A CRITICAL EDITION OF JOSEPH CONRAD'S "AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS" by ROBERT T^DSWORTH HOBSON, B . A . , M.A. A DISSERTATION IN ENGLISH Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved December, 1977
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Transcript
A CRITICAL EDITION OF JOSEPH CONRAD'S
"AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS"
by
ROBERT T^DSWORTH HOBSON, B . A . , M.A.
A DISSERTATION
IN
ENGLISH
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Approved
December, 1977
'Xb W- 3U3?
'/5i ., Table of Contents / •
General Introduction iii
Text 1
History of the Text 39
Autograph Manuscript 51
Macmillan Copyright Copy 55
Cosmopolis 62
Tales of Unrest 65
Doubleday Sun-Dial and Concord 72
Reprintings of "Outpost" 74
Textual Apparatus 80
Emendations 81
Textual Notes 9 5
Historical Collation 99
Word-Division Ill
Substantive Alterations in the Manuscript . . . . 112
Bibliography 138
11
General Introduction
"An Outpost of Progress," the second short story in
the Conrad canon, is the author's only work besides Heart
of Darkness to be set in the Belgian Congo. It is about
two novice trading agents who, isolated for several months
in their remote station, gradually succumb to the immoral
"land of darkness and sorrow" and ultimately destory each
other. The forbidding mise-en-scene is organic to the story,
and Conrad enhances the mythic qualities of his central
African setting with such demonic accoutrements as a cor
rupt native who worships the Evil Spirit, a Stygian river
that has no beginning or end, a tainted trove of ivory tusks,
a bestial river-steamer with a whistle that shrieks like
"some exasperated and ruthless creature," and a cross, which
in this macabre story is a hellish engine of pain and death
rather than a symbol of redemption.
The plot is decidedly melodramatic. The Managing
Director of the Great Trading Company places two of his less
promising agents in charge of an obscure trading post on an
unidentified river in the Congo. It is clear from the first,
however, that Makola, a larcenous native interpreter-scribe-
accountant, actually runs the place. Kayerts, who is made
station chief, has been a city-dwelling bureaucrat for the
iii
iv
past seventeen years. Carlier, his assistant, is a former
noncommissioned officer of cavalry and a chronic misfit.
Both of these amateur mercantilists have hopes of amassing
huge commissions on the ivory trade with a minimum of effort.
A few yards from the station house lies the original chief,
whose grave is marked by a tall cross.
As the months pass the agents begin to miss home.
Even these two habitually torpid creatures become bored with
the monotonous jungle existence, which for them consists of
watching Makola conduct all the company's business transac
tions (neither Kayerts nor Carlier speaks a syllable of any
African language), of exchanging vapid remarks about novels
they read, and of patting each other on the back for being
heroic harbingers of trade and progress. They condescend
to befriend a local native chief named Gobila, who feels it
is diplomatically prudent to maintain good relations with
white men.
Then, one morning approximately six months after the
agents' arrival, some black ivory traders from the coast
appear at the station. Two mornings later Kayerts and Carlier
awake to find that the ten native workmen belonging to their
station are missing. They are shocked to learn that Makola
has traded them to the coast people for six ivory tusks. To
make matters worse, some of Gobila's people who were sharing
the wine Makola had given the station hands to get them drunk
were also carried off. One of them was shot during the
kidnapping. The agents are morally indignant at first; but
by the following morning they have sufficiently recovered
from their outrage to help Makola weigh the tusks.
Several more months pass, during which the agents
deteriorate rapidly both spiritually and physically. They
agree not to say anything to the Director about the means by
which the tusks were procured. The relief steamer is late.
They no longer receive provisions from Gobila's people and
their stores run low. The agents now suffer from the effects
of solitude, fear, slow starvation, fever, and guilt. One
day they quarrel over the sugar that Kayerts has been holding
in reserve. After a mad chase around the verandah of the
station house Kayerts accidentally shoots Carlier, whom he
mistakenly had thought was also armed. Kayerts' shock at
what he has done is intensified by the eight months of physi
cal privation he has suffered. A few hours after the shoot
ing he hears the relief steamer's whistle. Fearful of
punishment by his conscience and by civilization, he stumbles
through the morning mist to his predecessor's grave and hangs
himself from the cross.
Whether the story is as Conrad reported in the
"Author's Note" to Tales of Unrest "true enough in its essen-2
tials" remains doubtful. He apparently told Gerard Jean-
Aubry that the story was presented to him as fact by the agent
Prosper Harou, who had accompanied Conrad on the 200-mile trek 3
from Matadi to Kinchassa in 1890. But in his exhaustive
VI
source study, Norman Sherry finds no record of a murder-4
suicide involving agents in the Congo.
The story was written during Conrad's honeymoon at
lie Grande, Brittany, probably in the first three weeks of
June 1896, in a respite from his frustrating struggle with 5
The Rescuer. Jean-Aubry contends that the arrival via England of Conrad's trunk from the Congo provided the initial
stimulus for "Outpost." The "large box" (as Jessie Conrad 7
refers to it ) would have contained, Jean-Aubry surmises, the
two little notebooks in which Conrad jotted down some of his g
lurid Congo experiences. Even if the Jessie Conrad and
Jean-Aubry account of "Outpost"'s beginnings is apocryphal,
the story is unquestionably based on these experiences.
While the plot of "Outpost" was probably invented,
certain details of the story are clearly factual. There
actually existed a native chief named Gobila around the time 9
Conrad was in the Congo. That wrecked steamers caused delays
in sending supplies to up-river trading posts is a fact con
firmed by the author's own experience. The river-steamer
Florida was wrecked shortly before Conrad arrived in Kin
chassa to assume command of her. Palm-wine, which Makola
used to stupefy the station natives, was (and no doubt still
is) a standard Congolese cordial. The OED records Living
stone's observation that "this toddy is the juice of the palm-
oil tree . . a sweet clear liquid, not at all intoxicating
while fresh, but, when allowed to stand till afternoon, causes
Vll
inebriation." It may be that Alphonse Kayaerts, an agent
with whom Conrad travelled from Kinchassa to Stanley Falls
in the Roi des Beiges, was to some degree a real-life counter-
12 part of the Kayerts of "Outpost." Finally, Conrad intended
there to be no mistaking the nationality of his two agents.
He told a Polish friend in 1903:
Kayerts is not a French name. Carlier might be, but as soon as I give his name I hastily add that he is an exnoncommissioned cavalry officer of any army which is guaranteed against all dangers by several European powers. I took special pains to make a soldier out of this brute. They are brave Belgians. God bless them: they . .. have been recognized as such here and in Brussels. . . .
R. B. Cunninghame Graham praised the story for its
14
anti-imperialist sentiments, and the Saturday Review pro
claimed its superiority to Almayer's Folly and An Outcast of
the Islands. But Edward Garnett, who, as Unwin's reader and
Conrad's friend, read the story first, thought the opening
paragraphs unsubtle. Garnett's general disapproval of "Out
post" was particularly embarrassing to Conrad, since, as the
title page of the autograph manuscript indicates, he had
planned to dedicate the story, and indeed all of the projected
17 Tales of Unrest, to him. Both John D. Gordan and Norman
Sherry observe that most contemporary reviewers found Tales
18 of Unrest inordinately depressing as a whole. One of the
few early critics to mention "Outpost" specifically commented:
The light that Mr. Conrad sheds on the contact of the primitive and civilized man is seldom to the advantage of the latter. Even in his grim sketch of two French colonists on a river settlement in Africa, foredoomed by their incompetency to a miserable end, the writer's compassion is leavened with contempt.-^^
viii
Conrad himself was partial to "Outpost." In the let
ter which accompanied the typescript he sent to Garnett on
July 22, 1896, Conrad said he was "pleased with it."^^ On
that same day he wrote Unwin, "Upon my word I think it is a
good story—and not so gloomy—not fanciful—alas I I think
it interesting—some may find it a bore! If the Cosmo won't
20 take it (it is as long as the other ) I shall put it by—a
22
day may come for it." Conrad's defensive posture here
imperfectly masked a genuine belief in the story's merit.
But this belief, both in "Outpost" and in his artis
tic ability, had given way to doubt when, two weeks later,
having heard nothing from Garnett, Conrad prodded his friend
for a critique of the story: "Do you find it very bad? I
can't bear to look at my MS of it. Everything seems so 23 abominable stupid. You see the belief is not in me. . . ."
And upon receipt of Garnett's reply, he appears to agree wirh
the criticism: "You are right in your criticism of Outpost.
The construction is bad. It is bad because it was a matter of
conscious decision, and I have no discrimination--in artistic
sense . . . It's very evident that the first 3 pages kill all
the interest. And I wrote them of set purposeli I thought I
24 was achieving artistic simplicity!1iIi1" It is difficult to
infer from this letter either Conrad's mood or the severity
of Garnett's faultfinding. The author's feelings were prob
ably mixed, since, as he informs Garnett in the same letter,
Unwin had recently sold the "ghastly masterfolly" to the
IX
25 review Cosmopolis forjLSO. And whatever Garnett said, he
certainly must have made one or two positive comments, for
Conrad continues, "Am I totally lost? Or do the last few
pages save the thing from being utterly contemptible? You
seem to think so—if I read your most kind and friendly let
ter aright." Significantly, Garnett later praised the story
for its irony in his Academy article of October 15, 1898.
In later years Conrad seems to have remained satis
fied with "Outpost," if somewhat equivocal and distant about
it. In his brief introduction to the 1906 Grand Magazine
reprinting for its series "My Best Story and Why I Think So,"
Conrad says that despite several "imperfections that stand
there glaring, patent, numerous, and amusing," he is proud of
the "scrupulous unity of tone" he feels the story "almost"
27 achieves. In the "Author's Note" to Tales of Unrest, written in 1919 for Doubleday, he describes "Outpost" as "the
28 lightest part of the loot I carried off from Central Africa."
By and large, m.ore recent criticism of "Outpost" pro
ceeds from the assumptions that (1) the story served Conrad
as a sort of proving ground for themes he would return to in
Heart of Darkness and that (2) the omniscient voice which pre
sents these themes does so with r ^ pellant directness. The
critic is usually content to dash off a quick plot summary,
make a brief comment about theme, perhaps take a verbal pot
shot at the narrator, quote an ironic passage or two, and be
off to the more pressing business of Conrad's later fiction.
X
Perhaps this approach is partially warranted. "Out
post" and Heart of Darkness have at least two themes in com
mon. Both show up the iniquities of economic exploitation
perpetuated in the name of progress and the fecklessness of
learned restraint in a depraved environment. But in discus
sions of narrative technique, the story of Kayerts and Carlier
suffers from inevitable comparison with the story of Kurtz
and Marlow and from a measure of Henry Jamesian critical bias.
Garnett's early complaints about heavy-handed explicitness
are echoed by Albert Guerard, who says that "the hard-won and
groping intuitions of 'Heart of Darkness' are here presented
by a detached omniscient author with essay-like explicitness."^
Guerard plainly regrets Marlow's absence. More recently,
Lawrence Graver has remarked that, from the outset, Kayerts
and Carlier "are crushed by an irony too easily assumed" and
has objected to the narrator's "generalized, repetitive com-
30 mentary." A. T. Tolley observes that the story "shows the
sort of thing that could be achieved by treating 'head on' the
31 theme of going to pieces in the jungle." And J. I. M.
Stewart says that "in addition to the bare facts of the case,
enough negative criticism is conveyed through the narrator's
tone of voice to support Garnett's complaint that human inter-
32 est is forfeited from the beginning." Stewart regrets that
33
the "initial situation is stated rather than dramatized."
While, clearly, much of the story is narrated rather
than dramatized, one must also observe that the omniscient
xi
narrator is responsible for most of "Outpost"'s ironic effect
and that this effect was never intended to be particularly
subtle. Furthermore, the narrator is not in the story just
to insult Kayerts and Carlier. He occasionally offers broader
views of the agents' situation, as in the following passage:
They were two perfectly insignificant and incapable individuals whose existence is only rendered possible through the high organization of civilized crowds. Few men realize that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings. The courage, the composure, the confidence, the emotions and principles, every great and every insignificant thought belongs not to the individual but to the crowd—to the crowd that believes blindly in the irresistible force of its institutions and of its morals, in the power of its police and of its opinion. But the contact with pure unmitigated savagery, with primitive nature and primitive man brings sudden and profound trouble into the heart. To the sentiment of being alone of one's kind, to the clear perception of the loneliness of one's thoughts, of one's sensations--to the negation of the habitual, which is safe, there is added the affirmation of the unusual, which is dangerous; a suggestion of things vague, uncontrollable and repulsive whose discomposing intrusion excites the imagination and tries the civilized nerves of the foolish and the wise alike. (4.19-5.13)
The passage is direct; it is "essay-like"; but it and similar
statements serve to include Kayerts and Carlier in the "crowd"
of civilization. Thus the narrator creates an ambiguous por
trait of the protagonists. From one point of view they are
greedy, repulsive, immoral "pioneers of trade and progress,"
who deserve contempt; but from another they are drolly comic
and sometimes pathetic) victims of a corrupt environment for
which social conditioning has left them hopelessly ill-
equipped—weaklings whom the mercantile system, represented by
xii
the Managing Director, is quite willing to sacrifice. The
narrator is also capable of rendering inward views of the
agents without sarcasm: "It was not the absolute and dumb
solitude of the post that impressed them so much as an inar
ticulate feeling that something from within them was gone,
something that worked for their safety and had kept the wil
derness from interfering with their hearts" (26.14-18).
There is a suggestion here of the pity Conrad insisted the ^ 34 story possessed.
Control of the omniscient viewpoint in "Outpost" is
a principal unifying feature of the early and later revi
sions. Most of them distinctly increase in one way or
another the sophistication of the sometimes straightforward,
sometimes ironic voice—increase the effectiveness of that
voice without essentially changing it. Thus they tend to
show that the story's tone is a product of intentions whose
realization often anticipates the devastating irony of The
Secret Agent.
Notes
The passage appears on page 17, line 15 of the
present text. Hereafter, references to "Outpost" are to
this edition and are listed internally.
2 (Garden City: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1926),
VII, ix.
3 Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters (Garden City:
Doubleday, Page & Co., 1927), I, 128, n. 2.
4 Conrad's Western World (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1971), pp. 129-30.
5
Joseph Conrad: The Making of a Novelist (Cam
bridge: Harvard University Press, 1940), p. 241.
Helen Sebba, trans.. The Sea Dreamer (Garden City:
Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1957), p. 220.
Joseph Conrad as I_ Knew Him (London: William
Heinemann Ltd., 1926), p. 36. q
Richard Curie refers to them as "The Congo Diary"
in his introduction to Last Essays (London: J. M. Dent &
Sons Ltd., 192 6), p. xvi. 9
Conrad's Western World, p. 130.
Jocelyn Baines, Joseph Conrad: A Critical Biography
(New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1960), p. 116; Conrad's Western World, pp. 39-47.
Xlll
XIV
James A. S. Murray, ed., A New English Dictionary
of Historical Principles (Oxford: The Clarendon Press,
1905), VII, 401.
