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HY. LINGWOOD, Esq.,Chairman of fJir' (rover nort.-
THOS. NORMANDALE, Int. B.A., F.S.Sc,
Mkchmiu-u, \S<)£-

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

HENEY M. STANLEY

HIS LIFE, TEAYELS

EXPLOEATIONS

Eev. henry w. little
AUTHOR OF "MADAGASCAR: ITS HISTOKY AND PEOPLE," "A HISTORY Or MISSIA,
ETC., ETC.

LONDON— CHAPMAN and HALL, Limited
PHILADELPHIA— J. B. LIPPINCOTT, Company
1890
[All rights reserved']

LONDON:
printed bv gilbert and rivington, ld-,
st. John's house, clerkenwell road, e.c.

Hebicattoit.

TO THE " SONS AND DAUGHTEES OF THE EMPIEE,"

TO THE YOUTH OF THE GREAT AMERICAN EEPUBLIC,

THIS SIMPLE STORY OF A BRAVE LIFE

IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTHOB.

London, 1890.

PREFACE.

The great Anglo-Saxon and English-speaking nations
of the old and new worlds have no continuous and
convenient record of the travels and explorations of
Mr. Henry Morton Stanley. This book it is hoped
will supply the need.
The narrative is mainly based upon the graphic ac
counts, from the pen of the famous traveller himself,
of his journeys and explorations, and upon copies of
official despatches, reports, and original papers which
have been placed at my disposal.
The helpful lessons of a career so strong in purpose,
so direct in aim, and so prolific of results, are too
valuable to be overlooked or lost.
The intrepid man who " found Livingstone " and
discovered the Congo, has ceased to be regarded any
longer as a " smart newspaper writer " or " an un
reliable adventurer."
He has helped to make the history of the century,
created a New State, and secured for himself a front
place amongst the noblest pioneers of civilization and
the truest friends of humanity of our time.

vi Peeeace.
His life is therefore worthy of careful and attentive
study. It conveys a message of encouragement to the
man who governs, to the man who thinks, and to the
man who acts. It also reveals to us an unique example
of " one man " power — of the strength of an Indivi
duality directed by lofty intention, and sustained by
an abiding sense of duty.
With the pages of this Memoir open before us, we
are constrained to acknowledge that the days of
chivalry and heroic enterprise are not altogether past
— that, now as ever, there are strenuous spirits, giants
in the land, who are ready to " Do and Dare." There
is a quaint fable which hints at the possibility of pig
mies increasing in stature by habitual intercourse with
giants. Carlyle teaches us that if we would be full of
courage we must surround ourselves, by daily perusal
of their doings, with the atmosphere which nourishes
heroes. The achievements of the brave explorer of the "Dark
Continent " are incentives to all men, in an age of spe
culation and over-much theorizing, to have the " Cou
rage of Doing." His African followers, the constant
witnesses of his prowess, his conflicts, and his triumphs
over every obstacle which faced him in his efforts to
unravel the enigma of the ages, and to open up the
great heart of Africa, proclaimed him " The Stone
Breaker." In this cognomen his history and character
are eloquently and tersely expressed.
Leon Gambetta, on a celebrated occasion, said of
him, " Stanley has given an impulse to scientific and
philanthropic enterprise. He has influenced Govern-

Preface. vii
ments." Plutarch records an incident in the life of a
king of Macedon, who, when severely pressed on one
occasion by his enemy, retired from the scene of con
flict for the pious purpose, as he gave out, of sacrificing
to Hercules. Emilius, his opponent, at once rushed
into the fight, with his naked weapon in his hand, and,
calling upon the gods, won a brilliant victory. The
exploits of Stanley remind us of the method of Emilius,
for with him Doing is Thinking and "Working is
Praying. Mr. Stanley has never been envious of the
Missionary or the Trader. He has opened the way
frankly and generously for both, along the tawny
waters of his beloved river and its thousand affluents.
He has disclosed to us, in most convincing words, the
only solution of what is pre-eminently the African
question — the Slave Trade. Free and unrestricted
commerce he declares and proves to be the fatal enemy
of the Arab man-stealer, the only cure (to use
Dr. Livingstone's pathetic expression) for the " running
sore of Africa." In revealing to us the true condition
of Central Equatorial Africa, with its vast areas of
prolific soil, peopled by " myriads of dusky nations,"
its magnificent water-ways for the transit of its
produce, its busy markets, its rich stores of native
wealth, and its superior capacity for civilization and
legitimate trade, he has conferred a lasting benefaction
upon the important artisan populations of England
and America.
But a galaxy of illustrious names surround the
origin and rise of the Congo Free State, with which

viii Preface.
region the fame of Henry M. Stanley will be for ever
identified. To his Majesty Leopold II., King of the Belgians,
belongs the proud title of " The Generous Monarch,"
who so nobly conceived, ably conducted, and
magnificently sustained the enterprise which has
secured the recognition of the Great Powers of the
World, and has ended in the establishment of the
" Free State" (Stanley's Congo). To the marvellous
perspicuity, the ceaseless ardour, and quenchless
courage of Livingstone, who first directed the eye and
mind of Stanley to the mysterious Luapula and its far-
reaching tributaries, and who himself traced its north
ward course to the fork of Nyamge, we owe the
earliest knowledge we possess of the mighty Congo
" at the very source and fountain of its being." To
the astute Chancellor of the German Empire, Prince
Bismarck, the author of the political constitution of
the infant State, must be awarded the credit of
obtaining for the newly created Province perfect
commercial freedom, and liberty to develop its
marvellous resources without fear of being "let or
hindered " by rival or more powerful communities.
We must not fail to remember (in this connection)
that it was through the liberal patronage of the New
York Herald and the Daily Telegraph newspapers that
Mr. Stanley was able to undertake his eventful journey
in 1876, through the entire continent from the sources
to the mouth of the Congo, an adventure which, as
an exhibition of sheer human courage and endurance.
will never probably be surpassed.

Preface. ix
To those humbler companions of the great explorer,
the sons of the soil, who obeyed him because they had
learned to trust his word, and to confide in his
courage, who followed him " not knowing whither they
went," and without whose aid Stanley would have been
powerless to secure success, I gladly devote a word
of admiration. " Unwept and unsung," they are
scattered over the East, or have ceased to be. We
must freely acknowledge, however, the important
services which " these dark-skinned children of the
land" rendered in faithfully sharing the toils and
perils of their indomitable leader in the noble task
which he set himself, of redeeming their continent
from oppression and despair.
The Life and Labours of Mr. Stanley fill up the
most fascinating, and at the same time most
instructive page in the History of Modern Exploration.
With him, in brief, we learn that under all con
ditions of life, it is " Better far the silent tongue but
the eloquent deed : despatch than discourse : and
Doing the best answer of all."
H. W. L.
London, 1890.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Early days — With the Army of the North — Visit to Europe and
the Syrian Peninsula — In the Mediterranean — Captured by
brigands — With Hancock's expedition — Indian warfare — A
raft-voyage on the Platte Eiver — Herald special corre
spondent to Europe and the East ..... 1
CHAPTER II.
Annesley Bay — Through Abyssinia — Sir Robert Napier — The
road to Magdala — A forced march — Mountain campaigning
— News of Theodore — Robber villages — Funeral customs —
Native allies— Will Theodore fight ? . . . .17
CHAPTER III.
To Magdala — Fruitless delay — Theodore doomed — The arrival of
the European prisoners — Attack on the heights — lfNo
powder" — Suicide of the Emperor — Sacking the strong
hold — Return to the coast — Royal felicitations — " In perils
by waters " — Home ........ 35
CHAPTER IV.
Troubles in Spain — State of Madrid — Isabella deposed — An
important interview at Paris — Constantinople — Russian
intrigue in Central Asia — A Persian famine — The Shah
and the telegraph — Bombay to Africa . . . .46
CHAPTER V.
Busy Zanzibar — The Herald Livingstone Search Expedition
— Landing in Africa— Forward to Myamyambe — The lion
city — Ugogo and its magnates — Experiences of African
travel — Fever and famine — In the game country . . 55

xii Contents.
CHAPTER VI. PAGE
Unyanyembe — War rumours — The expedition delayed — "Killing
the road " — An easy victory — The Bonaparte of Africa —
An eventful night— Mutiny in the ranks— News of Living
stone — A clever flank-movement — Ujiji — Livingstone
Found— On the Tanganika — A problem solved — Back to
Unyanyembe— The terrors of the Masika— Zanzibar once
more — Welcome home ! — The Queen congratulates Stanley
— A royal gift . . . • . • ¦ . 7<
CHAPTER VII.
Through Fanteeland to Ashantee — "The white man's grave"
— Sir Garnet Wolseley and " War Specials " — The road to
the Prah — A cruise in the Dauntless — Jack ashore —
Ashantee customs — Camp-fire stories — Overtures from King
Coffee — Sir Garnet decides to advance without delay — The
Prah  99
CHAPTER VIII.
To Coomassie — Gifford's scouts — Ashantee houses — Release of
the captives — Bush fighting — A stubborn foe — In sight of
the capital — A fatal swamp — In Coomassie — The " Spirit-
house "- — Royal Treasures — The city in flames — Departure
of the troops — The treaty of Foumannah — Rapid journey
to the coast — Wolseley and Glover — Stanley as a military
critic — The journey home ...... 118
CHAPTER IX.
The " Herald and Telegraph " Expedition — Unknown Africa
— The heart of the Dark Continent — The sources of the
Congo — "Myriads of dusky nations" — Livingstone's Lu-
alaba — Lake Victoria — A visit to Uganda — The hope of
Africa — Incidents of lake voyaging — The pirates of Bmn-
bireh — Return to camp — A noisy welcome . . . 134
CHAPTER X.
More deaths — Mutiny in the camp — Capture of the Lady Alice
— Peace with Bumbireh — Back to Uganda — Mtesa on the
" warpath " — The royal convert — Christ or Mohammed —
A white man's stratagem — To Muta Ngize — A retreat
— Disappointed hopes — The boiling springs of Mtagata —
Mirambo, "a perfect African gentleman" — Once more at
rest in Ujiji  157

Contents. xiii
CHAPTER XL
PAGE
The mystery of the Lualaba — Livingstone's legacy — Afloat on
the Tanganika — Sad memories — A " south-wester " — -The
"Soko" (gorilla) country — On the track of Cameron —
Friendly overtures declined — No letters — Mutiny and death
— Strong measures — Native statuary — In the Manyema
country — Traces of Livingstone — Heathen testimony to
the virtues of -the "old white man" — The children loved
him — On the banks of the Lualaba — Tippo Tib and the
Arabs of Nyangwe — Forward to the ocean ! — A terrible
jungle — The expedition in peril — Perpetual strife — Tippo
Tib deserts Stanley — The cataracts — Encamped at the
Stanley Falls  184

CHAPTER XII.
Afloat on the Livingstone — Peace and rest — River life — Fighting
once more — Stanley Pool — Depressing prospects — The ex
pedition starving — A royal visit — " Thirty-second and last
fight " — The dreaded cataracts — Livingstone Falls — The
" largest goat " in Africa — Disaster and love — Kalulu lost
— Drowning of Frank Pocock — Rebellion in the camp —
" Tired " — Death in the river — " The politest people in
Africa" — The end approaching — "Master, we are dying
of hunger ! " — The Lady Alice abandoned — A painful
march — "Food, give us food!" — "Rum, I love rum ! " —
In correspondence with white men — Relief appears —
"Saved" — Boma — Zanzibar — Home once more . .202

CHAPTER XIII.
romance of modern history — The Coruite d'Etudes du Haut
Congo — The Brussels Conference — A continental holiday —
A royal patron — At the mouth of the Congo— Stanley's fleet
— Some historical facts — Tuckey's farthest — Boma — A de
pressing voyage — Steam against water — Choosing a site —
The head -quarters of the new state ..... 229

CHAPTER XIV.
The lords of Vivi — A novel spectacle — " The breaker of rocks"
— The first settlement — Fifty-two miles of road — Isangila
to Manyanga — " The end at last " — Blood-brothers — An
African pretender — The bad fetish — Stanley Pool once more
— At Kintamo — Founding Leopoldville — A land of promise 244

xiv Contents.
CHAPTER XV.
PAGE
A magnificent watery expanse — The Kwa— An African princess
—Royal commands -Lake Leopold II.— "No fuel, _ no
steam" — Worn to death — A complication of ills — Vivi —
Home to England— Interview with the Comite at Brussels
— Reporting progress — Three years of toil — Back to Vivi
— Desolation - Ruin and decay — Deserters — New stations
founded — Leopoldville a ruin — In peril at Bolobo . . 268
CHAPTER XVI.
Splendid scenery — Miles of the forest — Effect of the " smoke
boats '' — Native mendacity — The covenant of blood — Hostile
natives — A novel farewell — Equator Station — 770 miles
from the Atlantic — Stanley as a peacemaker— " Bula
Matari has spoken " — Vivi dismantled — Bolobo in ashes
— Progress at Equator Station — Peace with the Bangala—
A born orator — The wild Basoko — On the track of the Arab
slavers — A ghastly spectacle — Slaves in chains — Plucky
little Binnie — Stanley's ideal station — Unhappy Vivi —
On board the Kisenibo — Six laborious and ' bitter " years
— Beport of the work of the Exj)edition — Stanley at Brus
sels — Retrospect ....... 285
CHAPTER XVII.
The founding of the Congo Free State — The Berlin Conference
— Treaties with natives— Portugal and England stop the
way — Difficulties overcome — Prince Bismarck — A conven
tion signed between the Association Internationale and
Great Britain — M. de Brazza — Chief points of the formal
convention agreed upon by the Association and the Great
Powers — A Free-trade zone — Capabilities of the new state
— A Congo railway — The Congo Free State a sovereign and
independent power — Completion crowns the work . . 304
CHAPTER XVIII.
Notes upon the various races of Inner Equatorial Africa —
The Bantus — Baleike — Currency — The Kroomen — Fatal
fascination of the gin-bottle — Decline of ancient African
monarchies — The King of Congo — Cannibals and dwarfs —
Ghastly decorations — Language of the Congo tribes — Four
distinctdialects — The French of the East Coast — Missionary
enterprise — The religion of the Congo Tribes — " Nzambi "
— Human sacrifices — The poison ordeal — "Some one has
done it!" — The Bakongo — Daily life — "A lair of human
beasts" — The slave trade on the upper waters . . , 322

Contents. xv
CHAPTER XIX.
PAGE
Climate of the Congo region — Wrong impressions — How to live
in Equatorial Africa — Sudden changes of temperature —
Good spirits essential to health — Flora of the Congo terri
tory — Forests of priceless value — A country abounding in
natural wealth — The ivory harvest — Mineral deposits —
Large supplies of copper ore — Iron — Gold and silver —
Fauna of the river-basin — African type — Elephants and
zebras — Troops of hippos — The animal life of the Congoese
forests and swamps — Belts of primeval forests — Gigantic
trees — Lake villages — A word-picture by Cameron . . 342
CHAPTER XX.
Gordon as Stanley's successor — Not to the Congo, but to Khar
toum — The story of the sad Soudan — An expedition to
Khartoum sixty years ago — A captive princess — A novel
poll-tax — Gold, slaves, and glory — Forcing the cataracts —
"Water mares" — The commencement of the Soudanese
slave wars — Tragedy at Shendy — Conquest of Kordofan —
Gordon as Governor of the Equatorial Provinces — The
Mahdi — Ras el Khaki odm — The far-off garrisons — Left to
perish .......... 365
CHAPTER XXI.
Gordon Pasha's favourite policy — Reforming the administration
— " I will hold the balance level " — Emin Pasha — Early
life — At Berlin — On the staff of Hakki Pasha in Syria —
Accepts service with the Khedive Ismail — To the Equator
— Gordon and Emin at work — Mission to Uganda — The
fruits of a righteous rule — Emin defies the Mahdi — Defence
of Wadelai — Emin a soldier, doctor, man of science, and
linguist — The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition — Mr.
Stanley asked to lead the enterprise ..... 385
CHAPTER XXII.
Stanley at the Mansion House — A Freeman of the City — An
errand of mercy and peril — The proposed routes to Wade
lai — The perils of the expedition — Stanley declares his
plan — He will follow the Congo — Farewell to England —
Zanzibar — The Congo — The camp on the Aruwimi — Prepara
tions for the journey overland to Wadelai — Stanley on
the march — A word-portrait of Stanley — The explorer at
home — How he wrote " Through the Dark Continent " —
Into the unknown — En route to Wadelai . . . 409

xvi Contents.
CHAPTER XXIII. PAGE
Good news for Emin — The Pasha holding his own — Letter to
Mi. Allen — Emin will not desert his post — Reorganization
of the Province — Emin will remain and carry out the
policy of his great chief — Unyoro and Uganda in arms —
Kabrega a fugitive — A long silence — Letter from Wadelai
to Dr. Felkin — Emin is anxiously expecting Stanley and
the Relief Expedition — Gathering clouds — The Mahdi
moves down upon Wadelai — Summons sent to Emin to
surrender his post — No tidings of the expedition — Emin
decides to attack the Mahdi  428
CHAPTER XXIV.
From the Congo to the Albert Nyanza — Stanley and Emin meet
— Major Barttelot — Lake Albert Edward — The march to
the coast .... .... 440

HENEY M. STANLEY.

CHAPTER I.
Early days — With the Army of the North — Visit to Europe and the
Syrian Peninsula — In the Mediterranean — Captured by brigands
— With Hancock's expedition — Indian warfare — A raft-voyage
on the Platte River — Herald special correspondent to Europe
and the East.
Henet Moeton Stanley was born at Denbigh in
Wales in 1841. The town, which has an eventful
history, reaching back to ancient British times,
occupies a striking position upon the sides and at the
base of a rugged mass of limestone rock, overlooking
the rich pastoral scenery of the Vale of Clwyd. It is
peaceful enough now, even to dulness. In past days,
however, as a mountain stronghold of the native
Welsh princes, it was the scene of many stirring and
important incidents, and the magnificent ruins of its
old castle bear everywhere upon' their crumbling
walls and broken towers, abundant marks of " sieges,
struggles, battles and surprises." The locality
abounds in romantic traditions of gallant deeds and
feats of valour, performed by the ancient heroes of
the Principality, and these legends are carefully trea
sured, and proudly handed down, from father to son,
by the simple and warm-hearted peasantry of the
district. The Denbigh of to-day is almost entirely

2 Heney M. Stanley.
given up to trade. It has a thrifty population of six
thousand inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in
making shoes and gloves.
The cottage home of Stanley's parents (a humble
but worthy couple) was situated within the precincts
of the old "fortress, which embraced a large portion
of the southern slope of the hill. At an early age,
owing to the death of his father, he was placed in the
Free School at St. Asaph, where he remained for ten
years. Those who knew him at this period describe
him as industrious, and by no means wanting in ability.
High-spirited, and fond of all physical exercises, he
entered with eagerness into the attractive ventures
and hazardous exploits of schoolboy life. At the
same time he developed a special taste and capacity
for mathematics and drawing, and to the future ex
plorer of Africa a lesson in geography' was always a
welcome recreation, rather than a dry task. On a
memorable occasion in the history of the school, the
boys were invited to the Palace of the Bishop to re
ceive their annual prizes for good conduct and pro
ficiency in their studies, at the hands of the venerable
Prelate. The bright looks and general demeanour of
Stanley attracted the notice of the Bishop, who,
touching him upon the shoulder, said, " This is a
clever boy, and if he has his health, he will make his
mark." The heart of the fatherless boy was cheered
by the gift of a Bible, as a special mark of favour from
the Bishop. This book was much valued by its pos
sessor, through all the changing circumstances and
varied fortunes of his youth, and it was taken with
pride by him to the Palace some years after, when he
returned from the American War in 1866. He had

A Parish School-Teachee. 3
scarcely reached the age of sixteen when he left St.
Asaph to assist a relative who was in charge of the
parish school of Mold in Flintshire. At Mold, as for
merly at St. Asaph, he appears to have gained the
goodwill of his associates in the school, as well as the
confidence and esteem of those whom he served. Al
though fitted by nature and inclination for a life of
activity and bodily exertion, he was able at all times
to appreciate and enjoy the companionship of clever
books. He read everything that came in his way,
and a friend who visited him at Mold on one occasion
tells of his surprise at finding him intensely engaged,
during the playhours, in the perusal of Dr. Johnson's
instructive and charming story of " Rasselas." A
sturdy frame, full round features, a stubborn will, a
quick temper, an attractive venturesomeness, and " the
air of an uncompromising and deep fellow," were the
prominent characteristics of Stanley at this time. It
is not surprising, therefore, to find that the quiet,
plodding life of a parish school teacher was by no means
congenial to his restless and sensitive nature. He sud
denly left Mold, and turning northward, he took the
shortest road to Liverpool, resolved to find, in some
land beyond the seas, a home and fortune for himself.
With this purpose in view he made his way through
Birkenhead to the crowded, busy quays and docks on
the banks of the Mersey. Driven by his destitute con
dition to accept any offer of work which might be made
him, he accepted an engagement with the captain of a
small vessel, of an inferior class, to act as ship's boy
on the passage to JS~ew Orleans, where he arrived
after a dreary voyage of eight weeks. The great and
populous port of the Southern States was then at the
b 2

4 Henry M. Stanley.
height of its commercial prosperity. Ships of all
nations crowded its harbour, and the evidences of
commercial success were visible on all sides in the
splendid buildings andspaciousmansions whichadorned
this Venice of the New World. After some delay
Stanley found a suitable post in one of the huge stores
near the river, in which the shippers transacted their
business. His diligence and energy soon commended
him to his employer, who after a time, it is said, actually
adopted him as his son. This was an eventful crisis in
the career of the young Welshman, and as a practical
specimen of his deep sense of the confidence thus
shown in him, he determined to take the name of his
patron — H. M. Stanley — in the place of his own, which
had up to this time been John Rowlands. Life was
now opening in real earnest for him with a fair pro
spect of speedy success in his new calling. He was
regarded by friends and neighbours as a lucky youth,
who would, without doubt, in good time, come to be
the head of the house over which his. foster-
parent presided. His career as a merchant's clerk
was, however, brought to a sudden and complete
termination. On the death of his benefactor, the whole
of the property was taken over by the relatives of the
deceased trader, and Stanley was once more adrift
upon the world. He now made his way to the State
of Arkansas, where he remained for two years. On
the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 he enlisted in
the Army of the South, " joining," as he said in a
speech which he made seven years afterwards, " the
ranks of the enemies of his country because at the
time he knew no better." Having been taken prisoner
in the battle of Pittsburg, on April 6th, 1862, he con-

A Confederate Soldier and Federal Sailor. 5
trived to effect his escape, at the peril of his life, by
swimming the river, under the fire of the sentries, in
the dead of night. Some time after this he reappeared
at Bddelwyddan in North Wales, where his mother
had gone to reside. He made only a brief stay, how
ever, in his native country, and after spending a few
months at Liverpool, he re-embarked for America.
The terrible conflict between North and South was
still raging, and every effort was made to secure
smart and eligible recruits for both services. Stanley
was induced to enter the Federal Navy, and was
promoted at the end of his first month of duty to the
clerkship of the vessel to which he had been drafted.
The satisfactory manner in which he discharged the
duties of his office soon secured for him the favour
able notice of his superiors, and in less than a year
we find he had become secretary to the admiral of
the fleet on board the flag-ship Ticonderoga. The
young writer soon showed something of the spirit that
was in him.
During a terrific engagement, in which the flag-ship
was constantly under fire, he volunteered to swim off,
in the face of a scathing discharge of shell from the
enemy's batteries, over a distance of five hundred
yards, and attach a hawser to a rebel steamer. This
audacious feat was performed with complete success.
The prize was drawn out of the harbour, and secured
by the flag-ship, and the hero of the adventure was
rewarded by being made an ensign upon the quarter
deck of the Ticonderoga. Stanley was frequently
engaged in important naval operations from this time,
and he took an active part in the final assault upon
Fort Fisher on January 13th, 1865, which virtually

6 . Henry M. Stanley.
decided the fate of the Confederacy. In 1866 the
Ticonderoga was ordered to proceed upon a cruise in
Southern Europe, and in the summer of that year,
Stanley obtained leave of absence and left his ship at
Constantinople, with a view to revisiting his Welsh
home. His appearance amongst his old friends in the
smart uniform of the United States Navy, and the
accounts which had reached Denbigh and the neigh
bourhood, of his prosperous and distinguished career
across the Atlantic, combined to make him now a
person of some distinction and fame. He was heartily
welcomed on all sides, and his reception at St. Asaph,
when he visited his old school, was most enthusiastic.
He addressed the boys who were assembled to greet
him in a cheery, practical speech, full of useful exhorta
tions to ready obedience at all times to the call of duty.
The boys were entertained at Mr. Stanley's expense,
and they were granted the usual holiday in honour of
their friend and visitor. It was previous to this visit
to the Principality that Stanley met with some thrill
ing experiences with armed outlaws in the heart of
Syria. During the visit of the fleet to Constantinople,
with, two companions, he penetrated the country for
about 100 miles east of Smyrna, when the party was
attacked by brigands, who robbed them of everything
they possessed and barely allowed them to escape with
their lives. The unfortunate travellers returned to
Constantinople, where their leader, with characteristic
energy, at once wrote a graphic and telling account
of their treatment to the Levant Herald, and com
plained in no measured terms of the deplorable con
dition of the Turkish provinces in Syria, and of the
otiose and indifferent attitude of the authorities in

Adventures in Asia Minor. 7
that province, where there seemed to be no real pro
tection for either life or property. The letter was as
follows : — " OoTRAGE ON AMERICAN TRAVELLERS.
" To the Editor of the "Levant Herald."
"Sir, — When about seven hours from Afiuna-Kara-
Hissar, on the 18th September, en route for Tiflis and
Thibet via Erzeroum, from Smyrna, I and my two
companions, Mr. H. W. Cook of Illinois, and Master
Lewis Noe of New York, were attacked by a band of
robbers, hailing from the village of Chi-Hissar, headed
by a fellow named Achmet of Kara-Hissar, and robbed
of all our money, valuables and clothing, to the tune
of about 80,000 piastres. It would occupy too much
space were I to enter into minor details ; suffice it
to state that after robbing us, they conveyed us as
prisoners in triumph to Chi-Hissar, accusing us of
being robbers, which brought down on our devoted
heads unparalleled abuse from the villagers : the
women pelted us with stones, the children spat at us,
the men belaboured us unmercifully with sticks, clubs,
and fire-tongs. Not comprehending in the least what
direction affairs had taken, I must say for myself
that I was plunged in a state of stupefaction not un-
mingled with rage, as to how and why we were thus
treated. We had instantly acquiesced in all their
demands, and were as docile as lambs in their hands,
and though when attacked we were armed with the
best Sharp's fliers and Colt's revolvers, we had offered
no resistance.
" When night arrived they bound us with cords,
drawn so tight round our necks that it nearly pro-

8 Henry M. Stanley.
duced strangulation, in which suffering condition they
allowed us to remain twelve hours. During the night
three of our captors, Vely, Muet, and Mustapha, when
all seemed buried in slumber, committed the diabolical
— [it is not necessary to describe the outrage. Suffi
cient to say that it was of a very shameful character,
and that the lad was coerced into silence by the robbers
flourishing over his head a long knife, with a signifi
cant threat to cut his throat]. No explanations that
they can render can gloss over the wanton cruelty
and malignant treatment to which we have been
subjected. " Next day, two of them conveyed us, bound, with
the most daring effrontery imaginable, to a small town
called Rashi Keiu, with the statement that we were
robbers, when, of course, we were powerless to explain
the mystery that hung over us. We were treated as
prisoners, accompanied by the most cruel abuses;
chains were hung round our necks, like garlands, for
the night. From this place we were sent to Afiuna-
Kara-Hissar, where we received the benefit of an inter
preter, in the person of Mr. L. D. Peloso, agent of the
Ottoman Bank at that place, who acquitted himself
very creditably in that capacity ; the fruits of which
were that we were immediately freed from ' durance
vile.' Nor did his generosity stay here ; he lent us
ample funds, procured us comfortable rooms at the
Khan, and fed and clothed us, thus acting the part of
a good Samaritan to three unfortunates. And again,
through his energetic and repeated appeals to Raouf
Bey, the sub-governor of that place, all the robbers
were arrested. A strict search was made by soldiers
in the village, and about forty piastres and two or

