1907 November The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  November 6, 1907                                                                                                          EVENT:  Jack/Korak has his first fight with a lion.

SOURCE:  "And so the days passed, and with the traveling and the hunting and  the climbing the boy's muscles developed and his agility increased until even phlegmatic Akut marveled at the progress of his pupil." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

Dan Spiegel

DATE:  November 6, 1907,  through November 13, 1907

EVENT:  Jack/Korak and Akut lay up for several days so the Englishman could recoup from thorn wounds.

SOURCE:  "For several days the boy and the ape lay up while the former recovered from the painful wounds inflicted by the sharp thorns." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

Jack Clayton/Korak

DATE:  midnight November 13, 1907

EVENT:  Jenssen and Malbihn bribe Mbeeda, the Shiek's traitorous headman, to steal Jeanne/Meriem. Instead of the girl, it is the dead Mbeeda who is brought to the Swedes.

SOURCE:  "By midnight all was prepared." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    "At sight of what lay beneath both men stepped back - involuntary oaths upon their lips - for there before them lay the dead body of Mbeeda, the faithless head man." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

Jack/Korak

DATE:  November 15, 1907

EVENT: After recovering, Jack/Korak, and Akut traveled toward the coast. They came upon a European boot print that was a couple of days old. Within hours, Jack/Korak, and Akut overtook the slow-moving safari.

SOURCE:  "When the lad felt fit again the two continued their journey toward the coast, and once more the boy's mind was filled with pleasurable anticipation." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    "The spoor was but a couple of days old when the two discovered it, which meant that the slow-moving caravan was but a few hours distant from them whose trained and agile muscles could carry their bodies swiftly through the branches above the tangled undergrowth which had impeded the progress of the laden carriers of the white men." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  Jack/Korak and Akut came upon the safari of Jenssen and Malbihn as they fled from Shiek Amor ben Khatour's village. "Every now and then the rear guard and the white men cast apprehensive glances reward as though momentarily expecting the materialization of some long expected danger from that quarter," ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

Jack Clayton/Korak

DATE:  hours later November 15, 1907

EVENT:  Jack/Korak tried to make contact with the Swed's party but they shot at him.

SOURCE:  "Days of panic ridden flight through the jungle had filled Carl Jenssen and Sven Malbihn with jangling nerves and their native boys with unreasoning terror." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

Jack Clayton/Korak

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.

1907 October The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  October 20, 1907

EVENT: Jack and Akut happened upon a native village. They chased Jack away and he killed a pursuer and took his long spear, shield, knife, loincloth, ankle, and armbands.

SOURCE: "One day as they were moving slowly along beside a river they came unexpectedly upon a native village." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    "The boy's heart leaped within his breast at the sight of them - for over a month he had seen no human being." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  I have read articles where some ERB researchers have described this kill as a murder. Call it whatever you want in the safety of your home. ERB is quite clear that Jack did not think of it as murder and never felt guilty over his first human kill. "There were no after-qualms of conscience." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

    Akut gave Jack a Mangani name, Korak, which translates to Killer. "Come, Kotak, son of Tarzan, let us go to our people." Months before Akut had given the boy a name of his own choosing, since he could not master  the man given name of Jack. Korak is as it may be interpreted unto human speech. In the language of the apes it means Killer. ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

J. Allen St. John

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.

1907 September The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  September 1, 1907                                                                                                          

EVENT:  Jack and Akut, the ape disguised as the boy's invalid grandmother, boarded a steamer at Dover, England.                                                                                                          

SOURCE:  "The day following the death of Alexis Paulvitch a youth accompanying his invalid grandmother, boarded a steamer at Dover." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. September 1 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.                                                                            

CHAT:  ERB plainly informs us of Jack's destination. "He (Condon) learned, easily that the boy was traveling alone with his invalid grandmother, and that their destination was a small port on the west coast of Africa, a little below the equator; that their name was Billings, and that they had no friends in the little settlement for which they were bound." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

     An interesting point to ponder is the traveling name Jack used while he was traveling, "Billings". Was it just a random name Jack drew out of the hat, or was it a tie-in with one of ERB's other "Billings" characters? The first ERB presented "Billings" was the Captain of the barkentine "Fuwalda" who was killed in the ship's mutiny in Tarzan Of The Apes. This event occurred in the ape-man's father's time. ERB never implies that Tarzan ever knew the Captain's name. It is of course possible the Captain's name came up in later investigations. 

