Ned's Last Chance?

    Card cutter - for that "professional" look to your event cards.

I'm returning once more to a game I played over a month ago. The significance of this particular game was that I had taken the time to re-cut my event cards as some were either significantly longer or wider than others by up to 3mm! This meant that whilst shuffling the cards the same ones came up more frequently than chance would allow (like playing cards with a shaved deck) - mostly the bad ones ! I also used my new card cutter (that rounds off the corners to make them look 'nicer'), shown in the photograph on the right:

Rather feeble looking expedition

Famed archaeologist and failed explorer, Edward Burlington Bt. (Ned)  once more had to set off into the wilds of Jinland with a mere $117 and had to return with significantly more before I had to decide whether or not to replace him.
With this in mind, he was accompanied by Fred (Hunter), Albert (Doc.),  Ebor (Scout), Horatio (Interpreter), two Askari (one carrying a food load) and a mere nine bearers all carrying food, leaving $3 in hand.
The initial plan to go North and East around the lake just North of Jim's Landing was abandoned in favour of a two day journey North again, but West of the Lake to follow the river that had been previously found.

Once more then:
From the Journal of Frederick Cartington

"Day one and, our journey Northwards across the river went without hindrance, even the Natives were friendly.  though  they did bargain us out of our cash, for no return of food".

"Day two brought both a prize and a surprise as at dawn we found a small amount of gold glittering in the morning sun but were later challenged by a not too friendly group of slavers.Their musketry proved inadequate for their chances of victory and of course we prevailed.
 

The slavers (with hidden rifles), one more interested in the camera than the column!

Let the shooting commence!

Two out of four shots hit  - the column is winning!

Two for no reply, then two more and they were off!

"Day three and the drums from the previous evening seemed to have scared one of our bearers off, coincidentally he was also the one carrying our gold loot! "

"Over the next several days, a combination of bad food, water animal attacks and natives snares and snake pits, cost us two food bearers and both our Askari. We had discovered the source of the 'river', a  large stream cascading down into the swamp sourced by the mountain.

The depleted column, two bearers carrying stricken Ebor

"The rest of the journey home was beset by hunger as all our food reserves were gone, and although I did manage to bring sustenance on two occasions, Ebor, huge man that he is needed carrying for want of food."

"Our return to Jim's landing was somewhat underwhelming and though we had found a new dinosaur species' fossil and yet more new animal species, it was a windstorm (costing the life of a bearer shortly before Jim's landing was in sight, that dampened our spirits"

Ned's route

So had the expedition been a success and would Ned be able to undertake another ?
 Well, the simple answer is yes! The points (cash) scored were substantially beyond his starting expenditure of $117, he now had $249 to spend on another expedition - no need for a new leader!

On a personal note, this adventure  (and the next) were both a consequence of my gaming a real opponent.

In other news, my wife is now home, after a successful hip operation and now requires care and rest, thank you for all your thoughts. It's exhausting work looking after her so not much time left for hobby-stuff, but it'll be OK ib a few weeks and I'll soon get back to being my normal lethargic, unenthusiastic self.

That's it then for another week thanks for taking the time to visit and as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.