A War Correspondent. 9
three articles of clothing were recovered. The
prisoners Achmet, Ibrahim, Hassar, Mustapha, Beker,
Vely, Muet, and three others were sent under strong
guard to Broussa, there to be detained till tried accord
ing to law. We arrived at Constantinople via Broussa
yesterday, to lay our case before the American
Minister, through whose influence I hope justice will
be meted out to the unbaptized rogues. Hoping
you will give this letter a small space in your valuable
paper, I remain one of the victimized. " Henry Stanley.
"Pera, October 11th."
Through the kindness of the Hon. Jay Morris, the
American representative at the Sublime Porte, assist
ance was at once afforded to the sufferers, who pre
sented themselves at the private residence of the
minister in a most deplorable and destitute condition.
In 1867 an expedition, under the leadership of
General Hancock, was organized for the suppression of
the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Kivia tribes of Indians, who
had for some time been making formidable and brutal
raids upon the more exposed railways of the North
western States. Stanley accompanied the troops in
the capacity of correspondent for the Neiv York
Tribune and the Missouri Democrat, and distinguished
himself not so much by the style as by the matter of
his descriptive letters to the papers he represented at
the scene of operations. He displayed a wonderful
patience in obtaining facts and information, and often
ran great personal risks in his desire to have the
earliest and most reliable news of any fresh incident
of the campaign. This was his second actual commis-

10 Henry M. Stanley.
sion as a " War Special," a calling as perilous as it is
honourable in which he has since gained the highest
eminence. The qualifications requisite for an efficient
" Special Correspondent " are various in kind and
many in number. In the exercise of his vocation
he has indeed "to play many parts." A splendid
physique, a cool head under fire, a keen eye to take in
at a glance the physical features and peculiarities of a
district, an intimate knowledge of military strategy
and the tactics of war, an unflinching courage, great
prudence and sagacity in communicating his facts, a
smart style, a fluent pen under all circumstances of
climate or health, expert horsemanship, business tact,
and a capacity for enduring fatigue and privations —
these are only a few of the characteristics of a success
ful " War Special." The accounts of Hancock's
expedition, published in the Tribune and Democrat,
soon attracted public attention, and they were ac
knowledged by literary critics to have been written
by a man who knew his work. Efforts were at once
made by the leading journals of America to secure the
services of the graphic pen which had depicted so
powerfully the various phases of the latest conflict
between civilization and savagery in the Far West.
Meanwhile, the now famous " newspaper man " was
returning at his leisure, with a solitary companion,
upon a rude raft which he had constructed and
launched upon the Platte river, and upon which he
accomplished a journey of over seven hundred miles
without a mishap. He preferred this method of
travel, he said, to the dull and dreary monotony of the
coach-road. Leaving the river when he reached the
Missouri, he crossed overland to New York, where he

With Lord Napier in Abyssinia. 11
found the proprietor of the Herald ready to offer him
the lucrative but responsible position of travelling
correspondent to that journal. The offer was accepted
(1868), and Stanley was ordered to proceed without
delay to Europe, and attach himself to the British
forces under Sir Robert Napier, who was about to
invade Abyssinia, in order to crush the power of King
Theodore, the inhuman monarch of that country, who
had excited the indignation of all civilized nations
by his barbarous treatment of a band of European
missionaries and artisans, whom he had seized and
imprisoned in his remote and well-nigh impregnable
fortress of Magdala. The gallant officer who had
charge of the expedition was already distinguished by
a succession of brilliant military services in India and
the Far East. He had been mentioned in despatches for
the manner in which he had discharged the responsible
duties of brigade-major in the arduous and exhausting
Sutlej campaigns, in which he had received a severe
wound, which, for a time, unfitted him for active
employment. At the siege of Moultan he had directed
the operations of the corps of Royal Engineers as acting
chief, and been again severely wounded. As commander
of the Engineers during the assault on Lucknow he
had been awarded high honours for the ability and
sagacity with which he had planned and carried out the
complicated system of field and siege works, which
eventually effected the overthrow of the city (1858).
He was made a K.C.B. for this achievement and
received the thanks of Parliament. In 1861 Napier had
been ordered to China, to assist in the combined attack
by both arms of the service, upon Pekin, a walled
town of enormous strength, with a mixed population

12 Henry M. Stanley.
of over a million Tartars and Chinese. The city,
which occupied a formidable position about one
hundred miles from the sea, near the Peiho river, soon
fell into the hands of the British, with all its treasures,
and the " skill, energy, and intrepidity " displayed by
Napier in the course of these extensive and difficult
operations again secured for him the thanks of
the Parliament, as well as the admiration of the
entire French and English forces engaged in the war.
The son of Major C. F. Napier, R.E., he was born at
Ceylon, during his father's term of duty in that
island. In due course he went to the military college
at Addiscombe, and entered the Bengal Engineers in
1826. He obtained captain's rank in 1841, and
rendered good service at this period to the Indian
army generally by the promotion of the Lawrence
Asylums for soldiers' orphans. His experience in the
frontier wars with the half-savage Husseinzai and
Afreedee tribes, and as commander of a flying column
which was sent out to hunt down the rebel commander
Tantia Topee, admirably qualified him for the special
work which lay before him amongst the hills of
Abyssinia. The march to Magdala was by no means
an undertaking to be lightly entered upon. The
region to be traversed by the invading force was to a
great extent a land of mystery. Reliable information
as to the physical features, population, and resources
of the territory had to be mainly gleaned from the
records of Bruce and Beke, the only travellers who
had actually made anything like a detailed examina
tion of the region. Up to the time that Sir R. Napier
landed at Massowah, the only port of Abyssinia the
country, although presenting every attraction to the

What Abyssinia is. 13
traveller and the man of science, was, strange to say,
almost a terra incognita even to our geographers and
explorers. The kingdom of the doomed monarch was
found to consist of a wedge-shaped area of highland,
rising in a series of plateaux to an average elevation
of six thousand feet, with a small coast-line bordering
on the Red Sea, and surrounded by the desert sands
and steppes of the Egyptian Soudan. Lofty serrated
mountain-ranges, with towering and rugged peaks
reaching in some cases to an altitude of sixteen
thousand feet, rise out of these tracts of table-land,
and the hill-ranges are intersected and broken in all
directions by deep and almost inaccessible ravines and
low-lying valleys. The Blue Nile, and the Atabora,
the sole tributary of the united Nile, have their
sources in the recesses of the Abyssinian mountains,
and these dark, turbid streams, heavily laden with the
rich, loamy soil, which is carried down by their head
long rush in the season of the tropical rains, go to
swell the majestic volume of the great Egyptian river,
which empties its waters into the Mediterranean, after
pursuing a direct course of over three thousand miles.
Owing to the peculiar position and conformation of
the country, the traveller in ascending from the
lowlands to the more elevated regions, passes
through three distinct zones of temperature. The
valleys and low-lying districts are tropical, the hill
sides present more or less the conditions of life which
are found in a temperate climate, whilst in the high
lands the temperature is identical with that of
Northern Europe. In the Kollas or tropical belt of
temperature, which ranges from 3000 to 4000 feet
above the sea-level, and which embraces the lower

14 Henry M. Stanley.
edges of the plateaux, vegetation in all the glory of
tropical luxuriance abounds. The cotton-tree, gum-
yielding acacias, the ebony, the sugar-cane, bananas
and dates are cultivated to the highest perfection, and
in the forests are found the lion, the elephant, the
zebra, the panther and the antelope.
The Wonnia Degas or temperate belt is the richest
and most habitable. It has the climate of Spain and
Italy, and produces European grasses, hard-shell
fruits, the apricot, peach, citron and vine, and its
verdant and prolific pastures sustain multitudes of
domestic animals, among which all those familiar to
Europeans are found, except the pig.
The Degas or highland belt, which takes in all the
country between about 9000 and 14,000 feet, consists of
the loftier plains and the slopes of the numberless Alpine
ranges or cluster of hills which break the surface of
the country in all directions. In this region there is
little wood, the cultivation of the soil is neglected, snow
and ice are prevalent in winter, and life is altogether
harder and less attractive than in the lower districts
of the country. This region is not without a sombre
and awful beauty, however. The vast panorama of
jagged peaks, the knots of sharp and lofty hills, inter
sected by deep narrow abysses and impassable chasms,
re-echoing with the noise and tumults of the foaming
torrents which sweep through them, and the tiny
towns perched like birds'-nests high up upon some
crag or peak of barren rock, and only to be reached
by rope ladders, or slings rudely fashioned from a raw
ox-hide — are some features of a picture which is
impressive, if not altogether delightful. In June and
September the country is flooded by an uuremittino-

Who the Abyssinians are. 15
downpour of thunder- showers and tropical rains.
Every brook becomes a stream, and every stream is
swollen into a river, which rushes down the steep
declivities of the plateaux and scours a way for itself
with terrific force, till it reaches the plain and is lost
in some affluent of the ancient and mighty Nile.
The area of Abyssinia was one hundred and fifty thou
sand square miles, with a sparse and scattered semi-
barbarous population of three millions. It was divided
up into a number of small states, out of which were
formed the three important provinces of Tigre in the
north, Shoa in the south, and the central state of Am-
bara. There are many interesting relics of an ancient
and remote civilization, and from a study of these
it is evident that the people as a nation have retro
graded with the passage of the centuries, rather than
progressed. The present inhabitants are a mixed race,
but the Arab type predominates. Their colour varies
from a rich bronze to deep black. Their religion is a
peculiar form of very debased Christianity. There is
an important Jewish element in the population, which
claims unbroken descent from the Patriarchs, and is
distinguished by a higher moral tone than that which
prevails amongst their neighbours. These Falashes,
as they are called, are the husbandmen and artisans of
the country. Mohammedanism was planted in the up
lands of Tigre as far back as a.d. 622, by the family of
the great prophet of Islam, who fled to the security of
these mountain fastnesses during that eventful crisis
in the fortunes of Mohammed known as the Hegira,
or the flight, when he himself had to seek refuge for a
time in a desert cave, from the fury of his disappointed
converts. The Portuguese attempted to settle in the

16 Henry M. Stanley.
northern province in the seventeenth century, but they
did not remain. Some traces of their presence are
still to be seen in the finished artistic productions of
the native weavers and jewellers, and in the splendid
castle of Gondar, which, although the capital, is now
only a city of ruins.

CHAPTER II.
Annesley Bay — Through Abyssinia — Sir Robert Napier — The road
to Magdala — A forced march — Mountain campaigning — News of
Theodore — Robber villages — Funeral customs — Native allies —
Will Theodore fight?
In November, 1867, the English army, a small but
compact and carefully selected force, of about 14,000
rank and file, began to arrive at Annesley Bay. The
point of debarkation was the best that could be found,
after careful search, along the low narrow slip of
Abyssinian coast-line. It was exposed to the full
blaze of the African sun ; the atmosphere, at times,
was unbearable, and there was no water to be had for
miles round the hastily-constructed pier of Zoulla.
But the position afforded easy access to the table-lands
of the interior, and at the same time afforded excel
lent and safe anchorage for the fleet of transport and
steamers engaged in conveying war-material and stores
to the invaders. It would be difficult to imagine any
place more desolate, and wanting in natural attractive
ness. For fifteen miles inland a dreary waste of sand,
broken by rugged boulders, and covered by patches of
stunted bush and coarse herbage, stretched away to
the mouth of the enormous rift in the hills through
which lay the only road to Magdala.
The district produced no sustenance for man or
beast, and the natives even avoided it at certain seasons
of the year, as quite unfitted for human habitation. o

18 Henry M. Stanley.
But the arrival of the " Feringhees " (as the foreigners
were called in the native tongue) suddenly threw life
and colour into the scene, and turned the desert into
a flourishing commercial settlement, and an important
naval and military entrepot, which soon became the
centre of a busy traffic between the friendly natives
from the highlands and the Government agents, who
were instructed to buy up all the forage and rice which
was brought into market. For the first few weeks
confusion reigned supreme in the novel and over
crowded station, and when Mr. Stanley landed, he
found everything in the " settling down " stage.
Myriads of human beings, of all nations and languages,
had been gathered together to assist in discharging
and housing the cargoes brought ashore from the
shipping in the Bay. Mules, camels, elephants, horses,
cows, coolies, natives, Parsees, sailors, soldiers, Arabs,
Greeks and Jews, were all mixed up in a motley crowd,
which presented at every turn some new feature of in
terest or amusement. A small railway had been con
structed as far as Komayli, an encampment a few
miles up the country, along which heavily laden trans
port waggons were constantly passing, and the busy
and tumultuous scene was bounded by the deep waters
of the Bay, upon whose heaving and glittering surface
lay hundreds of vessels of all sizes, from the superb
British ironclad to the tiny and fleet-winged Arab
felucca. The sudden collapse of the commissariat de
partment threatened to bring disaster upon the under
taking thus early in the history of the Expedition.
The report furnished by Colonel Merewether as to the
resources of the country had been much too sanguine,
and the officers and heads of departments looked in

Stanley arrives at Zoulla. 19
vain, on their arrival, for the flowing streams, rich
pastures, prolific forests, and unlimited supplies of
game to be had for the hunting, which had been pro
mised them. The mortality amongst the herds of
baggage animals, which were landed without drivers
er attendants to look after them, was fearful. Thou
sands died for want of water, and their putrid carcases
scattered about the shore in the tropical heat, added to
the unpleasantness and danger of the situation. Order
was at length evolved out of chaos, and when Sir R.
Napier arrived with his staff upon the scene of opera
tions, he immediately decided to prepare for the
advance in force. The army at his disposal was con
stituted roughly as follows : officers, 250 ; European
troops, 4250 ; Native Indian troops, 9447. The camp
followers numbered 26,214 ; the civilian traders and
others, 433 ; and the women followers, 140, making a
grand total of 41,000 combatants and non-combatants.
The number of animals imported for the purposes of
the campaign were 46, 659,viz. : horses, 2538 ; elephants,
44; mules, 16,000; ponies, 1651; camels, 4735;
donkeys, 1759; bullocks, 7071 ; and sheep, 12,839.
Stanley at once found himself thrown upon his
own resources. He knew no one amongst the
many thousands of persons of all countries and degrees
who composed the population of Zoulla. He had no
tent, horses, or servants for the journey to the uplands,
and no suitable equipage for the arduous enterprise
upon which he was about to enter. But he was equal
to the situation. Being happily provided with a com
mendatory letter to an officer in the English camp, he
sought him out and delivered the epistle. He found
the gallant captain who was destined to be " his friend
c 2

20 Henry M. Stanley.
in need," occupying a handsome and delightfully ap
pointed canvas-house, carefully separated from the
rest of the camp by a fence of baubool. Not seeing
any one about, the crafty " War Special " drew atten
tion to his presence by pulling at the tent-cover. A
languid voice at once called upon the visitor to enter,
and he found the owner of the very pleasant abode,
reclining in the airiest of costumes upon a couch,
evidently overcome for the time by the enervating
effects of the tropical atmosphere. Stanley thus
describes the scene.
" I came to see Captain Z  of the Commissariat,
sir ! " said I, surprised at his nonchalance1 in the
presence of a stranger. ' Are you the 'gentleman ? '
I asked. ' Yes, I am the gentleman,' he replied, slightly lifting
his eyebrows. 'Who are you, and what do you want?'
' I am the bearer of a letter of introduction to you
from Major S  ,' said I, at the same time bending
forward to hand him the letter. ' Hum, ah ! to be
sure; Major S  , aw! let me see. Won't you sit
down ? Excuse my indolence ; this country is so hot
that it melts the marrow in a fellow's bones ! '
He had half-risen when he commenced to deliver
this apology, but directly relapsed into his former
attitude with a deep sigh of relief, turning an almost
helpless look upon me before he read his letter, which
told as well as volumes of the anguish he had suffered
in rising.
Soda-water and brandy having been called for by
my host, and served by a dark-featured native, to the
great relief of both of us, I asked if I could procure a
tent and rations.

Delivers a Letter op Introduction. 21
c Oh, yes,' replied the Captain ; ' easy enough.
Make out your indent. No, let me see. First, you
will have to go to Major X  , and get an order for
your rations and a tent, after which you will be pretty
comfortable.' Major X  , he further told me, was Acting  of
the Force at Zoulla, { a very nice gentleman, splendid
fellow, first-rate chap ; do anything in the world ' for.
me ! Wishing to see this paragon of an officer, and
settle my business, I bade Captain Z  ' a good
morning,' telling him I should see him again before
long. I was about to depart when the Captain bawled out,
' I say, you ; can you dine at our mess, and would you
please consider yourself as an honorary member of ours
while you are in camp ? We have a fine set of chaps,
all perfect gentlemen. There's A  of the Commis
sariat, B  , an old sailor, now Bunder-master ; then
there is C  of the 3rd Light Cavalry, D-  of the
Elephant lines, and lastly, we have E  of the Bom
bay. Do come, will you ? Be sure now ! dinner sharp
9 p.m. Ta-ta, old fellah ! '
' Certainly, my dear Captain, with the greatest
pleasure. Au revoir. Ta-ta, old fellah ! ' and out I
departed to find the quarters of that ' splendid chap,'
Major X  ." x
Making his way with difficulty over the hot sand,
the Herald correspondent at length reached the
quarters of Major X  , who furnished him with
the order for a tent, a mule with all accoutrements,
rations for himself and followers, and other necessaries
for the road. Determined to get to the front, without
1 " Coomassie and Magdala " (H.M.Stanley).

22 Henry M. Stanley.
loss of time, in order to secure, if possible, some tidings
of the movements and intentions of Theodore from the
advanced scouts and spies, he completed his outfit, and
decided upon his mode of travelling directly on landing,
and on the morning of his second day in Abyssinia he
started southward upon his memorable journey, in the
van of the steadily advancing columns. As he left the
sea-board, the country assumed a new and brighter
aspect. The scenery was in places almost terrible in
its massive and towering grandeur. The road which
had been roughly levelled along the beds of empty
watercourses and up the sides of the hills, by a party
of pioneers under Colonel Phayre, was a marvel of
engineering skill and patient toil. In parts it rose
suddenly from some yawning chasm, up the perpendi
cular cliffs of solid rock, only to descend again into
some gorge or hollow, deeper than ever, and the
pioneers had often to blast or break a path in the
granite slopes or slate-stone precipices for the passage
of the troops. Progress along this rudely extem
porised way was not only tedious, but exhausting to
body and mind. Ten miles was the average length of
a day's journey. Arriving at the camp of Komayli,
Stanley for the first time found himself in contact
with the native races of the country. In the bazaar,
which occupied a site which a few months before was
the centre of a mere desert, he was surprised to see an
extensive trade going on, under temporary awnings
and tents of reed and straw — London, Paris, Delhi,
Cairo, Turkey, Greece — all were represented in the
goods displayed for the inspection of buyers, whilst
native produce of all kinds was on sale, and found ready
purchasers.

Riding to the Front. 23
The tent which Major X  had caused to be issued
to Stanley, had been left on the coast with other impedi
menta, as the Herald correspondent desired above all
things to " travel as quickly as possible towards
Magdala." A buffalo-robe was therefore the only
protection he allowed himself at this time in his
bivouacs upon the bare earth. The early morning saw
him again in the saddle, climbing step by step some
narrow defile, with huge walls of solid stone towering
to a height of 800 feet on each side of the mountain-
path, where the echo of the human voice rang like
thunder through the pass, and the fall of a hoof upon
the stones resembled a discharge of musketry. Many
of these rents in the hills were gloomy, and full of
weird sounds and shadows, and it was always a wel
come change to emerge from their chill and melan
choly depths into the fresh air and bright sunshine of
the open country which lay beyond them. Viewed
from these lofty tablelands, the surrounding prospect
is one of striking magnificence on all sides, and it is
from these altitudes that the eye is able for the first
time to realize the majesty and rugged beauty of the
irregular mountain systems which give a distinctive
character to all Abyssinian scenery. No definite
tidings of the enemy had yet reached the vanguard
of pioneers, although every effort had been made to
obtain news by means of the native scouts who over
spread the entire kingdom of Theodore. Meanwhile,
the avengers were cautiously but steadily advancing
towards the stronghold of the tyrant. " Would
he fight?" was the question eagerly asked by the
soldiers of each other, as they tramped resolutely on.
No one could tell. The native chiefs who came into

24 Henry M. Stanley.
camp to barter produce, or to make treaties of amity
with the General, would give no definite opinion.
" Todoro " might, they thought, offer a stubborn re
sistance, or he might in a paroxysm of terror yield up
his prisoners, and capitulate to save his own life — this
was the substance of the native view of the situation.
The history of Theodore III., Emperor of Ethiopia by
the power of God, as he styled himself, was not with
out many points of romantic interest. He was of
obscure birth, but having heard somewhere of a certain
prophecy as to a Messiah who should be born in
Abyssinia, and deliver the Holy Land from the
dominion of the infidels, he assumed the character of
a prophet, and declared himself to be the person
whose coming had been so long predicted and looked
for. Brave in battle, strong in frame, and highly in
telligent, he gradually increased his power and the
number of his adherents. Asserting that he was
ordained of God to extirpate all Mohammedan nations,
he attracted to himself vast multitudes of followers, and
in 1851 he assumed supreme dominion over the whole
region of Abyssinia. He was at this time thirty-five
years of age. He decided to evacuate Gondar, the
ancient capital of the land. " I will have no capital,"
said this Napoleon of Africa; "my head shall be the
empire, and my tent the capital." He encouraged
European artisans to settle in his dominions, and for
some years his reign promised to be a time of blessing
and prosperity to his people. Missionaries were
courteously received by the young Emperor, schools
were opened, and educational schemes for the regular
instruction of his subjects were discussed and adopted
by Theodore.

Brutality oe King Theodore. 25
Suddenly, however, upon the death of his favourite
wife, he gave way to intemperate habits, and to
fearful fits of brutality and violence. Horrible punish
ments were inflicted upon innocent victims. Crucifixion
and the torture were his favourite methods of punish
ment. Upon the arrival of Mr. Consul Cameron,
Theodore addressed an official letter to the English
Government, which reached Earl Russell at the
Foreign Office, in February, 1863. Some unfortunate
mistake in the policy of the Government with reference
to affairs in Egypt, the ancient enemy of Abyssinia,
and the neglect of Theodore's communication, roused
the sensitive monarch to a state of ungovernable fury.
Cameron, then on a visit to the court, was cast into
prison (July, 1863). Stern, a missionary, was beaten
because he covered his mouth to prevent a shout of
anguish when he saw his wretched servants scourged
to death before his eyes. Theodore, suspecting that
Stern was using some sign of vengeance, at once had
him thrown upon the ground, and in accents of raving
passion yelled out, " Beat that man ! beat him as you
would a dog ; beat him, I say ! " One by one the
Europeans in the country were deprived of their liberty,
loaded with chains, and cast into noisome dungeons,
whence they were taken at times to be tortured and
degraded with indignities, and then sent back with the
threat that they would soon be executed. This awful
condition of suspense and misery lasted for four years.
All means were tried by the English Foreign Office
to secure the release of the captives. Messengers,
letters, presents — all proved of no avail. The Consul
was taken from the wretched hut in which he was
fastened by a chain to the wall, and horribly treated.

26 Henry M. Stanley.
"Twenty Abyssinians," he said, "tugged lustily on
ropes tied to each limb until I fainted. My shoulder-
blades were made to meet each other. I was doubled
up until my head appeared under my thighs, and while
in this painful posture, I was beaten with a whip of
hippopotamus-hide on my bare back, until I was
covered with weals, and while the blood dripped from
my reeking back, I was rolled in the sand."
In 1866, after offering a heavy money ransom for the
liberation of the miserable, and by this time despairing
prisoners, which was indignantly and peremptorily re
fused by the mad monarch, it was determined to deliver
the unhappy people by force of arms. The idea of an
Expedition into the heart of Abyssinia was at first
severely criticized in the English press. Untold dangers,
it was declared, awaited the troops, from reptiles, fevers,
wild beasts, impassable roads, inaccessible heights
tempests, the well-known treachery of the people,
poisoned wells, and a most fatal form of dysentery
which prevailed in the hot season in all the provinces.
But the decree had gone forth, and Theodore was a
doomed man. Indian troops were to be employed in
the enterprise, and only the necessary equipments and
baggage animals were to be drawn from Europe. The
force was not to exceed 12,000 men; 2000 to protect
the pier and settlement at Zoulla, and afford a garrison
for the highland post of Senafe, 2000 for Antalo, a
point about half-way on the road to Magdala from
Annesley Bay, 2000 to protect the convoys and secure
free communication with the base of operations, and
6000 for the march into the interior in search of the
implacable tyrant, who was known to be somewhere
amongst the mountain fastnesses of the South. The

Dangers op the Road to Magdala. 27
distance to be covered was something under 400
miles, and with interpreters, guides, an abundant
medical staff, and Captain Speedy, a former favourite
officer of Theodore, a man of gigantic frame, and great
sagacity and ability, as the Political Agent to negotiate
with the princes of the native provinces, the valiant
little force set forth to vindicate once more the honour
and humanity of old England.
Great care was taken to secure the friendship and
goodwill of the various tribes along the route the troops
had to traverse. This important duty was entrusted
to Major James Grant, C.B., who had already become
known through his connection with the Nile Explora
tion, and it is pleasant to be able to state that no
trouble of any kind was experienced by the Expedition
from a breach of these temporary treaties of good
will by the Ethiopian chiefs.
Travelling in the Abyssinian highlands without a
good escort is by no means unattended by danger.
Hordes of hill-robbers, the dreaded Gallas, occupy the
darker and more intricate paths, and suddenly fall
upon the incautious or unarmed horseman, and after
divesting him of his possessions, including his horse
and clothing, disappear as mysteriously as they came.
These brigands live in curiously placed villages built
high up on the slopes or peaks of the remotest
mountain ridges, whence the cry of the alert watch
man can be constantly heard signalling the approach
of enemies, or the possibility of securing fresh plunder
as the case may be. The woods resound with the cries
of the butcher-bird, and the clock-bird, and troops of
monkeys may be seen occupying in noisy state the
wide-spreading branches of the sycamore-trees. An

28 Henry M. Stanley.
Abyssinian village might well be described as a
miserable hamlet of low mud hovels, about which the
children scramble in a disgusting state of greasy filth,
and without any clothing whatever. The adults, who
affect some decency of attire, like to bask in the sun,
or idle away the time between meals, lying in the
shade, and discussing the tidings of the day with the
last new-comer.
The colour of the people, as has been before re
marked, varies in shade. Some of the highland tribes
are nearly white ; other sections of the population,
especially those with Negro blood in their veins, are
black as Nubians. The hair is plaited by both sexes
in long tails, which are usually coiled up at the top of
the head. Their houses, churches and palaces all
showed deplorable signs of a vulgar and degraded taste
in personal and domestic matters.
The arrival of Stanley at Shoho, an important native
market in the vicinity of one of the British camps,
created, he tells us, great and undisguised astonish
ment. The whole population turned out into the street
to gaze upon him. One detachment after another
scanned the Feringhee, and every motion of eye,
hand, or lip was most carefully noted. The colour
of the eyes, skin, hair, the shape of the limbs, the tone
of voice — all these matters were evidently subjects of
mysterious bewilderment to the sable or brown-skinned
spectators, who said nothing, but simply gazed with a
wondering stare at the phenomenon in their midst,
with feelings quite too deep for words. The houses
are rudely constructed of red clay, with a thatch of
straw or reed and a top- cover of mud to keep the
whole secure and solid. An Abyssinian funeral pre-

Funeral Forms. 29
sents an odd mixture of Christian forms with the ritual
observances of a barbarous and benighted superstition.
All the people of a neighbourhood are expected to at
tend the burial of the dead. The corpse is wrapped in
the every-day attire of the deceased, and is carried by
the elders of the village or family, with hideous howls
and gesticulations to the grave. Crowds of men, wo
men, and children follow the body, and keep up a
frightful din all along the route of the procession till
the cemetery is reached. Everything is done in a
most slovenly and irreverent manner. The priests are
ignorant and needy, and seem only anxious about their
tithes, which the people appear to pay with readiness.
During the progress of the funeral ceremonies the
clergy strive to outdo the laity in the extravagance and
violence of their outward manifestations of sorrow.
They first shout out from rude and antiquated missals
the requiem for the departed in jerks and snatches,
and then by way of variety they attack their own
headgear, ripping into shreds the long folds of linen
and silk which form their turbans, concluding the
absurd and heathenish performance by plucking out
their hair by the roots and casting it upon the ground.
The churches are dark, gaudy, and unclean as a rule,
even to foulness, and their whole system of religious
observance is painfully marred and degraded by a
coarseness and want of spirituality, which reveals the
sad depth to which the once famous and venerated
church of Ethiopia has fallen.2
At Antalo, the half-way station on the road to Mag
dala, Stanley came up with the Pioneer detachment
under Colonel Phayre, and found the place in a state
2 See " Coomassie and Magdala " (H. M. Stanley), p. 209.

