"Africa was the breath and life of my childhood. It is still the incarnation of my darkest fears, the cradle of mysteries always fascinating but never completely solved. It is the memory of sunny days and green hills, fresh water and the yellow warmth of bright mornings. It is pitiless like every sea, more intransigent than its deserts. It is as intemperate in its harshness as in its favours. It grants nothing, offering much to men of all races".