Defending The Jungle Lair

Before defending my chronology theories presented in ERB-APA #19 I would like to sincerely thank the number one Edgar Rice Burroughs researcher, Alan Hanson, for his response in ERB-APA #20. I know it is not easy delaying projects already undertaken and this special attention is appreciated by yours truly.

ERB-APA #19

First of all Alan, you have twisted my challenge to sound like something it was not meant to be. My challenge is for anyone to prove with facts, not preferences, that any of my theories are wrong. Not just the Greystokes' sailing date which you used as an example. Let me be quick to point out that I am not saying someone else can not have a different opinion, or they can not come up with a theory just as good as mine, or better. Everyone knows that when it comes to a Tarzan chronology more than one direction can be followed, and who is to say which direction is right and which is wrong.

Greystokes set sail from Dover, England.

I would also like to clearly say that I do not arbitrarily grab a date out of Edgar Rice Burroughs' life and assign it to my chronology. I study and research everything I write. Almost all of the dates used in my chronology are provided by sound research I can prove. As you have admitted yourself some dates have to be concluded without any help from ERB. Therefore, I would rather devise some kind of consistency that folks can relate to, than use a personal system that only means something to me. If I use my personal system, and you use your personal system, and the next researcher uses their personal system, none of us is going to end up in the same place.

Memoirs Of A War Bride

I find it amusing that you state, "In fact, I am opposed to resorting to any other information anywhere other than what is found in the story itself. Take that information and work with it. bend it, push it average it, approximate it until it falls into some kind of useable chronology." Personally, I do not see how a Greystoke chronology can be formed without other research, and I can even see it in your work.

Memoirs Of A War Bride

My Greystoke chronology dates are based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' provided information. That is a fact. The only time any other date is ever inserted is when ERB provides nothing to go by. If some data is not provided in some way or another, there is no way to form a chronology. You know that as well as I do. Instead of arbitrarily grabbing a date, as you put it, I have tried to create a system that is regular and predictable. One that Edgar Rice Burroughs himself used.

Marry Evaline Burroughs

You must understand that in my dating system, there are four basic kinds of provided dates.

1. Edgar Rice Burroughs provided dates.
2. Factual historical dates.
3. Those dates are derived from circumstantial evidence and logic.
4. Those dates are used for a point of figuring.

What I mean by number four is calendar dates provided for occurrences that fall under the category of, it does not make any difference as long as it does not contradict known facts.

James Michael Moody

As far as I am concerned all my figuring (4) dates can be altered if someone can change them with a better-researched one that still remains constant with the known facts of the whole chronology. The way you chose the Greystokes' sailing date is not what I am talking about, however. The way I see it your way is no more scientific than mine, and a heck of a lot more inconsistent.

Alan Hanson

Let us call a halt to the substructure discrepancies in our philosophies for the moment, and let us get on with the chronology subject. When I look at your chronology comparison in ERB-APA #20 I see no major difference in our total outlook. The significant difference is that you are using your personal method, and I am using mine. If the excellent ERB researcher, Bill Waters, were to use his personal method he would be slightly different than either you or I. That is why it is so important to form a universal way of thinking.

ERB-APA #20

The way I see it, John and Alice's wedding date, in my system, is a (4). This means there is not enough provided information, to produce a provable date. Since we need to provide a calendar date for a figuring point, one must be provided. If someone else should provide a sound logical researched date I would not care to change mine and use theirs. I repeat mine is for figuring purposes. Other dates could be used and still be in agreement with the provided information of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Joe Kubert

Alan and I disagree slightly on Lady Alice's pregnancy. As I pointed out before, this is a (4) in my dating system. I would not care one bit to change my provided date if a well-researched one was provided. Although I still personally do not agree with Alan's provided date, as is, I can relate to Lady Alice becoming pregnant almost immediately. After all, both Jane & Meriem did. My research indicates that ERB does not provide the slightest hint that Tarzan was born prematurely. Since ERB did not supply this information, I personally feel, that John and Alice's wedding date still must occur at least nine months before Tarzan's birth.