     Regardless, Jane always went out of her way to keep Tarzan's wild upbringing from her son Jack. I just can't see the kept-in-the-dark Jack at this age, knowing anything about Captain Billings. It is possible, however, that Jack could have overheard his father and mother discussing the event without their knowledge. Or perhaps Jack happened upon investigative documents concerning the event without his parent's knowledge.                                               

    The second set of ERB's "Billings" was, Jefferson Billings, an Arizona rancher and father of, Wichita Billings, heroine of the Apache novels, Jefferson is shot in the back and scalped, to make it appear to be the work of Apache renegades. Witchita falls in love with Shoz-Dijiji the Be-don-ko-he Apache war chief. I don't see how Jack would know anything about these Arizona Billings in 1907 London.                                                                                                  

    The third ERB" Billings"  was, Thomas Billings. He was the Secretary to the late Bowen J. Tyler Sr.; a classmate of Bowen, Jr., and organizer of the search party for the Caprona survivors. Thomas was the hero of the second part of the Caspak trilogy who married "Ajor" the Galu maden. I do not see a tie-in between these Billings and Jack. Jack's adventures occurred in 1907 before The Land That Time Forgot.

    Maybe Jack's use of Billings was not human-based. "Billings" was the proper name of one of the gates of London where the fish markets were located. This area's foul and abusive language became known as "Billingsgate" early in the seventeenth century.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  September 2, 1907, through September 5, 1907

EVENT:   The story of the ape killing its master ran in the papers for a few days.

SOURCE:  "The killing of the friendless old Russian, Michael Sabrov, by his great trained ape, was a matter for newspaper comment for a few days." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. September 2 through September 5 are working dates only and are not provided by ERB.

Newspaper Serial

DATE:  Friday, September 13, 1907

EVENT:  Tarzan and Jane discover Jack is not at school.

SOURCE:  "Or at least this was true until he learned, several days subsequent to the tragedy, that his son Jack had not reported at the public school en route for which they had seen him safely ensconced in a railway carriage." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. Friday, September 13 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

CHAT:  I envision that Jack was discovered missing when he did not return home Friday from school.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  September 18, 1907 

EVENT:  Jack and Akut arrive in Africa and check into Herr Skopfr's Hotel.

SOURCE:  "At last came the day," ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  The steam voyage from Dover, England to Luanda, Portuguese Angola takes approximately seventeen days of sailing time. Then one has to consider many none sailing events that could occur and add days or even weeks.

• The most likely mode of transportation would have been steamship. These vessels were significantly faster and more reliable than sailing ships, but the journey still took weeks.
• The Atlantic Ocean could be unpredictable, especially in certain seasons. Storms, rough seas, and mechanical issues could delay the journey.

Given the distances involved and the transportation methods of the time, a reasonable estimate for the journey from Luanda, Portuguese Angola, to Dover, England in 1907 would be between four weeks. This timeframe could vary depending on weather conditions, the specific route taken, port stops, and any unforeseen delays.

    For a working date, I used eighteen days. This is based on the theory that the steamer made a direct route with no unnecessary port stops and no bad weather delays.

Jack Clayton

DATE:  dark September 18, 1907

EVENT:  While waiting on the steamer "Emanuel" to return to Dover an American crook named Condon, attempted to rob Jack. Akut killed him. Jack and Akut escaped into the jungle.

SOURCE:  "It was quite dark before he ventured to enter and arrange for accommodations." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

J. Allen St. John

DATE:  September 18, 1907

EVENT:  Jack Clayton spent a long guiltful but safe first night in the jungle.

SOURCE:  "His first night in the jungle was one which the son of Tarzan held longest in his memory." ERB-The Sun Of Tarzan.

Jack Clayton

DATE:  sunrise September 19, 1907

EVENT:  Jack woke Akut at sunrise to hunt. Immediately Akut began teaching Jack jungle lore.

SOURCE:  With the rising sun rose new hope within his breast." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  "There was nothing but dead twigs and branches at hand, but these he flung at the upturned, snarling face of Sabor just as his father had before him twenty, years ago, when as a boy he two had taunted and tauntalized the great cats of the jungle." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

    Using this presented ERB information we can test our 1872 chronology to see if we are still in agreement with the author's storyline. Twenty years before the events occurring on September 19, 1907, is September 19, 1887. On this date, the jungle lord was fifteen and the events of Tarzan Of The Apes are occurring. At this age, the ape boy certainly taunted and tantalized the great cats. Therefore our 1872 chronology, up to this point, is in exact agreement with the author's presented storyline.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  late morning September 19, 1907

EVENT:  The native houseman found Condon's body.