12 Conrad's Western World, p. 21.
13
Zdzislaw Najder, ed., Halina Carroll, trans.,
Conrad's Polish Background (London: Oxford University Press,
1964), pp. 242-43. Conrad says in his July 22, 1896, letter
to Unwin that the story concerns "the life in a lonely station
on the Kassai." But no specific reference to his tributary
of the Congo River appears in "Outpost." 14
C. T. Watts, ed., Joseph Conrad's Letters to R. £.
Cunninghame Graham (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1969) , pp. 19 ff. •^ "Mr. Conrad's Latest Story," 12 February 1898,
p. 211. 16
Edward Garnett, ed., Letters from Joseph Conrad
(1928; rpt., Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc.,
1962), p. 66. 17
Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 67. Conrad finally dedicated the volume to Adolph P. Krieger.
1 8 Gordan, p. 20 3; Conrad: The Critical Heritage
(London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 14. •"" "Recent Short Stories," Spectator, 13 August 1898,
p. 219.
20 Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 62.
XV
21
The other story was "The Idiots," which the review
Cosmopolis had twice rejected, partly on the basis of length;
see Gordan, p. 39 3, n. 29 4. 22
A Conrad Memorial Library: The Collection of
George T. Keating (Garden City: Doubleday, Doran & Company,
Inc., 1929), p. 62. 23
Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 65. 24
Garnett, p. 66. 25
Garnett, p. 67.
^^ The article is number XXXIX of the "Academy Por
traits" series, pp. 82-83. ^'^ Grand Magazine, 5 (1906) , 87. 28
Kent Edition, p. ix. 99
Conrad the Novelist (Cambridge: Harvard Univer
sity Press, 1958), p. 64.
Conrad's Short Fiction (Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1969), p. 11 and p. 14.
^^ "Conrad's 'Favorite' Story," Studies in Short
Fiction, 3 (1965-66), 319. ^^ Joseph Conrad (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company,
1968), p. 75. • 33
Stewart, p. 75. ^^ See the July 22 letter to Unwin.
An Outpost of Progress
There were two white men in charge of the trading
station. Kayerts, the chief, was short and fat. Carlier,
the assistant, was tall with a large head and a very broad
trunk perched upon a long pair of thin legs. The third man
on the staff was a Sierra-Leone nigger who maintained that
his name was Henry Price. However for some reason or other
the natives down the river had given him the name of Makola
and it stuck to him through all his wanderings about the
country. He spoke English and French with a warbling
accent, wrote a beautiful hand, understood book-keeping and
cherished in his innermost heart the worship of evil spirits.
His wife was a negress from Loanda, very large and very
noisy. Three children rolled about in sunshine before the
door of his low shed-like dwelling. Makola taciturn and
impenetrable despised the two white men. He had charge of
a small clay storehouse with a dried-grass roof and pretended
to keep a correct account of beads, cotton cloth, red ker
chiefs, brass wire, and other trade goods it contained.
Besides the store house and Makola's hut there was only one
large building in the cleared ground of the station. It
was built neatly of reeds with a verandah on all four sides.
There were three rooms in it. The one in the middle was the
living room and had two rough tables and a few stools in it.
The other two were the bedrooms for the white men. Each had
a bedstead and a mosquito net for all furniture. The plank
floor was littered with the belongings of the white men:
open half empty boxes, torn wearing apparel, old boots—all
the things dirty, and all the things broken that accumulate
itysteriously round untidy men. There was also another dwell
ing place some distance away from the buildings. In it under
a tall cross much out of the perpendicular slept the man who
had seen the beginning of all this, who had planned and had
watched the construction of this outpost of progress. He had
been at home an unsuccessful painter who weary of pursuing
fame on an empty stomach had gone out there—through high
protections. He had been the first chief of that station.
Makola had watched the energetic artist die of fever in the
just finished house with his usual kind of "I-told-you-so"
indifference. Then for a time he dwelt alone with his fam
ily, his account books and the Evil Spirit that rules the
lands under the equator. He got on very well with his god.
Perhaps he had propitiated him by a promise of more v;hite men
to play with by and by. At any rate the Director of the
Great Trading Company, coming up in a steamer that resembled
an enormous sardine box with a flat-roofed shed erected on
it, found the station in good order and Makola as usual
quietly diligent. The Director had the cross put up over the
first agent's grave and appointed Kayerts to the post.
Carlier was told off as second in charge. The Director was
a man ruthless and efficient, who at times, but very imper
ceptibly, indulged in grim humour. He made a speech to
Kayerts and Carlier pointing out to them the promising aspect
of their station. The nearest trading post was about three
hundred miles away. It was an exceptional opportunity for
them to distinguish themselves and to earn percentages on the
trade. This appointment was a favour done to beginners.
Kayerts was moved almost to tears by his Director's kindness.
He would—he said—by doing his best try to justify the flat
tering confidence etc etc. Kayerts had been in the admini
stration of the telegraphs and knew how to express himself
correctly. Carlier, an ex-non-commissioned officer of cav
alry in an army guaranteed from harm by several European
Powers, was less impressed; if there were commissions to get,
so much the better; and trailing a sulky glance over the
river, the forests, the impenetrable bush that seemed to cut
off the station from the rest of the world, he muttered
between his teeth: "We shall see, very soon."
Next day some bales of cotton goods and a few cases
of provisions having been thrown on shore, the sardine-box
steamer went off not to return for another six months. On
the deck the Director touched his cap to tbe two agents who
stood on the bank waving their hats, and turning to an old
servant of the Company on his passage to head quarters said:
"Look at those two imbeciles. They must be mad at home to
send me such specimens. I told those fellows to plant a veg
etable garden, build new storehouses and fences and construct
a landing stage. I bet nothing will be done. They won't
know how to begin. I always thought the station on this river
useless—and they just fit the station."
"They will form themselves there" said the old stager
with a quiet smile.
"At any rate I am rid of them for six months" retorted
the Director.
The two men watched the steamer round the bend, then
ascending arm in arm the slope of the bank returned to the
station. They had been in this vast and dark country only a
very short time and as yet always in the midst of other white
men, under the eye and guidance of their superiors. And now
dull as they were to the subtle influences of surroundings
they felt themselves very much alone—when suddenly left
unassisted to face the wilderness, a wilderness rendered more
strange, more incomprehensible by the mysterious glimpses of
the vigorous life it contained. They were two perfectly
insignificant and incapable individuals whose existence is
only rendered possible through the high organization of civ
ilized crowds. Few men realize that their life, the very
essence of their character, their capabilities and their
audacities are only the expression of their belief in the
safety of their surroundings. The courage, the composure,
the confidence, the emotions and principles, every great and
every insignificant thought belongs not to the individual but
to the crowd—to the crowd that believes blindly in the
irresistible force of its institutions and of its morals, in
the power of its police and of its opinion. But the contact
with pure unmitigated savagery, with primitive nature and prim
itive man brings sudden and profound trouble into the heart.
To the sentiment of being alone of one's kind, to the clear
perception of the loneliness of one's thoughts, of one's sen
sations—to the negation of the habitual, which is safe, there
is added the affirmation of the unusual, which is dangerous;
a suggestion of things vague, uncontrollable and repulsive
whose discomposing intrusion excites the imagination and tries
the civilized nerves of the foolish and the wise alike.
Kayerts and Carlier walked arm in arm—drawing close
to one another as children do in the dark and they had the
same not altogether unpleasant sense of danger which one half
suspects to be imaginary. They chatted persistently in famil
iar tones. • "Our station is prettily situated" said one. The
other assented with enthusiasm enlarging volubly on the beau
ties of the situation. Then they passed near the grave.
"Poor devil" said Kayerts.— "He died of fever—didn't he?"
They believed their words. Everybody shows a respect
ful deference to certain sounds that he and his fellows can
make. But about feelings people really know nothing. We talk
with indignation, or enthusiasm, we talk about oppression,
cruelty, crime, devotion, self sacrifice, virtue—and we know
nothing real beyond the words. Nobody knows what suffering
or sacrifice mean—except, perhaps, the victims of the myste
rious purpose of these illusions.
Next morning they saw Makola very busy setting up in
the yard the big scales used for weighing ivory. By and bye
Carlier said: "What's that filthy scoundrel up to?" and
lounged cut into the yard. Kayerts followed. They stood
watching. Makola took no notice. When the balance was swung
true, he tried to lift a tusk into the scale. It was too
heavy. He looked up helplessly without a word and for a min
ute they stood around that balance as mute and still as three
statues. Suddenly Carlier said "Catch hold of the other end
Makola you beast!" and together they swung the tusk up.
Kayerts trembled in every limb. He muttered: "I say. O! I
say!" and putting his hand in his pocket found there a dirty
bit of paper and the stump of a pencil. He turned his back
on the others as if about to do something tricky and noted
25
stealthily the weights which Carlier shouted out to him with
unnecessary loudness. When all was over Makola whispered to
himself: "The sun's very strong here for the tusks." Carlier
said to Kayerts in a careless tone: "I say chief I might just
as well give him a lift with this lot into the store."
As they were going back to the house Kayerts observed
with a sigh: "It had to be done." And Carlier said: "It's
deplorable but the men being Company's men the ivory is Com
pany's ivory. We must look after it."— "I will report to
the Director of course"—said Kayerts. "Of course—let him
decide" approved Carlier.
At midday they made a hearty meal. Kayerts sighed
from time to time. Whenever they mentioned Makola's name
they always added to it an opprobrious epithet. It eased
their conscience. Makola gave himself a half-holiday and
bathed his children in the river. No one from Gobila's vil
lages came near the station that day. No one came the next
day . . . and the next . . . nor for.va whole week. Gobila's
people might have been dead and buried for any sign of life
they gave. But they were only mourning for those they had
lost by the witchcraft of white men who had brought wicked
people into their country. The v:icked people were gone, but
fear remained. Fear always remains. A man may destroy every
thing within himself: love and hate, and belief—and even
doubt; but as long as he clings to life he cannot destroy fear;
the fear subtle, indestructible and terrible, that pervades
26
his being, that tinges his thoughts, that lurks in his heart,
that watches on his lips the struggle of his last breath. In
his fear the mild, old Gobila offered extra human sacrifices
to all the evil spirits that had taken possession of his white
friends. His heart was heavy. Some warriors spoke about
burning and killing but the cautious old savage dissuaded
them. Who could foresee the woe those mysterious creatures—
if irritated—might bring? They should be left alone. Per
haps in time they would disappear into the earth as the first
one had disappeared. His people must keep away from them and
hope for the best.
Kayerts and Carlier did not disappear but remained
above on this earth that, somehow, they fancied had become
bigger and very empty. It was not the absolute and dumb soli
tude of the post that impressed them so much as an inarticu
late feeling that something from within them was gone,
something that worked for their safety and had kept the wil
derness from interfering with their hearts. The images of
home, the memory of people like them, of men that thought and
felt as they used to think and feel receded into distances
made indistinct by the glare of unclouded sunshine. And out
of the groat silence of the surrounding wilderness its very
hopelessness and savagery seemed to approach them nearer, to
draw them gently, to look upon them, to envelop them with a
solicitude irresistible, familiar and disgusting.
27
Days lengthened into weeks, then into months. Gobila's
people drummed and yelled to every new moon as of yore but
kept away from the station. Makola and Carlier tried once in
a canoe to open communications but were received with a shower
of arrows and had to fly back to the station for dear life.
That attempt set the country up and down the river into an
uproar that could be very distinctly heard for days. The
steamer was late. At first they spoke of delay jauntily, then
anxiously, then gloomily. The matter was becoming serious.
Stores were running short. Carlier cast his lines off the
bank but the river was low and the fish kept out in the stream.
They dared not stroll far away from the station to shoot.
Moreover there was no game in the impenetrable forest. Once
Carlier shot a hippo in the river. They had no boat to secure
it and it sank. When it floated up it drifted away and
Gobila's people secured the carcass. It was the occasion for
a national holiday but Carlier had a fit of rage over it and
talked about the necessity of exterminating all the niggers
before the country could be made habitable, Kayerts mooned
about silently—spent hours looking at the portrait of his
Melie. It represented a little girl with long bleached tresses
and a rather sour face. His legs were much swollen and he
could hardly walk. Carlier, undermined by fever, could not
swagger any more but kept tottering about, still V7ith a devil-
may-care air, as became a man who remembered his crack regi
ment. He had become hoarse, sarcastic and inclined to say
28
unpleasant things. He called it: "being frank with you."
They had long ago reckoned their percentages on trade includ
ing in them that last deal of "this infamous Makola." They
had also concluded not to say anything about it. Kayerts hesi
tated at first—was afraid of the Director.
"He has seen worse things done on the quiet" main
tained Carlier with a hoarse laugh. "Trust him! He won't
thank you if you blab. He is no better than you or me. Who
will talk if we hold our tongues? There is nobody here."
That was the root of the trouble! There was nobody
there; and being left there alone with their weakness they
became daily more like a pair of accomplices than like a
couple of devoted friends. They had heard nothing from home
for eight months. Every evening they said. "To-morrow we
shall see the steamer." But one of the Company's steamers
had been wrecked and the Director was busy with the other
relieving very distant and important stations on the main
river. He thought that the useless station and the useless
men could wait. Meantime Kayerts and Carlier lived on rice
boiled without salt and cursed the Company, all Africa, and
the day they were born. One must have lived on such diet to
discover what ghastly trouble the necessity of swallowing
one's food may become. There was literally nothing else in
the station but rice and coffee. They drank the coffee with
out sugar. The last fifteen lumps Kayerts had solemnly locked
away in his box together with a half-bottle of Cognac; "in
29
case of sickness" he explained. Carlier approved. "VThen
one is sick"—he said—"any little extra like that is cheer
ing. "
They waited. Rank grass began to sprout over the
courtyard. The bell never rang now. Days passed silent,
exasperating and slow. Vhen the two men spoke, they snarled;
and their silences were bitter as if tinged by the bitterness
of their thoughts.
One day after a lunch of boiled rice Carlier put down
his cup untasted and said "Hang it all! Let's have a decent
cup of coffee for once. Bring out that sugar Kayerts!"
"For the sick" muttered Kayerts without looking up.
"For the sick" mocked Carlier. "Bosh! Well! I am
sick."
"You are no more sick than I am, and I go without"
said Kayerts in a peaceful tone.
"Come! out with that sugar you stingy old slave-
dealer . "
Kayerts looked up quickly. Carlier was smiling with
marked insolence. And suddenly it seemed to Kayerts that he
had never seen that man before. Who was he? He knew nothing
about him. What was he capable of? There was a surprising
flash of violent emotion within him as if in the presence of
something undreamt-of, dangerous and final. But he managed to
pronounced with composure.
"That joke is in very bad taste. Don't repeat it."
30
"Joke!" said Carlier hitching himself forward on his
seat. "I am hungry, I am sick, I don't joke. I hate hypo
crites. You are a hypocrite. You are a slave-dealer, I am a
slave-dealer—there's nothing but slave-dealers in this cursed
country. I mean to have sugar in my coffee to-day, anyhow!"
"I forbid you to speak to me in that way" said
Kayerts with a fair show of resolution.
"You! . . . What?" shouted Carlier jumping up.
Kayerts stood up also. "I am your chief" he began,
trying to master the shakiness of his voice.
"What?" yelled the other. "Who's chief? There's no
chief here. There's nothing here. There's nothing but you
and I. Fetch the sugar—you pot-bellied ass."
"Hold your tongue. Go out of this room" screamed
Kayerts. "I dismiss you—you scoundrel!"
Carlier swung a stool. All at once he looked danger
ously in earnest.
