German composition

Section 147 Mr. H. M. Stanley’s Appeal for Supplies. — II

I want 300 cloths⁠1, each four yards long, of⁠2 such quality as you trade with, which is very different from that we have; but⁠3 better than all would be ten or fifteen man-loads of rice or grain to fill the pinched⁠4 bellies immediately, as⁠5 even with the cloths it would require time to purchase food, and starving people⁠6 cannot wait. The supplies must arrive within two days, or⁠7 I may have a fearful time of it among the dying. Of course I hold myself responsible for any⁠8 expense (S. 16, N. 10) you⁠9 may incur in the business. What is wanted is immediate relief, and I pray you to⁠10 use your utmost energies to forward it at once. If (App. § 21) you have such little luxuries⁠11 as tea, coffee, sugar, and biscuits by you, such⁠12 as one man can easily carry, I beg you on⁠13 my own behalf that you will send a small supply⁠14 and⁠15 add to the great debt of gratitude due to you upon the timely arrival of the supplies for my people. Until⁠16 that time I beg you to believe me,

Yours sincerely,

H. M. Stanley,
Commanding⁠17 the Anglo-American Expedition
for⁠18 the Exploration of Africa.

P.S. You⁠19 may not know me by name, I therefore add, I⁠20 am the person that discovered⁠21 Livingstone in 1871. H. M. S.—H. M. Stanley, “Through the Dark Continent.”

Notes

1 cloths = pieces of cloth.

2 of — have = and of that quality with which you trade, which is quite different from ours.

3 but — grain = but still better would be (Pluperf. Subj.) as much rice or grain as ten or fifteen men (Leute) can carry.

4 = hungry stomachs.

5 as — food = as (after which place the subject ‘we’), even in the possession of the cloths, we should yet want time to exchange provisions for them (S. 4, N. 5, B).

6 die Hungerleidenden.

7 or — dying, Liter. = if (after which place the subject ‘I’) among the dying I shall (soll) not experience (durchle´ben) a dreadful time (App. § 18).

8 any = all.

9 die Ihnen aus dieser Angelegenheit erwachsen mögen.

10 to — once = to do the (= your) utmost in your power (sein Äußerstes thun) and to send us the same (to agree with relief) at once.

11 Luxusartikel; to have by oneself = to possess.

12 such = about as much.

13 on — behalf = for my own person.

14 supply = quantity.

15 and — people = and thereby still to increase (vergrößern) the great debt of (S. 3, N. 2) gratitude, to which I shall be in duty bound to you (einem verpflichtet sein) after the timely (rechtzeitig) arrival of the supplies (Warensendung).

16 Bis dahin empfehle ich mich Ihnen hochachtend und ergebenst.

17 Kommandierender der.

18 zur.

19 = Perhaps is my name unknown to you.

20 I — that = that it is I, who.

21 auf´finden, of which use the Perfect.