SOURCE:  "It was late the following morning that a native houseman knocked upon the door of the room that had been assigned to Mrs. Billings and her grandson." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  In this passage, the narrator makes an interesting remark concerning Herr Skopf. "He had never heard of Sherlock Holmes or he would have lost no time in invoking the aid of that celebrated sleuth, for here was a real mystery:," ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    "At last came the day that the steamer dropped anchor in the lee of a wooded promontory where a score or more of sheet-iron shacks making an unsightly blot upon their face of nature proclaimed the fact that civilization had set its heel. Straggling upon the outskirts were the thatched huts of natives picturesque in their primeval savagery, harmonizing with the background of tropical jungle and accentuating the squalid hideousness of the white man's pioneer architecture." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    "Nearby one of the ship's officers was shouting orders to a flotilla of native boats that was approaching to lighten the consignment of the steamer's cargo destined for this tiny post." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

     "Once on shore, he kept out of sight of the two-story atrocity that bore the legend "Hotel" to lure unsuspecting wayfarers to its multitudinous discomforts." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  September 19, 1907

EVENT:  Jack's second night in the jungle was very cold.

SOURCE:  "That night the son of Tarzan was colder than he ever had been in all his life." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

CHAT:  Here is a second chance to test the 1872 chronology with the information provided by ERB. Portuguese Angola has its own specific climate with two distinct seasons. The warmer rainy season is from October to April. The mist or "Cacimbo" is from May to September and is a much dryer season with lower temperatures. Jack spending a cold night on September 19 is consistent with the weather in Portuguese Angola for that time of the year.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  September 20, 1907

EVENT:  Jack roasted in the hot sun.

SOURCE:  "And the next day he roasted in the hot sun, for again their way led much across wide and treeless plains." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan,

Jack/Korak

DATE:  September 20,  1907, through October 20, 1907

EVENT:  Jack and Akut roamed the jungle. Akut continued to teach him the ways of the jungle.

SOURCE:  "For a month the two wandered on, the boy learning rapidly the laws of the jungle; his muscles adapting themselves to the new mode of life that had been thrust upon them." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

J. Allen St John

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.

1907 August The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:   August 17, 1907                                                                                                              EVENT:  Thirty minutes after Jack departed from visiting Akut, unknowingly Tarzan shows up and finally works out a deal to purchase Akut.                                                                              SOURCE:  "It was during this interview that a plan occurred to Paulvitch, and as a result of it he agreed to accept a certain fabulous sum for the ape, and upon receipt of the money to deliver the beast to a vessel that was sailing south from Dover for Africa two days later." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 17 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.                    

J. Allen St. John

DATE:  August 18, 1907

EVENT:  Jack overheard Tarzan tell Jane about purchasing Akut/Ajax with plans to send him back to Africa.

SOURCE:  "As chance would have it, Tarzan's son overheard his father relating to the boy's mother the steps he was taking to return Akut safely to his new jungle home," ERB-Son Of Tarzan. August 18 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

CHAT: Here, we find out Jack is on vacation from school. "She was obdurate, and at last the lad appeared to acquiesce in his mother's decision that the ape must be returned to Africa and the boy to school, from which he had been absent on vacation." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

    English summer vacation starts late in July and lasts six weeks.

The Son Of Tarzan

                                                                                                                                                       

DATE:  August 19, 1907, through August 30, 1907

EVENT:  Unknowing to his parents Jack devised a plan, bought supplies, bought ship tickets to west coast Africa, etc., to take Akut home to the jungle himself.

SOURCE:  "He did not attempt to visit Paulvitch's room again that day, but instead busied himself in other ways." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 19 through 30 are working dates only and are not provided by ERB.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  morning August 31, 1907

EVENT:  Jack sneaks in a visit to Akut after Tarzan's visit.
SOURCE:  "The next morning after giving his father time to precede him and conclude his business with Paulvitch, the lad hastened to the Russian's room." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.
CHAT:  It is here that we find Jack's vacation is over and it is time to return to school. "You see," he went on, "there will be no danger of detection since I am supposed to be leaving on an afternoon train for school. Then I can take Ajax, to Dover, you see, and arrive at school only a day late." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 31 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB. It was concluded by the fact that it was time for Jack to return to school. Since school starts on Monday, September 1. Jack would catch the train on Sunday the day before, so he could get settled.

Newspaper Serial

DATE:  afternoon August 31, 1907
EVENT:  Tarzan and Jane put Jack aboard the train bound for school.
SOURCE:  "That afternoon Lord and Lady Greystoke bid their son goodbye and saw him safely settled in a first-class compartment of the railway carriage that would set him down at school in a few hours." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 31 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  dusk August 31, 1907
EVENT:  Once his parents were out of sight Jack got off the train and took a cab to Paulvitch's address.
SOURCE:  "It was dusk when he arrived." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 31 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

Newspaper Serial

DATE:  night August 31, 1907
EVENT:  Paulvitch attacks Jack and Akut kills the Russian. The ape helps the boy escape, and the two flee.
SOURCE:  "For two hours under the instructions of the former the ape worked upon the knots that secured his friend's wrist." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. August 31 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

J. Allen St. John

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.

1907 July The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  June 20, 1907      

EVENT:  The Marjorie W. arrives in England.      