"You flabby, good-for-nothing civilian . . . take
that!" he howled.
Kayerts dropped under the table, and the stool struck
the grass inner wall of the room.. Then as Carlier was trying
to upset the table Kayerts in desperation made a blind rush,
head low, like a cornered pig would do, and overturning his
friend bolted along the verandah and into his room. He locked
the door, snatched his revolver and stood panting. In less
than a minute Carlier was kicking at the door furiously,
31
howling "If you don't bring out that sugar I will shoot you
at sight like a dog. Now then . . . one . . . two . . . three
. . . You won't? . . . I will show you who's the master."
Kayerts thought the door would fall in, and scrambled
through the square hole that served for a window in his room.
There was then the whole breadth of the house between them.
But the other was apparently not strong enough to break in the
door and Kayerts heard him running round. Then he also began
to run laboriously on his swollen legs. He ran as quickly as
he could, grasping the revolver, and unable yet to understand
what was happening to him. He saw in succession Makola's
house, the store, the river, the ravine and the low bushes—
and he saw all those things again as he ran for the second
time round the house. Then again they flashed past him . . .
That morning he could not have walked a yard without a groan.
And now he ran. He ran fast enough to keep out of
sight of the other man.
Then, as, weak and desperate, he thought: before I
finish the next round I shall die---he heard the other man
stumble heavily, then stop. He stopped also. He had the back
and Carlier the front of the house as before. He heard him
drop into a chair cursing, and suddenly his own legs gave way
and he slid down into a sitting posture with his back to the
wall. His mouth was as dry as a cinder and his face was wet
with perspiration—and tears. What was it all about? He
thought it must be a horrible illusion; he thought he was
32
dreaming; he thought he was going mad! . . . After a while
he collected his senses. What did they quarrel about? That
sugar. How absurd! He would give it to him.—Didn't want it
himself . . . And he began scrambling to his feet with a sud
den feeling of security. But before he had fairly stood
upright a common sense reflexion occurred to him and drove him
back into despair. He thought: If I give way now to that
brute of a soldier, he will begin this horror again to-morrow—
and the day after—every day—raise other pretensions; trample
on me; torture me; make me his slave--and I will be lost!
Lost! The steamer may not come for days—may never come . . .
He shook so that he had to sit dovm on the floor again. He
shivered forlornly. He felt he could not, would not move any
more. He was completely distracted by the sudden perception
that the position was without issue—that death and life had
in a moment become equally difficult and terrible.
All at once he heard the other push his chair back;
and he leaped to his feet with extreme facility. He listened
and got confused . . . must run again . . . right or left?
He heard footsteps . . . He darted to the left grasping his
revolver and at the very same instant, as it seemed to him,
they came into violent collision. Both shouted with surprise.
A loud explosion took place between them; a roar of red fire,
thick smoke—and Kayerts deafened and blinded rushed back
thinking: I am hit—it's all over. He expected the other to
come round—to gloat over his agony. He caught hold of an
33
upright of the roof . . .All over! . . . Then he heard a
crashing fall on the other side of the house, as if somebody
had tumbled headlong over a chair . . . Then silence. Noth
ing more happened. He did not die. Only his shoulder felt
as if it had been badly wrenched—and he had lost his revolver.
He was disarmed and helpless! He waited for his fate. The
other man made no sound. It was a stratagem. He was stalk
ing him, now . . . Along what side? . . . Perhaps he was tak
ing aim this very minute! . . .
After a few moments of an agony frightful and absurd
he decided to go out and meet his doom. He was prepared for
every surrender. He turned the corner steadying himself with
one hand on the wall, made a few paces—and nearly swooned.
He had seen on the floor protruding past the other corner a
pair of turned up feet. A pair of white naked feet in red
slippers. He felt deadly sick and stood for a time in pro
found darkness. Then Makola appeared before him saying
quietly: "Come along Mr. Kayerts. He is dead." He burst
into tears of gratitude; a loud, sobbing fit of crying. After
a time he found himself sitting in a chair and looking at
Carlier who lay stretched on his back. Makola was kneeling
over the body.
"Is this your revolver?" asked Makola getting up.
"Yes!" said Kayerts, then he added very quickly: "He
ran after me to shoot me—you saw!"
34
"Yes, I saw" said Makola. "There is only one
revolver. Where's his?"
"Don't know" whispered Kayerts in a voice that had
become suddenly very faint.
"I will go and look for it" said the other gently. He
made the round along the verandah while Kayerts sat still and
looked at the corpse. Makola came back empty handed; stood
in deep thought, then stepped quietly into the dead man's room
and came out directly with a revolver which he held up before
Kayerts. Kayerts shut his eyes. Everything was going round.
He found life more terrible and difficult than death. He had
shot an unarmed man.
After meditating for a while Makola said softly,
pointing at the dead man who lay there with his right eye
blown out.
"He died of fever."
Kayerts looked at him with a stony stare. "Yes"
repeated Makola thoughtfully, stepping over the corpse. "I
think he died of fever. Bury him to-morrow."
And he went away slowly to his expectant wife leaving
the two white men alone on the verandah.
Night came and Kayerts sat unmoving on his chair. He
sat quiet as if he had taken a dose of opium. The violence
of the emotions he had passed through, produced a feeling of
exhausted serenity. He had plumbed in one short afternoon the
depths of horror and despair and now found repose in the
35
conviction that life had no more secrets for him—neither had
death! He sat by the corpse thinking—thinking very actively,
thinking very new thoughts. He seemed to have broken loose
from himself altogether. His old thoughts, convictions, likes
and dislikes, things he respected and things he abhorred
appeared in their true light at last!—appeared contemptible
and childish, false and ridiculous. He revelled in his new
wisdom while he sat by the man he had killed. He argued with
himself about all things under heaven with that kind of wrong-
headed lucidity which may be observed in some lunatics. Inci
dentally he reflected that the fellow dead there had been a
noxious beast anyway; that men died every day in thousands;
perhaps in hundreds of thousands—who could tell?—and that,
in the number, that one death could not possibly make any dif
ference, couldn't have any importance—at least to a thinking
creature. He, Kayerts, was a thinking creature. He had been
all his life—till that moment—a believer in a lot of non
sense like the rest of mankind—who are fools—but now he
thought—he knew—he was at peace—he was familiar with the
highest wisdom! Then he tried to imagine himself dead and
Carlier sitting in his chair watching him; and his attempt met
with such unexpected success, that in a very few moments he
became not at all sure who was dead and who was alive. This
extraordinary achievement of his fancy startled him however
and by a clever and timely effort of mind he saved himself
just in time from becoming Carlier. His heart thumped and he
36
felt hot all over at the thought of that danger . . . Carlier!
What a beastly thing! . . . To compose his now disturbed
nerves—and no wonder!—he tried to whistle a little . . .
Then, suddenly, he fell asleep—or thought he had slept . . .
but at any rate there was a fog—and somebody had whistled in
the fog.
He stood up. The day had come and a heavy mist had
descended upon the land; the mist penetrating, enveloping and
silent; the morning mist of tropical lands, the mist that
clings and kills, the mist white and deadly, immaculate and
poisonous. He stood up; saw the body; and threw his arms
above his head with a cry like that of a man who waking from
a trance finds himself immured for ever in a tomb.
"Help! My God!"
A shriek inhuman, vibrating and sudden pierced like a
sharp dart the white shroud of that land of sorrow. Three
short, impatient screeches followed—and then, for a tir. 3,
the fog-wreaths rolled on, undisturbed, through a formidable
silence. Then many more shrieks rapid and piercing, like tne
yells of some exasperated and ruthless creature, rent the air.
Progress was calling to Kayerts from the river. Progress, and
civilization and all the virtues. Society was calling to its
accomplished child, to come, to be taken care of, to be
instructed, to be judged, to be condemned; it called him to
return to that rubbish-heap from which he had wandered away—
so that justice could be done.
37
Kayerts heard and understood. He stumbled out of the
verandah leaving the other man quite alone for the first time
since they had been thrown there together. He groped his way
through the fog calling in his ignorance upon the invisible
heaven to undo its work. Makola flitted by in the mist, shout
ing as he ran.
"Steamer! Steamer! They can't see. They whistle for
the station. I go ring the bell. Go down to the landing,
sir. I ring . . . "
He disappeared. Kayerts stood still. He looked
upwards; the fog rolled low over his head. He looked round
like a man who has lost his way; and he saw a dark smudge, a
cross-shaped stain upon the shifting purity of the mist. As
he began to stumble towards it, the station bell rang in a
tumultuous peal its answer to the impatient clamour of the
steamer.
The Managing Director of the Great Civilizing Company
(since we know that civilization follows trade) landed first—
and incontinently lost sight of the steamer. The fog down by
the river was exceedingly dense. Above at the station the bell
rang, unceasing and brazen.
The Director shouted loudly to the steamer.
"There is nobody down to meet us. There may be some
thing wrong tho they are ringing. You had better come, too."
38
And he began to toil up the steep bank. The captain
and the engine-driver of the boat followed behind. As they
scrambled up the fog thinned and they could see their Direc
tor a good way ahead. Suddenly they saw him start forward
calling to them over his shoulder: "Run! Run to the house.
I've found one of them. Run, look for the other."
He had found one of them! And even he, the man of
varied and startling experience, was somewhat discomposed by
the manner of this finding. He stood and fumbled in his
pockets (for a knife) while he faced Kayerts who was hanging
by a leather strap from the cross. He had evidently climbed
the grave—which was high and narrow—and after tying the end
of the strap to the arm had swung himself off. His toes were
only a couple of inches above the ground. His arms hung
stiffly down. He seemed to be standing rigidly at attention
but with one purple cheek playfully posed on the shoulder.
And, irreverently, he was putting out a swollen tongue at his
Managing Director.
History of the Text
Between 1896 and 1923, "An Outpost of Progress"
evolved through six stages--holograph manuscript, corrected
typescript, serial form, first English book form, and two
collected editions, the Doubleday Sun-Dial and the Doubleday
Concord. Among these successive versions of the story only
the typescript has not survived. And since that document
was closely approximated in substantives by the extant Ameri
can copyright copy, which was set from uncorrected proof
prepared from the typescript, the textual history of "Out
post" can be traced with reasonable accuracy. This history
is valuable both for what it reveals about the author's
creative method and for its influence upon textual decisions
made in the preparation of an authoritative edition of the
story.
As Jessie recalls, Conrad wrote "Outpost" in the
first three weeks of July, 1896. On July 22 he sent to
2 Edward Garnett a typed copy which Jessie had prepared. In
the accompanying letter he invited Garnett to make comments 3
and asked him to forward the story to Fisher Unwin. John D
Gordan suggests that the dates on the title page of the
autograph manuscript, "17-21st July," indicate the period
during which "Outpost" underwent final preparation for
39
40
Garnett and Unwin, its first readers.^ And, certainly, the
hundreds of cancellations and additions which appear on the
autograph manuscript are evidence of the vigorous reworking
which, in the letter to Garnett, the author described as
"polishing, perfecting, simplifying." On August 14 Conrad
announced to Garnett that the review Cosmopolis had accepted
the story.
Unwin sent unrevised proof of "Outpost" to Macmillan
in America on October 7 of the same year. Macmillan, with
whom Unwin had originally negotiated to publish what was
later to become the Tales of Unrest collection, reset the
story and secured the American copyright for Unwin on Octo
ber 28, 189 6. While it has no textual authority, having
been printed on a foreign press without Conrad's supervision,
the Macmillan pamphlet is significant, because it helps
resolve questions about the missing typescript. Since Conrad
did not revise Unwin's proofs of the story before they were
dispatched to Macmillan, and since these proofs were
undoubtedly set from the typescript, the pamphlet must have
closely resembled the typescript in substantives, compositor-
ial intervention by Macmillan notwithstanding. Furthermore,
collation shows that there are over 150 substantive variants
between the pamphlet and the autograph manuscript, suggest
ing that revision of the typescript had been completed before
the Unwin proofs were prepared. For there are less than
twenty such variants between the pamphlet and the serial form,
41
which is the next version of "Outpost" on the line of descent
from the autograph manuscript.
As was the case with "The Idiots" and "The Lagoon,"
two stories whose textual histories closely parallel that of
"Outpost," the printer's copy for the serial version was prob-
ably the revised typescript. Conrad's reference to the "2nd
proof of story for Cosmopolis" in his November 21 letter to
E. L. Sanderson indicates that the author had opportunity to
correct both first proof and revises before the story was 7
finally published in June and July of 1897. But these
changes were few; collation reveals that only sixteen sub
stantives separate the Cosmopolis version from the Macmillan
pamphlet, which was also based upon the revised typescript.
The most obvious change introduced into serial proof
was the story's bipartite division. Both the autograph
manuscript and the Macmillan pamphlet are continuous narra
tives. In two letters to Sanderson, the November 21 letter
already m.entioned and another dated January 27, 1897, the
author regretted, with typical Conradian hyperbole, the fact
that the Cosmopolis editors thought the story too long for
one number: I told the unspeakable idiots that the thing halved would be as effective as a dead scorpion. There will be a part without a sting,—and the part with the sting,—and being separated they will be both harmless and disgusting.
The sting of the thing is in its tail,--so that the first installment, by itself, will appear utterly
42
meaningless,—and, by the time the second number comes out, people would have forgotten all about it and would wonder at my sudden ferocity.^
Interestingly, the Saturday Review seemed to share the author's
misgivings when it commented in a brief note on the June num
ber of Cosmopolis, "So far it looks as if Mr. Conrad's story
must lose as much as Mr. Kipling's gained by the division in 9
two parts." (The Kipling story, published the previous March
and April, was "Slaves of the Lamp.") "Outpost" retains a
vestigial Roman numeral division in Tales of Unrest.
Placed third in Unwin's Tales of Unrest, in the company
of "Karain: A Memory," "The Idiots," "The Return," and "The
Lagoon," "Outpost" had been intended for this volume from
the outset. In 189 6 Conrad even predicted to Garnett that the
collection might be entitled Outpost of Progress and Other
Stories. His only alternative at the time. Idiots and
Other Stories, was, he told Garnett, not to his liking. But
even as late as November of 189 7 Conrad specified to Unwin
that "If one of the stories is to give the title to the whole
then: An Outpost of Progress must be first."
Collation indicates that thirty-five substantive
variants and some thirty accidentals separate the Unv/in Talcs
of Unrest version of "Outpost" from the serial version. The
first American edition of Tales, which Macmillan declined to
publish because Almayer's Folly had- sold badly, was published
instead by Scribner's. Comparison of the Scribner's Tales
with Unwin yields no substantive variants so far as "Outpost''
43
is concerned. So when one speaks of the first book form of
"Outpost," there is, with the exception of two accidentals,
indeed only one such form, even though, under the conditions
of the Chace Copyright Act, the first English edition and its
American counterpart were printed separately, the Scribner's
volume of Tales appearing on March 26, 1898, and the Unwin
12 volume on April 4, 189 8.
