From: "Roger Deal" Subject: The Search for Emin Pasha The Search for Emin Pasha A variant for “Source of the Nile” by Roger F. Deal, Esq. This variant is an attempt to recreate, if not the exact facts, at least the “experience’ of H.M. Stanley’s 1887-1889 expedition to “rescue’ Emin Pasha, aka Eduard Schnitzer, from the heart of Africa. In reality, Stanley’s expedition was larger than portrayed here but the system just is not able to handle something of that scope. Likewise, most of the ground covered by this expedition had been covered by Stanley himself in a previous expedition (1874-1877), but, in an attempt to capture the extreme hardships and uncertainties involved, all hexes will be treated as ‘unexplored’. This is basicly a solo game but may be played by a two or three player team with each player represented by a different explorer. The beginning expedition consists of Henry Morton Stanley aka John Rowlands aka Bula Matari (a journalist), two secondary explorers with no special abilities (Major Edmund M. Bartlett. 7th Fusiliers and Captain Rupert Nelson, Metheun’s Horse) one guide (Herbert Ward, an old African hand. He can fight as an explorer.), six askaries, a total of ten men, plus six rifles, in addition to those the askaries come with, one Gatling which constitutes two loads, the gun and its ammunition, twenty gifts, 150 rations (a total of 328 loads for the steam launch) and the steam launch ‘Advance’. They begin at the mouth of the Congo and must cross the continent west to east, picking up Emin Pasha on the way and deliver him to the east coast opposite Zanzibar. The ‘Advance’ is a steam launch which will be treated as a canoe with the following vital exceptions: - It has a capacity of 500 portage points. The expedition begins with 328 points. - It can be operated by two men in good health one of whom must be an explorer. It will not drift with the current. - It runs on wood available in any forest hex. If it begins movement in a non-forest hex it requires 5 loads of wood transported from a forest hex in order to move that turn. - It will not transport animals. - It cannot pass cataracts on the water. - It can be disassembled and assembled. Each operation requires one MP of an expedition moving on foot. When disassembled it consists of eight sections which each require two men to move. - It is not capsized by storms but each such event does eliminate half the rations on board. Before beginning, Emin Pasha, represented by the ‘Dr Livingston’ counter and two blank counters, randomly and inverted, are placed 5 hexes directly west of Zanzibar and two hexes north and south of that. The player begins with ‘good’ events, each of which may be played once. They may be played at any time during any turn but, only one per turn and, once played, are gone. Note that Parke and Stairs cannot be taken as casualties. The events are: - Dr. Thomas H. Park, the expedition’s medical officer, may cure all explorers currently with Stanley including the great man himself. - Lt. William G. Stairs, Royal Engineers, may lead the defense to a hostile native attack. He is the equivalent of two askaries. - The gatling may assist in the defense against a hostile native attack. It is the equivalent of two askaries. If the gatling has been lost or abandoned this is not available. Once played, the gatling is no longer carried. - Mazamboni, chief of the Yobami, provides either ten bearers for one turn or 20 rations, player’s choice. - Scottish missionary Alexander Mackinnon provides ten rations to one party in a veldt hex. - Six carriers join one party or one canoe is found. There are also possible extraordinary bad events. At the start of each turn the player rolls 2d6 and consults the following table: 7 = Tippu Tib causes all bearers adjacent or on the Congo River or its tributaries to desert. More may be acquired. 8 = Pygmies ambush one random group in a jungle hex with a strength of ‘S’ 6 = Kilonga-longa, the Arab slaver, extorts up to five rations, gifts or rifles from any one party having such in a jungle hex. 9 = One guide or explorer (randomly determined, but not Stanley) is murdered by a disgruntled bearer (who deserts with one ration). Happens only once. If there currently are no bearers or no other explorers, treat as no event. 5 = Disgruntled Egyptian officers imprison Emin Pasha. Once found, the party must free him by defeating a ‘M’ force in a standard attack. Happens only once. 4 = The guide, Herbert Ward, quits in disgust. Happens only once. If Ward is dead or has quit for some other reason, treat as no event. If any of these events occur, no event card is drawn. Once Emin Pasha is found he must be persuaded to leave. At the start of each turn after he is found roll 1d6. On a 5 or 6 he will leave with the party (and this roll does not need to be made again). Add 1 to the roll if Stanley is with Emin. On the other hand, if Stanley is alone, Emin will no leave at all. Emin will leave with 30 rations, ten carriers and five dependents. The latter are of no use but they do consume rations. If any dependents are left Emin will refuse to move and must be persuaded all over again. If the last (fifth) dependent is left behind or otherwise lost he will refuse to move at all as this is his daughter, Farida. (Farida’s mother, an Abyssinian, had died three years ago. Farida herself spent the rest of her life in Germany and died in the influenza epidemic of 1923.)