30 Henry M. Stanley.
of intense excitement, and busily preparing for the re*
ception, with due honours, of the Commander-in-chief
and the main body of the forces. Up to this point the
energetic and alert representative of American journal
ism had pursued his way, with one or two companions,
without attaching himself to the main body of the
army. It was necessary now, however, that he should
present his credentials to the Chief of the Expedition
without further delay, and on the morning after the
arrival of Sir R. Napier at Antalo he went to head
quarters and asked for an interview with the General,
who received him with courtesy, and after inquiring as
to his needs, promised him every assistance, and as
sured him that he should have the same privileges as
to special items of intelligence which were enjoyed by
the other gentlemen of the Press who accompanied the
staff. At the General's table in the evening, Stanley
was introduced to the officers, and also had the oppor
tunity of becoming acquainted with the various corre
spondents of the English papers — viz. : Dr. Charles
Austin, D.C.L., Times ; George A. Henty, Esq.,
Standard; W. Owen Whiteside, Esq., Morning Tost;
Alexander Shepherd, Esq., Daily News; Mr. Adare,
Daily Telegraph. The Press Tent was a perfect abode
of harmony, and true fellowship, Fand the most " social
lovable, and good-tempered mess in the Army."
Affairs now began to assume a more business-like
aspect as the serious work of the campaign might open
at any moment. Orders were issued for the curtail
ment of baggage, kits were not to exceed seventy-five
pounds in weight, and only two horses were allowed
to each officer, whilst twelve soldiers were to occupy
one tent, and two officers were directed to share the

Brother Correspondents. — Theodore's Fury. 31
same accommodation for the future between them.
Forward went the Pioneers once more, and everybody,
from General to bugler, felt that something was about
to happen. Many weary leagues of mountain and ra
vine had yet to be covered, however, before the blow
could be struck which would for ever destroy the do
minion of Theodore, and set free the unhappy victims
of his impotent fury. The spies came in day by day
with fresh but painfully conflicting scraps of informa
tion as to the movements of the King. One by one
the tribes which had professed allegiance to him, in
his days of triumph, were rising against him. His
army was crumbling to pieces, and he was powerless
to prevent the wholesale desertions from his standard.
His revolting cruelty, in his hours of drunken delirium,
only exasperated those whom he sought to restrain by
fear. The foreign prisoners in his camp he treated
with increased severity. 30,000 of his own subjects
were reputed to have been slaughtered by him in less
than three months. The rulers of provinces, and the
tribal leaders turned in terror from the service of
the " Lion of Ethiopia," to the assistance of the brave
man, who with calm singleness of purpose was making
his way into the heart of the land, in spite of all obsta
cles, to seek out and chastise the inhuman oppressor of
his people. On March 14th, the head of the column
left Antalo. Theodore was known to be withdrawing
with a force of 30,000 men to the shelter of his fortress
of Magdala. The Prince of Tigre, the King of Shoa, the
Prince ofSamea, and notabilities of less degree had taken
active steps to aid the General by hanging on the flanks
of Theodore's dwindling hosts, or by taking measures to
cut off his retreat in the event of a battle. Nature,

32 Henry M. Stanley.
for the time, however, appeared to have arrayed her
self upon the side of the tyrant. The difficulties of the
road increased as the end drew near. The skill of
the engineers, and the fortitude of the men were tried
to the uttermost.
Still onward lay the narrow path over those
" sky-wrapt walls of granite," along which the
road twisted and turned " like the windings to the
summit of a cathedral spire." Elephants, camels,
horses, and mules, as well as men, staggered
along footsore and weary up the precipices and down
the almost perpendicular sides of those terrible
ravines, till human endurance could sometimes bear
the strain no longer ; and strong men fell out and
fainted by the way. Again and again it was seen that
Theodore had overlooked splendid opportunities which
his country afforded everywhere forthe total destruction
of the little band of valiant men who were slowly track
ing him to his mountain lair. A barrel of gunpowder,
judiciously placed, would have brought down the rocks
which overhung many a pass, and put a stop at once
and for ever to the progress of his enemies. But fate
had ordained it otherwise. That Theodore was by no
means ignorant of the art of making or destroying roads
was amply proved by the causeway he had constructed
a few weeks before through the solid basalt, and which
was now utilized by the English General. Traces of
iron implements were perceived on all sides of the
ravine, and the man who could construct a road could
also " kill " it. Other matters of even greater import
ance, however, doubtless occupied the brain of the dis
mayed monarch in the few lucid intervals which fol
lowed his periods of intoxication and debauchery.

The Army plods steadily on. 33
Another source of anxiety now weighed upon the
leaders of the enterprise. There was a scarcity of food
and forage, and the army waggons, with limited sup
plies in hand, failed to keep up with the troops.
Crushed and worn by the terrible ascent, soaked by the
rain and chilled by the cold blasts which swept over
the plateau which they had at last reached, the weary
soldiers cast themselves down where they stood, and
tried to forget the misery of their surroundings in
sleep. On the morning of April 8th, however, the
prospects of the invaders suddenly and permanently
brightened. Abundance of provisions had been secured
from the surrounding district, and through the exer
tions of Captain Speedy, assisted by Stanley, a large
supply of flour, grain, horses, mules, and other neces
saries were collected from the adjacent villages and
brought into camp. For this service at a crisis in the
affairs of the contingent, Stanley complains jocosely
that he never received the thanks of the British
Government or even a medal, an oversight which
he thinks deserving of the most severe reproof.
At ten o'clock on the morning of the eventful 8th,
Napier had his first view of Magdala. Expressions of
satisfaction were heard on all sides and in all ranks.
The camp resounded with bursts of merriment and
mutual congratulation. The army of Theodore had
been seen encamped at the foot of his citadel, and there
were unmistakable signs of the presence of the King
himself behind the guns which peered down from the
crest of his rocky stronghold. Secret messages had
come out from the captives in Magdala, to the effect
that Theodore was on the alert, and meditated a night
attack upon his pursuers, and that they were in momen-
D

34 Henry M. Stanley.
tary terror lest he should order them all to instant death.
Every precaution was therefore taken to give the be
sieged garrison a warm reception should they attempt
a sortie, but the night of the 9th passed without any
event of importance.

CHAPTER III.
To Magdala — Fruitless delay — Theodore doomed — The arrival of the
European prisoners — Attack on the heights — "No powder'' —
Suicide of the Emperor — Sacking the stronghold — Return to
the coast — Royal felicitations — " In perils by waters " — Home.
On the morning of Good Friday, April 10th, 1868, the
signal was given to advance upon Magdala. The
camp had been struck some time before dawn, and
at the peremptory but welcome call of the bugle,
which announced the onward march of the British
infantry, the men stepped out with all the energy and
cheerfulness of a battalion about to take part in a holi
day parade. One by one the regiments defiled before
their Commander, and proceeded to take up the posi
tions marked out for them in the place of attack.
The following is a description of the formidable
fortress of Magdala from the able pen of Sir Robert
Napier himself : —
" The fortress of Magdala is about twelve miles from
the right bank of the Bechilo, but the great altitude
and the purity of the atmosphere exhibited the whole
outline distinctly. The centre of the position is the
rock of Selasse, elevated more than 9000 feet above
the sea, and standing on a plateau called Islamgee,
which is divided into several extensive terraces, with
perpendicular scarps of basalt ; a saddle connects these
terraces with the hill called Fahla. Fahla is a
gigantic natural bastion, level on the top, entirely
d 2

36 Henry M. Stanley.
open, and commanded by Islamgee. It domineers
completely, at an elevation of 1200 feet, over all
approaches to Islamgee ; the sides appeared precipi
tous, and the summit, surrounded by a natural scarp
of rock, accessible only in a few places, and from
eighteen to twenty feet in height. Nearly concealed
from view by Selasse and Fahla, the top of Magdala
was partially visible. The road to Magdala winds up
the steep sides of Fahla, subject to its fire, and to the
descent of rocks and stones. One part of the road is
so steep that few horses, except those bred in the
country, could carry their riders up or down it. The
whole road is flanked by the end of Selasse and the
broadside scarp of Islamgee. Altogether, without
taking into account Magdala itself, the formidable
character of its outworks exceeded anything which
we could possibly have anticipated from the faint
description of the position which had reached us.
The refugee chief, Beitwudden Hailo, was very
anxious that I should try the south side, at the
Kaffurbar (gate), from the opposite range called
Lanta, saying, " If you want to take Selasse, go from
hence ; but if you want Magdala you must go from
Lanta." This, however, would have been impossible.
I had not force enough to divide, and I could not
place this vast combination of natural fortresses
between me and my direct line of communication. I
also perceived that the real point to be taken was not
Magdala, but Islamgee, where Theodore had taken
post with all his guns, and that Fahla was the key to
the whole."
Theodore was himself a spectator of the scene
from the summit of his citadel. Stanley attached

Fight under the Walls op Magdala. 37
himself to the Armstrong Battery, which was soon
to do terrible execution amongst the disordered
masses of Theodore's fanatical followers. Suddenly
the advance of the British troops was momentarily
checked and a discharge of chain-shot came crashing
down through the silence over the heads of the
intrepid besiegers. Almost at the same moment 3500
Abyssinians poured down the mountain side, and made
a dash at the artillery. Theodore would fight then,
after all. With hideous cries and gesticulations, his
rude levies bore down upon the ranks and columns of
the invaders, but their ranks were speedily broken by
the deadly fire of the rocket battery of the Naval
Brigade. Shot after shot swept through the swaying
mass of savage warriors, and dazed and confounded
they fell back, although urged by their leaders to
continue the fearful struggle. The missiles of the
avengers pursued them, and they fell in groups to the
earth unable to escape the terrible fire of the English
rifles. The remnant of the force rallied bravely in the
very face of the bayonets of the Sikhs. The Indian
infantry swept down the valley to assist their
comrades, and the slaughter of the flower of Theo
dore's army was terrible. Shells hurtled through the
air from the native batteries above the scene of
conflict, but they passed harmlessly over the heads of
the advancing force. Night put an end to the
carnage, and fatigue parties were sent out to bring in
the wounded, friends and foes alike, and to bury the
dead. Ravenous beasts had already gathered upon
the scene of suffering and death, and some of the
more seriously injured with difficulty defended them
selves from the persistent ravages of the hyasnas or

38 Henry M. Stanley.
jackals which scoured the battle-field in search of
prey. Overtures were again made by the General to
Theodore with a view to stop further hostilities, but
they were rejected with scorn. The British casual
ties so far had been one officer — Captain Roberts —
and thirty privates wounded, the officer and eight
privates severely. Happily no life had been sacrificed,
although the strife had at times and in places been
severe and at close quarters. Of the enemy 560
were found dead, and seventy-five wounded were
admitted to the hospital. During the night various
reports floated about as to the tactics to be pursued
on the morrow. Two of the captives suddenly
appeared in camp, bringing a message from Magdala.
Theodore was fast sinking into despair. He had
attempted his own life more than once, since the
English force had invested his last retreat, which he
had fondly hoped they would never venture to attack,
and he had even ordered the massacre of his anxious
and terrified captives, whom he charged in bitter
terms with bringing destruction upon him. Rassam
was brought out of durance, and consulted by the King*
as to the course he must pursue to save himself and his
city from destruction by the troops encamped outside
the walls. He was advised instantly to release and
send down to the British General all the prisoners
with their belongings, Rassam promising, on his own
authority, that the invaders should at once leave the
country if this were done. The King assented. The
prisoners were immediately led forth to the Thak-
futbau Gate, where Theodore was waiting to bid
them " Farewell." At seven o'clock in the mornino-

Release op the British Captives. 39
the news spread through the British lines that
the captives were free, and that they were even
then arriving in'the camp. The wretched group, when
assembled before the quarters of their deliverers,
numbered sixty-one, and included women and even
children, all more or less bearing traces of their past
confinement, and exhibiting every sign of the in
expressible joy which possessed them at being once
more free !
About noon of the same day one thousand bullocks
and five hundred sheep were sent down from the King
for the use of the troops, but the present was refused,
with the haughty message from Sir Robert that he
could take no gift from the enemy of his country and
his Queen. Final preparations were now made for
the assault upon the fortress. Guns were placed in
position to cover the scaling-parties, ladders were
constructed, and all the necessary appliances got
ready for blowing up the gates, or forcing a breach
in the wall of the Abyssinian bastile. A last offer was
made to the infatuated prince, who was watching
every movement of his pursuers, with tiger-like
vigilance. The generous message remained un
answered. 50,000 dollars were offered for Theodore,
alive or dead, and the 33rd regiment was ordered up
once more to lead the way. With relentless and
consummate strategy the English army environed
the heights upon which Theodore, the Emperor of
Ethiopia, was about to make his last stand for liberty
and life. Riding in the front of a troop of his horse
men, the fated monarch could be seen, clothed in long
flowing garments, waving his sword overhead, and
crying out, " Come on ! are ye women that ye hesitate

40 Henry M. Stanley.
to attack a few warriors." At length the heavy guns
were brought into action, and under an uncertain fire
of musketry from the walls overhead the Engineers
advanced towards the massive gates of the citadel.
The thunder rolled amongst the hills and the lightning
flashed over the scene, whilst a heavy fall of rain
added to the discomfort of the English regiments
as they toiled up the slope towards the entrance to
the fortress. The huge postern had been carefully
strengthened inside by tons of rock. The position
of the little band of brave men who sought to gain
an entrance, was, for a brief space, critical in the
extreme, for the bullets of the Abyssinians fell thick
at first amongst them. There was a cry for the powder-
bags. " Hasten up with the powder ! " cried the
officer in charge of the party. " Hasten up with the
powder ! hasten up with the powder ! " was re-echoed
all down the line. But where was the powder? and
where were the implements needed in this moment of
extremity to break down the towering ramparts, and
secure an entrance to the long-talked of Magdala?
The question was never answered. Meanwhile two
soldiers of the 33rd had entered the city, and
stumbled over the quivering frame of Theodore, who
was lying prone upon the earth, with a fearful wound
in his head inflicted in the extremity of despair by his
own hand with the revolver which lay beside him.
They took up the weapon and found upon it the
inscription : " Presented by Victoria, Queen of Great
Britain and Ireland, to Theodorus, Emperor of
Abyssinia, as a slight token of her gratitude for his
kindness to her servant Plowden, 1854." Soon the
interior of th« fortress was crowded with the English

Storming op Magdala and Death op Theodore. 41
troops, elated with victory and ready to fly upon the
spoil. Wild shouts of triumph rose from the rugged
heights, and the dying monarch lived long enough to
see the flag of his conquerors waving from the battle
ments of Magdala, and to hear the rapturous greet
ing with which Sir R. Napier was welcomed by his
soldiers as he rode through the streets of the van
quished fortress.
Every one was anxious to see Magdala, and all day
long a stream of soldiers, camp-followers, and idlers
of all sorts and conditions kept steadily pouring into
the dismantled and dishonoured city. Theodore was
buried with decency, if not with honour. His wife
and his only son, an interesting boy of ten years, were
placed in charge of their old friend Captain Speedy
till the home authorities should decide as to their final
destination. Everything of value had been secured,
and four days after the place fell into British hands it
was evacuated, and fired by the departing and exultant
forces. 30,000 Abyssinians migrated from the dis
trict to the far off lowlands, and soon Magdala, the
renowned seat of the ablest, perhaps, as well as the
most brutal of African tyrants, was left to silence and
decay. On April 18th, 1868, the expeditionary force
started on its homeward journey. Cheer after cheer
went up and echoed through the ravines, and along
the rocky slopes, and among the mountain peaks of
Magdala. The return journey to the coast partook at times of
the character of an old Roman Triumph. The natives
came out to shower congratulations upon the con
querors of Theodorus ; and the clergy in solemn state
bestowed their benedictions upon the victors as they

42 Henry M. Stanley.
passed along. One officer only died during the
campaign. At Antalo fresh honours were awaiting the
returning column. The following gracious message
had been flashed from Windsor to the highlands of
Tigre : " The Queen sends hearty congratulations and
thanks to Sir Robert Napier and his gallant force on
their brilliant success." The following General
Order was also posted up : —
" Camp Antalo, May 12th, 1868.
" The Commander-in-Chief has much satisfaction in
publishing to the troops under his command the fol
lowing messages received by telegraph from his Royal
Highness the Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief,
and from the Right Honourable, the Secretary of
State for India, respectively : —
" We all rejoice in your great success, and in that
of your gallant and enduring army."
" ' I congratulate your Excellency with all my heart.
You have taught once more what is meant by an army
that can go anywhere and do anything. From first to
last all has been done well.'' "
The native Abyssinian allies of the British were
well rewarded for their loyalty in the hour of peril.
Nothing was overlooked, and no duty was left undis
charged by the man who had attracted to himself the
notice of the world, by the masterly manner in which
he had led his brave troops to Magdala and back,
without the loss of a single soldier at the hand of the
enemy. Stanley, however, did not reach the coast without
one serious adventure. He was in deadly peril at one
point of the journey from the floods (which, in the wet

Return to the Coast. 43
season, absolutely drown the country in a few hours),
and could only secure his safety by casting as a prey
to the waters a valuable carpet of Theodore's, which he
had secured for 50 rupees, as well as tents, curios,
camp equipage, and even his own clothing.
The return from the highlands was only effected
just in time to escape the rainy season. In fact the
troops had barely sighted the white sails of the fleet,
waiting upon the blue waters of Annesley Bay, to
receive them and bear them away to home and kindred,
when the first real deluge descended upon the land,
flooding the valleys, and converting the ravines and
passes into rushing and deadly torrents of boiling,
seething, eddying flood- water, which swept down from
level to level till it reached the lowland lakes or rivers,
bearing upon its turbid bosom houses, cattle, crops,
and human corpses. The rush of water was so sudden
that parties of travellers were sometimes caught in the
middle of a huge gorge or caiion by the hissing stream,
which flowed on to a depth of ten feet, overturning
rocks and cutting out huge seams in the wails which
confined it on each side, and rushing forward with
an impetuosity which no living power could withstand.
The "Yankee Sahib," as Stanley was called, was
pushing his way, with his attendants, at the head of
the troops to get down to the landing-place, a few
miles off, in time to catch the mail which left in a few
hours for Suez. The adventurous Special was warned
by experienced officers of the danger he would run
in entering a certain narrow ravine which offered
special facilities, as he thought, for a rapid and easy
descent to the coast. After travelling for a short
time, the cries of his servants caused him to look

44 Henry M. Stanley.
round. It had been raining heavily for some hours
past, and now, coming down behind them with terrific
force, was a hideous flood of considerable depth, dash
ing and roaring and reaching out towards them like
some frightful monster bent upon devouring them.
Stanley at once saw the frightful nature of the peril
which threatened him and his party. They climbed
in terror to the top of a great rock of granite which
stood in the centre of the ravine, and watched with
breathless interest the rush of the water on both sides
of their place of refuge. The scene was appalling
and depressing in the extreme. Broken wreckage,
tents, habitations, harness, gun-carriages, forage, and
corpses, drifted past them, swirling and tossing in the
foam of the angry waters. The Arab servants invoked
the protection of Allah after their manner, and
Stanley looked upon the rising waves, and the weep
ing skies, with grave and anxious countenance. The
water had risen to the feet of the animals upon the
rock, the fate of all upon the tiny sanctuary in the
midst of the billowy flood appeared to be sealed, and
at least one disaster, of magnitude, would have, it
appeared, to be recorded in the annals of the return
from Magdala. But at the moment when all seemed
to be lost, a rift showed in the clouds above, the down
pour ceased, the sun shone out, and in a brief space
the waters in the pass subsided, and the imprisoned
travellers were once more safe and free. They had
been given up for lost by their comrades, and when
late at night they reached the camp drenched and
destitute, their appearance was regarded almost as a
resurrection from the grave.
At length, however, the " Yankee Sahib " arrived in

Narrow Escape op Stanley. 45
safety at Zoulla, and the despatch of the correspondent
of the New York Herald, conveying the news of the
Fall of Magdala, reached America exactly a day before
the event was known in London. On his return to
England, Stanley spent some time at Denbigh, where
he recounted to the friends of his boyhood and the
members of his family the marvellous story of Napier's
famous march to Magdala, and exhibited with no small
pride, the various trophies and specimens of native
workmanship and skill which he had secured during
his sojourn in the land of Theodore.

CHAPTER IV.
Troubles in Spain — State of Madrid— Isabella deposed — An im
portant interview at Paris —Constantinople — Russian intrigue
in Central Asia — A Persian famine — The Shah and the tele
graph — Bombay to Africa.
After a brief period of rest and retirement in the midst
of the familiar scenery and invigorating breezes of
Denbigh and its neighbourhood, Mr. Stanley spent
some months of 1868 in travelling on the continent.
He visited the capitals of Western and Southern Europe
during this tour, in which he happily combined duty
with recreation, communicating his impressions of
"men and places" to his countrymen across the
Atlantic in a series of delightful letters to the Herald,
which journal he continued to represent. The life and
splendour, as well as the artistic and social attractions
of the cities and localities, with which he now became
acquainted for the first time, made a deep impression
upon him, and he found congenial employment in de
scribing and commenting upon the historical, political,
and commercial associations of the various places of
importance, at which he made a temporary sojourn
from time to time. The rumours of serious internal
disturbances and complications in Spain, however, soon
drew his attention to the condition of the Peninsula,
and he at once crossed the Pyrenees to find the army
in a state of excitement bordering upon revolution.
Political matters move quickly in Spain, and the

Opp to Spain. 47
Herald representative only arrived in Madrid just in
time to see Queen Isabella deposed, and a Regency
declared under Marshal Serrano. During this stir
ring period, the various phases and developments of
Spanish political intrigue were accurately noted, and
carefully reported to New York, by the indefatigable
Herald correspondent, who found himself once more
in the midst of active military operations, and face to
face with the indescribable misery and horror of civil
war, and who was well qualified, by his past service
in America and Africa, to follow with intelligence the
military movements, demonstrations, and tactics which
resulted eventually in placing Amadeus of Savoy upon
the vacant throne. In the following year (1869)
Stanley was summoned to Paris to consult with Mr.
Gordon Bennett, the proprietor of the Herald, as to his
future labours. At this time great uneasiness was felt
throughout Europe at the absence of any reliable
tidings concerning Dr. Livingstone, the illustrious
explorer of Africa, who had disappeared into the
interior of the Dark Continent, and had been unheard
of for some years. His friends in England and
elsewhere had become terribly anxious as to his safety,
especially as reports had reached Europe from Zanzibar
to the effect that the great explorer had perished at the
hands of one of the tribes in the Equatorial regions.
Stanley was therefore requested to go at once to Suez,
and there await any information which might reach the
Red Sea by way of the Soudan or the East Coast, con
cerning the lost traveller, and he was furnished with a
large sum of ready money, for the purpose of telegraph
ing to the Herald, without delay, the earliest news he
could get of Livingstone, alive or dead. He heard

48 Henry M. Stanley.
nothing, however, of the missing explorer, and finding
the time pass slowly at Suez, he decided upon making
a trip to Bombay, by way of Persia. Mr. Bennett had
requested him to report upon the Suez Canal ; Upper
Egypt and Baker's Expedition ; Underground Jerusa
lem; Politics in Syria; Turkish Politics in Stamboul;
Archa3ological Explorations in Caucasian Russia;
Trans- Caspian affairs; Persian politics, geography, and
present condition, and Indian matters generally — a
sufficiently varied programme, and one calculated to
test the ability and physical powers of the smartest and
most vigorous of special correspondents. But Stanley
accomplished the task committed to him " without,"
as he says, " a break-down," and " to the complete
satisfaction of his employers."
Central Asia, which Stanley crossed at this time, is
the designation applied to the entire region situated
between Russia and our Empire of India. The term
is not an accurate one, as the district does not occupy
the middle of the continent, but lies considerably to
the south-west. This territory was the old Khanate of
Tartary, but with the Eastward advance of Russia the
name came into common use, and has since become a
recognized geographical expression. It is, however,
sometimes applied to those portions of the district which
have not as yet come under the dominion of the Czar.
Thus the deserts of the Kirghiz, then Khokand, then
Bokhara and Khiva, and lastly the territory of the
Turcomans ceased to form a portion of Central Asia ;
and Afghanistan and Persia, as independent provinces,
were never rightly included in the area so named, and
Kashgaria, since its re-conquest by China, has also
been shut out from it.

Through Persia to Bombay. 49
Entering Syria by Constantinople, Stanley had much
satisfaction in finding his former friend and bene
factor, the Hon. J. Morris, still in the position of
American Minister to the Government of the
Sublime Porte. Stanley was cordially received and
hospitably entertained at the Legation, where he was
always a welcome guest during his stay in the
Turkish capital. The Minister furnished him with
useful introductions to Russian officials and governors,
and placed at his disposal all the information he could
obtain from official sources concerning the lands which
Stanley was about to traverse. The venture was a
serious one, and likely to be attended with considerable
danger, and Mr. Morris, while commending his hardi
hood, presented him with a practical mark of good-will
in the shape of a Henry repeating-rifle of the newest
pattern, which he had just received from America.
Mr. Morris was so much impressed by the improved
physique and manly bearing of the young traveller
(he was now about twenty-eight years of age) that
when he heard of him again as the man who had
" Found Livingstone," he was not at all surprised,
he said, at the success of his first African expedition.
But the journey through Russo-Asian territory
and Persia to India, was in the estimation of the
American Minister a greater feat of endurance and
courage even than the direction of the expedition in
search of Livingstone. Nothing was heard of Stanley
for some months after leaving Constantinople, till The
Times of India, of September 16th, 1870, announced
his safe arrival at Bombay, and published four elaborate
letters from him, full of statistics, facts, and wonder
fully executed word-sketches of his adventures and

50 Henry M. Stanley.
impressions by the way. Stanley's concise and bold
remarks upon the famine in Ispahan, the Russians in-
Western Turkestan, the Shah in the Telegraph Office,
and General Stoletoff upon the Central Asian Question,
were not allowed to pass without some adverse but
good-natured criticism. The letters, however, attracted
much attention throughout the East at the time, and
added considerably to the reputation of the author as
a man gifted with keen powers of observation, and an
attractive and humorous style of narrative.
Of the Shah, he says in his Persian letter: —
" The Shah of Persia visited the Telegraph Office-
in person, and — cunning fellow ! — after examining the
modes of operating, professed to be delighted with
everything he saw. He regarded the apparatus of
telegraphy intently, and then begged Mr. Pruce to
explain how he manipulated the little round knobs
which flashed the mysteries. Mr. Pruce did so very
readily, and as he speaks eloquently, no doubt the
Shah was much enlightened. For during the exposi
tion of telegraphy, the Shah laughed heartily, and
delivered many a fervid ' Masha-allah ! ' Then the
Shah wanted to telegraph; he tried a long time, but as
the words would not march, he gave it up as a diffi
cult job. His fingers, he said apologetically, were
dumb ; they would not talk. Then he summoned one
of his own employees from the Persian office, and bade
him telegraph as follows : —
" Telegram No. 1 to Eoum, from the Shah in person.
"' How much money hast thou for the Shah, Khan?r
(to the Governor.)
" Answer. — (After a pause of about three minutes, the

The Shah and the Telegraph. 51
rascally governor evidently considering, for all along
the line the governors had been forewarned.) 'When
the asylum of the Universe commands less than the
least of his slaves, he will give all he is worth.'
" Telegram 2 to Koum.
" ' How much is that ? '
" A.—' 10,000 tomans (£4000.)'
" Telegram 3 to Koum.
" ' Send the money, the Shah commands, he is well
pleased.' " Telegram 4 to Kashan.
" ' Oh ! Khan, the Shah wants money, how much hast
thou to give him ? '
" A. — ' Whatever the fight of the world commands is
at his service. I have 5000 tomans (.£2000.)'
" Telegram 5 to Kashan.
" ' Too little. Send me 20,000 tomans (£8000), the
Shah has said it.' " Telegram 6 to Ispahan.
" ' Khan, thou knowest thy position is a treasure.
What wilt thou give the Shah to keep it ? A man has
offered me 50,000 tomans (£20,000), for thy place.
Speak quickly. It is the Shah that waits.'
" A. — ' Oh ! King of kings, thou knowest my faithful
ness, and hast but to speak. I have 60,000 tomans
ready.' " Telegram 7 to Ispahan.
'"It is good. Thou art a wise Khan. Send the
money.' " Telegram 8 to Shiraz.
" ' Shah-zadeh, speak for thy place. There are evil-
E 2

52 Henry M. Stanley.
minded men who desire thy position. Art thou wise,
and is thy hand open ? '
"A. — 'The throne is the place of wisdom. When
the Shah speaks, the world trembles, the ears of his
governors are open. I have 30,000 tomans on hand."
" Telegram 9 to Shiraz.
" The Ameen-ed-Dowleh offers me 45,000 tomans.
Oh ! little man, thou art mad.'
" A. — ' The Shah has spoken truly. I will send
50,000 tomans.'
" From his telegram to Bushire, he received answer
that 10,000 tomans would be sent immediately, which
was accepted.
" Thus in one morning the Shah netted the hand
some sum of 160,000 tomans, or £64,000 sterling,
from the governors' privy purses."
The following is Mr. Stanley's account of the rela
tive positions of the English and Russian ambassadors
at Teheran. He says : " . . . The esthesis of politics
has been studied to advantage by the respective am
bassadors. I always thought politics a very dry
subject of study before I came to Teheran. T have at
last seen its esthetic side. The two ambassadors are
like two bazaar merchants. Mr. Beger exhibits with
a certain amount of taste, his stock in trade, consist
ing of friendly alliance, loving letters from the Czar
of all the Russias, Russian power, mutual aggrandise
ment, and deadly hellebore. Mr. Allison has a varied
assortment of British notions, consisting of traditions
of John Company, old friendships, English wealth and
power, rich presents, Borasjoon memories, ubiquity,
Argus eyes, Abyssinian glory, and English ironclads.