Since Tales of Unrest retains the two-part division
of "Outpost," it is reasonable to assume that copies of the
serial proofs were used to set the Unwin book edition. But
it is also possible that the revised typescript, updated to
include the serial proof revisions, was used. Moreover,
Conrad probably made the thirty-five substantive revisions
in proof and seems-to have introduced no revisions after
13
Unwin sent the revised proof to America. Subsequent to its
appearance in 1898, the Unwin Tales went through three more
impressions during Conrad's lifetime, in 1909, 1921, and
1923. The Scribner's TaJes was reprinted in 1914 and 1915.
Towards the end of Conrad's life, the publishers
Doubleday and Heinemann printed collected editions of his
works. The versions of "Outpost" in the 1920 Doubleday Sun-
Dial edition and the 1921 Heinemann limited edition derive
from the Unwin Tales of Unrest. The Sun-Dial varies from
Unwin in seven substantives, five of them presumably autho
rial, two of them probably compositorial errors, and in some
thirty-five accidentals, the largest group of these consisting
44
of American spellings. The Heinemann varies from Unwin in no
substantives and some twenty accidentals. None of the Sun-
Dial variants agree with any of the Heinemann variants. The
1923 Concord issue of the Doubleday collected works, which is
the last printing of "Outpost" supervised by Conrad, retains
the five substantive revisions contained in Sun-Dial, corrects
the two apparent errors in Sun-Dial, and repeats nearly all of
the Sun-Dial accidentals, deleting only one comma and adding
three sets of quotation marks in passages introduced by such
phrases as "He thought."
Accounting for the differences amongst the Sun-Dial,
Concord, and Heinemann texts of "Outpost" entails a degree of
speculation. Conrad had carefully supervised the Doubleday
Sun-Dial printing. It has been agreed that the Heinemann edi
tion would be prepared from proofs of the Sun-Dial corrected
by Conrad. Obviously, however, the corrected Sun-Dial proofs
of "Outpost" did not reach Heinemann in time for them to be
used for that edition, because it has been shown that the
Heinemann "Outpost" is based entirely on the first English
book text, repeating none of the Sun-Dial variants from the
first book text.
One can conjecture that since Almayer's Folly and
Tales were to comprise volume one of the edition, Heinemann's
schedule could not wait for Conrad to send the corrected
Sun-Dial proofs. There was also apparently some delay either
in Doubleday's getting the proof sheets to Conrad or in
45
Conrad's completing his corrections, for he says in a letter
to his literary agent J. B. Pinker, dated May 31, 1920, "I
had a letter from Heinemann asking for more copy for his
limited Edition. I can't however send him more because he
sets up from the American corrected proof. ""'• Confronted with
these several obstacles, then, perhaps Conrad simply told
Heinemann to set from the Unwin edition. If this were indeed
the case, and it seems the only logical conclusion to draw,
the Heinemann "Outpost" cannot be considered an authority.
Moreover, since the Concord version of "Outpost" is an issue
prepared from revised plates of the Sun-Dial edition, and since
because of this it is the last printing of the story super
vised by Conrad, it must be considered the final authority
for substantives.
Unsupervised reprintings of "Outpost" during Conrad's
lifetime are all based on the 189 8 Unwin Tales of Unrest.
They contain nonauthorial changes. They are the 1898 Tauch-
nitz reprinting of Tales, the Nash's Famous Fiction Library
reprinting of Tales, the Ladysmith Treasury reprinting of
"Outpost" in 1900, and the Grand Magazine reprinting of "Out
post" in 1906. No translations of "Outpost" appeared during
Conrad's lifetime. Mercure de France had planned to publish
in the winter of 1907 French translations of "Karain," "The
Lagoon," "Outpost," and Heart of Darkness, all of which Conrad
was to have supervised, but "Karain" was the only part of
this project actually completed.
46
The transmission of accidentals from the autograph
manuscript through Cosmopolis probably occurred in four
stages. In all likelihood, Conrad corrected mistakes in the
manuscript as he prepared the typescript and probably revised
the typescript prior to the Unwin printing. Unwin's composi
tors undoubtedly house-styled the typescript before sending
"Outpost" to press, and it can be assumed that, several months
later, Cosmopolis also made some adjustments in accidentals.
Since there are over 600 accidental variants between Cosmo
polis and the autograph manuscript, one can conclude that the
disposition of accidentals in the serial reflects publishers'
house-styling more faithfully than it reproduces Conrad's
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
The Cosmopolis punctuation is quite a bit heavier
than that of the m.anuscript. In the serial, commas regularly
appear between independent clauses joined by a conjunction,
between verb-direct object combinations linked by conjunctions,
and after such introductory elements as adverb clauses, modi
fying phrases, and transition words. Moreover, commas are
regularly employed to set off nonrestrictive adjective clauses,
parallel prepositional phrases joined by conjunctions, partic
ipial modifiers, and vocatives. Cosmopolis also occasionally
uses semicolons, instead of commas or dashes, to set off long
syntactical units in series, adjective clauses, long apposi-
tive phrases, and independent clauses. Though punctuation in
the autograph manuscript is not consistent, Conrad much less
47
often employs commas or semicolons in tliese situations.
Albert Guerard has complained that in this story "the most
personal voice of the early Conrad, with its unpunctuated
running rhythms and overloaded syntax, is rarely heard, and
15 never speaks with distinction." One might reply to this
criticism by noting that Conrad's "personal voice" in "Out
post" is sometimes choked by regularization superimposed upon
the story by its publishers.
Other probable examples of house-styling in Cosmo
polis are the frequent use of commas both to introduce and
conclude lines of dialogue and to set off the last item in
series of words or phrases. Moreover, Cosmopolis usually
substitutes periods and dashes for ellipses and usually sub
stitutes commas for Conrad's dashes. Besides making three
changes in paragraphing and adding a score of exclamation
marks, the serial adopts British spellings, most often by
altering Conrad's z's to s 's, and makes more extensive use
of the hyphen. Also reflected in the Cosmopolis text is the
routine correction of spelling errors, together with the
addition of omitted quotation marks, periods, and question
marks. However, most of these omissions and misspellings were
probably rectified by Conrad himself when he and Jessie pre
pared the typescript.
Subsequent house-styling of "Outpost" for Tales of
Unrest and the later collected editions resulted in only slight
modification of the Cosmopolis accidentals. The Tales of
48
Unrest version adds six commas, deletes five commas, intro
duces some changes in word division, and makes a few minor
alterations involving dashes and ellipses. Besides returning
to American spelling, Sun-Dial makes several changes in word
division, adds five commas, and deletes nine commas, while
Heinemann, sharing none of the Sun-Dial variants, introduces
some changes in word division, adds six commas, deletes one
comma, and attempts to regularize the introduction of dialogue
by substituting colons for commas and dashes. Finally, Con
cord, retaining the Sun-Dial alterations, deletes one comma
and adds a few quotation marks.
Since it is the only extant text which unquestionably
reflects authorial intentions as to accidentals, this edition
employs the autograph manuscript as copy-text rather than any
of the subsequent printed versions. While the typescript
prepared from this document probably contained some authori?.l
changes, such as spelling corrections and some additional
quotation marks, periods, and commas, the absence of this
typescript renders Conrad's manuscript the authority for most
accidentals. The hundreds of changes in capitalization,
spelling, and punctuation contained in the Cosmopolis version,
which follows the typescript on the ancestral line, probably
result more from house-styling than from authorial revision.
And v/hile Conrad is known to have corrected the serial proofs,
it is doubtful that he would have challenged the editors on
accidentals. Moreover, it is even less likely that Conrad
49
corrected accidentals in subsequent texts on the line of
descent from the manuscript—the Unwin Tales of Unrest and
the Doubleday Sun-Dial and Concord editions.
For the sake of clarity, the present edition inter
venes on several occasions to emend accidentals in the auto
graph manuscript. Although Conrad took great pains inscribing
and revising his manuscript, the fact remains that Garnett
and Unwin read the story in typescript rather than holograph.
Because he undoubtedly had intended to prepare a typescript
for these first readers all along, it is likely that Conrad
postponed the final correction of minor errors involving both
substantives and accidentals until he dictated the manuscript
to Jessie. In view of the probability, then, that the manu
script does not reflect all of the "polishing, perfecting,
simplifying" Conrad mentioned in the July 22 letter to Gar
nett, limited adjustments of accidentals in the copy-text
seems warranted. Care has been taken, however, to preserve
in English and American printings), it is possible that the
error was not caught during preparation of the rough proof by
Unwin and that Macmillan silently corrected it. Such an
editorial adjustment would not have been without precedent
in the house of Macmillan, whose grammarian in residence
had frequently, and often with less cause, made his presence
2 0 felt in the first American edition of Almayer's Folly.
Cosmopolis
Sixteen instances of substantive variation separate
Cosmopolis from the Macmillan printing. In eleven of these,
the pamphlet and manuscript readings coincide, indicating
that the emendations were introduced after Unwin had prepared
his unrevised proofs. There are three or four substitutions
of words or phrases to eliminate repetitive wording, one
omission of an improperly placed adverb (16.22), one substi
tution of shall for will (31.19), and one deletion of an
unnecessary particle (36.12). The rest are minor changes in
^ 4- -1 21
detail.
Four authorial changes appearing for the first time
in Cosmopolis seem to have resulted from Conrad's continuing
63
effort to purge "Outpost" of repetitive words and phrases.
The awkward phrase "that that fellow" is altered to "that the
fellow" (35.11), and the phrase "eloquent silence of mute
greatness" is substituted for "eloquent silence of mute
immensity" (10.16-17) , probably because the adjective "immense"
is used previously in the same sentence. By substituting
"this very minute" for "now" in the sentence "Perhaps he was
taking aim now!" (33.9), Conrad not only avoids repeating
the adverb "now," which he uses in the preceding line, but
also stresses Kayerts' fear of death's immediacy. Finally,
the infinitive phrase "to gather in percentages" becomes "to
earn percentages" (3.7), perhaps both because "gather in the
ivory" appears several pages later and because "earn" is
more precise.
Conrad also introduces some minor changes in detail.
Kayerts' remark, "Did you ever see such a nose?" becomes
"Did ycu ever see such a face?" (9.10-11), and, in the account
of the Director's discovery of Kayerts' suicide, "start into
a run" is replaced by "start forward" (38.4). The substitu
tion of "neck" for "shoulder" in the phrase "draped classi
cally from shoulder to heel" might have been designed either
to clari fy this description of the Loanda natives or to avoid
using "shoulder[s]" twice in the same sentence. Perhaps the
most significant of these alterations of detail is the adjust
ment of Kayerts' cry "'Oh! My God!'" to "'Help! . . . My
God!'" (36.14). The Cosmopolis reading more clearly depicts
64
the call as a plea for divine intercession.
Three instances in which the manuscript, the pam-
plet, and the serial all disagree seem to represent succes
sive stages of revision. The manuscript phrase "He wanted to
exterminate" is "and talked about the necessity to extermi
nate" in Macmillan, and in Cosmopolis is "and talked about the
necessity of exterminating" (27.18). Idiomatic usage prefers
"necessity of." Gobila, a "wise old man" in the manuscript,
has become a "cautious old savage" in the serial version.
But in the meantime he had been a "sagacious old savage"
(26.6). The alliterative intermediate reading is less pre
cise, because Gobila's decision not to kill the agents was
more conservative than intelligent. Finally, the manuscript
depicts Kayerts "calling in his ignorance upon the impassi
ble heaven to undo its work." Although the Macmillan read
ing "impassive heaven" perhaps conveys more clearly the
notion of an apathetic deity, the final change to "invisible
heaven" completely removes God from this demonic setting
22 (37.4).''^
Were it not for the Macmillan "Outpost" one would be
free to speculate that Carlier's warning at the end of part I
i^ Cosmopolis and all subsequent editions (17.7-8) was altered
to build suspense. In the manuscript Carlier's words are
"Keep all our men together to-day,"-while in Cosmopolis he
more provocatively admonishes, "Keep all our men together in
case of some trouble." But the Macmillan and serial readings
65
are identical. Apparently, Conrad had made the change before
he learned of the plans to divide the story. There seems to
have been no special tailoring for publication in two parts.
While they are improvements of the texts, the substan
tive changes presumably introduced to the serial proofs are
neither extensive nor particularly dramatic. Perhaps Conrad
had gone a little stale on "Outpost." Whatever the case,
corrections made in the proofs for Tales of Unrest seem to
have been occasioned by a fresh rereading of the story.
Tales of Unrest
23
The thirty-five substantive revisions introduced
into the story while it was being prepared for the Tales of
Unrest collection fall into several categories which roughly
correspond to the earlier groupings: adjustment of rhetori
cal distance, removal of ungrammatical or ineffective verbs,
avoidance of redundant and repetitive word selection, and
introduction or alteration of details.
Conrad seems to have digested by this time some of
Garnett's early criticisms. Three deletions in the book ver
sion tone down the derision leveled at Kayerts and Carlier by
the Director and the narrator. The Director's comment, "The
two most useless men I ever saw" (4.4), is, in the earlier
texts, lodged between several other sarcastic references to
the agents' incompetence. It does not appear in the book edi
tions. And several sentences later, the word "useless" was
66
omitted from the omniscient description of Kayerts and
Carlier as they watch the steamer's departure (4.10). Finally,
an observation that the agents "were well paid" for doing
nothing wa§ also changed (8.13). By removing "well" Conrad
softened to a degree the contemptuous tone of the passage.
Garnett had objected to the first several paragraphs for their
explicitness. And since he is known to have corrected proof
of Tales, one might theorize that Garnett personally influ
enced these changes.
But these slight modulations of distance were not
part of any general plan to blunt the ironic treatment of
Kayerts and Carlier, to remove "Outpost"'s scorpion sting.
On the contrary, two other emendations have the opposite
effect in that they increase distance. The "tremendous explo
sion" which takes place when the agents collide on the veran
dah becomes in the book editions a "loud explosion" (32.23).
Conrad's second thought here probably was that, given the
droll slapstick quality of the scene to this point, the cul
minating detonation was rather noisy than fraught with sig
nificance. The other change was made in the passage which
describes the agents engaged in character assassination of
fictional personages they encounter in novels (previously
cited in the discussion of the manuscript). The manuscript,
Macmillan, and Cosmopolis texts read, "discounted their vir
tues, discussed their motives, decried their successes [suc
cessess AMS]; [comma AMS] were scandalised [scandalized AMS]
67
at their duplicity or were doubtful about their courage."
Because it is inconsistent with faultfinding, the verb "dis
cussed" was replaced by "suspected" in Tales of Unrest.
Conrad made a change in one other verb series which
apparently necessitated a further change to avoid repetition.
In the clause "He stood still, saw the body, and threw his
arms up with a cry" (35.11-12), the phrase "stood still" is
incompatible with the transitive verbs of action "saw" and
"threw." And Kayerts has been standing motionless for several
moments. Conrad seems to have addressed himself to the prob
lem by substituting "stood up" for "stood still," a change
that risks redundance (Kayerts "stood up" several lines
earlier) for the sake of rendering a smoothly flowing series
of actions. Then, presumably to avoid repeating the adverb,
Conrad altered "threw his arms up" to "threw his arms above
his head."
On tv70 occasions errors in verb usage were corrected.
In the first instance, the auxiliary "was" was removed from
"all the things he was used to see" (7.18).- and in the second,
the auxiliary "have" in contracted form was excised from
"We've heard that shot last night" (22.26). The latter cor
rection had previously appeared in the Macmillan pamphlet.
Unaccountably, however, two other verb tense inconsistencies
were left untouched here and in all. other extant texts. The
past perfect tense does not seem warranted in Kayerts'
remark, "I remember, they had been once before here" (10.5-6).