Russ Manning

Alan and I do disagree about the events concerning John Clayton I receiving his Colonial mission. I can not help but feel my fellow researcher is rushing Clayton along much too fast. Alan wants to present a highly explosive political situation where immediate results are demanded. His descriptions tend to make one assume that Clayton was going into the direct trouble zone as a spy and that his presence was directly needed. This is not what my research reveals, however.

Leopold I by George Dawe

So I won't have to repeat past claims any interested party should reread my article The Greystoke's Destination, Tarzine #55. This research clearly shows that Clayton was going much further south of the trouble zone. This in itself implies that Clayton was not being sent as a field spy. Secondly, the fact that he was taking his wife and soon-to-be child, should clearly suggest that Clayton was not going to be overly exposed to dangerous situations.

Africa

This same research, also points out that Leopold's use of African slaves was known to begin around 1865. So, Clayton's being assigned to the project in 1872 hardly implies extreme urgency. Alan also seems to think Clayton's presence is going to stop or slow. Belgium down. I hate to tell him, Leopold's oppression was still going on sixteen years later in 1888. My date is still a (4), however, and I would not care one bit to change mine slightly for a more researched one.

Africa 1865

From this point on Alan and I run pretty much the same until the Clayton's are finished with their cabin. Alan, when you describe the events of the cabin building and Tarzan's birth, you imply that my dating does not comply with Clayton's description of "months." I would like to correct you on this and make my reasoning clear.

Burne Hogarth

Using my 1872 chronology dates, the Greystoke's were put ashore the morning of June 26, 1872. We have a desperate man with a seven-month-pregnant wife facing a very unkind jungle. We are informed that Clayton built a temporary shelter using "four trees" which formed a rectangle about eight feet square. Cutting long branches from other trees he constructed a framework around them, about ten feet from the ground. He fastened the ends of the branches securely to the trees by means of a rope. Across this framework, Clayton placed other smaller branches quite close together. This platform he paved with huge fronds of elephant's ear, and over that, a covering of mud.

Joe Kubert

"Seven feet higher he constructed a similar, though lighter platform to serve as a roof, and from the sides of this he suspended the balance of his sailcloth for walls." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. This, plus a rude ladder is all that made up the Claytons' first dwelling.

Burne Hogarth

As darkness approached, both saw a huge silhouetted manly image that filled them with terror. When darkness fully ascended a panther visited them and "for an hour or more they heard it sniffing and clawing at the trees which supported their platform. During that first night they caught but fitful snatches of sleep, for the night noises of a great jungle teeming with myriad animal life kept their overwrought nerves on edge, so a hundred times they were startled to wakefulness by piercing screams or the stealthy moving of great bodies beneath them." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.

John Buscema

One can imagine how the Greystokes must have felt by morning. You can bet Clayton's thoughts were on his little tree shelter, which amounts to not much more than a tent in a tree, and his rifle and revolvers. That friend has very little protection against the predators of Tarzan's jungle.

Joe Kubert

On June 27, 1872, "as soon as they had made their meager breakfast of salt pork, coffee, and biscuit, Clayton commenced work upon their house, for he realized that they could hope for no safety and no peace of mind at night until four strong walls effectually barred the jungle from them." ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.

Joe Kubert

I think the description just provided shows that Clayton fully realizes their pearl. Therefore, he is going to go all out to get some kind of protection formed. I just can not imagine Clayton and Alice living in the tent-like tree structure for one month. Would you be under the same circumstances?

Joe Kubert

The way I envision it, Edgar Rice Burroughs stops the flow of action at this point. The author then goes on a fling to describe Clayton's building operations, which span nearly a month. You used twenty-five days as the cabin's building time and I used twenty-seven, but the difference is insignificant. I feel that ERB's description in this reference is meant as broad coverage of the cabin building and is not meant to be a detailed account of Clayton's work schedule.

Joe Kubert

What I am getting at, is under all practicalities you do not build a cabin, in security situations, by the exact order in which ERB's broad description relates.