The English and Russians at Teheran. 53
" The Russian ambassador has a fine palace, much
finer than Mr. Allison's, and Cossack guards. The
British Government is building a palace which shall
cost £50,000, and utterly eclipse the Russian. Osten
tation aids diplomacy in Persia, and supremacy is
rotative. Bravo, Mr. Beger ! bravissimo, Mr. Charles
Allison ! " In another letter he says that General
Stoletoff assured him that the designs of Russia upon
Central Asia are " purely commercial." The General
said: — " If Russia had merchants as enterprising as the
English are, it had been done long ago ; but unfortu
nately, she has not. The Government has to take the
initiative in everything, so that every movement made
by it incurs suspicions, which, I can assure you, are
perfectly groundless. I will give you an instance of
Russian apathy. About five miles from here (Bakou) ,
at Soukhaneh, are naphtha wells productive of immense
wealth, yet Russian merchants, cognizant of this im
portant fact, were for a long time indisposed to work
them upon speculation, until the Government moved
in the matter, then they came down from St. Peters
burg by the dozen, and have now very large establish
ments for the refining and distilling of the petroleum.
In the same way is it with Central Asian trade. Our
merchants, being so timid and unspeculative, will not
venture to Khiva and Bokhara, because one or two of
their number have been hardly treated, until the
Government has cleared the way, and established
colonies and fortlets for their protection."
In the last letter, which appeared on the 23rd Sep
tember, 1870, Stanley comments on the famine in
Persia, which filled the people of this country with
such horror and sympathy at the time. He says:

54 Henry M. Stanley.
" In times of drought the governors lay in a good
stock of corn, and keep their granaries full, while the
peasants — placid fatalists ! — eat on without stint or
care. The water is all spent, the snows of winter are
all thawed, the beads of dew are not sufficient, with
out water the ryots cannot irrigate their land, so the
crops assume a premature brownness, then fade before
the parching drought. Their store of last year has
been consumed, the religion with which they are
saturated, will not feed their stomachs, they must eat
material corn to live, but where will they get it? They
cry out in despair. No charitable souls step forward
to their relief, for there is not an atom of charity in
the soul of a Persian. They turn to their governors,
and the governors respond with a denial, for the
famine prices are not high enough yet. Then the
ryots besiege their bakers' doors, and after mortgag
ing their property, and finding themselves still in want,
prompted by esurient hunger, they break out into open-
mouthed, and tumultuous mobs. Then the governors
open their granary doors, and issue driblets of corn
and flour at extraordinary prices, to be paid (if the
ryots have no money), with next year's harvest."
Having completed his journey through Southern
Asia, Stanley now decided to proceed without further
delay to the East African coast, with a view, if possible,
to obtain some authentic tidings of Dr. Livingstone,
and of his recent travels and discoveries in the inner
central regions of the great continent.

CHAPTER V.
Uusy Zanzibar — The Herald Livingstone Search Expedition — ¦
Landing in Africa — Forward to Myamyambe — The lion city —
Ugogo and its magnates — Experiences of African travel — Fever
and famine — In the game country.
Grossing the Indian Ocean, by way of the beautiful
islands of the Seychelles, which rest calmly upon the
heaving waters, like " emeralds set in a silver sea,"
Stanley reached the busy East African port of Zan
zibar on January 6th, 1871. The last, but most
important duty, which Mr. Gordon Bennett had
entrusted to him was now to be entered upon. He
was to Find Livingstone. That illustrious man had
started upon his third and (as it proved) final journey
of exploration on March 28th, 1866, taking with him
a small band of thirty-eight men. With these followers
and a company of baggage-bearers, he had struck
right into the heart of Africa, thirty miles north of the
estuary of the Rovuma. Scraps of news about him
and uncertain tidings of his progress, continued to
reach the coast from time to time, but at last what
appeared to be a circumstantial account of his murder
by the lawless Ma-zitu on the shores of the Nyassa,
startled his friends both in Africa and Europe. As
the minds of those who knew him best grew calm,
however, the terrible fears which this report had
raised began to give way to strong feelings of doubt
as to its truthfulness. Sir R. Murchison (President

56 Henry M. Stanley.
of the Royal Geographical Society), and other eminent
scientists and explorers refused to accept the story,
and an expedition was sent out, under Mr. W. E.
Young, on June 11th, 1867, to verify or disprove the
alarming narrative. Mr. Young's party entered the
continent by way of the Zambesi, 'and after several
months, spent in the region of the Nyassa, they
succeeded in disproving every detail of the supposed
massacre. It was found that Livingstone was alive-
and well, and that he had passed on long before, far
beyond the spot at which he was declared to have
been killed. Livingstone's primary object in under
taking this journey was to clear up, once for all, the
mystery which had so long surrounded the great
river systems, in the territory lying beyond Lake
Tanganika. He had set his heart upon tracing these
waters and exploring in detail the lakes, which he
knew to exist in this vast and unexplored region.
" The correlation of the structure and economy of
the waters of these great lakes, Bangweolo, Moero,
Kambolondo, Lake Lincoln and another, and the lacus
trine rivers is," he said in a letter to Sir R. Murchison,
'' the theme of my prize."
In 1868 communications reached England from him
announcing the partial completion of the first portion
of his task. They were dated February, 1867, and
expressed the satisfaction he felt at having solved the
problem of the sources and flow of the Chambezi.
Time passed, and Livingstone was again reported by
the caravans of Arab slave-traders and others which
arrived at Zanzibar, to be dying, if not actually dead,
of a sickness brought on by privation and the want
of clothing, medicines, and food. His followers had

Find Livingstone. 57
deserted him, the chiefs through whose territories he
sought to pass, had delayed his party, and robbed
his stores, and the hardships and anxieties of this his
last African journey, had, it was said, prostrated him
in mind and body, and at length brought about his
death in a native village somewhere in the equatorial
regions. The last letter from his pen up to the
arrival of Stanley on the coast, was received from
Ujiji, May 30th, 1869. Thus, for nearly two years,
no word or message had broken the perfect silence
which enveloped the doings and fate of the heroic
man who was still wandering on, or perhaps buried
in the heart of the Dark Continent. Was Livingstone
still alive, and if alive could he be found, or if found
would he return or even allow Stanley to see him ?
These were some of the questions which the dauntless
leader of the Herald search expedition often put to
himself in the midst of his preparations for the
advance into Africa. No time was wasted in unneces
sary delay. There was no anxiety whatever as to the
expense of this humane and noble enterprise. " Spare
no cost to make the expedition a success," were the
exact words of Mr. Gordon Bennett to Stanley during
their memorable interview at Paris. " Draw a
thousand pounds now, and when you have gone
through that, draw another thousand, and when that
is spent draw another thousand, and when you have
finished that draw another thousand, and so on, but
Find Livingstone."
Zanzibar has a natural beauty and attractiveness
which at once excites the admiration, and arouses the
interest of the visitor. Seen from the deck as the
steamer enters the crowded harbour, the island presents

58 Henry M. Stanley.
a bright and verdant surface of hill and valley,
covered with a dense growth of luxuriant vegetation.
Along the low sandy coast-line, groups and belts of
lofty feathery cocoanut palms, and shapely cinnamon
and mango trees, add grace and variety to a truly
oriental picture, which is rendered complete by the long
line of the white square consular buildings on shore,
the gay flags of the war-ships and trading-vessels in
the bay, the lofty palace of the Sultan, and the sub
stantial Anglican Mission House in the distance. A
closer acquaintance with the streets and homes of the
Zanzibaris themselves is not, however, quite so agree
able. The squalor, filth, nakedness, and undeveloped
sanitary arrangements of the native quarter, give an
air of indescribable and repulsive wretchedness to the
town, which is by no means creditable to the govern
ment of his Highness Prince Seyd Burghash, Sultan
of Zanzibar and Pemba, and absolute monarch of the
entire East African coast from Somali Land to the
Mozambique. Zanzibar is the great trade mart and
emporium of commerce of Eastern Africa, and it
increases in wealth and importance year by year. It
is the open gate through which the outer world com
municates at all times with the whole of the Eastern
and Central provinces of the vast and productive
continent to which it belongs. Here goods are landed
in enormous quantities, from the European steamers
and American ships, for the up-country markets, which
are regularly supplied by the numberless caravans
which constantly leave Zanzibar laden with stores of
all descriptions for purposes of trade and barter in the
interior. The ivory, gum-copal, or chilla-weed, india-
rubber, cloves, wax, oil-seeds, and cocoanut oil, and

Zanzibar and its Trade. 59
other native produce, gathered up in the remote but
productive regions of the Zambesi, the Shire, and
Ujiji, find here a ready sale and easy shipment to the
markets of Asia, Europe, and America, and the slave
mart of Zanzibar is daily crowded with the spoils of
tribal wars on the mainland, and the fruits of Arab
raids upon the defenceless villages and unprotected
native settlements along the sea-board of the Mozam
bique, or the more distant shores of Nyassa or Tan-
ganika. From this centre, which has an import trade
of .£800,000 per year, and an annual export trade of
.£900,000, there extends at the present time a power
ful and ever-widening circle of commercial activity
and enterprise. The Zanzibar trader goes as far
south as Natal, and penetrates northward and west
ward to the desert fastnesses of the Soudan, and the
main waters of the Congo. Every East African
potentate of any rank has his agent or man of
business located upon the island. The great and
rising Central African monarchy of Karonge, which
cannot be crossed in a steady march of fifty days, has
or had its representative at Zanzibar, in the person of
a well-known Arab, with whom I came into personal
contact some years ago in the Indian Seas, and who
was declared to me, on the authority of Her Britannic
Majesty's Consul at Madagascar, to be " the greatest
rascal unhung." This man has had an exceptional
career, even for an African man- stealer. He told me
himself that as a boy he always accompanied his father
and brothers on their murderous raids up the country
in search of slaves. Their plan of operations was
very simple. They attacked the villages in the night,
and if the startled and outraged inhabitants resisted

60 Henry M. Stanley.
or gave trouble they simply set fire to the huts, leaving
the aged and sick to perish in the flames. They only
carried off the youthful and commercially valuable
portion of the community they ravaged, leaving the
rest to perish by fire, famine, or exposure. The
utter depravity of this fellow was as remarkable as it
was disgusting. His heartlessness was thoroughly
exhibited on the occasion of his own capture, red-
handed, by the cutter of one of H.M.'s cruisers on the
East India station, when his dhow was found packed
to the gunwales with wretched Africans of all ages and
conditions. Many of the miserable creatures were
lifted out of the hold dead, and the captain of the
man-of-war decreed, to the intense satisfaction of the
English seamen, that the Arab should be hung at the
yard-arm of the ship on the following day at sunrise.
The prisoner spent the intervening space of time in
devotional exercises, varied by frantic appeals to
Azrael, the dreaded angel of Mortality of the Moslem
Creed, not to approach him with the chill touch of
death. A few hours before his execution he sent for
an officer, and asked to be allowed to make a state
ment to the Admiral or superior authority in the fleet.
This was allowed, and in the coolest manner the Arab
announced that his parent and brothers were about that
time likely to be engaged in a slave expedition off the
coast of Johanna, and expressed his readiness, on
condition that his life was spared, to lead the boats of
the cruisers to the very spot. The proposal was
accepted, as this band of desperadoes was notorious
for its atrocities, and for the terror with which it was
regarded by the tribes all along the coast. A few
days after, the boats of the English squadron were

An exceptionally scoundrely Man-stealer. 61
sent to the south under the guidance of the cowering
wretch, who sat in the stern of the leading cutter,
covered by the revolver of the commander of the
flotilla. The whole of the band were captured, with
the exception of one brother, who is now believed to
be none other than the renowned Tippo Tibb, the
invincible monarch of the sub -tropical empire of
Karonge. The betrayer of his kin was allowed to
depart with his life, but he was obliged for many years
to hide himself from the vengeance of his tribe, as well as
from the too close attention of the British authorities.
When I saw him, however, he was at his old trade again,
and he had amassed a large fortune by his traffic in
human merchandise in the district where he resided,
and where he occupied a small but profitable territory
of his own. But for all this he was an arrant coward.
Steeped to the lips in the most diabolical and revolting
cruelty, he feared the sound of " a falling leaf." His
cheek would blanch, and his whole frame appear as
if convulsed with terror, when in peril of death in a
leaky canoe, or when the possibility of ending his days
after all at the yard-arm of a British man-of-man was
hinted to him. His family had set a price upon his
head, and he feared the wrath of his own clan pro
bably more than he dreaded his re-capture by the
English fleet. In person he was handsome, with fine
features, and a striking carriage, though somewhat
short of stature. .He was soft and sedate in his man
ners (after the manner of his kind), a clever talker, and
could converse fluently in English, French, and Arabic.
In fact he was a fine gentleman in appearance, attire,
and conversation. The loss of an eye gave him an
unpleasant look, which he cleverly disguised by the

62 Henry M. Stanley.
use of a pair of handsome gold eye-glasses. So far
he has saved his neck, and he is typical of a large and
influential class of men who have extensive commercial
relations, secret and open, with Zanzibar, and who
will have to be reckoned with, once for all, if Africa is
ever to be enlightened and free.
Twenty-eight days after landing at Zanzibar, Mr.
Stanley had made all necessary preparations for his
march into Africa. The work of hiring suitable men,
purchasing bales of cloth, and sacks of beads, securing
transport animals, and enlisting an armed escort for
the party, was all new to him. Information as to the
kind and quantity of stores best suited to his purpose,
was difficult to obtain, and he found the toil of getting
his expedition into anything like order, for the serious
duties which lay before it, most exhausting to mind
and body. He met with kind friends, however, at
Zanzibar, who gave him what assistance they could,
but from whom he carefully concealed the exact pur
pose of his mission, for reasons which will be given
hereafter. At the American Consulate he was re
ceived with the most unrestrained hospitality by Cap
tain Francis R. Webb, U.S. Consul, and his family, who
placed their delightful residence at his disposal during
the restless and anxious months which he spent in
getting ready for the passage of the caravan across
the straits to Bayamoyo.
How much money shall I require ?
How many pajazis (carriers) ?
How much cloth ?
How many beads ?
How much wire ?
These questions were constantly passino- through

Preparations por the Expedition. 63
his mind as he lay meditating upon the undertaking
in the sleepless watches of the night. But day by day
the labour of preparation and careful provision for
any possible emergency in the future (when far away
from all sources of supply) went on without any cessa
tion. He was fortunate enough to secure some re
cruits for his escort from amongst former followers of
Speke and Grant, and he gladly availed himself of
offers of service from two British seamen named Shaw
and Farquhar, who appeared at the time to be a couple
of smart, ready hands, and likely to be useful on the
road, in a variety of ways. Arms, ammunition and
uniforms were supplied to the " soldiers " of the
Search Party, and they were placed under the charge
of " Bombay," a favourite servant of Speke's, who
ranked as Captain of the detachment. Two canvas
boats were rigged and fitted by the sailors, with which
to navigate the blue waters of the Tanganika Lake,
should the Arabs of the district prove boorish, or dis
inclined to assist the expedition on its arrival in their
vicinity. A cart of special design, and supposed to be
just the thing to meet the peculiar exigencies of
African travel, was also constructed and taken some
miles on the road, when it had to be abandoned by
the wayside, as a useless and troublesome piece of
lumber. Guns, powder, ball, tents, medicines, coils of
rope, saddles, cooking utensils, piles of boxes, flour,
preserved meats, bales of cloth for barter, and for
satisfying the extortionate demands of the native chiefs
(who exacted a heavy tribute in kind from every cara
van passing through their territories) ; beads, blue,
white, long, round, and egg-shaped to gratify the
capricious tastes of the dusky beauties of the interior,

64 Henry M. Stanley.
and to purchase food and shelter on the road ; horses,
donkeys, soldiers, and bearers — all at last were safely
stowed away on board the tiny fleet of dhows, which
spread its canvas to the breeze at noon on February
5th, 1871, and sailed out of port, heading straight for
the mainland amid the hearty " Farewells " of a mul
titude of friends, who had gathered at the water-side to
shake hands with Stanley and wish " Good Luck " to
him and his hazardous enterprise.
The passage of the Straits, a distance of twenty- five
miles, was made in ten hours, and on the day after leav
ing Zanzibar, the debarkation of the entire party was
effected without mishap, upon the beach at Bagamoyo,
the starting-point of the road into the interior. Stan
ley rejoiced to find himself once more on African soil.
He longed now to press forward with all possible speed
upon his errand of mercy. He feared that Living
stone, if alive, might hear of his arrival and delibe
rately keep out of his way. He had been told that the
Doctor was no longer the tender-hearted, cheery
missionary of former days. He had become soured by
disappointment ; he was morose, it was said, and
taciturn, and not at all agreeable to strangers. He
liked to go his own way, and he was impatient of
control or even of companionship. Misled by these
reports, which all turned out in the end to be unfair
and untrue, Stanley felt that the obstinate old man
might resent being " found " by him, and the chances
were that he might not get even a glimpse of him after
all, unless the real purpose of the expedition was kept
a close secret till it actually arrived at Ujiji. The
dreaded season of the Masika, or tropical rains, was
also approaching, and this meant nothing less than a

Stanley plunges into Apeica. 65
persistent downpour for something like fifty days, dur
ing which movement in any direction would be simply
impossible. It was therefore necessary to get away
from the coast districts as soon as a start could be
effected, but two months were passed within sight of the
Indian Ocean before everything and everybody could be
pronounced " ship shape " and in thorough travelling
trim. The stores were all repacked in one-man loads,
and secured with care, and in due course the six tons of
goods, which had to be conveyed inland for the use of the
party, were distributed amongst the carriers, who -were
divided into sections of one hundred men each, and sent
forward in advance of the main body. Four of these
pioneer caravans, with reserve stores, were despatched
after considerable difficulty and delay, and on March
21st, the Herald Search Expedition' itself, led by
Stanley, turned directly westward on the road to Ujiji.
For the first few weeks, owing to the novelty of the
whole undertaking, notwithstanding his natural smart
ness, Stanley had been very much at the mercy of the
Arab middle-men and others, who helped him to en
gage the host of pagazis, or bearers, necessary for the
transport work of the expedition ; but he soon sounded
the depths of their cunning and rascality, and long
before he left the coast these unprincipled sons of
Ishmael found that the Herald Special Commis
sioner was more than able to hold his own with them
in any scheme of plunder or fraud which they devised
against him. Full of solid health, fearless of danger,
impervious to despair, and deeply sensible of the im
portance of the mission which had been entrusted to
him, Stanley did not hesitate to assume from the out
set of the undertaking a tone of authority and dignified p

66 Henry M. Stanley.
responsibility towards those who were under his orders,
and the result of this exhibition of spirit was soon visible
in the readiness with which [men offered themselves
for the caravans (in spite of the uncertain nature of
the services upon which they were to be employed) and
in the effectual removal, one by one, of difficulties which
appeared at times to threaten the success, if not the
very existence, of the expedition.
The men were all in high spirits at finding them
selves on the road at last, after weary months of wait
ing and loitering about the bunda at Bagamoyo. The
streets were filled with excited crowds assembled to
witness the departure of their friends and relatives for
the western road. The stars and stripes led the way
as the long line of men and baggage animals filed
slowly out of the town and took the caravan track for
Ujiji. Behind the flag marched the armed escort, with
rifle and bayonet, then followed the pagazis with their
loads, whilst the rear-guard was officered by the two
English seamen, who had charge of the ammunition
and the more valuable stores. The column was closed
by " Bana Mkuba " (the big master), Stanley himself,
mounted upon a superb bay horse which had been
presented to him by a friendly Zanzibari. The joyous
excitement of the rank and file as they wended their
way out of Bagamoyo, was soon communicated to
their leader, who gave himself up freely to the en
thusiasm and exhilarating influences of the hour, and
thoroughly sympathized with his followers in their
feeling of exultation that " now they were really off."
He decided to follow the course of the sun, and make
directly westward by the nearest road through Ugogo
and the great Arab settlement of Tabora, in the pro-

The early Marches. 67
vince of Unyanyembe, for Ujiji and the shores of Lake
Tanganika, about the region of which he felt sure of
obtaining some tidings of the lost explorer. The
distance to be traversed was over 900 miles. For the
first few weeks the expedition made slow progress.
The men were unused to the painful strain and
labour which the incessant marching entailed upon
them, and the discomforts of the road in the wet season
were especially disheartening at the outset to the
Europeans amongst the party. Leaving the maritime
and unhealthy lowlands of Mrima, the favourite hunt
ing-ground of the slave-dealers, the direct course of
the advancing column lay through the country of the
Ukweve and the Ukami, and close to the strongly
fortified citadel of Simbanwenni, the City of the Lion,
in the country of the powerful tribe of the Usequhha.
The troubles annoyances and disturbing incidents
inseparable from a journey through inner Africa, soon
began to interfere with the steady advance and to dis
turb the discipline of the party, and it required all the
skill and courage of the resolute man who rode now at
the head, now on the flanks, and now at the rear of his
little army, encouraging, coercing, and guiding it, to
prevent, at times, a retreat of the entire body, Shaw
and Farquhar included, back to the coast. Abundant
supplies of grain and flesh food were generally obtain
able on either side of the route, from the natives who
flocked round the camp as soon as it was pitched, for
purposes of barter and friendly intercourse, and
to hear the latest news from down country Game
abounded in the plains, and herds of red antelopes,
zebras, elephants, deer, and hippopotami were seen in
the forest glades and low marshy lands about the
p 2

68 Henry M. Stanley.
river banks. The soil was found in places to be pro
ductive of vast crops of maize, cotton, sugar-cane,
indigo, the orchilla-weed, melons, and grain, and for
days and weeks at times the country on all sides of
the advancing expedition presented exactly the appear
ance of a well-kept and finely timbered English park.
Often, however, the surroundings were sadly and purely
African. The natives were treacherous or insolently
aggressive, incipient mutiny delayed the onward
march and threatened the very continuance of the
enterprise, and famine and fever worked frightful havoc
upon the members of the expedition, without respect
to race or rank. Considerable difficulty was experienced
in keeping the constantly straggling divisions of the
column in touch with each other, and frequent halts
had to be made to trace deserters and to hunt down
runaways, who would decamp coast-wise without
hesitation on the first opportunity, after receiving a
substantial roll of cloth as wages in advance. The
horses which had been brought from Zanzibar broke
down at an early stage of the journey, and Stanley
reached Msuwa on foot and driving before him the
ten donkeys which had escaped the perils of the forest,
and attended only by one faithful follower, Mabrak the
Little. The entire expedition had succumbed for the
time to the hardships and difficulties of the way, and tired
out with repeated halts by the road-side, and jaded
beyond endurance by the desultory efforts of his
followers to press on to the next halting-place, Stanley
determined to advance alone ! The stage had been
only a short one of ten miles, but the narrow foot
paths had wound and twisted for hours through a
dense miasmatic undergrowth of creepers and thorny

Famine, Fever, Desertion, and Insubordination. 69
shrubs, the decayed leaves of which gave out a peculiar
and powerful odour, which had the effect of a poisonous
narcotic upon the men, who came one by one under its
influence as they plunged into the pestiferous and reek
ing swamp. The straightness of the way, enclosed by
walls of sharp thorny plants, armed with hooked talons
three inches long, which tore the flesh open to the
bone, and caught at the baggage as it was dragged
along, continually necessitated the unpacking and re
loading of the bales and stores, and the fatigue of this
operation again and again repeated, in the fetid
atmosphere of the dense jungle, at length so disheart
ened the carriers, as well as the escort, that they one
and all absolutely refused to go on till strongly re
monstrated with by their determined but well-nigh
exhausted commander. Thefts of baggage, more
fever, and the prospect of having to fight a way through
the Ugogo country, added to the anxiety of the leader
of the column, which had now become considerably
weakened by desertions, discharges, and surreptitious
leave-takings. At Simbamwanni, the Lion City and capital
of the Usequhha, a well-built and flourishing town
of 30,000 inhabitants, and defended by substantial
stone towers, walls, and gateways, a halt was decided
upon. Considerable anxiety was manifested by the
Simbamwannis to have a good view of the " Great
Musungu " Stanley, whose fame had already preceded
him, and they turned out in multitudes in their gayest
attire to greet the strange foreigner who was passing
through their land, and who did not buy ivory, deal
in slaves, or take any interest in commercial matters,
beyond seeking food and shelter at a fair price for

70 Henry M. Stanley.
himself and his companions in travel. The trying
experiences of the past few months now began to tell
even upon the robust frame of the leader of the search
party, and alarming symptoms of the debilitating
" mukunguro," the malarious fever of the district,
rapidly manifested themselves by pains in the limbs,
incapacity for exertion, and distaste for food. For the
time, however, the malady succumbed to " a quantum
of fifteen grains of quinine, taken in three doses of
five grains each, every other hour, from seven
to meridian," a somewhat sharp remedy even for a
man of his extraordinary stamina, and full muscular
power. One hundred and nineteen miles of the way
had now been traversed in fourteen marches, which
had extended over twenty-nine days, allowing a stage
of a little over four and a half miles per day. The
blame for this painfully slow and tedious rate of
progress, lay entirely with the indolent and half
hearted Wanyamwezi porters, those masters of the art
of " how not to do it," who were for ever dawdling
in the rear, under the pretence of illness or bodily
inaptitude for the most ordinary exertions required of
them. New sources of danger and difficulty now began to
confront and threaten the caravan, and soon after leav
ing thepleasantandhospitable precincts of the Lion City,
flooded rivers and loathsome swamps of slush and reek
ing morasses of black mud (filled to overflowing by the
incessant rains) had to be forded, or waded through.
In some places rude bridges were thrown over the foam
ing torrents, which had to be crossed by leaping from
thebank to the submerged branches of a trunk of a tree,
and then springing off the quivering foothold to the