68
And in the clause "who was the first white man whom he knew
intimately" (12.22-23), the past perfect would seem to have
been preferrable to the simple past tense.
Conrad reasserted his characteristic aversion to
redundance and repetitive wording in the revisions of Tales.
The sentence "Everyone called him by it"—the pronoun "it"
referring to Price's nickname—does not appear in the book
editions (1.9). The change was made probably because the
immediately preceding sentence has already established that
the name Makola "stuck to him through all his wanderings."
Conrad may also have thought the wording somewhat awkward.
More puzzling is the alteration of Makola's Christian name
from Jim to Henry (1.6). One can only guess here that Con
rad's use of the name Jim for protagonists in The Nigger of
25
the Narcissus and "Jim, a Sketch" (begun early in 1898 )
may have influenced the substitution. Another deletion is
the removal of the phrase "handfuls of" from "with handfuls
of spears in their hands" (8.25). The change eliminates
repetitious wording but in doing so sacrifices the detail
that each native carried several spears.
No less intriguing than the previous group of correc
tions are Conrad's efforts to sharpen the focus of images or
render them more consistent with their contexts. In the
manuscript, the Macmillan version, and Cosmopolis Kayerts
looks "with stony eyes" at the lifeless body of his sometimes
colleague. The change to "with a stony stare" (34.17)
69
elucidates the image to some extent, but it may be that Con
rad wished to avoid repeating an image that he also used in
another of the Tales of Unrest. In the final paragraph of
"The Lagoon" Arsat is described as staring "with stony eyes"
at the newly risen sun. Conrad also alters the lurid picture
of Carlier reposing on the verandah "with half his face blown
away." The substituted phrase "with his right eye blown out"
(34.14-15) both pinpoints and understates the wound. The
author may have at the same time bethought himself that such
massive damage as he originally described was excessive for a
sidearm, even when fired at close range.
The equally grotesque condition of Kayerts' corpse as
it dangles from the cross likewise becomes more anatomically
specific through revision. The reader of the earlier texts
is told that the agent's "feet" nearly touched the ground.
In the Tales of Unrest version the author substituted "toes"
for "feet" (38.13), placing Kayerts in the appropriate atti
tude of a superannuated marionette. And Kayerts' young daugh
ter Melie has "long tresses" in the three earliest versions
of "Outpost," but becomes a seductive blond with "long
bleached tresses" in the book editions (27.21).
The sentence which describes Kayerts' impressions at
the moment he runs into his partner and discharges the
revolver underwent syntactical revision. The reader of the
story as it appeared in the Macmillan pamphlet would have been
told, "He darted to the left, grasping the revolver, and it
70
seemed to him, that very same instant, they came into vio
lent collision" (32.20-22). Ambiguously, the elliptical
phrase "that very same instant" can be read either as a prep
ositional phrase modifying "seemed" ("at. that very same
instant") or as part of the subordinate elliptical clause
which follows it ("that at that very same instant"). Conrad
reworded the latter portion of the sentence: "and at the
very same instant, as it seemed to him, they came into vio
lent collision." The point of the change apparently was to
emphasize that Kayerts bumped into Carlier as soon as he made
his unfortunate turn to the left, and to deemphasize the
comparatively unimportant detail that Kayerts was aware at
the time that the collision had occurred.
Conrad also demonstrates concern for factual accuracy
and authenticity in these revisions. In the earlier texts,
the leader of the Loanda traders is described as "a deter
mined-looking man" (14.11-12). Probably to make it clear
that the leader is a native and not a white man the author
substituted "negro" for "man" in the book editions. More
over the storehouse in Tales of Unrest has a "dried-grass"
instead of a "palm-leaf" roof because presumably one v/ould
sooner find a "palm-leaf" roof in a Malayan jungle than in
the grassy environs of an African river station (1.16).
Finally, the incorrectly used adjective "harmless" was emended
to "from harm" in the phrase "guaranteed harmless by several
European Powers" (3.14). In the letter cited earlier, Conrad
71
explains that the specific army he had had in mind when he
wrote the story was that of Belgium, historically neutral
and protected by treaty.^
Among the less dramatic changes introduced at this
stage of revision are six alterations involving "the." One
is a change of "the savages" to "those savages" (6.11).
Three are omissions: "in the sunshine" becomes "in sunshine"
(1.13); "of the delay" is altered to "of delay" (27.8); and
"of the civilised crowds" becomes "of civilised crowds"
(4.21-22). On two other occasions "the" is added: "in elo
quent silence" becomes "in the eloquent silence" (10.16);
"of idleness" is changed to "of the idleness" (8.13). The
Cosmopolis readers are told that Kayerts and Carlier "enjoyed
the sense of idleness for which they were well paid." Pos
sibly Conrad felt that "the idleness" more clearly showed
that the adjective clause "for which they were paid ["well"
excised]" modified "idleness" rather than "sense." Because
Conrad miakes such changes involving articles and demonstra
tive pronouns in the manuscript, one assumes these also are
authorial revisions.
Other alterations include the adjustment of "could
be habitable" to "could be made habitable" (27.19); "subtle
influence of surroundings" to "subtle influences of surround
ings" (4.15), "nearly fainted" to "nearly swooned" (33.13),
and the substitution of "nowhither" for "nowhere" (8.23).
Both "nowhither" and "in the eloquent silence" are manuscript
72
readings that the Macmillan pamphlet and the serial did not
repeat.
Conrad also made five successive substitutions of
"mist" for "fog" in Kayerts' awakening scene, which follows
the murder of Carlier (36.7-10). The choice of "mist" was
perhaps influenced by the author's memories of the overland
journey to Kinchassa. In his diary Conrad used the word
"mist" rather than "fog."^^
With the exception of some tampering by editors in
1900 and 1906, the 1898 Tales of Unrest version of "Outpost"
remained intact for twenty-two years. The 19 20 Doubleday
and the 1921 Heinemann editions of the story are its direct
descendants.
Doubleday Sun-Dial and Concord
The Sun-Dial "Outpost" contains seven one-word vari
ations from the first book text, five of which are retained
by Concord. They are difficult to justify and could have
as easily have resulted from house-styling as from authorial
correction. The pronoun "all" was deleted from "might have
all been dead and buried" (25.19), and "the" was removed from
"made the acquaintance of" (10.24). The phrase "pointing
here and pointing there" becomes "pointing here and there"
(15.25), and "the" replaces the demonstrative pronoun in
"this land of darkness and sorrow" (17.14-15). Finally, "stood
by watching" becomes "stood watching" (24.16-17).
73
Two of the Sun-Dial variants do not reappear in the
Concord issue. The first reverses a change seen for the
first time in the 1898 Tales by deleting "the" from "of the
idleness" (8.13). And in the other change, "torn wearing
apparel" becomes "town wearing apparel" (2.5). Though the
difference in meaning produced by the article "the" is debat
able, "town" and "torn" stand in more vivid contrast. Had
Conrad intended to describe only the agents' arrival at their
trading post in these first several hundred words of the
story, the fact that they had brought "town" clothing would
have underscored their inexperience. In point of fact, how
ever, when the story opens, Kayerts and Carlier have been
living at the station for some months. Hence the word "torn"
is more in keeping with the impression of neglect and deteri
oration that the author is attempting to convey in this
initial description. The chronological telling does not
begin until midway through the opening paragraph. The Sun-
Dial reading of "town," then, is both at odds with all pre
vious texts and inconsistent with its context. Moreover,
since neither "of idleness" nor "town wearing apparel" is
repeated in the 1923 Concord impression, it is probable that
both variants are compositorial errors rather than authorial
revisions.
74
Reprinting of "Outpost" Independent of Tales
According to its editor J. Eveleigh Nash, the col
lection of sixteen stories entitled The Ladysmith Treasury
was printed to garner relief funds for the inhabitants of
Ladysmith in Natal, South Africa, when the siege of that
town was lifted in February, 1900. The editor's note reads
in part:
The profits on the sale of this book will be sent to the Mayor of Ladysmith, and will be devoted to relieving distress in the town.
Suffering and want follow in the train of a long siege; and I hope that all who admire the way in which the people of Ladysmith held out in trying days, will show their practical sympathy by purchasing this volume.
With the exception of Mr Joseph Conrad's An Outpost of Progress, and Mr Gabriel Setoun's The Last of the Six o'Clock Bell, all the stories included are printed for the first time in book form; and I have to thank the Authors whose names herein appear, for so generously sending me their contributions without fee. . . .
Conrad had been against the South African War from the begin
ning, and his selection of "Outpost" for this volume was
perhaps tinged with irony. The "scramble for loot" is a
dominant theme of both the story and the Boer controversy.
"Outpost" is particularly out of tone with the epigraph to
the volume--V7illiam Collins' familiar ode which begins "How
sleep the brave." Although it is impossible to be certain,
the two substantive variations from Tales contained in this
printing—a change of "one another" to "each other" (5.15)
and a substitution of "in" for "on" (9.7)—are probably not
authorial.
75
A mutilated version of "Outpost" appeared in a 1906
number of the Grand Magazine. This periodical had been fea
turing a series it called "My Best Story and Why I Think So,"
for which each contributor wrote an essay introducing his
work. Conrad's brief why-I-think-so discussion follows an
editorial prelude:
Though fictitious, the grim tragedy recounted in this powerful story has continually of late years had its counterpart in fact. With consummate skill the author enables us to realise in the most vivid manner how easily the so-called "civilised" man, without the sheet anchor that intellectual or moral culture gives, may sink far below the level of the "savage" he has been taught to despise. Mr. Conrad says of his own work:
"This story, for which I confess a preference, was difficult to write, not because of what I had to write, but of what I had firmly made up my mind not to write into it. What I have done is done with. No words, no regrets can atone now for the imperfections that stand there glaring, patent, numerous, and amusing. The story was written some ten years ago. And yet I remember perfectly well the inflexible and solemn resolve not to be led astray by my subject. I aimed at a scrupulous unity of tone, and it seems to me that I have almost attained it there. It is possible that I am deceiving myself, and that I have missed even that qualified success. But the story is endeared to me by the well-remembered severity of discipline and by one or two moments of flattering illusion.
"And all this cannot possibly matter anything to the most benevolent soul amongst the readers of stories."
The cutting and revising of the story for this reprinting was
probably not supervised by Conrad. None of the changes is
repeated in the collected editions, and the surviving proofs,
now in a private collection, are uncorrected. Moreover, it
is almost unthinkable that Conrad would have personally lined
out such passages as the one which describes the agents'
novel reading or the benighted Kayerts' remark about the
76
missing station hands, "We took care of them as if they had
been our children."
Notes
- Joseph Conrad as I Knew Him, p. 38. 2 Conrad, p. 109; Gordan, p. 241.
3 Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 62.
4 Gordan, p. 24 0.
5
I am grateful to Dr. William Cagle of the Lilly
Library at Indiana University for furnishing me with partic
ulars of the Macmillan printing.
Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters, I, 197. By
September 22 Unwin also had in hand proofs of "The Idiots"
and "The Lagoon." And while those of "The Idiots" would per
haps not have been ready for the October, 1896, Savoy print
ing, those of "The Lagoon," published in January of 1897,
certainly were. Conrad, however, sent Cornhill the type
script instead. (See Garnett's note on the typescripts in
Letters from Joseph Conrad, pp. 55 and 65.) •7
Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters, I, 197.
^ Aubry, pp. 197 and 201.
^ "Reviews and Magazines," 19 June 1897, p. 698.
Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 67.
•^•^ Unpublished letter to Unwin dated 24 November 1897
(Duke University Library).
•^ Theodore G. Ehrsam, A Bibliography of Joseph Conrad
(Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1969), p. 315. 77
78 13
It is impossible to say whether the absence of
variants between the texts is due to coincidence or to pre-
arrangement by Unwin and Scribner's. 14
The letter is in the Berg collection of the New York Public Library.
15 Guerard, p. 65.
The exception is "the," interlined before "eloquent"
in the autograph manuscript but appearing in no printed text
until the Unwin Tales of Unrest (10.16). 17
Elmer A. Ordonez, "Early Joseph Conrad: Revisions
and Style," Philippine Social Sciences and Humanities Review,
33 (March 1968), p. 21; Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 62, n. 1 18
In a similar revision of the autograph manuscript,
"Gobila loved the two white men" is replaced by "he seemed
really to love all white men" (12.19-20).
See Ugo Mursia, "The True 'Discoverer' of Joseph
Conrad's Literary Talent and Other Notes on Conradian Bib
liography: With Three Unpublished Letters," Conradiana, 4
(1972), 10.
See Floyd Eugene Eddleman, David Leon Higdon, and
Robert W. Hobson, "The First Editions of Joseph Conrad's
Almayer's Folly," in Proof 4_, ed. Joseph Katz (Columbia, S.D.: J. Faust & Co., 1975), pp. 98-99.
91
The other two substantive variants in Macmillan—
the substitution of "beliefs" for "belief" (4.24) and of
"We've" for "We"—may have been introduced by Macmillan's
79
compositors.
22 The v7ord "impassive" could have been, instead, a
substitution of Macmillan's.
23
G. W. Whiting's list of nine substantive variants
in his essay "Conrad's Revisions of Six of His Short Stories"
(PMLA, 48, 1933, p. 553) is incomplete; Ordonez' count of
fourteen is also inaccurate (Ordonez, p. 48).
Gordan, p. 22 5; Letters from Joseph Conrad, p. 128
^^ Baines, 212.
Conrad's Polish Background, p. 243.
^^ Last Essays, pp. 241, 243, 252.
Textual Apparatus
80
Emendations
All substantive and accidental emendations intro
duced into the copy-text are recorded. To the left of the
bracket appears the reading of the present edition. It is
followed immediately by the authority for that reading. To
the right of the semicolon appears the copy-text reading.
A wavy dash ^v^ represents the same word that appears before
the bracket and is used in recording variants in punctua
tion. An asterisk indicates that the reading is discussed
in the textual notes. A caret indicates that the punctuation
is absent in the particular text. The abbreviation V indi
cates a new reading.
AMS Autograph Manuscript M Macmillan Copyright Copy, 1896 S Cosmopolis, 1897 U T. Fisher Unwin, 1898: First English Edition of Tal es Sc Charles Scribner's Sons, 1898: First American Edition
of Tales L Ladysmith Treasury, 1900 G Grand Magazine, 1906 SD Doubleday, Page, 1920: Sun-Dial Edition HC Heinemann, 1921: Heinemann Collected Edition CO Doubleday, Page, 1923: Concord Edition
*An Outpost of Progress] S; A Victim of Progress
*1.1 There] V; no ^
1.3 assistant] S; second
1.6 Henry] U; James
1.6 for] S; omit
81
82
1.9 omit] U; Everybody called him by it.
1.13 in sunshine] U; in the sunshine
1.16 dried-grass] U; palm-leaf
1.17 cloth] S; cloths
2.2 for the white] S; for white
2.3 and] S; with
2 . 4 men: ] S; "- A
2.5 boots—all the] S; boots—the
2.6 and all the] S; and the
2.10 seen the beginning] S; created
2.14 of that] S; of the that
2.16 -so"] S; --N^
2.18 and the] S; and with the
2.19 He . . . god.] S; omit
2.20 had . . . of] S; promised him
2.21 by and by] S; omit
2.22 Company,] S; r- ^
2.2 3 erected] S; omit
2.25 diligent] S; efficient
2.2 5 put up] S; erected
3.1 in charge] S; omit
3.2-3 very imperceptibly] S; not very perceptibly
3.5 The next nearest] S; The nearest
3.5 three] S; six
3.6 av/ay] S; o f f
3.7 earn] S; gather in
83
^'^ a p p o i n t m e n t ] S; a p p o i n t e e
3 . 1 1 e t c . ] S; --— A
3.14 from harm] U; harmless
3.15 Powers, ] S; ^^^ A
*3.20 fi Next] V; skip two lines, no cj
3.20 a few] S; omit
3.23 touched his cap] S; took his cap off
4.1 those fellows] S; them
4.2 build] S; built
4.4 omit] U; The two most useless men I ever saw.