I know that if I were in Clayton's position, the first thing I would attempt to do is to cut logs and form the cabin's main structure. Once this is done, a limited amount of protection has been provided. In my personal opinion, one hundred percent more than their sailcloth-sided tree structure. Clayton would have been provided with the best English-issue equipment of the times. I foresee no big obstacles in all probabilities, for a recent military man in cutting the small six-inch diameter logs.

Russ Manning

At this time the two mainly ate from their provided rations, and Clayton had little trouble killing the abundant game who strayed too close to the building site. Thus, the Englishman lost little work time because of providing food. I theorized Clayton could have completed the walls and roof in five full days of work. This would put us on July 1, 1872.

Burne Hogarth

After providing protection from immediate danger, simple logic dictates that Clayton would want to provide protection from the weather. His wife is seven months with child, city delicate, and is now in the tropical heat. To me, it seems Clayton's next sensible job would have been to thatch the A-shaped roof. Using small branches laid close together, Clayton covered the six-inch diameter log beams. He then covered this work with long jungle grass and palm fronds. The covering of mud comes later. I judged this to be one good hard day's work.

Burne Hogarth

Now the Clayton's had the potential to sleep nights safer than ever before. If you were in Clayton's position, would you continue to stay in the flimsily described tree structure with all the described dangers lurking about for another two to three weeks? Or, would you like anybody with any sense, move into the security of the log structure? I for one would be putting my loveables in that log structure.

 Russ Manning

Clayton's next task was to fill the chinks with clay. Not the four-inch covering which will be done when the cabin is fully built. Since the clay was no problem to obtain I theorized this task to cover two days.

 Russ Manning

During this operation, I do not see how Clayton could help but get a start on collecting stones for the fireplace, although the majority had to be carried from the beach. My reasoning dictates that the chimney and fireplace would be the most time-consuming task of the whole project. Therefore, I allowed eight days, but you can still borrow time from one of the other work days. We are now on July 12, 1872.

Burne Hogarth

On July 13, 1872, Clayton formed a substantial grating out of one-inch thick branches to fit into the window opening. This task within reason is no full day's work, but we can safely assume any spare time would be spent doing chores ERB has not mentioned. One of those is hunting.

 Russ Manning

Again, simple logic dictates that Clayton had been working so hard on immediate protection that he had no time for food providing. They had been mainly living on ship provisions and what he had shot while cutting logs. After sixteen days of this kind of hunting, you can bet the animals had gotten the word out not to go near the strange lair from whence issued the terrifying thunder death,

Zdenek Burian

On July 14, 1872, Clayton built a door made from pieces of shipping crates. When finished the solid body was some three inches thick. I again doubt this task consumed a whole day, but there were so many little odd chores ERB does not bother to mention that need to be done that it can safely be said Clayton's entire day was a busy one,

Joe Kubert

On July 15-16, 1872, Clayton fashioned two massive hardwood hinges and hung his massive door. ERB wrote two days so there is little to debate here.

Burne Hogarth

On July 17-21, 1872, Clayton spent his time applying a coating of clay to the entire cabin's outer surface, The four-inch thickness was even applied to the outer thatched roof. Now the cabin is complete, and in twenty-five days as Alan Hansen. suggested.

J. Alen St. John

Now we come to the point which causes Alan and I to see different perspectives. We are told, that "the stuccoing and other final touches were added after they moved into the house, which they had done as soon as the roof was on, piling their boxes before the door at night and thus having a comparatively safe and comfortable habitation." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.

Burne Hogarth

Alan's logic shows that the Claytons moved into their cabin at the end of the one-month construction. In this case July 22, 1872. The way my logic dictates the Claytons actually move into the cabin on July 1, 1872, which is much sooner than the first section's completion date. Above we were informed, "they moved into the house, which they had done as soon as the roof was on." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. So, if the Claytons moved into the cabin on July 1, 1872, and the Mangani attacked on September 1, 1872, that is a difference of two months. Therefore, my 1872 chronology of events does indeed meet the requirement of "months" as described by ERB.

Burne Hogarth

About The Author

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines, over a span of forty-five years. 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 excepted date May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, and Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022. Swordsman On Unium is going through the publishing process.