Stanley ill — Difficulties multiply. 71
opposite bank ; but notwithstanding the 70 lbs. of
baggage which each pagazi had upon his shoulders, the
stores were generally carried over in safety and without
damage or loss. " Bombay," the trusted captain of
the escort, began at this point of the advance to develop
unfortunate signs of an unhappy tendency to lying and
dishonesty. Valuable property, entrusted to his special
care, was neglected or left behind, stores were broken
into and rifled of their contents, or secretly disposed
of to the horde of camp-followers who brought in sup
plies from the country round for sale to the great
" musungu." The live-stock was neglected, the fellow
had grown altogether inert and spiritless, he had
allowed Avhole bales of cloth to get wet and rot, he had
lost axes, powder, and arms, and, in fact, the cup of his
iniquities was full to overflowing. There was nothing
for it but to degrade the peccant captain of the escort
to an inferior rank, and to give his command to
another and more worthy soldier. Shaw, who had
been failing in health for some time, now fell sick of
fever, and could afford no real assistance as pioneer of
the band, and Stanley himself was compelled, in the
beating rain, to lead his column of disheartened and
staggering porters through swamps and lakes of
filthy mire, in which the pack-animals sank and
floundered and fell about in a hapless, helpless way,
and through which the weary pagazis struggled with
many a groan and exclamation of disgust. The foul
slush of these marshes clung to the limbs and clothing
of the disconsolate travellers as they plodded on, hour
after hour, drenched to the skin and suffering agonies
of hunger and physical distress. Where the weary
strife with the leagues of mud and unwholesome

72 Henry M. Stanley.
jungle ended, the struggle with the turbid, savage
torrents began. Donkeys had to be unpacked, and
dragged by sheer force through the rushing streams,
which filled the nullahs and turned the rivers into huge
broad, boiling, wave-crested floods, and then reloaded,
while the bearers with their loads lifted above their
heads at arm's length, plunged into the chill waters,
and made the best of their way to the further bank,
half dead with fright and paralyzed with cold. Small
pox, that most terrible of African scourges, laid hold
upon the soldiers of the escort, and at times it was
almost impossible to get the home-sick and naturally
lazy sons of the Wanyamwezito shoulder their burdens,
and once more face the long miles of water and mud
which lay with an average depth of a foot or more
between themselves and the next halting-place.
Stanley himself fell before an attack of dysentery,
brought on by the miserable plight to which these con
stant swamp journeys had brought him, and at one
time he confesses that he despaired of living to
accomplish the work which he had promised Mr.
Gordon Bennett he would perform, if his life was pre
served to him.
But Africa is a land of climatical as well as physical
and ethnological surprises and contrasts, and the
experiences of the road to Ujiji were not unfrequently
pleasant enough, and even enjoyable. Blue skies over
head, and bright sparkling sunshine all about, and
fertile fields teeming with tropical produce, and broad
expanses of rich pastural country rising terrace above
terrace, dotted over with villages, and abounding with
every kind of feathered and furred game, besides wild
fruits and wholesome food in endless variety, soon re-

Stanley down with Dysentery. 73
stored the tone of the men, and sent them on their way
for the time with renewed energies and revived hopes.
The third portion of the caravan, which was sent off
from the coast in charge of Farquhar, with instructions
to get it on ahead as fast as possible, was overtaken at
Kiora, a filthy and insignificant village, where the
sailor was found incapacitated by disease, and quite
unfit to render any further service to the expedition.
In three months he was dead. The scattered sections
of the column now drew together. Laggards were
allowed to come up with the main body, and the march
was continued under the eye of Stanley himself, who
kept his depleted ranks and dispirited followers from
despair by oft-repeated promises of ample rest and
abundance of food when Ugogo, the land of plenty,
"rich with milk and honey,rich in flour,beans, and every
eatable thing, should be reached." On May 22nd the
Chungo was in sight, and the search expedition joined
the caravans of two friendly Arab traders, for mutual
strength and greater security. The whole company
made up a formidable host of about 400 well armed
men, and it was placed under the temporary generalship
of Sheik Tamid an alert and widely travelled Arab trader,
who was thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the
district to be crossed, and the rapacity and tyranny
of the native chiefs who were the " lords of the land."
A waterless tract of wilderness, thirty miles broad, had
to be traversed, and for long weary hours the vast
troop of men, soldiers and slaves, Arabs and whitemen,
with aching heads and trembling limbs, moved over
the arid plain, to the intense astonishment of magni
ficent herds of elands, zebras, giraffes and antelopes,
which swept over the ground at terrific speed when

74 Henry M. Stanley.
disturbed by the novel spectacle of the slowly and
painfully advancing caravan.
Ugogo at last ! with its broad green sloping pastures,
its limpid streams, and its waving, laughing fields of
grain. There in the sunlight lay the long-looked-for
land of plenty, gladdening the eyes and hearts of the
woe-begone and famished wanderers with its richness
and fertility. Huge baobabs, the elephant of the vege
table world, and resembling nothing so much as a fat
stone bottle with a few twigs placed in its neck, gave
evidence of the f ruitfulness of the soil, and the wearied
and exhausted travellers entered the streets of the
town, which gives its name to the surrounding country,
with exclamations of joy, and followed by a mob all
ages and sexes, who fought for place in the front
line of the spectators to see the white men pass along.
Food to suit every taste was soon brought into the
camp, bales were opened, and milk, honey, melons,
pears, and ghee-nuts were eagerly offered in return for
dotis of menkana cloth and strings of Sousi-Sousi
beads. The question of the due amount of the
tribute to be paid to the native chiefs is always in
Africa a vexed and trying one. For intolerable im
pudence and insatiable greed in this matter of tribute,
the great men of Ugogo were, and are still unhappily,
notorious, but the smart Herald correspondent
soon learned by experience how to conduct business
with these gentlemen. He was fair in his offers, and
courteous in his demeanour to " the magnates of the
soil;" but he was also firm in his resolution not to be
over-reached by them. " Bombay " was usually em
ployed as a sort of middle-man in the delicate and

Matters improve somewhat. 75
protracted negotiations which always preceded the
handing over of the bales of cloth, or coils of tele
graph wire, or beads which constituted the whiteman's
offering, and he managed, by the skill by which he
met cunning by cunning, and falsehood by mendacity, to
defend the interests of his master against the com
bined and separate attacks of the entire nobility and
royalty of Ugogo land. Under these now continually
recurring demands for tribute, the tons of supplies
which had been brought up the country began to be
woefully lessened, and it was a serious question
whether they would hold out till the reserve stores
sent on to Unyanyembe could be utilized. The popula
tion on the line of march increased day by day, as the
country became more fruitful, and enormous villages
and broad stretches of cultivated ground gave variety
and motion and life to the landscape on all sides.
Game was once more plentiful everywhere, but water
was scarce, and the heat of the sun intolerable, and at
Mizanza Stanley was once more laid prostrate by a
violent attack of fever, and the whole party had to
wait for some time till he was in a condition to take
to the road again. Open conflict with the covetous
potentates of Ugogo was with great difficulty avoided,
and at times there seemed to be no way out of the
difficulty except by forcing a path to Unyanyembe,
sword and rifle in hand. The expedition was now
hurried on at the rate of over eleven miles a day, and
at length, after endless troubles and annoyances, and
much suffering, on June 23rd 1871, Tabora, the most
influential and famous Arab settlement in Central
Africa, and the long looked-for halting-place in the
central plain of Unyanyembe, came in sight. The

7Q Henry M. Stanley.
change which passed over the entire line of men as they
caught a first view of the Arab town, with its comfort
able houses and cheerful surroundings, was marvellous.
Burdens were tossed from shoulder to shoulder, as
if they were merely of feather weight, and the pagazis,
adorned with garments of glowing hues, which they had
brought up from the coast, and the escort in their well-
appointed uniforms and brand new turbans of many
colours, made after all a brave and imposing array, as
with flags unfurled and signal guns fired in the air,
they were met by a group of venerable patriarchs and
headmen of the settlement who had come out to
welcome them to the capital of Unyanyembe Land.

CHAPTER VI.
Unyanyembe — "War rumours — The expedition delayed — " Killing
the road " — An easy victory — The Bonaparte of Africa — An
eventful night — Mutiny in the ranks — News of Livingstone — A
clever flank-movement — Ujiji — Livingstone Found— On the
Tanganika — A problem solved — Back to Unyanyembe — The
terrors of the Masika — Zanzibar once more — Welcome home ! —
The Queen congratulates Stanley — A royal gift.
With the arrival of the search party at hospitable
Unyanyembe, the first and longest stage of the journey
to Ujiji was happily completed. A comfortable house
was set apart for the use of Mr. Stanley, and he was
soon visited by the Sultan and other notabilities, who
had pleasant remembrances of Speke and Grant and
Livingstone, to whom they had often been of service
when they visited or passed through the district. The
reserved stores, which had been kept for the road to
the Lakes, were unpacked and examined ; the old
coast pagizis were paid off, and sent home rejoicing
with gratuities of money, and extra wages in cloth
and food for the way ; and a new body of bearers was
hired for the onward march through the Ukonongo and
Uvinza country to Tanganika. But the peace of
Stanley's brief rest at Unyanyembe was soon broken
by rumours of war between the Arabs of the place and
the tribes to the west. The road to Ujiji had been
" killed " by the native chiefs, who refused permission
to the caravans to travel through their territories
except upon payment of an extortionate and ruinous

78 Henry M. Stanley.
tribute. The enemy was reputed to be advancing
upon Tabora, thousands strong, and led by a redoubt
able chief named Mirambo. Having laid waste vast
regions of country in every direction, he sent word
that he was about to fall upon the Arab settlement.
Stanley had barely recovered from the effects of a
strong attack of fever, during which he lost count of
the days as they passed, and lay in a state of total
unconsciousness for some weeks, when the whole
settlement was called out to march upon the fortified
village of the dreaded and arrogant Mirambo. Stan
ley determined to proceed with the Arab warriors,
and on the 29 th of July, the men were mustered with
their burdens for the march to Ujiji. The Arab
troops numbered, with the soldiers of the " Herald
Expedition," a round total of 2255 men. The Arabs
were armed with spears, long knives, guns — flint-lock
muskets and Enfields — and they had an abundant
supply of ammunition, the Herald men having
sixty rounds each served out to them. The goods of
the expedition were stored in the fort of Mfuto till
after the impending battle, as the leader of the expe
dition had decided to press forward without further
delay as soon as the road had been opened again by
the defeat of Mirambo. The fighting-men daubed
themselves with a life-preserving unguent, made for
them by their diviners, consisting of flour and the juice
of plants. Every one was certain of a speedy victory
over the " insolent foe ;" and the public orator of the
Wanyamwezi thus addressed the panting heroes, burn
ing for the fray : " Words ! Words ! ! Words ! ! !
Listen, sons of Mkasiwa, children of Unyamwezi !
The journey is before you, the thieves of the forest

An incidental Campaign, and its disastrous Ending. 79
are waiting ; yes, they are thieves, they cut up your
caravans, they steal your ivory, they murder your
women. Behold, the Arabs are with you, El Wali of
the Arab Sultan, and the white man are with you.
Go, the son of Mkasiwa is with you ; fight, kill, take
slaves, take cloth, take cattle, kill, eat, and fill your
selves ! Go ! "
The assault on Zimbizo, the stronghold of Mirambo,
was successful, and the victors rushed forward, howl
ing, dancing, and shouting, in pursuit of the flying
natives. But soon the tide of war was turned against
Stanley and his allies. Mirambo, by a skilful piece of
strategy, worthy of a European general, succeeded in
driving back and overpowering the Arab forces, and a
hasty and disgraceful stampede back to Tabora was
inevitable ; and Stanley, again prostrate with illness,
narrowly escaped being abandoned by Shaw and his
Arab friends, in their anxiety to save their own heads.
He had gone to the help of these men from a sense of
duty and in return for the kindness they had shown
him, but he now felt that he had done all that could
be expected of him, and he determined to pursue his
own way, irrespective of the movements of the Arab
levies. He decided to avoid the dominions of Mirambo
altogether, and follow another road to the south, by
which course he hoped to succeed in reaching Ujiji
without further molestation. On August 12th, a report
was brought to him that Livingstone had been met on
the road to Lake Tanganika, at the exact time that he
was said to have been killed on the shores of the
Nyassa. The doctor was described as wearing the
well-known, faded uniform cap, with the band of tar
nished gold braid, and a dress made of common calico

80 Henry M. Stanley.
sheeting. He had lost his stores in one of the smaller
lagoons, and his followers had fallen away from him
one by one. He was walking in company with some
Arabs, and was carrying his own arms and ammuni
tion. Before the expedition had time to take the road,
Mirambo had seized upon Tabora, slain the Sultan and
chief nobles, and fired the town, to the horror and
astonishment of Stanley, who was a spectator of the
catastrophe from his camp at Kwihara, a few miles
distant from the scene of action. Without loss of
time, the refugees from the burning and ravaged
settlement poured into the tembes at Kwihara, and
the Herald Expedition was, in a few hours, ensconced
behind loop-holed walls, prepared to fight to the last
for bare life. Stanley had 150 men at his disposal.
These he carefully posted about the compound. The
ground about the enclosure was honeycombed with
rifle-pits in a few hours, and, with his Winchester
breech-loading repeater in his hand, the leader and
his little band of watchers awaited the army of the
"African Bonaparte." All obstacles which stood in
the line of fire were removed ; the house was pro
visioned for fourteen days ; and there was an abundant
supply of ammunition at hand. But Mirambo never
came. On September 20th, the word went forth that
the expedition, now completely re-organized, was to
advance once more upon the road to the west. Stan
ley was wearied out by delay and sickness, and at
length a feeling akin to desperation had come over
him. He brooded in silence over the past, and de
pressing thoughts haunted him as to the future. The
solitariness of his lot, and the wretched forecasts of the

Stanley almost despairs, but resumes his March. 81
Arabs, who assured him that in moving forward at
that time he was going to his death, the fears that
after all he had come so far on a fruitless errand, the
lassitude of body and feebleness of mind, developed
by repeated attacks of sickness, dysentery, and fever
— all these pressed upon him, till at last he cried out
to himself in the stillness of the night, " I shall not
die ! I will not die ! I cannot die ! — and something-
tells me I shall find him ! Find Him ! Find Him ! "
He would wait no longer. Eighty-nine precious days
had been consumed at Unyanyembe. He had lingered
too long already. He defied Mirambo to do his worst.
He shook off the friendly but craven-hearted Arabs,
who offered him their counsel, and warned him of the
unknown peril he was deliberately going out to face.
Forward ! was the word. The drums beat, once
more the star-spangled banner courted the breeze;
farewell volleys rang over the heads of the wondering
spectators ; and the search for Livingstone recom
menced. The Englishman, Shaw, who had long ago
ceased to be efficient, at length fell by the way, and
was sent back with an escort to Unyanyembe. Again
vast extents of forest were traversed, and herds of
buffalo, zebra, and antelope furnished supplies of re
freshing food to the men, who found diversion and plea
sure in hunting the spring-bok, or stalking the herds
of giraffe which cropped the rich herbage of the vast
alluvial plains which lay in the line of march. Some
of the wooded scenery was very beautiful. Shady
nooks, sloping down to the water's edge, resonant
with the cries of the honey -bird and other feathered
denizens of tropical glades, and adorned with graceful
creepers, the beautiful and fragrant mimosa, and the
G

82 Henry M. Stanley.
broad lotus lily floating lazily upon the bosom of the
placid stream, were frequently found along the course
of the Gombe, an important tributary of the Mala-
garazi. On Saturday, October 7th, a serious attempt at
mutiny was made by the pagazis and some of the soldiers,
under the leadership of " Bombay," who had already
been deposed from his rank of captain of the escort for
negligence and disobedience. The loads were sullenly
lifted from the ground when the signal was given for
moving forward, and after a mile of the road had been
covered by the murmuring throng, the whole caravan
came to a standstill, and the stores were dropped upon
the pathway. Stanley, ever on the alert, at once took
his rifle and some buckshot cartridges from the bearer,
and preparing for action by hastily looking to his
revolvers, he advanced towards the turbulent crowd.
The fellows at once grasped their weapons, as if to
fire upon their leader. Two barrels were levelled at
him as he approached. In a moment his rifle was
brought to the shoulder, and he called out that the
two rascals who had aimed their guns at him were
dead men unless they dropped their arms. The guns
were thrown down at the feet of Stanley, who saw
that a crisis had been reached in the history of the
expedition. The cowardly crowd of malcontents
were thoroughly scared and overcome by the daunt
less bearing and cool determination of their com
mander, and they were soon crawling about his feet,
after the fashion of the East, in abject and complete
submission. A free pardon was granted on the spot
to all but Bombay and Ambari, the ringleaders of the
rebellion. On the termination of this awkward inci
dent, the column resumed its progress throuo-h the

A Mutiny quelled. 83
forest-lands of Ukonongo to Mrera, where Stanley
employed his brief halt in repairing the damage done
to his clothing and boots by the thorns and curved
fingers of the prickly vegetation through which, for
some time, the party had been pushing its way.
Mrera was left behind on October 17th. Peace reigned
in the ranks. Bombay and his companions in insur
rection had been completely crushed. The men
trusted their leader, and Stanley had once more con
fidence in his men. Besides, every day was now
bringing them near the end of their pilgrimage.
" We can smell the fish of Tanganika," they repeated
to one another as they trudged hopefully and cheerily
along. Behind, in the far-off waste, were Mirambo
and his mighty men, and the weak-voiced and lying
prophets of Tabora. The loads felt less heavy, and
the way more smooth as time passed on. For was
not the road to be traversed growing shorter day by
day ? Care had to be taken now to guard the camp
by night, for the land of the lion and the leopard had
been reached, and the home of the wild boar, whose
savage attack was almost certain death.
Stanley now decided to make direct for Tanganika,
by compass route, and then push upward to Ujiji by
way of the shore. The dread that-Livingstone might
wilfully disappear still possessed him, and therefore he
thought it best not to follow a beaten track. The
stores began to fail, and food was scarce in the
surrounding country, but nothing was allowed to
keep back the men one moment longer than was
absolutely necessary for rest and refreshment. The
broad stream of the Malagarazi was crossed in safety,
but one of the donkeys fell a victim to the crocodiles
G 2

84 Henry M. Stanley.
as it was being dragged through the stream. On
November 3rd, a party of Waguhha, a trans-
Tanganika tribe, suddenly met the Search Party with
the latest news from Ujiji. A white man, they said,
had just reached there ! "A white man?" said the
excited and eager chief of the Herald Expedition.
"Yes, a white man," was the reply. "How is he
dressed?" "Like the Master," they said, pointing
to Stanley.
" Is he young or old ? "
" He is old. He has white hair on his face, and is
sick." " Whence came he ? "
" From a very far country away beyond Uguhha,
called Manyuema."
" Indeed, and is he stopping at Ujiji now ? "
"Yes; we saw him about eight days ago."
" Do you think he will stop there until we see
him?" " Sigue" (Don't know).
" Was he ever at Ujiji before ? "
" Yes; he went away a long time ago."
Could there be any doubt? It was Livingstone!
A forced march was decided upon, and the men
readily assented to the extra labour and exertion on
being promised double wages. But more " lords of
the soil " had to be reckoned with, and many doti of
tribute paid on that (to Stanley) terribly tedious
journey of eight days to Ujiji. As soon as the
voracity of one magnate was satisfied, another chief
more greedy and more insolent appeared, till it again
seemed to be simply a question of cleaving a way for
the expedition by sheer force of arms. Bale after

Intelligence op Livingstone. 85
bale of cloth, and one sack after another of beads
disappeared in the shape of tribute, and still the cry
was for more, till robbed, cheated, and baffled by the
cunning of the kings and princes of Uvinza and Uhha
and their satellites, Stanley declared that he would be
deceived no more. But there were five other chiefs
still, more rapacious by far than their sable majesties of
Uvinza or Uhha, still between the expedition and
Ujiji. These men, if they insisted in their demands,
would beggar the caravan, and consume their last
remaining bales, and they would enter Ujiji in a
state of complete destitution. But Stanley faced the
situation. " I lit my pipe, put on my cap of con
sideration," he said, " and began to think. Within
half an hour I had made a plan, which was to be put
into execution that very night." The dreaded Wahha
chiefs, who were supposed to be ready to enact, at
the expense of the Herald Expedition, an African
version of " The Spider and the Fly," were to be
circumvented. At midnight the bearers and soldiers
were suddenly called together, and a route was taken
which carried the whole body right away out of the
danger, and far from those five grasping chiefs of the
Wahha. On November 10th the expedition had
reached its 236th day of travel from the sea-coast,
and the fifty-first of its journey from Unyanyembe
and the tyrannies of Mirambo, and had now approached
within six hours of Ujiji ! The spirits of these men
were fresh, and their hearts light, and they all
appeared to have gained new vigour of mind and
body as they stepped out in the cool, bracing air with
elastic tread and rapid strides over the green hills
and down into the thickly-populated valleys and fruit-

86 Henry M. Stanley.
ful fields of the delightful Ukaranga country. On the
top of a steep hill they saw the glistening waters of
Tanganika! In the distance they could trace the
swelling sides and splendid altitudes of Ugoma and
Ukaramba, its guardian mountains. They stood and
gazed upon the scene, where Speke and Burton had
stood and gazed upon the same marvellous picture of
mountain and lake and sunshine, till at length they
gave vent to their feelings of awe and delight by
hearty and repeated cheers. A rapid descent of the
hill, a sharp movement through the Linche valley,
and another climb to the summit of a narrow height,
which trended westward to the lake, and at their feet
lay Ujiji. Flags were flung to the wind, and the
guns loaded for the signal of triumph. Hearts beat
high with the intense excitement of the moment, eyes
flashed, and lips quivered, as a deafening report from
the expedition announced its approach to the startled
village below. The people soon filled the streets, and
rushed out to meet the caravan, which came proudly
along, headed by the flag of America, and followed by
the red ensign of Zanzibar.
" Good morning, sir," said a voice to Stanley, as
with scarcely restrained emotion the leader of the
expedition walked proudly along at the head of his
men. He turned and saw a man dressed in Zanzibari
fashion, and asked him his name. The African
declared himself to be Susi, the body-servant of
Dr. Livingstone. "What!" said Stanley, "is Dr.
Livingstone here ? "
"Yes, sir!"
" In this village ? "
" Yes, sir ! "

Meeting with Livingstone. 87
" Then go ! " said Stanley, " and tell the doctor I
am coming." In the excitement of the moment the
Herald correspondent had given no name. " I see
the doctor, sir," said the standard-bearer. " Oh,
what an old man ! He has got a white beard."
Stanley made his way through the throng which
crowded about him, and came to the group of Arabs,
in advance of whom " stood the man with the white
beard," He was tired-looking, and appeared pinched
by want. He was poorly but neatly dressed, and was
wearing the official cap with the gold band. The
two men met at last. Stanley, not knowing what to
do at the supreme moment, removed his helmet and
said, —
" Dr. Livingstone, I presume ? " " Yes," said the
heroic old man, as he raised his hand to his cap. "j_
thank God, Doctor, that I have been permitted to see
you," said the new comer. Livingstone replied, " I
feel thankful that I am here to welcome you." 3
The two travellers had much to say to each other.
The intercourse between them was cordial and unre
strained from their first meeting in the square of
Ujiji. Stanley, with commendable tact and patience,
allowed the doctor to tell the story of his wanderings
for the past six years in his own way. The venerable
explorer was in a destitute condition, and his health
had given way under the privations and difficulties
which he had undergone, before he had been driven back
at last upon Ujiji to obtain the necessaries of life and
rest of mind and body. He stooped considerably,
and he walked with the heavy tread of a tired man.
Livingstone was much cheered by the letters and
3 "How I Found Livingstone" (H. M. Stanley).

88 Henry M. Stanley.
papers which the expedition had brought up for
him from Zanzibar, and by the stores which were
handed over to him by Stanley on behalf of his
friends in England and America. But he positively
refused to leave Africa, even for a brief season of
refreshment and relaxation. He said he longed at
times to see his motherless children — their letters
made him yearn to embrace them — but he must
defer the joys and pleasures of home till he had
cleared up the mystery of the Tanganika watershed.
The companionship of an educated and warm-hearted
friend, fresh from the scenes and surroundings of
European civilization, acted like a charm upon the
frame and mind of the doctor. Good food, a
thorough change of ideas, and the social intercourse
between the two men, as well as the freedom from
anxiety as to "ways and means," which he now
experienced for the first time for many weary
months, soon made a visible change in Livingstone's
appearance, and in a few weeks he looked younger by
some years than when first Stanley saw him in the
midst of his Arab friends.
The doctor appears to have been the victim of
adverse circumstances from the very outset of this,
his last journey of exploration. He started from the
coast by way of the Rovuma in March, 1866, and his
troubles at once began. His men stirred up the
natives against him, and refused to follow him into
the interior, declaring that they were only marching
to certain death at the hands of the Mazitu, a roving
tribe of plunderers, much dreaded in the Nyassa
region. The doctor determined to continue his
journey at any cost, and to fight the Mazitu if no

Talks with Livingstone. 89
other alternative offered. His pagazis thereupon fled
back to the coast, and invented the circumstantial
report of the murder of their master, which at once
startled and dismayed the whole civilized world.
Livingstone, in the face of enormous difficulties, was
able to explore the interesting and densely-populated
kingdoms of Babisa, Bobemba, Barungu, and Lunda,
of which latter territory, his friend, the renowned
and gifted Cazembe, was king. By patient and
thorough research, sometimes retracing his steps
hundreds of miles to be quite sure of his figures, or
to be perfectly accurate in the compilation of his maps,
he succeeded in gradually bringing to light the
wonderful physical phenomena of the great lake
region westward of Tanganika and Nyassa, which
had never before been explored or visited by any
European geographer. Following the course of that
comparatively insignificant stream, the Chambezi,
which he at first was disposed to identify with his
own Zambesi to the southward, Livingstone found
not only that it was a distinct stream from the latter,
but that it flowed westward into Lake Bangweolo,
and then northward as the Luapula through the
Lake Moero (named by the doctor, Webb's river),
and soon after passing through Lake Kamolondo,
resumed its northerly course, which the indefatig
able and enthusiastic traveller was unable to trace
further on account of the brutal treatment which he
met with from the Arabs of the district, and the base
conduct of his own bearers, who first robbed him,
and then taking advantage of his enfeebled condition
from chronic dysentery, deserted him, and left him to
find his solitary way back, forsaken, suffering, and

90 Henry M. Stanley.
without stores, medicine, or means of any kind.
Two months would have sufficed to enable the diligent
old man to solve the problem as to whether the
streams he had been following were after all the head
waters of the mighty Nile, as he fondly believed, or
the sources and fountains of the Congo, as they
eventually proved to be.
The weeks glided rapidly by at Ujiji, and still the
wonderful story of those six years of honest toil in
the heart of the Dark Continent was only half told.
Stanley was anxious to see something of the great
Tanganika and its magnificent surroundings, and,
accordingly, the two travellers arranged to proceed to
its northern end to clear up any doubt as to the
course and flow of the Rusizi River, which was by
some eminent geographers supposed to connect the
Albert Nyanza with the broad waters of Tanganika,
thus making the latter lake the southernmost reservoir
of the Nile ! The question of the Rusizi stream was
therefore one of some interest to the world at large,
and it was with evident pleasure, not unmixed with
excitement, that the two friends set out for a canoe
voyage to the mouth of the river, which emptied
itself into the lake at the north-eastern corner. The
passage was not without danger and loss from the
thieving propensities of the boatmen and bearers, who
seemed to think the doctor might be fleeced with
impunity as "he did not beat them," they said, "like
his white brother," of whose plan of prompt retaliation
for any acts of neglect or dishonesty they had begun
to entertain a wholesome dread. An inspection of the
river soon settled for ever the doubt as to its character
and the part it occupied in the great water system of

Stanley commences his return March. 91
the region. It was merely a sluggish and unimportant
influent of the Tanganika, and had no connection
whatever with the Albert Nyanza or the ancient and
historic Nile. Satisfied upon this point, Livingstone
was persuaded before attempting to retrace his steps
to the banks of the Lualaba, in order to complete his
observations of that mysterious waterway, to return
with his companion to Unyanyembe, with a view to
secure fresh supplies of stores, and a band of efficient
pagazis for the prosecution of his researches through
the newly-discovered provinces in comfort and
security. On December 27th, 1871, the search expedition said
"farewell" to Ujiji, its friendly Arabs, and its
beautiful lake, and turned eastward for Zanzibar, and
home. The two white men travelled together ; but
Stanley was responsible for the line of march, and the
conduct of the caravan. The redoubtable Mirambo
was still a terror to the whole region between the
Nyassa and the Victoria Nyanza, and the wearisome
and irritating question of tribute would have to be
faced and dealt with once more all along the road.
But the little column was now homeward bound.
The great object for which it had been sent forth
had been fully accomplished. Livingstone had not
only been found, but relieved, comforted, and refreshed
in mind and body, through the instrumentality of the
brave and exultant leader of the enterprise. The
caravan was divided into two portions, one party
following the path along the shore, and the other
proceeding by canoe southward over the blue waters
of the lake. The songs of the men rang over the
rippling surface of the great inland sea, and sounded