4.5 station."] S; "^-^^ A
4.10 two men] U; two useless men
4.10 bend,] S;
4.15 influences] U; influence
4.17 unassisted] V; unassissted
4.21-22 of civilized] U; of the civilized
4.25 their surroundings] S; human institutions
4.25 courage,] S; --'v
4.26 emotions and principles] S; emotions, principles
5.1 belongs] S; belong
5.1 the individual] S; individuals
5.4 omit] S; The individuals remain steady because of the equilibrium of the mass, and they feel and are safe just because of their individual insignificance which they understand instinctively cannot affect the general order of things and the foreseen course of their own fate. The average individual can bear solitude easily enough, could live an hermit's life in a desert without losing his moral balance for
84
solitude by itself is only a negation; its whispers as such can be disbelieved; and in undisturbed memory there is always a refuge from the torments of the imagination.
5.8 thoughts,] S; '>^
5.8-9 sensations—to] S,V; sensations, of one's feelings--to
5.9 habitual, which is safe,] S; habitual and of the safe
5.10-11 unusual, which is dangerous; a] S; unusual, of the repulsive a
5.12 intrusion,] S; ^-^ A
5.17 chatted persistently] S; spoke much
5.23 "I've] S; - w A
6.2 jocularly] S; jokingly
6.9 laughing,] S; ^^
6.11 those] U; the ,
6.12 will] S; shall
6.20 house] S; home
6.2 5 such a] S; any
7.4 from the fostering] S; from fostering
7.5 with gold lace] S; with lace
7.9 faculties,] S; " ^
7.9 want of practice] S; misuse
7.18 he used] U; he was used
7.18-19 to see] S; to do r [or ?] see
8.5 out of] S; from 8.5-6 He like] S; He also like 3^13 of the idleness] CO; of idleness
85
8.13 were paid] U; were well paid
8.13-14 And . . . resembling] S; They had really a strong
8.19 forest] S; forests
8.21 intelligible. Things] S; intelligible, for the mystery of the tropical life is too great to be solved at a glance. Things
5.21 Conrad occasionally inserts a dash between sentences
to indicate shifts from one speaker to another or to separate
dialogue from narration. Because these marks bring a sense
of movement and informality to the story they have been
retained.
9.19 them . . ."] In the AiMS ellipses range in length from
two to seven periods. Here and throughout the V text,
ellipses have been normalized to the conventional three period
length. Conrad uses the mark to indicate interruptions in
dramatically rendered thought or in lines of dialogue and
occasionally to separate interior monologue from exposition
(32.1, 32.4, 32.11, 33.1, 33.9, 36.1).
15.3 Mrs.] Here and elsewhere the V text adds a period
after xMrs and M£.
97
17.10 Director] Inexplicably, S, U, Sc, G, SD, HC, and CO
capitalized "Director" consistently through part II but never
in part I. M and L use the small case "d" exclusively.
19.15 to-morrow] Here and throughout the AMS Conrad writes
"to morrow" (28.14, 32.8, 34.19). To avoid possible confu
sion, V hyphenates the word.
22.15 eyes,] Although in this instance V adopts the punctua
tion of S, it may well be that Conrad intended the "as if"
clause to modify "contemplating" rather than "still," in
which case the comma should be omitted.
37.13 shifting] The AMS reads "stifling," although the word,
part of a revision, is inscribed in such a way as to resemble
"shifting." (See table of autograph manuscript emendations.)
It is possible that during preparation of the typescript
"stifling" was misread as "shifting." The visual impression
of the dark cross against a misty white background is success
fully evoked by "shifting," but "stifling" is consistent with
the moral suffocation Kayerts is experiencing. If "shifting"
is a mistake, however, one must ask why Conrad never returned
to the original reading in subsequent revisions.
37.24 tho] The Heinemann edition makes the bizarre addi
tion of a dash after "though." So in that text it is the
ringing of the station bell rather than the peculiar absence
98
Kayerts and Carlier which surprises the Director. Since the
bell was habitually used for morning muster, it is difficult
to see the logic of the HC reading.
Historical Collation
The following records all substantive variants
between editions. The reading of the present edition (and
of all texts agreeing with it) appears to the left of the
semicolon, followed immediately by the variant reading or
readings.
An Outpost of Progress] M-CO; A Victim of Progress AMS
1.3 assistant] M-CO; second AMS
1.6 Henry] U-CO; James AMS-S
1.6 for] M-CO; omit AMS
1.9 omit] U-CO; Everybody called him by it. AMS; Everyone called him by it. M,S
1.13 in sunshine] U-CO; in the sunshine AMS-S
1.16 dried-grass] U-CO; palm-leaf AMS-S
1.17 cloth] S-CO; cloths AMS
2.2 for the white] M-CO; for white AMS
2.3 and] M-CO; with AMS
2.5 torn] AMS-G, HC,CO; town SD
2.5 boots—all the] M-CO; boots—the AMS
2.6 and all the] M-CO; and the AMS
2.10 seen the beginning] M-CO; created AMS
2.14 protections] AMS-L, SD-CO; protection G
2.14 of that] M-CO; of the that AMS
99
100
2.18 and the] M-CO; and with the AMS
^•^^ He . . . god.] M-L, SD-CO; omit AMS; He had got on very well with his god. G
2.20 had . . . of] M-CO; promised him AMS
2.21 by and by] M-CO; omit AMS
2.23 erected] M-CO; omit AMS
2.25 diligent] M-CO; efficient AMS
2.25 put up] M-CO; erected AMS
3.1 in charge] M-CO; omit AMS
3.23 very imperceptibly] M-CO; not very perceptibly AMS
3.5 The next nearest] M-CO; The nearest AMS
3.5 three] M-CO; six AMS
3.6 away] M-CO; off AMS
3.7 earn] S-CO; gather in AMS, M
3.8 appointment] M-CO; appointed AT S
3.11 etc etc] AxMS-L, SD-CO; and so on G
3.14 from harm] U-CO; harmless AMS-S
3.15-19 if . . . soon] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
3.20 a few] M-CO; omit AMS
3.23 touched his cap] M-CO; took his cap off AMS
4.1 those fellows] M-CO; them AMS
4.2 build] M-CO; built AMS
4.4 omit] U-CO; The two most useless men I ever saw. AMS-S
4.6 there] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
4.10 two men] U-CO; two useless men AMS-S
101
4.15 influences] U-CO; influence AMS-S
4.21-22 of civilized] U-CO; of the civilized AMS-S
4.24 belief] AMS, S-CO; beliefs M
4.25 their surroundings] M-CO; human institutions AMS
4.26 emotions and principles] M-CO; emotions; principles AMS
5.1 belongs] M-CO; belong AMS
5.1 the individual] M-CO; individuals AMS
5.4 omit] M-CO; The individuals remain steady because of the equilibrium of the mass, and they feel and are safe just because of their individual insignificance which they understand instinctively cannot affect the general order of things and the foreseen course of their own fate. The average individual can bear solitude easily enough, could live an hermit's life in a desert without losing his moral balance for solitude by itself is only a negation; its whispers as such can be disbelieved; and in undisturbed memory there is always a refuge from the torments of the imagination. AMS
5.7-13 To . . . alike] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
5.8-9 sensations—to] M-L, SD-CO; sensations, of one's feelings--to Af4S
5.9 habitual, which is safe,] M-L, SD-CO; habitual and of the safe AMS
5.10-11 unusual, which is dangerous; a] M-L, SD-CO; unusual, of the repulsive a AMS
5.15 one another] AMS-Sc, G-CO; each other L
5.17-20 They . . . situation] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
5.17 chatted persistently] M-L, SD-CO; spoke much AMS
5.24-26 The . . . sun] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
5.1 my . . . not] AT'IS-L, SD-CO; I forbid you to G
5.2 jocularly] M-CO; jokingly AMS
6.3-4 The . . . shiver] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
6.5 suddenly] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
6.5 this] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
6.9-12 Then . . . all] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
6.11 those] U-L, SD-CO; the AMS-S
6.12 will] M-L, SD-CO; shall AMS
6.20 house] M-CO; home AMS
6.25 such a] M-CO; any AMS
7.4 from the fostering] M-CO; from fostering AxMS
" •5 or of men with gold lace] M-L, SD-CO; or of men with lace AMS; or gold lace G
7.6 those lifelong] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
7.8-10 They . . . thought] AlAS-L, SD-CO; omit G
7.9 want of practice] M-L, SD-CO; misuse A.MS
7.18 he used] U-CO; he was used AMS-S
7.18-19 to see] M-CO; to do r [or ?] see AMS
8.5 out of] M-CO; from AMS
8.5-6 He like] M-CO; He also like AMS
8.9-10 He . . . times] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
8.10 But the two] AMS-L, SD-CO; The two G
8.12-13 Together . . . paid] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
8.13 of the idleness] U-L, HC, CO; of idleness AMS-S, SD
8.13 were paid] U-L, SD-CO; were well paid AMS-S
8.13-14 And . . . resembling] M-L, SD-CO; They had really a strong AMS; omit And G
8.19 forest] M-CO; forests AMS
102
103
8.21 Intelligible. Things] M-CO; intelligible, for the mystery of the tropical life is too great to be solved at a glance. Things AMS
8.22 an] M-CO; omit AMS
8.2 3 nowhither] AMS, U-CO; nowhere M, S
8.25 and men] M-CO; and black men AMS
8.25 with spears] U-CO; with handfuls of spears AMS-S
8.26 naked] M-CO; riddles AMS
9.1-2 limb . . . moved] M-CO; limb, uncouth in speech, moving AMS; substitute bubbling for babbling G
t
9.3 sent] M-CO; sending AMS
9.4 never resting] M-CO; ever moving AMS
9.5 rows] M-CO; ranks AMS
9.7 on] AMS-Sc, G-CO; in L
9.8 nothing. He] M-CO; nothing. And he AMS
9.11 face] S-CO; nose A.MS, M
9.11 Oh . . . brute] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
9.24-25 I'd rather] M-CO; I rather AMS
10.1-7 Yes . . . split] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
10.15 fateful] M-CO; incomprehensible A.MS
10.16 in the eloquent] AMS, U-CO; in eloquent M, S
10.17 greatness] S-CO; immensity AMS, M
10.18 but for the] AMS-L, SD-CO; but the G
10.21 anything of the kind] M-CO; omit A.MS
10.22 Then] M-CO; And AMS
10.23-24 In the centre] M-CO; omit AMS
10.24 made acquaintance] SD, CO; made in their way the acquaintance AxMS; omit in their way M-G, HC
104
10.25-26 Goriot . . . All] M-CO; Goriot and also of Atala. All
10.26- All . . . courage] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G 11.4
24.10-11 what suffering or sacrifice mean] M-CO; what they mean AMS
24.16-19 stood watching] SD, CO; stood by watching AMS-G, HC
24.19 word and for] M-CO; word. For AMS
24.19-20 a minute] M-CO; a few minutes AMS
24.24 putting . . . pocket] M-CO; fumbled in his pockets. He AMS
24.26 others] M-CO; balance A.MS
24.26 tricky] M-CO; indecent MAS
25.2 whispered to] M-CO; whispered as if to AMS
25.3 sun's very] M-CO; sun very AMS
25.3 for the tusks] M-CO; for these tusks AMS
25.10-11 Of . . . Carlier] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
25.15 conscience] M-CO; consciences AMS
25.18 and] AMS-L, SD-CO; nor G
25.19 have been dead] SD, CO; have been all dead AMS; have all been dead M-G, HC
25.23 remains. A man] M-CO; remains. Man AMS
25.23 may] M-CO; can AMS
26.6 cautious old savage] S-CO; wise old man AMS; sagacious old savage M
2 6.13 on this earth] M-CO; on the earth ^.MS
108
26.16 Feeling that] M-CO; feeling an absurd and obstinate feeling that AMS
26.18 their hearts] M-CO; their very hearts AMS
26.19 them, of men that] M-CO; them, that AMS
26.24 them gently] M-CO; them to itself gently AMS
2 7.3 once] M-CO; omit AMS
27.6 set the country] M-CO; set miles of country AMS
27.8 of delay] U-CO; of the delay AMS-S
27.17 holiday but Carlier] M-CO; holiday. Carlier AMS
27.17-19 it . . . habitable] U-CO; it. He wanted to exterminate all the niggers AMS; it and talked about the necessity to exterminate all the niggers before the country could be habitable M; omit made S
27.21 long bleached tresses] U-CO; long tresses AMS-S
27.22 His legs were] M-CO; His were AMS
27.2 3 undermined] M-CO; tried AMS
2 8.3 them that last] M-CO; them the last AMS
28.3 of "this infamous] M-CO; of "that infamous AMS
2 8.7 hoarse] M-CO; horse AMS
28.9 tongues] M-CO; tongue AMS
2 8.14 eight] M-CO; seven AMS
25.18 station] AMS-L, SD-CO; stations G
2 8.19 Meantime] AMS-L, SD-CO; Meanwhile G
29.13 mocked] AMS-L, SD-CO; muttered G
31.9 quickly] M-CO; quick AMS
31.19 shall] S-CO; will MAS, M
32.21-22 revolver . . . they] U-CO; revolver and it seemed to him—that the very same instant—they AMS; revolver and it seemed to him, that very same instant, they M, S
109
32.23 loud] U-CO; tremendous AMS-S
32.26 caught hold of an] M-CO; caught an AMS
33.9 this very minute] S-CO; now AMS, M
33.13 swooned] U-CO; fainted AMS-S
33.2 3 this] M-CO; that AMS
33.24 he] M-CO; omit AMS
34.9 revolver v/hich] M-CO; revolver in his hand which AMS
34.14-15 his . . . out] U-CO; half his face blown away AMS-S
34.17 with . . . stare] U-CO; with stony eyes AMS-S
34.22 unmoving on his] M-CO; unmoving in his AMS
34.22-23 He sat quiet] M-CO; He felt quiet AMS
34.24 feeling] M-CO; kind AMS
34.26 now found] M-CO; now he found AMS
35.11 that the fellow] S-CO; that that fellow AMS, M
36.7 heavy mist] U-CO; fog AMS-S
36.8 mist] U-CO; fog AxMS-S
36.9 morning mist] U-CO; morning fog A 4S-S
36.9 the mist] U-CO; the fog AMS-S
36.10 mist] U-CO; fog AMS-S
36.11 stood up] U-CO; stood still AMS-S
36.11-12 arms above his head with] U-CO; arms up with AMS-S
36.12 waking from] S-CO; waking up from AMS, M
36.14 Help] S-CO; Oh AMS, M
37.2 quite] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
37.4 in his ignorance] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
110
37.4 invisible] S-CO; impassible AMS; impassive M
37.5 in the mist] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
37.10 still. He looked] AMS-L, SD-CO; still and looked G
37.13 shifting] M-CO; stifling AMS
37.14 station] AMS-L, SD-CO; omit G
37.14-15 in . . . its] AI-IS-L, SD-CO; a tumultuous G
37.22 loudly] M-CO; omit AMS
37.22 to] M-CO; toward AMS
38.4 forward] S-CO; into a run AMS, M
38.9 fumbled in his] M-CO; fumbled in in his AMS
38.10 pockets] M-CO; pocket AMS
38.13 of the strap] M-CO; of his strap AMS
38.13 toes] U-CO; feet MASS
Word-Division
The following list records words which appear in the
copy-text in both hyphenated and two-word forms at the ends
of lines. The form in which the word has been transcribed in
V, listed below, represents Conrad's practice in the AMS.
