible. Nobody likes going into the forest except for the Bambuti (pygmies) who live in its deepest recesses. Even the forest villagers fear the forest and travel by river when they can. Travel will be painfully slow even at the best of times. Some form of provision must be made for sick men. Otherwise the umpire should impose major desertions, and the London papers vilify you as a monster. Geography Downriver from Yambuya, the Aruwimi meets the Congo, which flows west at this point. Down the Congo are the Belgian posts of Bangala (500 miles), Bolobo (900 miles), Leopoldville (Stanley Pool - 1,050 miles), and Matadi (1,285 miles). Upriver are Tippu Tib’s strongholds at Stanley Falls (5 days) and Kasongo (allegedly one month). The course of the Aruwimi, known as the Ituri in its upper reaches, is largely unknown. The slavers pay better than the Europeans, move more slowly, and have a lot fewer pesky rules. Therefore, porters tend to want to change the circumstances of their employment when slaving caravans are near. Everyone is terrified of the Manyuema, the cannibal tribesmen used by the Arabs as porters (though usually enslaved villagers do the actual portering) and guards. The forest people have minimal military strength but the pygmies are famed for their poisoned darts and arrows. You can buy canoes but not many. The locals prefer to keep them and may hide their canoes when the expedition approaches, along with any other treasured possessions. The references to beads and cowrie shells indicate the method I use to keep accounting simple and suitably African by using a selection of ethnic jewelery items bought at craft shops - more about this later. Each player keeps a tally of loads for his company. Each bead represents 10 loads except for the Maxim gun and medical stores, which are less. A month’s supply of native food for the whole column costs one “dried fish, manioc, etc.” bead or one “trade goods” bead swapped for food with local villagers. For every 10 porters lost, the company’s carrying capacity goes down by one bead; i.e., 100 porters carry 10 beads, 70 carry 7, and so on. Stanley decides who hands over beads for supply purposes. If you have more beads than porters to carry them, you have a problem. Personal Briefings Copy these and give them privately to players STANLEY: Henry Morton Stanley, born into poverty in Wales, 1841. Ran away from a workhouse to America; served on both sides in the Civil War; became a journalist and explorer; “found” Livingstone in 1871; first white man to cross Africa from east to west, 1875-7. Very tough, sometimes considered brutal. Never gives up. Known in Congo as Bula Matari, “the Smasher of Rocks,” and he likes this name. Speaks Swahili and several Congo dialects. You are determined to get through and relieve Emin, though there is some dispute as to what exactly that means. You cannot fail; your reputation is at stake, and as a poor child come to fortune, you know that society will drop you like a hot potato if you fail. Most of your officers are above you socially so you like to keep them in their place; especially Barttelot, who is an arrogant, hoity-toity bastard. You regret bringing him. Oddly enough, you like Jephson. At the start of the game you must give a rousing speech. At the end you must give another speech claiming personal credit for whatever success you have achieved and putting blame elsewhere for any failure! BARTTELOT: Major Edmund Barttelot, Royal Fusiliers. Second in Command; age 28; veteran of Afghanistan and the Gordon Relief Expedition. Considered efficient and aggressive but dislikes native Africans; there are a lot of them about. My God, what a country! What people! No discipline, any of them, and Stanley is so damned full of himself. What this expedition needs is the proper military organization that only you can bring to it. Of course, the officers are against you, you can see it in all of them. At the end of the game you must write a short letter outlining the errors that you have seen on the expedition. NELSON: Lieutenant William Stairs, Royal Engineers. A picked volunteer; age 24. Canadian; likeable, highly intelligent, and sensible; clearly a man of determination. You are happy to be here on a wonderful adventure and will see it through to the end. Stanley is hard but you see it is necessary, and the men all love him. At the end of the game you must write a paragraph detailing one event that you feel to be most interesting to the Great British Public. STAIRS: Captain Robert Nelson, late of Methuen’s Horse and, as Stanley says, “fairly distinguished in Zulu campaigns.” Obedient and resourceful. You intend to serve bravely and distinguish yourself. You like this strange country and feel at home in the forest. You want to be at the forefront of events. At the end of the game you must write a short paragraph regarding the terrain, climate, etc. of any part of the forest country in a way that a fellow officer might find useful. JEPHSON: Mr. Arthur Mounteney Jephson, age 29. Something of a swell; gentleman volunteer with no obvious virtues beyond keenness, skill with boats, and the fact that his aunt donated 1,000 Pounds to the expedition. Well, it’s certainly a change from the West End and the social season, what! You are here for the jolly fun of it and will play the daring adventurer for all it’s worth. At the end of the game you must write a brief account of some bold moment of excitement where you were present. PARKE: Surgeon Thomas Heazle Parke, Army Hospital Corps, age 30. Irishman of genial good humor; took leave in Cairo to harass Stanley into accepting him. You are the expedition doctor and general science man. You will be relentlessly good humored at all times and will attempt to bring home a pygmy or a chimpanzee. At the end of the game you will write a paragraph describing him, her, it, or anything else you fancy! WARD: Mr. Herbert Ward, age 24. Traveler and artist with several years in the Congo; showed up on the march with a group of porters and asked to join; speaks several local languages. You are anxious to do well, as you want to make a career out here on the fringes of empire. At the end of the game you must draw a picture of some scene of Congo life. TROUP: Mr. John Rose Troup, employee of the Congo Free State for three years. Not a gentleman but skilled with the natives, boats, etc.; speaks all local languages. You are an artisan rather than an adventurer and don’t hold with all the foolishness shown by these daft toffs come to play explorer. You will show good sense throughout and let anyone (except Stanley) have the benefit of your blunt opinions. At the end of the game you must write a short letter to your uncle Reg telling him about the trip. JAMESON: Mr. James Sligo Jameson, age 31. Irish naturalist and traveler with a wife in England; also paid 1,000 Pounds to join expedition. You are a bold but sensitive fellow interested in botany, anthropology, and field science in general. You will show fascination at all native customs. At the end of the game you must draw a picture of some animal or quaint Congo ritual. BONNY: Sergeant William Bonny, Army Medical Corps, retired. Hired as medical assistant; definitely not a gentleman; considered at the bottom of the list, just above Stanley’s German valet; traveled 2nd class to Africa when rest of expedition went 1st class. You are tired of being treated unfairly and hold it against these bleedin’ upper clarse fools who think they are so high and mighty! Stanley’s all right, and Barttelot’s at least a regular soldier - as is Stairs - but the others. You will try and sow dissent among the toffs. At the end of the game you must give a speech to your mates in a London pub explaining how they needed you for everything! To the Mountains of the Moon: A Campaign Game An Expedition with Mr. Henry Morton Stanley, the Famous Explorer Introduction and Background Stanley's Party and Knowledge Rules Events Battle Report Historical Expedition and Bibliography Back to Table of Contents -- Courier # 90 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com