SOURCE:  "And so at length, the Marjorie W. came to England, and there the officers and the scientists, filled with compassion for the pitiful wreck of a man they had rescued from the jungles, furnished Paulvitch with funds and bid him and his Ajax/Akut, Godspeed." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. 

CHAT:  Marjorie  W's sailing time? Unfortunately, I couldn't find a specific historical record detailing the travel from Luanda, Portuguese Angola to Dover, England in 1907. However, we can estimate the journey based on the transportation methods and conditions of the era.

• The most likely mode of transportation would have been steamship. These vessels were significantly faster and more reliable than sailing ships, but the journey still took weeks.
• The Atlantic Ocean could be unpredictable, especially in certain seasons. Storms, rough seas, and mechanical issues could delay the journey.

Given the distances involved and the transportation methods of the time, a reasonable estimate for the journey from Luanda, Portuguese Angola, to Dover, England in 1907 would be between four to six weeks. This timeframe could vary depending on weather conditions, the specific route taken, port stops, and any unforeseen delays.

    For a working date, I used six weeks which is conservative. That allows for some extra time adjustment should it be needed.  

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  June 20, 1907

EVENT:  Upon arrival in England Paulvitch took Akut/Ajax, to England to a certain famous animal trainer.

SOURCE:  "In London Paulvitch went directly with his prize to a certain famous animal trainer." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  9:30 at night July 27, 1907

EVENT:  Jack tied up his tutor, Mr. Harold Moore, and visited the music hall to see Akut/Ajax.

SOURCE:  "So, when he opened the boy's door at about half after nine, he was greatly excited, though not entirely surprised to find the future Lord Greystoke fully dressed for the street and about to crawl from his open bedroom window." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.
CHAT:  ERB tells us Jack is at home in London, and not at school. This means Tarzan's son is most likely on summer vacation. Although ERB does not say so, Jack probably boards at his school. ERB tells us Jack rides a train to school. When Jack takes Akut/Ajax to Africa it takes Tarzan and Jane several days to find out their son was not at school. If Jack was coming home nightly he could not have disappeared for several days without being detected. July 27 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB. I envision Jack getting out of school on Friday, July 26. At school, Jack had learned about Akut/Ajax, the ape, and the scheduled show for Saturday night.
    On page twenty-one of the Ballentine edition, a "closed car" is mentioned. Can a car of this description exist in 1907? The first truly closed car I could find was the Cadillac prototype commissioned by Henry Leland for himself in 1906. He had the Detroit coach builders Seavers and Erdman build it for him. In 1907, that prototype became the first fully enclosed Cadillac built in any number. It was a single-cylinder Model M coupe.
    By 1906 there were numerous cars such as Star, Knox, Mercedes, and many others with cloth convertible tops. The 1906 Delauney-Bellevillel may not have been considered a closed car but it had a solid roof and a windshield. It had no side doors, however. On page twenty-three of the Ballantine edition the car description "limousine" is used. Was this modern word suitable in 1907? The word "limousine" originated from the Limousine region of France where shepherds would use an oversized, hooded garment to protect themselves from the weather. The first use of the word Limousine used as the term for an automobile that I could find was the 1906 Cadillac built for Henry Leland.

 

Russ Manning

DATE:  July 28, 1907
EVENT:  Tarzan visited Akut.
SOURCE: "Tarzan visited Akut the following day." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. July 28 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.

J. Allen St. John

DATE:  July 30, 1907
EVEN:  Jack goes to visit Akut.
SOURCE:  "He had the address, however, which the trainer had given his father, and two days later he found the opportunity to elude his new tutor - who had replaced the terrified Mr. Moore - and after a considerable search through a section of London which he had never before visited he found the smelly little quarters of the pock-marked old man." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. July 30 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.
CHAT:   Again ERB informs us that Paulvitch was held captive in Africa for ten years. "In former years Paulvitch had been a fastidious scoundrel but ten years of hideous life among the cannibals of Africa had eradicated the last vestige of niceness from his habits." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

The Son Of Tarzan

DATE:  July 31, 1907, through August 16, 1907
EVENT:  Jack sneaks regularly to visit Akut without his parents knowing it.
SOURCE:  "And so Paulvitch encouraged the boy to come and see him often and always he played upon the lad's craving for tales of the savage world with which Paulvitch was all too familiar." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan. July 31 to August 16 is a working date only and is not provided by ERB.
CHAT:  Exactly how long this period was the author left unsaid, but he does tell us Jack took up the Mangani language very quickly. He was mostly a mimic and language genius like his father. "He left him alone with Akut much, and it was not long until he was surprised to learn that the boy could make the great beast understand him - that he had actually learned many of the words of the primitive language of the anthropoids." ERB-The Son Of Tarzan.

The Son Of Tarzan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.

James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.