See also textual note 1.10.
1.10 book-keeping
18.11 tree-felling
30.4 slave-dealer
36.25 rubbish-heap
111
Substantive Alterations in the
Autograph Manuscript
The following records all substantive alternations
in the autograph manuscript. The V text reading appears
to the left of the bracket; to the right of the bracket
appears the AMS alteration. An asterisk indicates that the
V text passage varies from the final AMS reading. Such var
iations are recorded immediately after the bracket. Illegi
ble deleted or written-over single letters are not shown.
Where there is doubt about a cancellation the word or words
in question are followed by a question mark. References to
Conrad's brackets are to curve lines with which the author
partially enclosed some of his additions.
1.3-4 A large . . . upon] interlined above deleted a very large trunk and a large head on; perched upon bracketed
1.6 for] deleted
1.7 down the river] interlined with bracket
1.9-10 spoke . . . accent] interlined with bracket
1.11 cherished . . . of] interlined above deleted in his innermost heart cherished the worship of
1.12 negress] preceded by deleted ver [very]
1.13 about] preceded by deleted before the
1.14 taciturn and] interlined, partially in left margin, above deleted impenet [impenetrable]
112
113
impenetrable] final e superimposed over y
two] preceded by deleted white
storehouse] interlined above deleted building
and pretended to] interlined, partially in left margin, above deleted and
^ interlined with caret
brass] preceded by deleted and
and . . . contained] interlined above deleted which were the stock for trade
It] over Th[?]
built] preceded by deleted the
neatly] preceded by deleted of
with . . . sides] interlined above deleted and had a large verandah
belongings] preceded by deleted open boxes
men] follov/ed by deleted who were untidy
things dirty] preceded by illegible two-word deletion
that . . . men] interlined above deleted having no inducement to be otherwise
2.8-9 under . . . perpendicular] interlined and partially bracketed above deleted The working hands of the station; tall added with caret
2.10 this] is over at
2.11-12 had . . . home] interlined with bracket above deleted was
2.12 painter] followed by illegible one-word deletion
2.14 that] added in left margin
2.15 the energetic artist] interlined above deleted him
2.16 just finished] interlined above deleted new
1 .
1 ,
1 ,
1 .
1 .
1,
1,
1.
1.
1 .
1.
2 .
2 .
2 .
2 ,
,15
,15
,16
, 1 6 - 1 7
.17
.18
.18
.20
. 2 1
. 2 1
. 2 1
.4
.4
.6
. 6 - 7
114
2.16 I] over all
*2.17-18 for . . . Evil] add with before the Evil; interlined above deleted in the intervals of book-keeping he communed for a time alone with the Evil; for a time added above line with caret, then deleted; second with over the
2.22 up] over in; followed by deleted in a steamer the shape and solidity of a sardine box; interlined resembling in shape also deleted
2.22 in] added in left margin
2.22 resembled] followed by deleted and was about as strong which is in cancelled parentheses; all deleted with pencil scribble
2.2 3 flat-roofed] preceded by deleted the roof on it; the interlined
2.25 quietly] followed by deleted efficient. The Director left Kayerts and Carlier in charge. He and; He followed by illegible one-word deletion
2.26 first] interlined with caret
2.26 Kayerts] followed by deleted and Carlier
3.2 ruthless] attached ly deleted
3.2 and] interlined
3.4 pointing] preceded by illegible deleted word [describing ?]
*3.5 nearest] add next before nearest; next interlined
3.11 had] over was
3.14 army] followed by deleted guaranteed not to fight between which and any enemy that
3.15 impressed. If] i over I
3.20 cotton] preceded by deleted goods
3.22 On] O over T
4.11 ascending] ing over ed
115
^•^2 station] followed by deleted They V7ere left alone face to face with a wilderness
4.12 this] followed by deleted country only
4.16 suddenly] interlined with caret
4.18-19 glimpses . . . life] interlined above deleted shape of the life
4.20 and incapable] interlined with caret
4.21 high] interlined with caret
4.21-22 civilized] preceded by deleted crowds
4.23-24 and their audacities] interlined with bracket
*4.24-25 their . . . their surroundings] substitute human institutions for their surroundings; interlined with bracket above deleted safe institutions
4.26 every] preceded by deleted the
4.26-5.1 great and every] great added in left margin; and every interlined above illegible deleted letters
5.1 thought] preceded by deleted daily
*5.1 belongs not to] omit final s iri belongs; interlined above deleted are not of; interlined passage followed by deleted individuals
5.2 to the crowd] to over of
5.2 to the crowd] to over of
5.2-3 that . . . force] interlined above deleted believing in the; the followed by illegible word
5.3 institutions and] and interlined with caret
5.3-4 in the power of] interlined with bracket above deleted in
5.4 police and] and interlined with caret
The following series consists of revisions in the long passage deleted some time prior to the Macmillan printing. The passage is recorded in the historical collation.
116
because] followed by deleted the mass
their] followed by deleted particular worthlessness
order of things and the] inserted below deleted safety of the universe; the followed by deleted safety of
The average] added above deleted Such
individual] attached s deleted
could . . . balance] interlined with bracket; could followed by deleted be a [hermit ?]
^^^5 PJ^eceded by deleted and
undisturbed] interlined with caret
5.4 But] followed by deleted when the negation of solitude is complicated by the affirmation of unusual conditions; conditions followed by two illegible deleted words
5.6 brings] preceded by deleted discomposes
5.12 discomposing intrusion] discomposing interlined above deleted tormenting; intrustion interlined above deleted intrustion presence discomposes the ideas; deleted intrusion was added to left margin; presence and the ideas cancelled with wavy line, intrusion and discomposes with horizontal line
6.5-6 that . . . else] interlined with bracket above deleted that he loved Carlier more than a brother; 1^ the added passage Carlier is followed by deleted iri the centre
6.10 Kayerts] preceded by deleted Carlier
6.13 loudly] interlined with caret
117
6.16 reached] preceded by deleted had
6.21 For them an] interlined with bracket above deleted An
*7.9 through . . . practice] substitute misuse for want of practice; interlined with bracket
7.11 At the end] interlined above deleted Kayerts often said
7.18 cafes] preceded by deleted noise of
7.19 see] added in left margin; preceded by r [or ?]
7.19 familiar] preceded by deleted the
7.21 he regretted] interlined with bracket
7.22 mild] interlined above deleted little
8.17 of] interlined
8.21 solved] iii the deleted clause (see historical collation) solved i^ preceded by deleted ans [answered ?]
8.25 in their hands] interlined with bracket
9.6 over] followed by deleted the
*9.8-9 He . . . Carlier] add initial And; interlined above deleted But such visits were rare [and not made only Y] them. would shout to Carlier
9.10 Did] preceded by deleted \^at brutes
9.11 Oh the funny] interlined with bracket above deleted What B
9.11 brute] e over es
9.13-14 the warriors] the interlined above deleted with; warriors preceded by deleted hau [haughty]
118
9.19 after] interlined with caret
9.20 he] followed by deleted went
9.22 fetish] followed by deleted terminal parenthesis
9.23 spirit] preceded by deleted wonder
9.2 6 Kayerts approved] added above deleted But such profitable visits were rare. For days
10.9 trade] preceded by deleted p [progress ?]
10.9 their empty] interlined above deleted empty, which is preceded by an illegible word; above deleted phrase, another their i_s interlined and deleted
10.10 courtyard] followed by deleted filled only; above deleted phrase, the word in is_ interlined and deleted
10.10 in] added in left margin; followed by deleted by
10.11 Below the high] interlined above deleted The river flowed glitter
10.11 silent] interlined with caret
10.12 sands] followed by illegible deleted word [bar ?; bank?] ; in. space between, over connecting loop, is the letter s
10.13 And] followed b^ deleted on all sides of the
10.14 cleared] preceded by deleted spot
10.16 lay in the] lay followed by deleted in, which is followed by mute in the, v/hich is interlined with . caret alid deleted; second in the i£ interlined
10.17 The . . . nothing] interlined above deleted that cannot find expression for its secrets
10.20 They took up] interlined above deleted And gingerly, which is followed on the next two lines by deleted they took them up. They had never read before practically and found the books rather amusing. They read those novels
*10.24 made acquaintance] add in their way the after made; interlined above deleted became acquainted with
119
10.24-25 of d'Artagnan] of interlined
10.25 of Hawk's] of preceded by deleted with
10.25 of Father] of interlined above deleted with
*10.25 and of] add also after and; of interlined above
deleted with
10.26 personages] interlined
11.1-2 discounted] preceded by deleted admired 11.3-4 were doubtful about] interlined above deleted grew
enthusiastic over
*11.4 The accounts of crimes] substitute account for accounts; interlined above deleted and amazed and shocked at the impunity of their crimes
11.5 or] preceded by deleted and
11.10 clever] interlined
11.14 civilizing] interlined with caret
11.14 extolled] interlined wj.jth caret
11.15-16 about . . . to] interlined above deleted spreading enlightenment in
11.23 very] interlined with caret
11.26 early one day] interlined above deleted one morning early
11.26 out] interlined with caret
12.6 them] added above line with bracket
12.7 of] f over n
12.7 the] interlined with caret
12.8 thin] preceded by deleted with a
12.9 hanging] preceded by deleted on his back
12.17 The] preceded by deleted Gobila loved the two white men
120
12.19 all] interlined with caret after deleted the
12.21 were] followed by deleted immortal
12.23 knew intimately] interlined above deleted saw and patronized
12.25-26 for . . . own] interlined with caret above deleted to attain mysterious ends
13.4-5 and . . . amusement] interlined with bracket
13.6 him] followed by deleted smell
13.6-7 In . . . behaved] interlined with bracket; period added after bottle, which originally preceded just
13.16-17 through . . . Gobila] interlined with bracket
13.18 the other] the interlined
13.21 a] originally an; n deleted
13.23 aspect] interlined above deleted appearance
13.23 being] interlined above deleted living
14.2 talked] preceded by deleted discussed
14.3 a knot of] interlined above deleted some
14.3 out] o over u [up ?]
14.7 over . . . shoulders] interlined above deleted in their hands
14.10 courtyard] court added in left margin
14.12 stood] interlined above deleted make a standing [belov/ ?]
14.13 and] interlined with caret
14.13 gesticulated] preceded by deleted used
14.14 very] v over s [suddenly ?]
14.16 long] preceded by deleted wo [words ?]
14.23 it] interlined above deleted he [?]
121
14.26 "Where . . . they?"] inserted below previous line
15.3 understand] terminal quotation mark deleted
15.5-6 after . . , Makola's] after , . , noticed interlined above deleted walked over; Makola's preceded by illegible deleted word [by ?; to ?]
15.7 great] preceded by deleted great
*15.17-19 there . , . unusual] substitute come for stand; interlined above deleted they [now?] would have to cope themselves with it
15.19 went] preceded by deleted and
15.19 loaded] preceded by illegible deleted word [each?], above which is interlined illegible deleted word [both ?]
*15.22 left] substitute went away for left; went followed by deleted befor
15.24 much] preceded by deleted wit [with]
16.6 nigger had] followed by deleted too
16.8 There] preceded by deleted Still
16.10 usual] followed by deleted after all
16.10 All night] interlined
16.10 disturbed] preceded by deleted much on_ previous line
16.10-11 a lot of] interlined above deleted unusual
16.12 Soon] interlined above deleted Then
16.13 out] interlined with caret
16.18 sudden] interlined above deleted sharp
16.20 rush] interlined above deleted ascend
16.21 drive . . . from] interlined above deleted filled all the space
16.21 stars] followed by deleted Carter came out and [swore ?] Carter and Kayerts slept badly
*17.14-15 the land] substitute this for the; is over at
17.15-16 did . . . be] naturally added; wandering added with caret; be followed by deleted naturally; the passage is interlined above deleted were afraid to run away, being afraid of being killed as strangers
a] interlined above deleted the
overgrown] preceded by deleted near the
festive] interlined with caret
the sorceries] the interlined with caret
loved] preceded on previous line by deleted and
supposed] interlined above deleted considered
to be] interlined above illegible deleted i.etters [as ?]
out] interlined above deleted to them
made . . . die] omit final s from minds; made up their mind to interlined with bracket; attached final d i£ deleted from die
* 18.3-4 and . . . existence] omit have; interlined above deleted death being an act of will simply, without the agency of any instrument
18.6 more] interlined above deleted much
18.10 tasks] interlined above deleted occupations
18.19 trading] terminal quotation mark deleted
18.19 like] interlined above deleted want
1 7 . 1 8
1 7 . 1 8
1 7 . 2 0
1 7 . 2 0 -
1 7 . 2 3
1 7 . 2 3
1 7 . 2 4
1 7 . 2 4
* 1 8 . 2
•21
123
*18.2 4 have got] substitute had for have; had added in left margin
18.24 home] interlined with bracket
18.26 What . . . traders] final s deleted from What; are those traders interlined above deleted this smoke [then ?; there ?]
19.1 Bad fellows] interlined above deleted Burn villages
19.1 They] added above deleted Those traders
19.2 with people] added in left margin
19.2 men] interlined with caret
19.3 a great] a interlined with caret
19.5 Makola] followed by illegible deleted word
19.7 order] terminal quotation mark deleted
19.8-9 fine . . . nothing] added in space below previous line
19.10 it;] terminal quotation mark deleted; period altered to semicolon
19.10 the . . . work] added above line with bracket
19.11 that] interlined with caret
19.12-13 You . . . sir] added above line with bracket
19.13 you] interlined
19.14 this evening] interlined
19.15 to-morrow] no hyphen; interlined above deleted afterward
19.18 hut] preceded by deleted house
19.21 could] preceded by deleted he [hear ?]
19.24 success] followed by deleted In
20.6 There] preceded by deleted I see men there
124
20.6 mind] terminal quotation mark deleted
*20.10-11 It . . . in] substitute mane had come for of men came; interlined above deleted A lot of men seemed to come
20.12 went] added in right margin after illegible deleted letters
20.12 on] o over i
20.12 hard] interlined with caret
every morning] substitute day for morning; interlined above deleted in the morning
That morning] interlined above deleted This morning
turned out] turned interlined above deleted came; out added in left margin before deleted out
Across] preceded by deleted They rousted
Makola . . . person] omit nigger; interlined, partially in left margin, with bracket before He threw
from the distance] substitute down the yard; interlined with bracket
coast] interlined above deleted Loanda
other] preceded by deleted white man
21. C with sudden] with interlined; sudden followed by deleted attached ly and deleted with
21.10 down] interlined with caret
21.12 there?] terminal quotation mark deleted
21.16 six] preceded by deleted f [five ?; four ?]
