German composition

Section 150 Mr. Stanley’s Letter (Continued) — II

Dear Sirs,

Though⁠1 strangers, I feel we shall be great friends, and⁠2 I shall always remember my feelings of gratefulness, when I first caught sight of your supplies, and my poor, faithful, and brave people cried out: “Master, we are saved!—food⁠3 is coming!” The old and the young—the men, the women, and the children—lifted their wearied and worn-out⁠4 frames⁠5, and began to chant lustily an⁠6 extemporaneous song, in⁠7 honour of the white people by (an) the great salt sea (the (S. 53, N. 9) Atlantic) who had listened to their prayers. I had⁠8 to rush to my tent to hide the tears that would issue⁠9, despite all my attempts to composure⁠10.

Gentlemen, that the blessing of God may attend your footsteps whithersoever⁠11 you go, is the very earnest⁠12 prayer of

Yours faithfully,

H. M. Stanley,

Commanding the Anglo-American Expedition.—

H. M. Stanley, “Through the Dark Continent.”

Notes

1 obgleich wir uns noch fremd sind.

2 Say ‘and I shall never forget the feelings of gratefulness which I experienced (empfinden, insep. comp. str. v.), when’, etc.

3 Say ‘there come provisions’!

4 abgemagert.

5 Körper, m., which use in the Sing.

6 ein aus dem Stegreife entworfenes Lied; to chant = to sing.

7 in — people, den Weißen... zu Ehren; the words zu Ehren must be placed at the end of the clause.

8 Use the Imperfect of müssen.

9 to issue = to break forth, hervor´brechen.

10 to composure = to compose myself.

11 The adverbial clause ‘whithersoever you go’ may be briefly rendered by the adverb ‘stets’.

12 earnest = sincere; faithfully, ergeben (adject.).