Henry Morton Stanley probably belonged to the 1990s rather than the Victorian era. As a journalist and explorer, he had the self-belief, drive, and thirst for publicity more easily recognised in a modern celebrity. His childhood in a Welsh orphanage and subsequent emigration to the United States tell us a great deal about his personality, but we are not here to physco-analyse the man, merely to briefly summarise his adventures and how we can translate some of them into adventures of the table-top variety.

We will be focussing on the 1874-77 trip (that's right three years!) across Africa.

Stanley first rose to prominence after his 1871 "discovery" of Livingstone at Ujiji. The expedition that gave rise to one of the most well worn quotes in history started in the mind of New York Herald editor, James Gordon Bennet. Bennet asked Stanley, a reporter who had earlier covered the Ashanti and Abyssinian wars, to attend the opening of the Suez Canal, visit other places in the east and then, as an afterthought, find Livingstone. This adventure is recounted in Stanley's "How I Found Livingstone". This trip is not the subject of this piece, but it did highlight Stanley's modus operandi for later expeditions i.e. meticulously planned and well equipped.

His last famous trip is his 1887-89 Emin Pasha relief expedition. Emin, the Khedive's Governor of Equatoria, was believed to be lost or being attacked by Mahidists. This, the last and most controversial of Stanley's great trips in Africa, is recounted in "In Darkest Africa".

Sandwiched between these were years of work in the Belgian Free State over the period 1979-84 (see Pakenham's "The Great Scramble" for an excellent account of this deception practiced by Leopold of Belgium) and an epic trip across Africa over 1874-77. This is the trip that we will be studying further.

Brief Background

The objective of the expedition was threefold:

• to circumnavigate Lake Victoria and establish whether it was a lake (and thereby verify Speke's opinion);
• circumnavigate Lake Tanganyika;
• and travel the course of Livingstone's Lualaba River to determine if it joined the Congo and then follow its course.

What Stanley actually accomplished is still hard to believe. He basically explored East/Central Africa's Great Lakes in one half of the trip and then followed the course of the Congo to the Atlantic in the other half. The crossing of the continent took 999 days in all.

The best way to describe the outcome of the decision is to quote Stanley verbatim:

"The left detachment under chief "' Farjalla Christie, were soon thrown into disordered, and were killed to a man except the messenger who brought us the news, imploring for the reserve, as the enemy were now concentrated on the second detachment Manwa Sera was therefore despatched with fifteen men, and arrived at the scene only in time to save eight of the second detachment. The third plunged boldly on, but lost six of its number, the fourth, under chief Safeni behaved prudently and well, and as fast as each enclosed village was taken, set it on fire. But ten other men despatched to the scene retrieved what the third had lost, and strengthened Safeni."

The survivors returned around 4pm with much-needed grain, goats and oxen. 21 "soldiers" and one messenger were killed in the day's fighting, and three wounded.

The Wanyaturu returned the next day, but were driven off by volley fire. The expedition was able to leave the day after.

What are we to make of this whole episode? Stanley himself did not wish to dwell on the matter of the causalities, spending as many words as I have above in describing their losses. 21 out of 70 fighting men lost in one day in a trip that lasted nearly three years (therefore without the possibility of replenishing fighting men) was surely a huge loss. The amount of time that Stanley spends in two volumes on incidents minor in comparison must leave one wondering about his desire to gloss over these losses a little.

It would appear to the writer that Stanley realised that he had made a huge error in splitting his force into such small groups. He says as much himself in describing the next day's fighting: "but upon the return of the Wangwana [his soldiers], instead of dividing them into detachments I instructed them to proceed in a compact body".

He could not have known the numbers of natives he was actually fighting and he appeared to leave command of the detachments to natives. Where were the four Europeans? Basically it was a disaster waiting to happen.

The above fight with the Wanyaturu was the main incident of interest in the first half of the trip. Other skirmishes took place whilst exploring the Great Lakes, especially in concert with the Bugandan king, Mtesa.

The second half of the trip was deadlier than the first with Stanley and men battling disease, cannibals, rapids and starvation along their descent of the mighty Congo River.

Of the original 356 people who set out with Stanley, 114 survived to reach Boma after 999 days of most extraordinary adventure.

BACKGROUND

Your name is Farjilla and you are a chief (i.e senior Askari or soldier) in Bwana Stanley's expedition across Africa in 1874. Some three months ago you left the island of Zanzibar and are now located near a couple of villages of the Wanyaturu tribe. Sickness and desertion have already taken their toll on the party with its original strength of 356 reduced by 20 dead and 89 deserters.

The last few days have seen more problems. The tribes along the route have become reluctant to part with food, as recent harvests have not been good. No amount of beads or wire will induce them to sell to you.

If this wasn't enough of a -problem, a small party of bearers failed to come into camp last night. A straggler stumbled in this morning with a story that local tribesmen attacked the group, killing everyone else. The tribesmen also took the loads that the bearers were carrying and two bullocks that were the parties last hope.

Bwana Stanley says that you must take a small group of Askaris and search for two very important loads that must be returned. You have a force of five Askaris and two bearers to retrieve the goods. Bwana Stanley says that you only have a short time to get them before the party has to move on. Don't be late, or else .....

THE GAME

1. The Game will consist of ten moves. In effect you will be competing against groups of tribesmen plus the other players who have similar objectives to you;

Your efforts will be measured by the following points system:

Each Askari safe back with the expedition 10 pts each
Each bearer safe back with the expedition 5 pts each
The loads required by Stanley 15 pts each
Bonus if you (Fadilla) reach the expedition 10 pts
Each Enemy killed 4 pts

(note that all points are halved if the expedition has not been reached within the ten)

2. You will have a deck of 14 cards, one drawn each round. Act as follows:

"Danger" - groups of tribesmen and Ruga-Ruga (bandits), controlled by the umpire, will appear at set places on the table.

"Chance" - Act as directed.
3. Movernent

Askaris normal: 24 inches
Rough ground: half movement

4. Firing - -all your men fire at Base Factor 7, you fire at Base Factor 7. Note following ranges and modifiers:

Rifle - Inches

Short 0-8
Medium 8-15
Long 16-30

Range short +1
Range long -2
Enemy cover -2
Leader +1
Stationary this move +1

Throw D20. You must throw below the modified Base Factor to kill. AlI Askaris fire once per move.

5. Hand to Hand Combat - Must be in base contact for HTH. Base Factor 7 again, plus/minus following modifiers:

Leader -+1
Charging +1
Wounded -1
Spear-armed tribesman +1

Roll DA and add to modified Base Factor.
+1 higher than opponent, opponent is wounded and roll again next move.
+2 higher, opponent is killed.

6. Turns - Turns are structured as follows:

• Draw Card;
• Place Enemy on table ( if appropriate), they cant move in their first move on table;
• Move Enemy, then Askaris,
• Fire Askaris then Enemy;
• HTH simultaneous

Acknowledgments - Thanks to Wes Plamer and John Chadderton for their assistance and Nic Robson for his inspiration.

CHANCE: You meet a group of Zanzibari slavers, headed by the infamous Tippu Tib, on the way to Mombassa. Your Arabic is not too good. What do you greet them with?:

a) Ummik hal deek roomee!;
b) Sabaah al-khaqr!; or
c) Matta yaftah al- mathaf?

Answer:

a) Tippu looks as if his head is going to explode, you just told him that his mother is a turkey. He draws a sabre and swings at you, but you dodge the thrust. Firing breaks out along the line.

b) Tippu smiles broadly and replies good morning and Allah bless you and your children. He asks what you are doing and you reply accordingly. He says that he has heard of Bula Matari and says that he is happy to help. He gives you two of his men for a couple of hours.

c) Tippu smiles weakly and whispers something to the man behind him and they both start laughing. the Zanzibari column keeps on moving. You asked him "When does the museum open?"

CHANCE

Barring you way is a old witchdoctor, speaking in a tongue that none of you understand. He is surrounded by a circle of human skulls and you sense that your men are starting to edge backwards. Roll a d10 for each man:

1 The man runs as fast as he can towards camp. Roll each turn, he has a 50% chance of returning;
2 The man is clearly terrified, but moves on in a trance. He cannot fire or fight for two turns;
3 - 10 OK, proceed as normal.

CHANCE

Tramping through the African bush is a dangerous past-time. One of your men steps on a Puff Adder. No problem, its only the fifth most venomous snake in the world. It could have been a lot worse! Roll a D10:

1-3 Death is instantaneous, sorry;
4-5 The man may not move, but may fire for two more moves if needed at -1 to fire factor, then dies;
6-8 He goes beserk, shooting at random, roll D10 again. 1-2 someone else killed as well, 3-6 no affect. Bitten Askari then dies;
9-10 By a miracle, one of the other Askaris has a family cure for fixing Puff Adder bites and the bitten man survives.

CHANCE

Dada, the herd-boy who is accompanying you to bring back the cattle, loses himself in the bush. You have the choice:

a) lose one turn to find him, then resume your movement; or
b) forget about him, but you have to allocate one of your men to drive the cattle who is then unable to 1 fire/fight.

CHANCE

Suliman and Azeem argue over Suliman's wife. You attempt to settle the dispute. Roll D10:

1- 2 Suliman is unable to be calmed down and shoots Azeem;
3- 4 You are suddenly the bad-guy (OK so You also liked Suliman's's wife). Suliman lunges at you with a knife, wounding you. Lose your +1 for the rest of the game. You can regain it by shooting him!;
5 - 10 You have all the wisdom of the Gods, both men agree to settle their differences. You may add another +1 for the rest of the game.

CHANCE

Maria Sera forgot to pack all of his cartridges and only has the one in the chamber, plus one more. He has only two more rounds of firing allowed.

CHANCE

Bwana Stanley feels concerned for your safety and sends a small detachment to your assistance. They move and fight as normal Askaris - and are under your control once they reach you.

CHANCE

Bwana Stanley feels concerned for your safety and leaves the stockade to give you covering fire when you return. He fires at Factor 6 with three shots per turn (Winchester)

CHANCE

Abu, one of the porters, brings out a funny smelling substance that all of the men quickly eat. Soon you have Askaris failing all over the place. Lose one turn

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Add six inches to movement this turn only.

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Add six inches to movement this turn only.

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Encounter some soft ground. Lose six inches movement this turn

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Lose six inches movement this turn

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Roll D1 0. Add that number to your movement this turn.

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Roll D1O. Add that number to your movement this turn.

RANDOM MOVEMENT

Roll D10. Deduct that number to your movement this turn.

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