21.18 give] followed by deleted them
21.21 ivory and] and interlined above deleted and
21.21 most] interlined
21.24 books—] terminal quotation mark deleted
22.8 dismiss] interlined above deleted will report
* 2 0 .
2 0 .
2 0 .
2 0 ,
* 2 0 .
*20:
2 1 ,
21 ,
15
16
, 1 6 -
,17
. 1 8 -
. 2 2
. 5
.8
•17
-19
125
22,11 Kayerts] terminal quotation mark deleted
22,11-12 are so irritable] interlined above deleted get so angry
22,13 first] followed by deleted chief and an illegible word
22.15 been looking] been added in left margin; ing in_ looking inscribed over ed
22.16 no] attached thing deleted
22.17 than] interlined above deleted but what
22.18 turned] followed by deleted an [and ?]
22.20 looked] interlined above deleted remained looking
*22.20 large and valuable] substitute valuable and solid; valuable added below deleted obtrusive
22.22 on the verandah] added above line with bracket
22.22 all] interlined
22.23 far end] interlined above deleted bottom
22.25-26 dead . . . huts] dead interlined above deleted betwee; huts followed by deleted dead
22.26 shot] terminal quotation mark deleted
2 3.2 over the yard] added in left margin
*23.6 lie heavily] substitute lay for lie; lay added in left margin; heavily interlined above deleted descend
23.8 the] interlined above deleted that
23.8 lay] followed by deleted on
23.9 outside his door] interlined with caret
23.13 he] h over H
2 3.15 He] over the; preceded by deleted When
2 3.18 were . . . they] interlined v/ith bracket
126
23.23 do] followed by deleted question mark
24.5 They] preceded by two arrows presumably to indicate that too much space had been skipped after previous line
24.7-8 We . . . we talk] interlined with bracket above deleted People talk
24.9-10 and . . . Nobody knows] real inserted above nothing beyond; passage interlined above deleted and nobody knows anything
*24.10-11 what . . . mean] substitute they for suffering and sacrifice; added in left margin with bracket above illegible deleted word [really ?; himself ?]
24.13 very busy] interlined
24.13 up] followed by deleted the bi [big ?]
24.14 ivory] followed by deleted They [insulted ?] him from the distance
24.15 Carlier] followed by deleted lounged out into the yard; yard followed by illegible deleted word beginning whi
*24.16 stood] add by after stood; interlined
24.19 helplessly] interlined with caret
*24.19-20 and for a minute] substitute For a few minutes; added above line with bracket
24.20 three] interlined with caret
*24.26 as . . . tricky] substitute indecent for tricky; interlined with caret
25.4 in . . . tone] ijiterjUji^ itjh bracl^
25.5 lot] interlined above deleted bone
2 5 .
2 5 ,
* 2 5 ,
2 5 .
2 5 ,
. 15
.17
.19
.20
,20
127
25.12 At midday] added above deleted That day
25.12 hearty] interlined above illegible deleted word [better ?]
25.14 they always added to it] interlined above deleted it was always with "
half-] interlined with caret
that day] interlined with bracket
have been] add all after been; all interlined with bracket
only] interlined
for] interlined
*25.23-24 A . . . himself] substitute Man can for A man may; interlined above deleted All passes in life
25.24 love] attached s cancelled
25.24 hate] attached s cancelled
25.24 belief] interlined; followed by deleted doubts, which is interlined above deleted inactivity
25.25 doubt] interlined above deleted beliefs
25.25 he clings to life] he followed by; deleted can, above which is interlined and deleted will; clings to life interlined above deleted draw breath
26.2 that . . . breath] interlined above deleted to the very last beat; a partially illegible phrase endj.ng in last breaths i_s_ interlined and cancelled; the whole is separated from the next sentence by conventional brackets placed back to back
26.2-3 In . . . the] interlined with bracket above deleted The
26.4 all the] interlined with caret
26.5 His] preceded by deleted Some
26.6 burning] interlined above deleted firing
26.8 left] interlined
128
26.10 one] interlined
26.10 disappeared] preceded by illegible deleted word [done ?] ""
26.12-13 did . . . above] added above deleted lived lonely and
26.14 dumb] interlined above deleted dead
, 26.15 of the post] interlined
26.15 an] interlined above deleted the
*26.16 feeling] after feeling add an absurd and obstinate feeling; absurd and interlined with bracket
26.18 from] preceded by deleted away
26.19 memory] interlined above deleted thoughts
26.20-21 into . . . of] into follov/ed by interlined and deleted a; terminal s in distances added; mad"e indistinct by interlined with bracket; e in. the over at; attached d iii glare cancelled; of interlined above deleted in the
26.22-23 the great . . . seemed] interlined above deleted the savage land its very wilderness see=; interlined hopelessness followed by deleted deprav'ity and men-ace; savagery and see of_ seemed "added iri left margin
26.24 to look upon them, to] added in left margin with bracket
27.2 and yelled] preceded by deleted and Days; Conrad apparently moved the initial line of this AMS page, which begins with Days, up one space
27.4 communications] communication followed by attached s
27.4 a shower] interlined above deleted a fury, which had been inscribed over arrows [?]
*27.6 set the country] substitute set miles of country; the after set deleted; miles of interlined above deleted the; country followed bv deleted for miles
129
27.7 very distinctly] interlined with caret
27.8 jauntily] interlined above deleted jocularly
27.10 cast his lines] interlined above deleted fished
27.14 in the river] interlined
27.16-17 for a] interlined with caret after deleted of
27.17 rage] followed by deleted of
*27,22 His . . . swollen] omit legs; His over He; were much swollen interlined above deleted had sores on his legs
27.22 he] interlined with caret
*27.23 undermined by fever] substitute tried for undermined, interlined with bracket
27.24 but] followed by deleted to [tottered ?]
28,2 on trade] interlined
28.6 He] H over h; preceded by deleted It seems to me that
28.11 their weakness] interlined above deleted themselves
28.12 daily] interlined
28.12 like] interlined
28.16 had been] had interlined above deleted wa [was ?]
28.17-18 very . . . river] interlined above deleted very distant stations
28.19 Kayerts] K over C
2 8.20-21 and . . . and the] interlined with bracket above deleted and cursed the
130
2 8.21 born] follov/ed by asterisk to indicate added sentence in top margin o_f this AMS page. Interlined with brackets after asterisk and above the next line, which begins There was i^ the cancelled and partially illegible sentence have lived on such diet to what a ghastly trouble the necessity for eating [food ?] may become; have and what preceded by illegible deleted words
28.21-23 One . . . become] added in top margin of AMS page; One must added above deleted Unless you
28.25 lumps] interlined above deleted pieces
29.1 explained] interlined above deleted said
29.2 is sick] is preceded by deleted has
29.2 extra] added below deleted thing, above which is interlined and deleted comfort
29.5 now] interlined
29.6 the two men] interlined above deleted they
29.7 were . . . if] interlined above deleted were
29.7 bitterness] interlined above deleted enmity
29.10 his] followed by deleted coffee
29.13 Well!] added above line with bracket
29.19-20 with marked insolence] added above deleted insolently
29.22 him] followed by deleted really
29.23-24 surprising flash] surprise preceded by deleted secon; flash interlined above deleted second
29 25-26 dangerous . . . composure] interlined above deleted terrible and ghastly. He managed to say with composure
30.1 hitching] added above deleted hitching
30.3 You] u over ur
30.5 country] added iia left margin before deleted station
131
30.13 you] u over ur
30.15 dismiss you] terminal quotation mark after you deleted
30.18-19 You . . . howled] added above deleted "Take that you flabby, good for nothing Civilian" he howled
30.20 and the] added above deleted The
30.21-22 Then . . . table] interlined above deleted Carlier danced about shouting
30.22 a blind] interlined v/ith caret before deleted a
32.13-14 He felt . . . more] added above line with bracket; not after could added above attached n't, which is deleted
32.14 sudden perception] interlined above deleted thought
32.15-16 had . . . become] interlined with bracket above deleted were
32.16 difficult] preceded by deleted terrible
*32.21 at . . . him] substitute it seemed to him—that the very same instant; interlined above deleted the next instant—it seemed to him; deleted it preceded by deleted th [they ?]; very i^ the interlined passage was added
32.22 surprise] followed by deleted There was between
133
32.2 3-24 a . . . think] interlined with bracket above deleted red fire; and deleted before thick
32.26 caught] interlined above deleted held to
33.1 roof] followed by deleted banging his head
33.2 of . . . if] interlined above deleted as of
33.3 had tumbled] had interlined with caret; ed in tumbled over ing
33.3-4 Nothing more happened] interlined above deleted He did not die
33.4 He . . . die] interlined above deleted Nothing more happened; more interlined with caret
33.4 Only] preceded by deleted His sho [shoulder ?]
33.5 been badly] been interlined above deleted had a; ly inserted between bad and wrenched
33.7 a stratagem] a interlined with caret
33.7-8 stalking him, now] interlined above deleted creeping, creeping; now added above deleted Kayerts, which had been added above second creeping
*33.8-9 was . . . minute] subsiitute now for this very minute; added below previous AMS line
33,10 a few moments] added above deleted half an hour
33.14 on the floor] interlined with caret
33.15 turned up] interlined with caret
33.19 of gratitude] interlined with bracket
33.21 stretched] added in left margin
33.21 kneeling] interlined above deleted bending
34.3-4 in . , . faint] added above deleted in a faint voice
34,19 bury him to-morrow] him to morrow added below line
34,21 alone] preceded by; deleted alone on
*34,26 now found repose] add he after now, now followed by deleted rested, which is followed by; he; e in he over is; he followed by deleted soul; found interlined above soul; response followed by attached and deleted final d
35,4 likes] preceded by deleted respected
35.6 at last!] interlined
35.7 and childish, false] and interlined above deleted or; false preceded by deleted or
35,7 He revelled] below interlined and deleted Incidentally, he
35.7 new] interlined with caret
35.9 about . . . heaven] interlined v/ith bracket
35.9 of] interlined
35.10 which] interlined above deleted that
35.10-11 Incidentally he] intei-'lined above deleted He
35.11-12 had . . . anyway] interlined above deleted was noxious creature; a having been interlined with caret before deleted noxious, was retained in the interlined passage
35.16 Kayerts] interlined with bracket
35.17 a believer in] interlined above deleted believing
35.19 was at] was added in left margin
35.19 peace] followed by deleted with
35.21 him] interlined
135
35.21-22 his . . . unexpected] interlined with bracket above deleted he did it with such; his preceded by attached and deleted t; attempt inserted above deleted intellectual and follovjed by deleted attempt, which is inserted above deleted effort
*36.11-12 up . . . cry] substitute still for up; interlined, partially with bracket in left margin, above deleted up with a; interlined with a followed in left margin by illegible deleted word
36.14 God] G over g
36.15 inhuman] interlined above deleted long
36.16 that] at over is
36.17 for] preceded by deleted the
36.18 on, undisturbed, through a] on inserted in right mar-gin; undisturbed, through a added below series of deletions: on in; over the scene; on through the station in
36.19 many] interlined with bracket
36.19-20 the yells] the interlined
36.20 some . . . creature] added above deleted a masterful exasperation; some added above deleted an; and ruthless creature added above deleted and fabulous animal
136 36.20 rent] interlined above deleted followed
36.24-25 it . . . return] interlined above deleted to come back •
36.25 which] preceded by deleted he
36.25 he . . . away] interlined above deleted he had come
37.3 thrown there] interlined above deleted living
*37.4-5 in . . , work] substitute invisible for impassible; interlined with bracket above deleted to heaven to undo its work; upon inserted below first to and deleted "
37,5-6 shouting] preceded by deleted He cried
37,7 They can't see] added above line with bracket
37,11 fog] interlined above deleted mist
37.11 low] preceded by deleted in
37.12 a , , . way] interlined above deleted a man lost
37.12 and he] and added in left margin; h over H
*37.13 stain , , , purity] substitute stifling for shifting; stain followed by attached and deleted ed; upon the stifling purity interlined" above~deleted on the purity; stifling, which is written in such a_ way as to resemble shifting, i_s followed by deleted ethereal
37.14 station] interlined above deleted deep
37,14-15 in a tumultous] interlined above deleted a joyous
37.15 its] interlined above deleted in
37.15 the impatient clamour] interlined above deleted the steamers appeals
omit] The director; inscribed and deleted two spaces below previous AT S line
37.17 Managing] interlined above deleted Director
37.18 we know that] v/e added in right margin; know that added in left margin
137
37.20 Above . , , station] added above line with bracket
37.21 unceasing and brazen] added above deleted uninterruptedly; added just above uninterruptedly is deleted out continuous —
*37.22 to] substitute toward; V7ard is inserted between to and the
38.9 fumbled in his] ed iii fumbled over ing; in followed on next line by deleted his pocket for a knife before Kayerts who faced him; deleted passage followed by another in; his preceded by deleted attitudi
38.10 was] added in left margin
38.11 evidently] interlined
38.12 was] interlined
38.12 tying] interlined above deleted fixing
38.13 were] interlined above deleted nearly tou [touched]
38.14 a couple] interlined above deleted about an
38,14 above] interlined above deleted off
38,16 one purple cheek] interlined above deleted his head
38.16 posed] interlined with caret
38.17 putting] interlined above deleted putting and to right of illegible deleted word
B i b l i o g r a p h y
138
Bibliography
i. Editions
"An Outpost of Progress." Autograph Manuscript, (Yale Uni
versity)
This document consists of thirty-seven folio leaves. The text is paginated 1-36. The title page is unnumbered and transcribes: An Outpost of Progress. I To Edward Garnett. I 36pp. 9.500 words. I 17th-21st July. 1896. H e Grande.
"An Outpost of Progress." New York: The Macmillan Company,
1896, (Lilly Library copy, Indiana University)
This pamphlet is one of two deposited for the American copyright on October 28, 189 6.
"An Outpost of Progress." Cosmopolis, 6 (June 1897), [609]-
-620,
First serial printing. Part I.
"An Outpost of Progress," Cosmopolis, 7 (July 1897), 1-15.
First serial printing. Part II,
Tales of Unrest. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 189 8.
First English edition of Tales, published on April 4.
Tales of Unrest. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 189 8.
First American edition of Tales, published on March 26,
"An Outpost of Progress." The Ladysmith Treasury. Ed. J.
Eveleigh Nash. London: Sands & Company, 1900.
The profits on sales of this short story collection were donated to the relief fund established for the besieged town of Ladysmith in Natal, South Africa. Conrad submitted "Outpost" without fee.
139
140
"An Outpost of Progress." Grand Magazine, 5 (1906), 87-103.
"Outpost" was Conrad's choice for Grand's "My Best Story and Vlhy 1 Think So" series.
Almayer' s Folly-T^l_es of Unrest. Sun-Dial edition of collected
works, vol. I, Garden City, New York: Doubleday,
Page & Company, 1920.
Almayer's Folly-Tales of Unrest. Heinemann's limited edition
of collected works, vol. I. London: William Heine
mann, 19 21,
Tales of Unrest, Concord edition of collected works, vol. 17.
Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1923.
ii. Letters
Garnett, Edward, ed. Letters from Joseph Conrad. 1928; rpt.
Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1962.
Gee, John A., and Paul J. Sturm, eds. Letters of Joseph
Conrad to Marguerite Poradowska 1890-1920. New Haven: