low's journey for almost three weeks. The delay is caused because Marlow and his crew could not get the rivets they needed to fix the steamer. A phone or radio could have helped Marlow fix his steamer earlier and gotten onto the water quicker. Three weeks might have been the difference between life and death for Mr. Kurtz. Another example of a lack of communication is the communication between stations:
             Is he alone there? 'Yes,' answered the manager; "he sent his
             assistant down the river with a note to me in these terms:
             "Clear this poor devil out of the country, and don't bother
             sending another more of that sort. I had rather be alone than
             have the kind of men you can dispose of with me." It was more than a year ago. (Conrad 100)
             If the communication between stations would have been better, Marlow may have known the conditions the station was in, and the area around it. Information about Kurtz's authority over the natives also could have helped save the life of a member of Marlow's crew. Communication with Kurtz's station would have benefited Marlow and his mission, by saving precious time and lives. Another modern amenity Marlow could have used were detailed maps and reconnaissance. These tools would have allowed Marlow access to solving geographic issues preventing him from reaching Kurtz's station, such as a sandbank and a grassy islet. The sandbank and the grassy islet were what caused Marlow and his crew to be sitting ducks for the natives to shoot at. The necessary m
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