92 Henry M. Stanley.
far away amongst the crags and woods of the
surrounding hills. The boats shot swiftly forward,
impelled by the strong arms of the willing and light-
hearted pagazis, who chanted extemporized odes as
they floated along, in which they extolled the valour
and prowess of their chief, and the delights of home.
Shaw, poor fellow, had died of fever at Unyanyembe,
some time after returning there. This and other news
of a disquieting nature met the returning party, and
damped their spirits or checked their expressions of
joy for the moment. But onward and eastward was
the order of the day. Some capital sport — giraffe,
zebra, antelope and other game falling to the rifle of
Stanley — enlivened the journey. Letters and papers
sent on from Zanzibar were eagerly opened and read.
On February 18th, 1872, Stanley and Livingstone
reached Unyanyembe, after travelling 750 miles in
company, and here it was agreed — to the sorrow of
both — that duty compelled them to part.
One hundred and thirty-one eventful days had
passed since the search expedition had set out from
Kwihara, determined in spite of every obstacle to force
the road to Ujiji, and it had marched during that
period a distance of considerably over 1200 miles.
Livingstone was made comfortable for the first time
for some years in the house set apart for his use,
with ample leisure to write up his journals, arrange
his notes, and overhaul the bales of cloth and number
less packages of all sorts and sizes which he found
awaiting him. Letters of grateful thanks were
written by him to Mr. Gordon Bennett, Jun., and more
formal despatches were prepared for the Foreign
Office, and the President of the Royal Geographical

Stanley and Livingstone part. 93
Society. In these the aged explorer expressed him
self as having been much helped and cheered by the
presence and kindly attention of Mr. Stanley, and
gave an outline of his work in the past, and his plans
for the future. With these documents in his charge,
and a package of private notes and diaries for the
doctor's own relatives, Mr. Stanley took what proved
to be a last farewell " of his illustrious companion."
On the evening of March 13th they sat together, face
to face, in the doctor's quarters. " To-morrow night,
Doctor," said Stanley, " you will be alone!" "Yes,"
was the reply, " the house will look as though a death
had taken place."
At daylight on March 14th, the caravan mustered
in fine, and the signal for the march was given.
" Doctor," said Stanley, " now we must part — there is
no help for it. Good-bye ! " " 0 ! I am coming with
you a little way," said the lonely old man. And still
the two wandered on in company.
" Then am I to understand, Doctor, that you do not
return home till you have satisfied yourself as to the
' Sources of the Nile,' " said the departing traveller.
"When you have satisfied yourself, you will come
home and satisfy others. Is it not so ? "
" That is it exactly," said Livingstone.
" How long do you think the work will take you ? "
" A year and a half at the furthest," was the reply.
And then the parting came.
" Good-bye, and God guide you safe home and bless
you, my friend," said Livingstone.
" May God bring you safe back to us all, my dear
friend. Farewell!" said Stanley; and the two most
adventurous African explorers of our time thus

94 Henry M. Stanley.
parted in the heart of the great continent, never to
greet each other again in the flesh.4 Stanley con
fessed that the pathos of the hour overcame him.
He could with difficulty restrain his emotion. His
heart went out after the old man he was leaving-
behind. He turned and looked after the bowed figure.
He waved his handkerchief, Livingstone responded
by lifting the gold-braided cap, and a swell of the
ground hid him at once from view. The party were
soon once more well within the territory of the
rapacious lords of Ugogo, and caref nl watch was kept
on the road through the forests and almost
impenetrable jungle, which afforded ample oppor
tunities for the secretion of ambuscades, or the
execution of foul deeds of treachery. No event of
importance marked the course of the expedition,
however, through Ugogo land. There were the usual
attempts at extortion, under the guise of asking for
the customary tribute, but these attempts were
habitually and triumphantly foiled. Threats of
enforcement of the kingly dues were met by prompt
preparations for the defence of the bales and baggage
of the stranger. Stanley by this time had mastered
the secret of dealing with this vexed question of
" taxes." As the caravan approached the coast, it was
more than once in considerable peril from the Masika,
with its angry floods, surging nullahs, and ceaseless
downpour. The whole district of the Mukondokwa
River, along which lay the road to the sea, was
sounding with the noise of the rushing waters, and
the men fled before the inundating tide, as from a
hungry and overwhelming flood. These "perils by
1 " How I Found Livingstone " (H. M. Stanley).

Approaching the Coast. 95
water " nearly proved fatal to the most precious
treasure which Stanley's men conveyed. The tin box
in which Livingstone's journals of his researches in the
trans-Tanganika land were preserved, and his letters
for home, was being conveyed across a hideous raging
torrent upon the head of Rojab, a stalwart young
negro. In the centre of the river, the bearer, unable
longer to resist the force of the current, which foamed
and eddied about him, fell headlong into the seething
waters. He staggered to his feet, however, still
retaining his hold upon the priceless casket. " Look
out," shouted Stanley, from the shore, "drop that
box, and I'll shoot you." The men stood gazing with
intense interest upon the scene. Rojab gave one
manful leap forward and safely reached the bank with
the contents of the box intact and uninjured. Onward
again through rain and mud, and swamps, to the
" Lion City " of the Useguhha. It was found that
the wall of the town had been swept down and
at least 100 of the inhabitants drowned by the
sudden swelling of the river, which flowed past the
citadel. Signs of ruin and devastation — the work of
the floods — were visible on all sides. Entire towns
were washed away with all their cattle, crops, and
people in some districts ; and it was computed that
over 100 villages had been destroyed by the waters in
one valley alone near the Ungerengeri River. The
people had retired to rest as usual, when they were
suddenly startled by the crashing of what they (at
first) thought to be thunder. When fully aroused
and able to take in the facts, they were appalled to see
a solid wall of water sweeping down upon them, and
carrying trees, houses, and everything before it.

96 Henry M. Stanley.
More jungle and swamps reeking with nauseous
odours, and foul with the poisonous exhalations from
the thick black mud and rotting vegetation.
Malaria in the atmosphere, " hot- water ants " in the
dust, boas above, venomous snakes and scorpions
gliding about the feet — these were' some of the minor
annoyances of this portion of the homeward way.
But is not that Bagamoyo ? and are not those the
houses of the tiny port from which the weary
wanderers are to take passage over sea to Zanzibar
and home ? The signal blast, which tells of the return
of the party, brings out a crowd to welcome back the
gallant expedition which enters Bagamoyo, conscious
of success, and waving in triumph the tattered banner
which had headed the column to Ujiji and back. On
the evening of the 7th of May, 1872, the people of
Zanzibar went forth to greet the man who had
" found Livingstone." The news of his success had
already passed, with lightning speed, all along the
coast. Worn and wasted by the trials and worries he
had undergone, he was for the moment unrecognized
by his most familiar friends in Zanzibar. " How are
you, Captain Fraser ? " said the returned traveller to an
old acquaintance he met in the street, immediately
after his arrival. " You have the advantage of me,
sir," the gentleman replied, and jokingly added when
Stanley gave him his name, "that he believed it was
another Tichborne affair." Yet he had been absent
only about thirteen months.
Abundant supplies of goods, and fresh recruits for
Livingstone's party were sent off without delay to
Unyanyembe. Wages were paid, and rewards be
stowed upon the men who through the strange

Back at Zanzibar, 97
vicissitudes of the past had been faithful to their
leader. Breaches of discipline and outbreaks of
temper were forgotten or forgiven. The serious, and,
at times, disastrous failings of " Bombay " even, were
no longer remembered against him, and the Herald
Search Expedition ceased to exist. On May 29th, Mr.
Stanley left Zanzibar for England by the steamship
Africa, which landed him with other passengers at
Mahe, the chief port of the Seychelles. He missed
the mail to Aden by twelve hours, and was detained
in consequence for a month till the next vessel touched
at the islands. At Aden he took passage in the
Mei-Kong to Marseilles, where he was met by the
correspondent of the* Daily Telegraph and other
friends, who told him " what they said in England" as
to his latest and most successful exploit. On August
1st the official documents entrusted to Mr. Stanley
by Livingstone were duly handed in at the Foreign
Office, and the papers and journals, so long and so
jealously guarded, were forwarded to the relatives
of the Doctor, who expressed in the warmest terms
their appreciation of the splendid services which
the Herald search party had rendered to their
illustrious relative. The Gold Medal of the Royal
Geographical Society was conferred upon Mr. Stanley,
who was entertained at a complimentary banquet
by that learned body, and on August 27th, Earl
Granville in the name of the Queen conveyed to him
" Her Majesty's high appreciation of the prudence and
zeal which he had shown in reaching Dr. Livingstone,
and relieving her Majesty from the anxiety which, in
common with her subjects, she had felt with regard to
the fate of that distinguished traveller." The thanks

98 Henry M. Stanley.
of the Queen were also expressed for the service he
had rendered, and her Majesty congratulated him upon
the success of the mission which he had so fearlessly
undertaken. A magnificent gold snuff-box, with the
Royal monogram in brilliants, accompanied the letter,
as a memorial of the great and arduous enterprise
which he had so ably conducted with the most grati
fying results.

CHAPTER VII.
Through Fanteeland to Ashantee — " The white man's grave " — Sir
Garnet Wolseley and " War Specials " — The road to the Prah —
A cruise in the Dauntless — Jack ashore — Ashantee customs
— Camp-fire stories — Overtures from King Coffee — Sir Garnet
decides to advance without delay — The Prah.
In the summer of 1873 the people of England were
startled by the news from Western Africa that the
forces of King Coffee, the potent monarch of the
Ashantees, had crossed the Prah. This river forms
a natural line of division between the territory pro
tected by the British, and the region governed by
independent sovereigns or chiefs. The invaders
had suddenly burst upon the Protectorate, which
was inhabited by the Fantees, the Accru, the Crepee,
Aquamoo, Assin, Agoona and Ahanta tribes, who
were dwelling in unity with the authorities of
the British Government, and had without warning
cried "havoc, and let slip the dogs of war,"
amongst the craven-hearted allies of England,
who fled before their implacable foes, without even
attempting to make a stand in defence of their
lives or property. Goaded beyond endurance by the
despicable treatment, which the young and ambitious
Ashantee prince declared he had received at the
hands of the English officials at Cape Coast Castle,
and annoyed at the sale of the important fort and
town of Elmina to the British by the Dutch in 1872,
h 2

100 Henry M. Stanley,
he had secretly summoned to his aid an army of rude
and untrained levies, 40,000 strong, and having taken
an oath in the most solemn Ashantee form to drive
the white men into the sea, his generals with admir
able strategy fell upon the " protected friendlies " at
three distinct points at the same moment. Nine
months elapsed before any adequate force could be
brought to bear upon the marauders, and they were
with difficulty kept from advancing into the immediate
vicinity of the fortress and guns at Cape Coast, by
the activity and courage of Lieut.-Col. Festing,
R.M.A., the officer in charge of the military opera
tions, pending the arrival of the Commander-in-
Chief, who was daily expected from England.
Festing had come off victorious in more than one
sharp brush with the " insolent foe," on the banks of
the Prah and in the bush about Elmina, and had
effectually kept in check the adventurous troops of
the sable monarch of Coomassie, and in some instances
had driven them back with heavy losses across the
river into their own territory. The scattered
battalions re-formed, however, and armed with rude
old-fashioned muskets, loaded with shells, stones, iron
slugs or other primitive missiles thrown into the
barrels of the weapons, and fired without wadding or
ramming, they created terrible consternation amongst
the feeble Fantees and their neighbours of the Pro
tectorate. Villages were burnt, cattle and grain and
property of all kinds carried off, and the people
slaughtered without mercy by the Ashantee hordes
who sought to retake Elmina, and reduce the
"friendly" natives from their allegiance to the
British crown by an overwhelming display of military

With Wolseley in Ashantee. 101
power. For the safety of the great commercial
centres upon the Coast, as well as for the preservation
of the peace of the Protectorate, it was necessary
that a British Army should, with as little delay as
possible, take the field, and reduce King Coffee and
his legions to submission. Sir Garnet Joseph
Wolseley was chosen by the Home Government as the
chief of the expeditionary force, and it was decided
that Cape Coast Castle, the most accessible port on the
Gold Coast, should be the base of the military opera
tions which might be necessary to bring the aggressive
monarch to take a right view of his position. A
spasm of something like dread passed through the
army of Great Britain, when it was seen that war with
the Ashantees was imminent, not from any fear of the
enemy, for that the British soldier has never known
— but a sense of terror at the gruesome horrors of the
generally unhealthy and pestilent locality, which was
to be the scene of action. The West Coast was known
with too much reason as " the white man's grave,"
and, probably, in no part of the habitable globe has
malaria done its deadly work upon the European so
rapidly and so effectually, as upon the surf-beaten
shores of the West African sea-board.
The Gold Coast Colony extends along the Gulf of
Guinea, from 2° 40' W. to 1° 10' E. of Greenwich, reach
ing inland only for about 50 miles, and embracing
an area of about 16,620 square miles, with a poly
glot and semi-barbarous population of something like
520,000. The whole region was once a province of
the Dutch, who still held some stations on the coast
up to April 6th, 1872, when, by virtue of a private
agreement on April 6th, 1872, the entire tract of

102 Henry M. Stanley.
coast-line became the property of the British crown.
As far back as 1672 a number of factories had been
established at various spots throughout the country,
notably at Secondee, Accra, Winnebut, and Ana-
maboe, by the famous Royal African Company, which
was succeeded in 1750 by the African Company,
which received the sanction of Parliament to es
tablish commercial relations with all the native
tribes of Western Africa residing within the territory
bounded by 20° N, and 20° S. lat. In 1821, the
colony of Sierra Leone was empowered to take
over these settlements, which had become crown
property, and in 1874 the new colony of the Gold
Coast, including the island of Lagos, was established
with independent jurisdiction over the whole of the
country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea. Gold is
the chief export of the region, the productions of
which are almost entirely absorbed by the English
markets, and consist of ivory, gum copal, monkey-
skins, palm-kernels, and oil extracted from a
species of palm which flourishes abundantly on this
coast. The gold is found in the form of dust in the
sand of the numerous streams, or in the beds of the
mountain torrents, mixed with red mud and gravel,
and is carefully extracted by the natives by a tedious
process of washing by hand. The principal settle
ments of the colony are Cape Coast Castle, the seat
of the Government, Elmina, desired by King Coffee,
as a place where " his ancestors had from ancient
times eaten and drank at their pleasure," Accra, the
actual capital, Axim, and Dixcove. The public
revenue reaches 108,817?. Its total exports to the

The west African Colonies. 103
United Kingdom are of the yearly value of 400,000L
The island and port of Lagos, which is an appendage
of the colony, is a territory of some importance in the
Bight of Benin. It comprises the north coast of the
Gulf of Guinea from 2° 50' to 4° 30' E. long., and
has a population (chiefly coloured) of 75,000 people,
who are actively engaged in the export of lead ore,
indigo, and camwood, all salable native products,
and valued at about 500,0007. per annum. The
climate of the entire maritime district between the
Atlantic and the mountains of the Kong is most
enervating and deleterious to European constitutions.
The malarious exhalations from the densely-wooded
swamps and river-courses, and the presence of vast
areas of stagnant and fetid marsh-land, from which the
subtle fever poison is incessantly being distilled or
thrown off into the warm damp atmosphere, con
tribute to make the colonies of Western Africa
without exception the most insalubrious foreign pos
sessions held by Europeans in any part of the globe.
The season of danger is from May to November, when
epidemics of fever and dysentery prevail with more
or less virulence. The vegetation of the region is
prolific and distinctly tropical. Dense, impenetrable
forests — every variety of the great palm family,
the sugar-cane, india-rubber tree, the ginger plant, the
mangrove — all these are found to give character and
charm to the prospect, as the traveller wends his
way over the umbrageous and immeasurable wilds
and tracts of bush and woodland between the coast
and the distant heights of the Kong range. The
chief imports are articles useful for barter with the
natives, and consist of old uniforms, muskets, gaudy

104 Henry M. Stanley.
calicoes and prints, crockery of vivid hues, cutlery,
glass-ware, beads, boots, odds and ends of European
costume and adornment, tobacco, kerosine, gun
powder and shot, hats, flour, spirits and wine. Gin
and rum are greedily demanded by the whole
of the population, and the demoralization brought
about by the wholesale distribution of alcohol in these
forms amongst the Fantees is becoming a grave public
scandal, for the native races are being decimated
by the fiery poison. The stuff (i.e. the damaged
or badly manufactured spirit) is brought to " The
Coast" to be bartered for native produce. The
story is a simple one. The native villages soon
become scenes of frightful havoc and misery, crime
in its most revolting forms is fearfully increased, the
worst passions of the savage are aroused by the
stimulant, and like a hideous epidemic, far more
terrible than the malaria in its effects, both physical
and moral, the drink craze sweeps over the land
till it invades the remotest corners of Inner Africa.
A passion for intoxicants is spreading with terrible
rapidity over the continent, and in cases where the
native authorities, keenly alive to the fate which
awaits them, have protested against the importation
of the " slayer of men," their pathetic appeals have
been unheeded by the most humane and Christian
nation in the world. From the north to the south a
flood of spirit is poured into the territories of the native
chiefs, and in Fantee-land alone whole villages may
be found in a state of blind intoxication — chiefs, people,
women and children, all in a state of indescribable
filth, and hideous frenzy — born of the fire-water of the
white man. In one district more than 10,000 barrels

Stanley's first Impressions op Wolseley. 105
of rum were distributed amongst half-a-million of
people in one year !
On November 1st, 1873, Mr. Stanley, as special
correspondent of the New York Herald, landed at
Cape Coast Castle, and at once attached himself to
the press contingent, which included Mr. Henty of the
Standard, and Mr. Melton Prior of the Illustrated
London News, and which was prepared to start for
the interior with the General and his staff at an hour's
notice. But the order to advance was delayed again
and again, and weary weeks were spent upon the
coast and in sight of the Atlantic before everything
was ready for the start upon Coomassie. Sir Garnet
Wolseley, the youngest General on the roll of the
British army, and the Commander-in-Chief of the
forces on the Gold Coast, had already achieved high
distinction in his profession, and he looked every inch
a soldier. Trim and quick, rather short of stature and
spare of habit, cool and reticent, but at the same time
courteous and agreeable in manner — he seemed to be a
General " to go anywhere and do anything." Mr.
Stanley was very much disposed to act the part of
candid friend to the general throughout this enterprise.
The brilliant soldier had provoked to bitterness the
restless and eager "newspaper man" by his harsh
remarks upon special correspondents in his " Soldier's
Pocket Book," a manual written for military men of
every rank, and a work which is acknowledged on all
sides to be by far the best of its kind. Sir
Garnet had not hesitated to write down the " war
specials " as the " curse of modern armies," "drones,"
and "a source of constant trouble and annoyance" to the
responsible authorities in the field. Stanley, however,

106 Henry M. Stanley.
was generous in his wrath, and from the first day of
the campaign freely bestowed upon the general the
commendation which was due to him for the splendid
and careful manner in which he handled his troops, and
led them through a difficult and unknown country to
final and complete success. Mr. Gordon Bennett had
supplied the representative of the Herald with a small
but powerful steam-launch for use upon the shallow
rivers of the coast, or for the ascent of the Prah, in
the event of the river route being decided upon as
involving less fatigue to the troops. The Dauntless,
as Stanley called his yacht, was soon brought into
requisition, and proved of good service in a trip which
the "war specials " made in company to the River
Volta, the scene of the operations of Commissioner
J. H. Glover, who was preparing to invade Ashantee
simultaneously with Sir Garnet, along the course of
the Volta, a stream of considerable volume, reach
ing right up into the territory of King Coffee, and
offering magnificent facilities for the passage of
troops. The commissioner received the press men
with marked cordiality, was frank and open as to his
movements and intentions, and gladly offered them
the hospitality of his camp, which was located at
Addah Fort, a cool, shady spot, environed by groups
and clusters of palms, and surrounded by an undulat
ing tract of country, covered writh low bush and jungle,
redolent with the perfume of the orchid and the
African lotus flower, and offering even at mid-day a
leafy and pleasant retreat from the fiery blaze of the
tropical sun. It had been decided to enlist from
amongst the Houssas, an active negro and Mohamme
dan tribe, a regiment of men to march into Ashantee,

A Trip to Glover's Camp. 107
by the Volta route, and Glover, who had a remarkable
reputation amongst the natives of the coast, was
engaged in organizing the force. Glover's move
ments were all marked by that decision and com
pleteness which pertain to the man of capacity.
Everybody appeared to be busy getting up men and
stores to the first halting-place on the river, which,
for the deadly mephitic atmosphere and miasmatic
surroundings of its estuary cannot be equalled in Africa.
A great deal of sickness prevailed, but the prepara
tions for the ascent of the Volta by the gallant little
Houssa force were pushed bravely on, and in spite of
the fact that Glover had only about ten officers at his
disposal for a force of some 23,000 men, he was
up and away long before the general commanding had
reached his first camp on the road to the Prah. The
dashing leader of the Houssa and Accra levies was a
naval officer, and had already served his country with
courage and high distinction. In 1863 he was
selected by the Home Government for the responsible
post of Administrator at Lagos, where he succeeded
in elevating a miserable, profitless territory of swamp,
peopled by a spiritless and unenterprising race, into one
of the most remunerative and energetic British colonies
on the coast. For his distinguished services in this
capacity he was rewarded by the thanks of the heads
of the Colonial and War Departments, and in 1873 he
was appointed special Commissioner to the friendly
native chiefs in the eastern districts of the protected
territory of the Gold Coast. He engaged and
defeated the Aboonah tribes, in December, 1873, and
he will always be lovingly remembered by the natives
in West Africa, who, in the words of one of their

108 Henry M. Stanley.
number thus expressed their high estimation of his
character and ability : " English officers very good,
sir, but they no Capitain Golibar," — the native pro
nunciation of Glover. The force assembled at the
mouth of the Volta consisted of representatives of
various "friendly tribes," who, through the personal
influence of Glover and his subordinates had been
induced to send their best fighting-men to aid their
English allies in the subjugation of the haughty and
ill-advised Ashantee king.
The English troops were in due course landed upon
the coast, and they presented a magnificent appearance
as they filed up from the shore to the martial strains
of the " British Grenadier " and " The Campbells are
Coming." First in order marched the renowned
42nd Highlanders — known to fame as the Black
Watch — and distinguished by the sombre hue of their
tartan, then followed the 23rd Fusiliers, and the
smart-looking business-like brigade of Royal Rifles,
with a small but compact and highly disciplined naval
force under the command of one of the most popular
officers in the service, Captain Hewett, V.C., brought
up the rear. On January 6th, 1874, the baggage was
packed and sent off upon the lusty shoulders of gangs
of Fantee bearers, and soon the column was advancing
northward, along the broad path which the pioneers
had cleared to the front for the passage of the expedi
tion. The journey to Coomassie, a distance of 140
miles, was to be broken by frequent halts, and every
precaution was taken to keep the men well provisioned
and to provide them Avith ample and comfortable
quarters on the road. The field-telegraph followed
the line of march, and to the inspiriting music of the

The Army on the March. 109
military bands, the little army, full of confidence and
45 eager for the fray," struck into the low thick bush
which clothed the country on all sides with its deep
green umbrageous and impenetrable thickets as far
as the eye could reach. The stations were about
nine miles apart, and at each halt the soldiers found
carefully-prepared sleeping-huts, a good supply of
water, stores, and abundant rations awaiting them as
they tramped in weary with the tropical heat, and
unrefreshing atmosphere of the narrow, airless path,
arched by the tree-tops, which they had traversed
during the day. As the expedition penetrated more
deeply into the interior of Fantee-land, the forest
changed from a solid mass of underwood and bush to
nobler proportions, and palms, tamarinds, cotton-
woods, and wide-spreading teaks, shot up towards the
sky in rich profusion, affording an agreeable variety
to the somewhat depressing uniformity of the
vegetation in the neighbourhood of the coast. So far
the line of march had been unbroken by any formid
able difficulties in the physical conformation of the
region which had been crossed. Broad stretches of
country, thickly covered everywhere with patches of
jungle, and groves of rank tropical vegetation, which
never rose to any considerable height, and rivulets
which in the dry season were easily fordable, were the
chief natural characteristics of the way. Stanley's ap
pearance at the camp at Barraccoy, the seventh station
on the way to the Prah, as he rode up, mounted upon a
solemn-looking mule, was, he says, a matter of great
amusement to Jack-a-shore, and his ship-mates, the
marines of the fleet. " Why ? " asks the Herald
correspondent, " do sailors always find the sight of a

110 Henry M. Stanley.
mule provocative of mirth?" The solution of the
problem no doubt lies in the odd contrast between the
never-relaxing gravity of the animal, and the ever-
flowing tide of good spirits and boisterous fun with
which the genuine son of the sea appears to be
endowed. The Naval Brigade was the life and soul
of the entire column. The portion of the camp
occupied by the sailors rang constantly with the
loudest laughter, and their camp-fire meetings were
the liveliest and most pleasurable of all the social
gatherings which brightened and cheered the way to
Coomassie. Immeasurable tracts, covered by valuable
woods and extensive areas of rich, productive soil
well suited to the growth of heavy crops of cotton,
maize and sugar, gave unmistakable evidence of the
capacity of the territory to become in good hands a
wealthy and remunerative province. In the hands of
the Fantees and the other tribes who occupy the
Protectorate the land is little better than a desert.
Here and there a village was seen, with its tiny patch
of;badly cultivated ground near; but, for utter worth-
lessness and want of any redeeming quality, the lazy,
rum-loving, superstitious and degraded Fantee seems
to excel any other tribe on the West African Coast.
Foul and coarse of person, darkened in mind,
unpleasant in habit, and given over to the lowest
form of grovelling fetich-worship, the Fantee of
to-day, in spite of his long intercourse with the
white man, is a sorry spectacle. The medicine-man is
all-powerful, and carries on his horrid mummery
over the sick-beds of the natives of Cape Coast
Castle, with the same assurance as did his ancestors
two hundred years ago, when the English power first

On the Banks op the Prah. Ill
established itself upon this coast. So much for the
march of civilization in North-Western Africa and
Fantee-land ! The work of bridging the broad swelling
waters of the Prah was at once undertaken by Major
Home and his active bands of pioneers, and in a few
days a broad, substantial road was carried across the
stream which divided the Protectorate from the
enemy's country. On the 2nd of January the com
mander-in-chief arrived to lead his troops into the
hostile territory. The real work of the column was now
about to commence in downright earnest. No one
could tell what complications an hour might bring
forth, and officers and men were on the alert for
more tidings of the Ashantees, who were known to be
in considerable force not many miles off. At day
break on the 2nd, a stir was noticed in the bush on
the Ashantee bank, and some natives were seen to
emerge from the thicket, making overtures of peace.
They were brought across the river, and proved to be
a party of ambassadors, led by the town-crier of
Coomassie, who was amply distinguished by a broad
metal plate suspended from his bare shoulders. The
messengers had been sent by King Coffee to ask
particulars of the outrages which, he maintained, his
people had recently met with at the hands of the
Europeans of the coast. He professed the most ami
cable intentions towards the English, and asked for
detailed information as to the purpose of this visit in
force of Sir Garnet and his army ! Was this Ashantee
prince a mere simpleton or a finished statesman of
the first rank ? Sir Garnet was fairly puzzled by this
royal and studiously inoffensive missive. Meanwhile
councils were held at which the document was

112 Henry M. Stanley.
discussed with due gravity and caution. The reply
was, however, brief and to the point. The invasion
of Fantee-land had been regarded by the British
Government as a breach of its treaty with the
Ashantee monarch, and as a declaration of hostilities
on the part of the king, who also kept Europeans in
a state of miserable captivity at his royal town of
Coomassie. Sir Garnet demanded the release of the
prisoners, an ample indemnity for the injury and
outrage done to the " friendlies " of the Protectorate,
and the formal ratification of a new treaty which
would give security for the future good conduct of the
Ashantee people. At the same time the commander
of the British troops gave his Majesty of Ashantee to
understand that unless hostages were sent into the
camp, with a definite understanding to accede to the
terms proposed, the expedition would press forward
and invest Coomassie without delay. The Rev. W.
Kuhne, of the German Mission, who had passed a
wretched existence of over five years in the capital of
King Coffee, as a prisoner of state, suddenly reached
the station on the Prah, in a deplorable condition of
health on January 14th, bringing the latest news from
the head-quarters of the enemy. He described the
young monarch as not without capacity, but utterly
in the hands of his chiefs and ministers, who deceived
and cajoled him by the basest and most contemptible
servility and obsequiousness. " Mighty ! King of
Kings ! Great Ail-Powerful ! Chief of the great men of
the earth ! Who is like unto the King of the Ashantees ? "
were the epithets by which he was addressed in public
as well as in private by his sycophantic followers, and
the final voice of the people being for war to the death

King Coffee decides to Fight. 113
with the invaders of the sacred soil guarded by
the blue waters of the Prah, to the great delight
and intense relief of every man, officer or private,
in the advancing column, the ultimate decision of
the infatuated king was given for an active and
immediate resistance to be offered to any further
progress of the British through his territory.
So far the progress of the avenging host had been
without any incident of importance. The Fantee
porters had distinguished themselves, on more than
one occasion, by flinging down their loads and vanish
ing into the remotest thickets of the forests which
bordered the road, at the slightest hint or whisper of
the approach of the enemy.
The Press tent had been the scene of many enjoy
able gatherings, and the camp on the southern bank
of the Prah had been considerably enlivened by
the arrival of the 2nd West Indian Regiment, one of
the finest coloured body of troops in her Majesty's
service. The dress of the corps is a smart Zouave
uniform, a gay turban, with long tassel and white
gaiters. The men looked a fine, well-formed set of
fellows, and they soon won the admiration of every
body in camp by their cheery loyalty and light-hearted-
ness. With the disposition of the various sections
of the expedition, as well as with the details of the
transport and commissariat services, Mr. Stanley
took occasion frequently in his letters to complain.
He did not hesitate to give his own view of these
matters, and his criticisms of the General were as
severe, at times, as they were able. But Sir Garnet
appeared to be impervious to provocation, and a per
fect master of the art of keeping his own counsel. i

114 Henry M. Stanley.
His reticence as to his intentions from day to day was
always a source of great annoyance to the " gentlemen
of the Press," and his sphinx-like silence as to the
Plan of Campaign sometimes inspired some very
sharp sentences in the letters of the Herald corre
spondent and his fellow-campaigners to the home
journals. The possible intentions of the Ashantee
king were often the subject of anxious discussion by
the camp-fires on the banks of the Prah. The fear
was that, after all, he might show the white feather,
and send back a conciliatory reply to the stern ulti
matum of the General. In that case peace would
follow, and the order to tramp back to the coast
would be given at once, so as to avoid the approaching
wet season, if possible. The prospect of a peaceable
solution of the quarrel with King Coffee distressed
the expedition, as all were now anxious for a fight
and a march upon the Ashantee capital. Speculation
ran high as to the amount of loot which would be found
in the royal palaces and secret treasure villages, and
visions of houses stored with ivory, bags heavy with
gold dust, or the precious metal in nugget form, and
abundance of treasure of all kinds — silks, jewels, and
precious stones of rare size and beauty — floated
before the eyes of the troops as they prepared for
their departure from the banks of the Prah. Some of
the stories recounted for the amusement of the men
in their hours of relaxation, after the heavy duties of
the day were over, were amusing enough. Now and
then a nervous soldier on his solitary " sentry-go "
in the still watches of the night, would be startled by
sounds and sights which, in the broad daylight, would
appear to be harmless and even commonplace, and many

A nervous Sentry. 115
a hearty laugh was raised at the expense of one of the
youthful and inexperienced recruits of the Rifles, who
had been placed on duty in rather a lonely and secluded
spot in the forest. All went well through the still
hours of midnight, till suddenly there issued from the
underwood a cry of the most blood-curdling and
startling nature. It died away and revived in the
strangest manner, and the bewildered soldier, with
trembling knees and blanched cheek, was almost
beside himself with terror. To fire into the wood
and arouse the whole of the sleeping regiments around
him was too serious a step to take without further
inquiry, and the only alternative was to stand at the
ready with fixed bayonet, and receive the mysterious
foe, be he man or beast, at the charge. On the officer
visiting the point to relieve guard, the valiant son of
Mars was discovered with his bayonet unsheathed,
and In a state of considerable excitement, which he
thus explained : " If you plaze, zur, there's some
snake of a wild baste a-constantly screaming close by
here. Divil a bit has he stopped since oi have been
standing here, and oi'm thinking the crathur can't be
far off. Sure, the divil must be in him. So oi just
filed my sword for him to give him some cold steel."
The cause of the poor fellow's terror was discovered
to be a lemur, a tiny, harmless creature, something
less in size than a rabbit, and the joke of the man who
stood at the charge to receive the attack of a lemur
was long remembered. The story of the sergeant
who was nearly frightened out of his wits, after an
evening spent in conviviality in the blaze of the hos
pitable camp-fire, is worth repeating as showing the
peculiar effect of the odd sounds and sights which
i 2

116 Henry M. Stanley.
prevail at night in an African forest expedition, upon
the highly-strung nerves of the excited soldiers. The
time was, of course, the middle watch of the night. The
place, a lonely spot overshadowed by wood, and dark
as a wolf's throat. The chief actor in the scene, a
brave non-commissioned officer of the sharpshooters.
" Caution, my boy," said the soldier to himself, as he
cocked his pistol, " who can tell what may happen to
a fellow in such an unchristian land ? " Crash,
bang, a rush and a tumble, and then all was silence
again. He peered into the gloom with dilated eyes,
and thought he saw steadily advancing towards him a
monstrous animal of strange and startling aspect. He
could not alarm the camp, he feared to retreat, and
nothing remained for him but to proceed with his
weapon in his palsied hand, pointed straight at the
head of the terrible brute, which now appeared to be
making a dead set at the horror-stricken soldier. He
had heard gruesome accounts from his comrades of
the hideous beasts to be met with in the solitudes of
the jungle, and he felt that in a few moments he would
probably be engaged in the death-grapple with the
ravenous man-slayer silently stealing upon him.
At length the strain upon the nervous system was
too much for the agonized man, and he screamed in
accents of terror, " I say, Bill, Dick, Tom, for God's
sake hurry up and show a light here, for some awful
brute is on my track ! Quick, for mercy's sake ! the
thing is about to attack me ! " Rushing out to the
succour of their comrade, whom they expected to find
face to face with a tiger, or a jackal at least, they found
him confronting a mule !
As a diplomatist King Coffee was a failure. He

The Prah is crossed. •¦¦•- - 117
had met his match in the youthful but sagacious leader
of the English forces, who lost no time in throwing
his tiny legion of brave men across the Prah, and
marching direct upon Coomassie. Seventy-four miles
of road had been covered from the coast to the camp
upon the river side, the health of the troops had been
fairly good, in the face of the most trying climate in
the world, the entire force was animated by a glowing
enthusiasm and an increasing desire to be brought
face to face with the Ashantee levies, and the rank
and file to a man entertained a feeling of admiration
for their General, who, despite his years, had shown
himself to be the possessor of all the varied qualities
which combine to make a successful leader in such an
enterprise as that in which they were engaged. Re
inforcements were ordered up to the front, a careful
disposition of the regiments at his disposal was made
by Sir Garnet, and, headed by Major Baker Russell,
of the 13th Hussars, and his native contingent, the
advance into the enemy's country began.

CHAPTER VIII.
To Coomassie — Gifford's scouts — Ashantee houses — Eelease of the
captives — Bush fighting — A stubborn foe — In sight of the capi
tal — A fatal swamp — In Coomassie — The " Spirit-house " —
Royal Treasures— The city in flames — Departure of the troops —
The treaty of Foumannah — Eapid journey to the coast —
Wolseley and Glover — Stanley as a military critic — The journey
home.
The road to the capital of Ashantee-land lay almost
directly north of the river. It was decided to make
nine halts on the route of 78-J miles to the royal city.
The country in advance was carefully examined by a
party of scouts under Lord Gifford, whose valour and
discretion in this campaign secured for him the
gratitude of his sovereign and the unstinted admira
tion of his companions-in-arms.
On the 19th of January, 1874, the Press party
left the Prah, and they were quickly followed by the
commander-in-chief, who was escorted by the seamen
of the fleet and the Rifle Brigade. For days the
march was continued through the dense jungle of the
Trans-Prah-land. On all sides the eye was met by
the thick, heavy, unlovely foliage, which exhibited no
variety of colour to lend even a momentary interest
to the scene.
The presence of a hostile force was now looked for
clay by day. The advanced post of one division of
the Ashantee army had been reached by the
indefatigable Gifford and his plucky band of scouts ;

Superiority of Ashantee Houses to Fantee Huts. 119
but Foumannah, the chief town of the tributary
kingdom of the Adansi, was occupied without a
struggle. Here, for the first time, the members of
the expedition were able to gain some knowledge of
the manners and customs of the natives of the
country. The houses appeared to be well built, with
stout mud walls, ingeniously covered over with
delicate patterns, wrought upon a pure white material
resembling the choicest marble. The contrast
between the neat and cleanly-kept domiciles of the
Ashantees and the miserable rude huts of Fantee-
land and the Protectorate was most striking. In the
former, rooms were set apart for the uses of the
various divisions of the family, and food, utensils, and
other household articles were usually kept in a
separate apartment. The dwelling-rooms were lofty
and well ventilated by recesses in the walls opening
to the air and light, and a dado of rich red covered
the walls for a distance of several feet from the
floor, which was usually painted to correspond in
colour with the dado. The wood-carving, iron-work,
and cleverly designed patterns worked out upon the
walls of the residences of the great men of Adansi,
clearly proved that the people were by no means with
out taste and skill, and that, like many of the African
tribes, they are gifted with great powers of imitation,
and able to produce marvels of mechanical art with
the rudest and simplest tools.
A surprise was in store for Sir Garnet at Foumannah
which threatened at one time to cause a rearrangement
of his plans. The intelligence reached him, as he was
preparing to leave the place, that the king had thought
fit, in a moment of generosity and remorse, or in a

120 Henry M. Stanley.
paroxysm of fear, to release the European prisoners,
who had been in his power for years, and that the
captives, Mr. and Mrs. Ramseyer, with two children,
and M. Bonat, a Frenchman, had reached the van
guard of the advancing column under Major Russell.
The released party brought a letter from the king to
Sir Garnet, in which he undertook to pay the
indemnity of 500,000L, demanded by the general, and
to make a treaty of amity with the British Govern
ment if the troops remained where they were, and did
not attack him or attempt to take possession of his
capital. To halt now was impossible. The die had been
cast, and the king and his advisers heard with dismay
Sir Garnet's reply that he could and would only make
terms of peace within the walls of the royal city. On
January 31st, the first serious struggle with the enemy
took place at the village of Adubiasse, where Gifford,
ever on the alert, had discovered a large Ashantee
force under the Prince of Adansi. Russell, with his
company of native troops, suddenly advanced upon
the place, and the abruptness and spirit of the
attack at once disheartened the enemy, who yielded
up the village after firing only a few harmless
volleys over the heads of the leaders of the assault.
The report of Lord Gifford as to the condition of
the country in front of the invading column increased
in interest hour by hour. On the 28th he dis
covered a strong post of Ashantees at Borborassi,
and very nearly ran a risk of being captured and
beheaded in his reckless zeal to gain accurate
information of the numbers and disposition of the
hostile forces. The British under Colonel McLeod,

Preliminary Skirmishes. 121
after a weary tramp through the cheerless bush,
came upon the village, which stood in a wide open
ing which had been made by clearing the forest for
some distance all round it, and at once carried the
place by surprise. The Ashantees fled to the wood,
and opened fire from the undergrowth of the jungles
into which they crawled, and where they lay hidden
most effectually by the thick screen of tangled
creepers and vegetation from the observation of the
white troops. From behind the leafy cover they
poured a desultory but harassing discharge into the
British ranks, and men and officers began to fall before
their rude missiles. A few well-directed volleys from
the Sniders of the Naval Brigade, however, quickly
cleared the woods on either side, but not before a valu
able officer, Captain Nicol, had lost his life, and several
brave fellows had been more or less severely wounded.
But it was at Amoaful that the Ashantee army in
force was expected to make a stand, with a view to
check, if possible, the threatened destruction of
Coomassie and the palaces of the king. The invalu
able information gleaned by Lord Gifford of the
tactics and position of the enemy was carefully con
sidered by the General, who was satisfied now that the
proposals of the king for an armistice were insincere,
and only intended to gain time to collect his own
levies for a final and, as he hoped, triumphant engage
ment with the invaders of his territory. On January
31st, at 7 a.m., the English force was on the march
to find the foe. Blithely and hopefully the " Black
Watch" strode on in the place of honour. The
Fantee porters, half-dead with fear, followed the
Highlanders, and then came the native artillery, with

122 Henry M. Stanley.
their two seven-pounders. Next in order, with their
steady swing and reckless air marched the sailors,
" blue-mouldy for a fight," and enlivening the way with
snatches of song and chorus, which must have consider
ably astonished any lurking Ashantee, who might be
watching the passage of the troops from the recesses
of the jungle. At the rear of the right wing Sir
Garnet himself was carried by his Fantee bearers upon
a bamboo palanquin, and the Rifles formed the rear
guard of the centre column of nearly 3000 men.
Gifford had gone forward " to stir up the enemy,"
which he did effectually, and ever and anon the sharp
rattle of the Snider, or the dull boom of the old-
fashioned and badly loaded muskets of the Ashantees
fell upon the ears of the eager and resolute little army
which was so soon to try conclusions with the
largest force King Coffee had ever sent into the field.
Gifford had secured the outpost of Egginassie, and
the tide of battle rolled on towards Amoaful. But the
forest in front and on all sides had to be cleared of
the ambushed enemy, who poured destruction into the
ranks of the 42nd, from the bosky depths on either
flank of the advancing troops. The contest was
stubborn and protracted. Still the British line
pressed on, whilst men fell with fearful rapidity on
all sides from the fire of the enemy, which swept
round the front and along the sides of the attacking
force, and it was only after a sternly fought combat of
some hours that the Ashantees fled before the steady
fire of the European regiments, and left an open road
so far to Coomassie.
" Ah, Sandy, my lad, it was a brave fight," said a
lusty Highlander to a comrade. " What a pity

A sharp Engagement at Amoaful. 123
we didn't have our kilts and bonnets ; how they (the
Ashantees) would have cleared, and no mistake ! "
remarked another Scotchman of the gallant 42nd.
" By jingo, but they cut a gangway through my beard
anyhow. I say, Bill, what will they say at home when
they hear how these fellows have spoiled my beauty?"
said a bluff sailor of the fleet whose beard had actually
had a clear passage shaved through it by an
Ashantee bullet. The enemy's loss was put down
roughly at 1000 killed and the same number wounded,
out of a force of something like 12,000 which the
king sent into the field. On the side of the
British the list of wounded and killed at Amoaful
amounted to about 250 all told.
On February 1st a section of the column was de
tailed for special operations against the village of
Becquah, a place somewhat out of the line of march,
but likely to prove troublesome as a harbour of refuge
and rallying-place for the fugitives from Amoaful.
It was decided to clear the town, and the task was
committed to the 23rd Fusiliers and a portion of the
" Black Watch," under the command of Brigadier-
General Sir Archibald Alison. The work was speedily
and effectually accomplished, and Becquah, after being
cleared of its inhabitants and defenders, was com
mitted to the flames.
Light marching was now the order of the day, and
the General, keenly alive to the necessity of pressing
forward his troops as rapidly as possible, insisted
that all heavy stores and regimental impedimenta
should be left behind at Amoaful. Evidences of the
utter discomfiture and disorderly flight of the
Ashantees were to be seen scattered over the road in

124 Henry M. Stanley.
all directions in the shape of packages of food, clothing,
arms, and household treasures, wdiich had been cast
on the wayside or into the forest by the panic-stricken
natives in their haste to escape from the terrible fire
of the English rifles. A desperate attempt was made
to check the progress of the vanguard of the column
by a body of the enemy posted upon the spot which
had been fixed upon for crossing one of the smaller
streams in the line of march. A sharp struggle for the
passage soon resulted, however, in the complete rout of
the dusky foe, and the main body of the expedition
passed onward to the banks of the Ordah, occasionally
disconcerted for the moment by the discovery of bands
of the enemy lying concealed behind the foliage on
each side of the path, who fired out savagely upon the
victors as they filed along the narrow way. Here
and there along the road, the corpses of those who
had been mortally wounded in the fight for the river
passage were discovered neglected and unburied,
although the Ashantees had hitherto been careful, as
far as possible, to get their dead or disabled warriors
off the field and out of sight of the white men with
marvellous alacrity. Every village had its human fetich
stretched out headless, with its feet pointing north
ward to Coomassie — a ghastly charm which the natives
believed would effectually dishearten their implacable
enemies, and in some way despoil them of their courage
and power. The livid corpse appeared to say to the
proud leader of these invincible foreigners, " Regard
this face, white man, ye whose feet are hurrying on
to our capital, and learn the fate awaiting you."
On the night of February 3rd, Sir Garnet rested his
wearied and harassed but enthusiastic brigades upon

Passage of the Ordah. 125
the banks of the Ordah, where they passed the long
hours till the dawn in utter misery, as, without
coverings or tents, they were exposed to the ceaseless
pelting of the tropical rain, from which the brave
fellows had no shelter or defence of any kind. But
at length the shadows disappeared, the leaden clouds
overhead dispersed, and February 4th broke upon the
already busy and excited groups of men, who felt that
the most eventful stage of the campaign in Ashantee-
land was about to be entered upon.
Away slightly to the north-west in a hollow of the
distant hills lay the capital of King Coffee. The
Engineers succeeded, in] an incredibly brief space of
time, in throwing a temporary bridge, fifty yards long,
across the Ordah, the only remaining river between
the invaders and the royal city. The Rifles led the
way over the stream, piloted by the keen-sighted and
stout-hearted young Gifford and his faithful followers.
At 7.40 a.m. hostilities commenced. Casting them
selves upon the bare earth, the British regiments sent
a perfect storm of bullets into the masses of the
enemy, which swept down upon them in vast crowds
maddened by despair. The strife was fast and furious.
The din and roar of the musketry rose and fell upon
the air, as the sturdy little phalanx of Sir Garnet's
men cleared a way for itself through the serried
ranks of natives. The baggage was ordered up at
this juncture, and a possible stampede of the Fantee
bearers effectually provided against, by placing them
in position directly in the centre of the column and
closing up the rear with the Naval Brigade and the
native regiments. At noon the 42nd were moved to
the front line, and Colonel McLeod was instructed by

126 Henry M. Stanley.
the General to open the way for the column ahead,
and to stop at nothing till he had taken Coomassie !
Terribly weakened by the fearful onslaught of the
infuriated Ashantees in the early part of the day, the
Highlanders responded to the call of their leader, and
with the order, " The 42nd will fire volleys by com
panies according to order. Forward ! " the actual
advance upon the famous city of King Coffee com
menced. Stanley's favourite style of action, " fire
fast and advance fast," was adopted, and as the
Scotch faced the short but stubbornly contested forest
path which led to the capital, with bag-pipes braying,
and cheers ringing out above the crash of the firing
and the hissing of the shot from the seven-pounders
of Rait's battery, the scene was one of lurid but
grand impressiveness. Shoulder to shoulder, and
back to back, the regiment fought on, now delivering
a deadly fusillade into the jungle on the right, now
clearing in like manner the woods on the left, till
Coomassie came in view. Ambassadors from the
king were passed on the road, but the 42nd were not
to halt till they piled their rifles before the royal
palaces which rose before them in the distance, across
the marshy lagoon which surrounded the doomed
city. Onward, too, marched the 23rd, closely followed by
the native regiments and Hewitt's naval heroes. Sir
Garnet grasped with pardonable pride the slip of paper
which reached him from the Brigadier at the front
with these words written across it, " We have taken
all the villages but the last before entering Coomassie.
The enemy is flying panic-stricken before us. Support
me with half the Rifles, and I enter Coomassie to-

Entry into Coomassie. 127
night." The king had fled to a country-house at a
distance, but he had sent messengers with authority
to negotiate with Sir Garnet for the preservation of
the town and its treasures.
Once across the foul unhealthy morass, the British
force was in possession of Coomassie. The capital
of Ashantee-land was found to be a town of
considerable size, with broad open thoroughfares,
and well-built houses, and full of objects and features
of interest to the army which was now encamped
within its walls. The startled inhabitants could
scarcely realize at first that all was over, and that the
soldiers of the " High and Mighty King of all the
Ashantees " had been defeated and scattered like the
dust, by the handful of white men, who now were
quietly enjoying the cool shade of the palaces and
colonnades of the city, and rejoicing that the end had
come at last, and that in a few days they would be
marching back to the coast.
The town was built upon two broad flat rocks of
iron-stone, having a slight declivity between them,
and extended for a distance of nearly two miles. It
was impossible to estimate the extent of its population,
but it is supposed that the average number would be
probably about 13,000. It was environed on all sides
by a malarious marsh and stagnant pools, and seemed
to occupy the worst position possible from a sanitary
point of view. Some of the streets were fine and
imposing. They were all named or distinguished in
some way, and the arrangements for the order and
government of the capital reflected some credit upon
the wily monarch who had hastily abandoned his city,
and fled before the victorious advance of the British

128 Henry M Stanley.
General. During the first night of the British occu
pation the natives managed to carry off, under cover
of the darkness, a considerable portion of the more
valuable treasures from the palaces and houses of
the chief nobles, as well as a large supply of rifles,
muskets, and ammunition, to the dismay of the General,
who found, when it was too late, that he had made a
mistake in not placing the whole town at once on his
arrival under martial law, and surrounded it with
picquets. The royal residences stood midway between the
hills upon which Coomassie was built. They were
enclosed in a stockade, and extended over a space of
some 500 square feet. They simply consisted, how
ever, of a number of native dwellings grouped
together, and a substantial stone house of two stories
in the corner of the compound for the special use of
the king. The style of architecture and ornament
exactly resembled that of the houses at Foumannah
already described. The same recesses in the walls,
the dado of red, the creamy-white of the ceilings, the
rufous floor, and the beautifully delicate carvings of
the cornices, beams, and columns which supported
the roofs, all betrayed the refined taste in domestic
decoration and finished execution in detail for which
the Ashantees are distinguished amongst the degraded
and unartistic races of West Africa. The state
apartments presented a disordered and dismal aspect
as the conquerors strode from room to room in search
of loot, or for the purpose of examining the curious
collection of articles of all ages, countries, and
descriptions, which had gradually accumulated in
the palace during the reigns of King Coffee and his

Appearance op the abandoned Capital. 129
ancestors. English engravings, a sword of honour
from Queen Victoria, porcelain and chinaware, large
glass goblets, silver dinner-services, English cutlery,
ivory war-horns decorated with human jaw-bones,
umbrellas of silk, woollen, satin, or crimson damask,
copies of European newspapers, golden toys, piles of
faded Kidderminster carpets — all these were found
dispersed through the rooms of the king's house, and
the best of them were taken with the more valuable
treasure to Cape Coast and sold, the proceeds being
distributed amongst the troops. The Sammonpone or
Spirit-House of Coomassie had become a place of evil
notoriety all along the West Coast, and horrible stories
of the inhuman atrocities of which it was the scene
had long excited the disgust and indignation of
civilized nations. Day after day, according to report,
human victims were flung into its foul recesses to
appease the gods who presided over the fortunes of
Ashantee, and the track to its reeking portals was
stained and marked at every step with the blood of
120,000 victims, slain in sacrifice to propitiate
the sanguinary deities of the country. The Spirit-
House was situated in a small strip of forest which
reached into the centre of the town. Following
a path through the trees, a fearful sight presented
itself to the spectators. Heaps of bodies in every
stage of decay, skulls lying about in all directions,
human limbs reeking with effluvia, and appalling in
their ghastly corruption — the horrors of the place
were too abominable and too suggestive, and the white
men rushed speechless and with a spirit of loathing
from the hateful locality. The release of the Fantee
captives by the king added considerably to the lawless
K

130 Henry M. Stanley.
bands of pillagers who took every opportunity to sack
the houses or set fire to the native huts, with a view
to securing the plunder during the confusion created
by the frequent conflagrations. Armed parties of
Ashantees also hung about the outskirts of the place,
and the messengers of King Coffee were found
treacherously removing arms and ammunition and gold-
dust from the houses. The defeated monarch refused
to treat with the Commander-in-Chief on the spot,
and so save his capital from ruin ; and as Sir Garnet
was anxious to get his troops back to the coast before
the regular fall of the tropical rains, he decided to
fire the capital and march at once for Cape Coast
Castle and home.
The return was only decided upon just in time to
escape serious disaster to the troops, from the deluge
of rain which had now commenced to fall and flood
the rivers throughout the country through which the
expedition had to march back to the coast. Having
evacuated the city, therefore, on the 7th of February, it
was delivered over to the Royal Engineers, who, after
placing mines beneath the palaces and chief buildings,
proceeded to fire the thatch of the native houses, and
as the gallant soldiers of Sir Garnet's expedition
turned southward for the bridge of the Ordah on their
journey homeward, the proud city of the Ashantees
became a mass of blackened, shapeless ruins. On the
9th a fresh attempt was made by the king to open
negotiations with the General, who demanded 5000
ounces of gold-dust, "as an earnest of their king's
sincerity, and as a first instalment of the indemnity,"
and waived the question of hostages as no longer
necessary. King Coffee was directed to send a

Terms op Submission — Return March. 131
representative into the British camp of sufficient
authority to treat for terms of peace, and a promise
was sent that the expedition would await the arrival
of the royal reply at Foumannah. In due course the
king's ambassadors returned to the camp, but only
bringing 1000 ounces of gold, declaring that this was
all the king could possibly raise in the time allowed
him. Sir Garnet then discussed the terms of a treaty
of peace and friendship between the sovereign of
Great Britain and the monarch of the Ashantees.
By the terms of this document, King Coffee was to
pay a war indemnity of 50,000 ounces of gold-dust
in such proportions and at such times as her Majesty's
Government might decide. The Adansi people were
to be declared free from the Ashantee power, and a
free road was to be kept always open to the coast by
the king for the safe passage of traders and merchan
dise. The treaty was to be sent to Cape Coast Castle
within a fortnight, with the signature of the Ashantee
ruler, or the terms would be less favourable to himself
and his people.
By the end of February, 1874, the whole of the
troops had again reached the coast, where they were
embarked on board the transports awaiting them,
and at once conveyed from the coast and its enervating
and malarious atmosphere to the fresh breezes and
sunny heights of Gibraltar and England. The
Houssa force, under the able and dauntless Glover,
reached the capital of the Ashantees by way of the
Volta some days after its destruction by the main body
of the expedition. Twenty miles from Coomassie, the
news reached the leader of the Houssas that the royal
city of King Coffee had fallen into the hands of Sir
k 2

]32 Henry M. Stanley.
Garnet. He, however, pressed forward a small
detachment of men under Captain Sartorius to open
up communication, if possible, with the main column.
They found the blackened ruins of Coomassie still
smoking, and the spot deserted and silent, and hurry
ing on came up, at Foumannah, with the General, who
spoke most flatteringly of the help which both Glover
and Sartorius had rendered during the recent operations
and advance into the country.
Just five days after the last British soldier had
turned his back upon the burning city, Glover arrived
before the shattered walls with a force of nearly 5000
native troops. But the time for deeds of heroism was
past. There was nothing now left to do but to carry
through the prosaic work of disbanding the special
levies, and returning them to their respective localities
with well-merited gratuities and rewards. Glover
was Stanley's ideal officer. His visit to the camp on
the Volta impressed him in a remarkable way with a
sense of the soldierly qualities and splendid capacities
for organization exhibited by the Special Commis
sioner, and again and again the Herald correspondent
returns to Glover and his work with words of the
warmest commendation. For Sir Garnet, on the
contrary, the letters of Stanley betray no particular
affection — they speak in the highest terms of the
caution, bravery, and keen perception of the
" youngest General in the British Army ; " but the
expedition just missed the point of perfect success,
according to the views of Stanley, by the fire in
Coomassie on the night of its capture, (which could
have been prevented had martial law been pro
claimed at once), the neglect of Sir Garnet to protect

Stanley's Admiration op Glover. 133
the place from marauding bands of thieves, and the
hurried evacuation of the capital before a stringent
treaty had been exacted from the disheartened king.
But the English people were satisfied with the results
of the campaign, and a magnificent reception was
accorded to the victorious regiments when they once
more landed upon their native shores. Glover was
publicly thanked for his services by the Houses of
Parliament, Sir Garnet was made a knight Grand
Cross of St. Michael and St. George, and upon the
gallant young Gifford was bestowed the proud and
rare distinction of the Victoria Cross, for his valour
in the face of the enemy, when directing his scouts
on the fatal fields of Borborassi, Amoaful and
Ordah sa.
Mr. Stanley was the second of the band of " War
Specials " to reach the coast, where he arrived in
safety on February 12th, on his way back to England,
having made the journey from Coomassie in a little
more than a week. The work of the expedition had
been completed. Coomassie had been destroyed, the
power of the ruthless king of the Ashantees had been
broken, and a treaty had been signed which secured
peace to the native allies of the British power, and
opened out a large and populous region of Western
Africa to the pioneers of commerce and Christian
civilization.

CHAPTER IX.
The " Herald and Telegraph " Expedition — Unknown Africa — The
heart of the Dark Continent — The sources of the Congo —
"Myriads of dusky nations" — Livingstone's Lualaba — Lake
Victoria — A visit to Uganda — The hope of Africa — Incidents
of lake voyaging — The pirates of Bumbireh — Eeturn to camp
— A noisy welcome.
On his way home from the Gold Coast, the news
reached Stanley of the death of Dr. Livingstone, who
had at length fallen a victim to the trials and priva
tions of African travel, upon the shores of Lake Bemba.
The arrival of the body of the illustrious explorer in
England, and its solemn interment at Westminster
Abbey, made a deep impression upon the man who
had spent so many happy months with the departed
hero at Ujiji, comparing notes of past experiences,
and discussing fresh plans of exploration. Living
stone, although sadly weakened by sickness, and suf
fering from the effects of his terrible journey to the
eastern shores of Tanganika, after being deserted by
his followers, and despoiled of his stores and neces
saries by the Arabs to the north of the lake, was full
of hope for the future. He had determined to follow
up his discoveries in the great central lake region, by
tracing the course of the newly-found Lualaba to its
estuary, and to solve for ever the mystery which sur
rounded the stream and its affluents. After Stanley's
departure from Unyanyembe for home, the ardent old

Death op Livingstone. 135
man had retraced his way back to the country west
of the Nyassa, where an acute attack of dysentery
abruptly closed his brilliant and honourable career.
The fond hope of his heart, the great dream of his life
— the exploration of the great river and its tribu
taries — had not been realized, and he had perished
whilst still upon the confines of the vast lacustrine
area of Inner Equatorial Africa, which, with all his
old resolution, he had set himself to investigate.
Stanley resolved to take upon himself the unfinished
task, and to follow up the thread of Livingstone's
researches. He secured and studied every available
book upon Africa, its people, products, climate, and
physical conformation. For weeks, night and day, he
devoted himself to mastering the one absorbing
subject of Africa, as presented to him in his special
collection of over 130 works.
The proprietors of the Daily Telegraph and the
Neiu York Herald combined to supply him with a
splendidly-equipped expedition for his journey through.
the Dark Continent, and on August the 15th, 1874, he
left London, accompanied by three young Englishmen
of excellent character, Francis John and Edward
Pocock and Frederick Barker, for Zanzibar, en route
for the great African lakes. No outlet of the bright
waters of Tanganika had so far been traced, little
was known of the wide-reaching Victoria Lake, and
the top waters of the mighty Nile were still unknown,
and the whole western half of the Central Equatorial
region was a mere blank space upon the map. Stan
ley had undertaken, before leaving home, to devote
himself, body and mind, to the satisfactory solution of
these various geographical puzzles.

136 Henry M. Stanley.
" Do you think you can settle all this, if we com
mission you?" asked the promoters of the enter
prise. "While I live," replied Stanley, "there will be
something done. If I survive the time required to
perform all the work, all shall be done."
" The purpose of this undertaking," said the editor
of the Daily Telegraph, in a leading article, " is to
complete the work left unfinished by the lamented
death of Dr. Livingstone; to solve, if possible, the
remaining problems of the geography of Central
Africa ; and to investigate and report upon the haunts
of the slave-traders. ... He (Mr. Stanley) will re
present the two nations whose common interest in the
regeneration of Africa was so well illustrated when the
lost explorer was re- discovered by the energetic Ame
rican correspondent. In that memorable journey, Mr.
Stanley displayed the best qualities of an African
traveller ; and with no inconsiderable resources at his
disposal to reinforce his own complete acquaintance
with the conditions of African travel, it may be hoped
that very important results will accrue from this
undertaking, to the advantage of science, humanity,
and civilization."
Just twenty-eight months had elapsed since Stanley
left Zanzibar for Aden, on his return to Europe after
having found Livingstone at Ujiji. On September 21st,
1874, he reached the island once more, and proceeded to
make the necessary preparations for his new venture.
From the Wangwana, or native freemen of the island,
he selected a band of trusty followers, who were to be
his comrades in the journey across Africa, and upon
whose fidelity and goodwill the final success of the

Back again at Zanzibar. 137
undertaking would largely depend. The vicious, the
feeble, and the idle were at once rejected. None " but
good men and true" were to be allowed to enter the
ranks of the expedition, and, as the reputation of the
commander-in-chief had by this time become thoroughly
established throughout the entire dominions of his
Highness Seyid Barghash, no difficulty was experienced
in obtaining suitable recruits. But a matter of such
importance could not be finally adjusted without the
usual formal palaver. Stanley, now an experienced
African traveller, was not surprised, therefore, when
it was announced that the native members of his party
of exploration desired to have a formal interview with
him on the subject of the proposed enterprise.
The men were satisfied with the explanations of
their leader, and by 5 p.m. on the 12th of November,
224 most eligible recruits had been enrolled, and five
native vessels were in readiness, laden with the
impedimenta of the expedition, to make the trip
across the narrow straits to the mainland of the
continent. At Bagamoyo, some trouble was expe
rienced in getting the crowd of soldiers, porters,
and hangers-on of the party, into order for the march
inland. On the 17th of November, however, everything was
in readiness for the start, and the expedition, number
ing 356 souls, took the road to the lakes. Four
chiefs marched in front ; then came twelve guides
clothed in scarlet ; these were followed by a party of
270 porters, bearing head-loads of beads, wire, cloth,
and provisions of all kinds for the way ; next came the
Lady Alice, a specially-built canoe of cedar, carried by
the men in five sections of eight feet each ; a number

138 Henry M. Stanley.
of women and children followed ; then came the riding-
asses, the Europeans and gun-bearers, and sixteen
stalwart chiefs brought up the rear. A route consider
ably north of the usual road to Unyanyembe and the
west was chosen, and the natural beauties of the dis
trict soon began to unfold themselves as the highlands
and open country were reached. On the 16th of De
cember, Ugogo, the inhospitable, with its broad, bleak,
desolate plains and barren rocky hills was reached.
The heat in the lowlands of the maritime region had
caused great suffering to those members of the party
who had never before experienced the penetrating
power of the sun in the tropics, but the whole company
pressed bravely forward, undeterred by the hardships
which must of necessity be encountered in a journey
through Equatorial Africa under the most favourable
circumstances. The people on the road had shown a
friendly disposition towards the caravan, and had
freely brought their produce into the camps for sale.
At times, however, provisions were obtained with
difficulty, and a famine threatened the whole party on
Christmas Day, 1874, when detained by ceaseless rain
storms in the impoverished territory of Ugogo. " I
myself," wrote Stanley at this time, " have only boiled
rice, tea and coffee, and soon I shall be reduced to
eating native porridge, like my own people. I weighed
180 lbs. when I left Zanzibar, but under this diet I
have been reduced to 134 lbs. within thirty-eight days.
The young Englishmen are in the same condition of
body, and unless we reach some more flourishing
country than this we shall soon become skeletons."
True to their innate spirit of greed, the chiefs of
Ugogo were found to be as insatiable as ever with regard

Into the Heart op Apeica. 139
to the question of tribute, and weary hours were wasted
in trying to bring their demands down to something like
reasonable limits. On January 1st, the direct path for
Unyanyembe was forsaken, and the expedition turned
due north through the fruitful and populous country
of the Wahumba, a pastoral people, who possessed
fine herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and asses and
dogs, and who were much interested in the white
man, with whom they showed a wish to be on the
most friendly terms. A trifling attention on the part
of Stanley to a young chief of the tribe, induced the
youth, as a special mark of good-nature, to "tell the
fortune" of his white friend. Twisting and tossing
his sandals in a curious fashion, he divined with much
gravity the future of the stranger who had made
him supremely happy by the present of a gilt bracelet
with a green crystal set in it, a smart wooden pipe,
and a cloth robe. The decree of the oracle, thus
strangely invoked, was propitious, and all good things
would follow the white visitor wherever he went. As
the party advanced, however, the supply of food
became more and more reduced every day, and the
whole expedition by degrees was brought to a state
of semi-starvation. The condition of affairs in the
camp was most serious, and a special party was sent
out to scour the country round, and purchase food at
any cost for the famished multitude. Men, women,
and children, natives and Europeans, all were exhausted
for want of sustenance, and Stanley was at his wits'
end to devise some method of warding off the horrors
of famine till succour should arrive. The ground
was examined by the fainting people for nuts or
berries, or edible roots, with which to stay the gnaw-

140 Henry M. Stanley.
ing pangs of the terrible hunger which was upon
them, and Stanley, rifle in hand, searched the district
for game with which to feed his perishing column,
without finding a single head. A bag of oatmeal was
luckily discovered among the stores, and a sheet-iron
dress-trunk having been cleared of its contents and
filled with water, the oatmeal was thrown in with a
quantity of Revalenta Arabica, and the whole boiled
up into a supply of thin gruel, sufficient to allow to
every person in camp two cupsful of the mixture.
Eager crowds surrounded the extemporised boiler, and
great was the gratitude of the miserable creatures, as
they received their limited portions of the steaming
liquid. Relief came, however, at length, and the
weary caravan moved on to the fruitful land and
pleasant, well-stocked fields of the- Suna region.
Clusters of small towns and farm-like settlements
were scattered over the plains, and flocks and herds
roamed over the uplands, testifying to the general
prosperity and productiveness of the country. But the
meagre diet and long marches through heavy floods of
rain had begun to tell upon the health of the expedi
tion, and on the afternoon of the day that the camp
was pitched at Suna (January 12th, 1875) thirty men
wrere on the sick-list with fever, dysentery, lung disease,
and chest complaints. Edward Pocock had fallen a
victim to the climate and the privations of the roads ;
and, to add to the anxiety of the commander, the
natives of the district evinced signs of unmistakable
hostility and mistrust of the white men and their
armed followers. Pocock had to be placed in a
hammock, and carried with the other incapacitated
members of the expedition in the centre of the column,

Painful Progress. 141
which was followed and hemmed in by hundreds of
heavily-armed natives, who kept up with the feeble
and disheartened band on each side of the road.
At Chiwyn, 400 miles from the Indian Ocean,
the poor English lad passed away. In the blazing
sun, covered as a temporary shelter by one of the
hollow sections of the boat, the noble fellow breathed
his last, whilst Stanley was pressing forward with all
speed the erection of a cool hut of grass for the use
of the sick. A grave was dug at the foot of a wide
spreading acacia, and with the simple pathetic accents
of the burial service, the body of Edward Pocock was
laid to rest, in " sure and certain hope of the resurrec
tion to come." " When the last solemn prayer had
been read," says Stanley, " we returned to our tents,
to brood in sorrow and silence over our irreparable
loss." This district which the expedition had traversed
between Suna and Chiwyn, is the veritable birthplace ¦
and nursery of the mighty Nile. A tiny rivulet flow
ing to the north-east, and uniting with other slender
rills and streams, winds on its sinuous course now west
ward and now northward again till, as the Leewumbu,
then as the Monongah, and finally as the Shimeeyn,
it pours its swollen volume of waters into the Victoria
Nyanza on the south-eastern extremity of Speke Gulf.
At Vinyata a temporary halt was made, to enable a
search party to find Kaif Halleck, a trusted member of
the expedition, for whom Stanley had considerable
regard. Loads were rearranged, and it was decided
to leave behind everything which was not absolutely
required, as the question of transport was daily
becoming more serious. Many of the bearers were

142 Henry M. Stanley.
sick, numbers were incapacitated, twenty had died,
and eighty-nine had abandoned the service without
leave and returned to the coast. Great grief was
caused in the camp by the report of the search party,
who had discovered the corpse of the faithful Kaif
Halleck cast aside into the forest, some distance from
Vinyata, and terribly mutilated from head to foot.
The people of the district evidently entertained no '
very amicable feelings towards the strange body of
men whom the white chief was leading through their
country without their leave, and without attempting
to secure their consent by any offer of tribute. It
was found necessary to stockade the camp, and this
had barely been done, when crowds of armed men
marched into the clearing, 200 yards wide,
which had been made all round the temporary citadel.
Stanley decided now to strike the first blow, as a
policy of patience only encouraged the natives to
fresh deeds of violence, and he ordered out the armed
escort of Zanzibaris to scour the bush in detachments
and drive off the enemy. The day's loss was twenty-
one soldiers and one messenger killed, and three
seriously hurt. Disheartened by the resolute attitude
of the beleaguered garrison, the Wanyaturu, who had
suffered considerably from the fire of the Zanzibaris,
after another ineffectual attempt to dislodge the
expedition from their stronghold, retreated, and on the
26th of January the column filed out of the stockade,
on its way to the southern shores of the Victoria
Nyanza. At the village of Mgogo Tembo the startling
intelligence was received that the terrible Mirambo,
the scourge of Inner Africa from the Victoria Nyanza

Victoria Nyanza in Sight. 143
to the northern shores of Nyassa, had again " taken the
field," slaying and enslaving the panic-stricken popu
lation, and carrying death and desolation into the
remotest corners of the entire Central Equatorial
region east of Tanganika. The " terror of the land"
seemed to be everywhere. To-day on this side,
to-morrow on that — who could escape from his far-
reaching arm ? The name of Mirambo was now heard
on all sides. The scouts of the various tribes were
crouching in the forests, or perched in clefts of the
hills, eagerly scanning the horizon or watching the
various paths for signs of the first approach of the
tyrant. Across the broad green pastures, and down the
deep valleys clothed in verdure, and dotted over with
kine, and goats, and sheep, the signal was repeated
from one district to another, that the rapacious tyrant
was on the move. " Mirambo ! Mirambo ! " was heard
echoing from village to village, till north and north
east and west nothing else was thought of but the
advent of the invincible destroyer. The first stage
of the journey was now nearly completed, and on the
27th of February the waters of the Victoria Lake were
only nineteen miles off.
After marching for some hours through a pleasant
pastoral country, broken up into broad and well-tilled
fields, and abundantly watered by small rivulets, the
vast silvery expanse of the Victoria Nyanza came into
view. The men cheered heartily as they sighted the
great waters spreading away into the distance, and
the Wanyamwenzi bearers burst into rude songs of
delight, as they descended the heights towards the
village of Kaduma, the friendly chief of the Kagehyi.
The populace had been startled at first by the outburst

144 Henry M. Stanley.
of cheering from the caravan, and had seized their
weapons and come forth in battle array to meet the
new comers, whom they had mistaken for the maraud
ing levies of Mirambo; but confidence was soon restored,
and a hearty welcome extended to the weary and
decimated column. The survey of the lake had not
been completed by Speke, who was the first European
traveller to gaze upon its gleaming waters, and Stanley
was anxious, if possible, to circumnavigate the enor
mous area, and clear up, once for all, the mystery which
surrounded it. The expedition had advanced 740
miles from its starting-point on the coast, and 103
days had been spent in reaching Kagehyi, from which
place Stanley prepared to embark upon the lake on
his journey of exploration. The Lady Alice was soon
afloat, and a crew of twelve men having been chosen, who
were supposed to have shown special capacity for boat
work, the sail of the canoe was shaken out to the
winds on March the 8th, and the tiny vessel started
upon her eventful voyage. The men by no means
liked the prospect which their friends on shore had
sketched out for them. The islands and banks of the
great inland sea, upon whose treacherous surface they
were venturing, were said to be inhabited by strange
races of savage monsters, who lived on human flesh
and trained frightful beasts to tear their enemies in
battle. So vast was the area of the Nyanza, that a
lifetime would not suffice to traverse its sinuous
margin. With heavy hearts- and unwilling arms the cowed
and terrified oarsmen bent to their work, and for
leagues the little craft with its listless burden, skimmed
over the rippling wavelets, without a word of cheer, or

Exploration by Water op the Victoria Nyanza. 145
a look of animation, from the craven-hearted crew.
An eastward course was taken, and soon the stern
grandeur of the region began to arouse the attention
of Stanley, who found on inquiry from the natives that
fifteen days' journey from thelake the lofty heights which
bounded the horizon sank down to " low hills which
discharge smoke and sometimes fire from their tops."
The progress of the party was, at times, seriously
threatened by hostile demonstrations fromthe numerous
tribes on the shore, who warned off the strangers with
gestures of contempt, or threats of violence. At one
point of the passage, the Lady Alice was in imminent
peril from a band of ferocious and drink-maddened
Ugamba men who dashed up to the side of the boat,
and began to lay violent hands upon her gunwale,
with a view to terrifying the white man into surrender
ing himself and party into their hands. Stones were
viciously hurled at Stanley, who calmly surveyed the
proceedings of the pirates without betraying the least
sign of fear. The insolent and aggressive demeanour
of the freebooters became at length, however, so pro
nounced that he felt the time for action had come.
Seizing his revolver he fired it sharply into the lake.
The scene changed instantly, when the report rang over
the waters, and as the balls hissed and splashed around
the astonished savages ; they threw themselves head
long into the waves, and swam at their utmost speed
for the shore. " Come back, friends, come back. Why
this fear ?" said the strangers. " We simply wished to
show you that we had weapons as well as yourselves.
Come, take your canoe ; see, we push it away for you
to seize it." The good-nature of the crew of the
Lady Alice soon induced the return of the fugitives, L

146 Henry M. Stanley.
who gave vent to their unbounded appreciation of the
weapon of the white man in loud cries of delight and
rough imitations of the " boom, boom, boom " of the
revolver. A tuft of banana-fruit was presented to
Stanley as a peace-offering, and the whole party
became the best of friends.
The various inlets and thick groves of forest which
reached to the water's edge were narrowly watched
by the exploring party, as these were points of danger,
and the lurking-places of the natives when bent on mis
chief. The lake tribes were found to be very numerous,
and scattered all along the banks, so that as soon as
one locality had been passed in safety, preparations
had to be made for encountering fresh foes and new diffi
culties. On the southern shore of the Uvuma district
Stanley very nearly fell a victim to the cowardly trea
chery of the people, a small and inoffensive-looking
party of whom emerged from the woods, as the boat
came in view, and made signs for the crew to land. As
soon as the Lady Alice drew near the bank by order
of her commander, who had no suspicion of the fate
which threatened himself and his companions, the fragile
craft was battered by huge masses of rock, which were
hurled down upon it from the shore. The Wavuma,
who are adepts in the use of the sling, then rushed out
from their leafy ambuscade in an immense crowd, and
began to pour in a shower of sharp stones upon the
unfortunate strangers, who by a strong effort pushed
off, and succeeded in getting out of range of the
missiles with only one man seriously wounded. On
rounding a small point some distance farther north, the
explorers suddenly found themselves in the midst of a
fleet of thirteen canoes, which, under pretence of a

A Naval Engagement. 147
desire to trade, had completely hemmed in the Lady
Alice on all sides. The canoes were crowded with a
ruffianly horde of armed Wavuma, who seized the oars,
and held on to the boat to prevent her from moving
in any direction. The commander of the captive
vessel at once seized his weapon, and called upon his
small but well-disciplined crew to prepare for action.
With hideous yells and excited gestures the savages
whirled their spears overhead and derided the defiant
attitude of the white man, whom they regarded as
already in their power. In a moment, at a signal
from Stanley, the boat shot forward to force a
passage through the ring of canoes which environed
her, whilst he fired shot after shot overhead to daunt
the lawless ruffians, and, if possible, induce them to
desist from their attempt to ' coerce him. The
Wavuma replied to the harmless fire of the guns with
a shower of spears which fell upon the boat from all
directions, but happily without any fatal effects. It
was now necessary to adopt prompt and stern measures
to check the assaults of the Wavuma, and the big rifle
had to be brought into action. Directing his fire at
the water-line of the advancing canoes, Stanley
succeeded in piercing their frail sides with the heavy
balls, and his enemies had to make strenuous efforts
to save their shattered craft, and to get back at once
to shore, leaving him to pursue his way in peace.
Some days were spent in examining the deep waters of
Napoleon Gulf as far as the Ripon Falls, upon the
fine stream which connects the top head- waters of the
ancient Nile with the Albert Nyanza to the north
west. Numbers of densely-peopled bays and points of
land were passed, as the boat followed a course due
l 2

148 Henry M. Stanley.
west along the thickly-wooded shores of Usoga-land,
for the kingdom of Uganda, the dominion of the
greatest man in Equatorial Africa.
The name and doughty deeds of Mtesa, monarch of
the vast empire which Stanley was now approaching,
had long been famous throughout the inner regions
of the Dark Continent, and it was with no small
pleasure that Stanley at length found himself in the
vicinity of the illustrious monarch and his court.
The influence of the civilized policy, and enlightened
ideas of the king, was manifest on the remotest
borders of his far-reaching territory, and the white
stranger was at once treated with profound respect
and cordial hospitality directly he crossed the borders
of the Empire of Uganda. Savagery and suspicion
now gave place to politeness and liberality, and
whilst a messenger was sent off to the royal city to
announce the arrival of a European visitor, an
abundant supply of choice delicacies was set before
the wayfarers for their refreshment, and every care
was taken to secure their comfort. With complete
rest, and the feeling that the party had no longer to
watch day and night against peril to property and
life, brighter hopes and happier thoughts possessed
the little band, and Stanley himself confesses that he
began once more to feel that African life was not
so despicable after all. " My admiration for the land
and the people steadily increased," he says, "for I
experienced with each hour some pleasing civility.
The land was in fit accord with the people, and few
more interesting prospects could Africa furnish than
that which lovingly embraces the Bay of Buka."
The Lady Alice was met, in a few days, by six

Stanley enters Mtesa's Territories. 149
handsomely formed canoes conveying a state mes
senger from Mtesa to Stanley. A very agreeable
interview took place between the well-decorated
emissary of royalty, and the chief of the party of
exploration, who had donned his best garments in
honour of the important occasion, and of the august
presence into which he was in due course with all
formality to be introduced. A young chief of rank
was appointed to attend to the needs and wishes of
the new arrivals, and bullocks, sheep, honey, and
milk were sent to their quarters in overflowing abun
dance, testifying to the regal hospitality with which
the guests of the king were greeted in imperial
Uganda.. The king was at his hunting-village of
dsavara, on the northern shore of Murchison Bay
where he was enjoying the pleasures of the chase,
surrounded by a large retinue of nobles and officers,
and an imposing military escort of well-drilled and
well-dressed soldiers. The hour at length arrived
for the introduction of Stanley to the illustrious
potentate whose powerful influence was acknowledged
from the Equator to the shores of the Albert Nyanza,
and through whose extraordinary ability and supe
rior intellectual capacity a sovereignty had been set
up in the heart of Africa, which was as unlike the
barbarous and pagan communities upon its borders, as
the England of to-day differs from the Britain of
prehistoric times.
As the visitors drew near the shores of Usavara,
they were astonished to see the ground occupied by
thousands of people standing in order upon the
sloping banks in two long closely-packed rows. As
Stanley, attended by his smart-looking crew, armed

150 Henry M. Stanley.
with Sniders, walked up the vast avenue formed by
the dense throngs, which pressed forward to catch a
glimpse of the new-comer, he was saluted with volleys
of welcome, the crash of martial drums, and loud
cries of pleasure from the surging ranks of the
excited populace on either side. A party of well-
dressed nobles stepped forward, and shaking hands
with Stanley, welcomed him heartily to Uganda.
Everywhere neatness, seemliness of costume, cleanli
ness of person, and elegance of apparel was the rule,
and a stately but fitting ceremonial marked each
step of the way to the royal presence. Two of the
state pages appeared to lead the strangers to the
courtyard of the sovereign's residence, where Mtesa
was awaiting his guests, seated, and attended by
his great officers, ministers of state, guards, exe
cutioners, &c. A roll of the drums signalled the
approach of the strangers, and the emperor rose
with calm dignity, and a kindly expression upon his
lank and somewhat dreamy features, to greet them.
He was tall, thin, and nervous-looking, with large
eyes, lean cheeks carefully shorn, and an impressive
manner. The two men regarded each other for some
moments in silence. Mtesa thought Stanley looked
younger than his old friend Speke, and shorter of stature,
but more carefully dressed. What Stanley thought of
Mtesa is carefully noted by himself in his journals.
As he gazed upon the Prince of Uganda in his simple
black robe, belted with gold, he felt that he was in
the presence of a man of remarkable powers, who
was destined to become the regenerator of Central
Equatorial Africa, the pioneer of civilization, and
the august patron of all well-considered efforts for

Friendly Reception by this civilized Monach. 151
the amelioration of the benighted condition of the
" vast myriads of dusky nations " by which his empire
was encircled. From the territory of this monarch,
under the Divine blessing, a light may eventually
stream forth which will brighten the darkest spots
in this broad and densely-populated lake region, and
inaugurate a new era for Inner Africa of righteous
ness, prosperity, and peace.
Stanley had, day by day, during his stay in the
country, abundant evidences of the extraordinary
power and extensive influence of his royal host. The
emissaries of mighty chiefs in far-off regions were
glad to form alliances with him, and to lay costly
tributes at the foot of his throne ; and in his presence,
the ambassadors of Mirambo — the Bonaparte of the
south — and Mankonongo, the petulant monarch of the
Usai, were prostrate and servile. Three thousand
soldiers guarded the person of the emperor, and carried
out his behests, and a group of chiefs as dignified, and
as richly clad as the merchant princes of Zanzibar or
Unyanyembi, attended him wherever he went. The
enthusiasm and lofty ambition of the commander of the
expedition were excited by the daily contact with this
marvellous man, who had completely won his confidence
and affection. He became the teacher and friend of the
amiable monarch, and hour after hour the two men sat
in solemn audience, whilst Stanley unfolded to Mtesa
those divine mysteries of the Christian faith, which
he was convinced would make the frank and generous
king, if he accepted them, a mighty power for good
throughout the whole of Central Africa. The king
showed great attention to his guest, and when he re
turned to his hill-residence of Rubaga, he pressed

152 Henry M. Stanley'.
Stanley to accompany him. Before leaving the coast
of the lake, Mtesa held a grand display of his naval
forces, at which a body of 1200 well-disciplined men,
in about forty canoes of superior construction and
perfect finish, carried out a series of well-executed
war exercises in the presence of the court, the Royal
Council, and the assembled thousands of Uganda.
The elevated site of the royal palace was delight
fully chosen. On all sides the country lay spread out
and well-wooded, or highly cultivated plains inter
sected by sparkling streams, and broken by gently
rising and verdant hills, or terraces of fruitful soil,
which supported thick groves of palms and dense
masses of many-hued tropical vegetation. The spot
was environed with the beauties of nature, in her most
fascinating combinations of hill and water and forest
scenery, and there was an entire absence of that ab
ject and loathsome filthiness, and repulsive wretched
ness, which native African settlements continually
present. On April 11th, a fresh excitement was created
at the Uganda capital, by the arrival of one of
Gordon's white chiefs of the Soudan, Colonel
Lin ant de Belief onds.
The intercourse between the white men was very
agreeable, and Stanley found in Colonel Linant an
ardent helper in his laudable enterprise of converting
the king from the errors of Mohammed to the pure
faith of Christ. The two men laboured together at this
self-imposed task, and they met with their reward.
The method adopted for the religious education of the
royal pupil was a very simple one. The great facts
of the history of the human race were set before him,

Mtesa's Fleet. 153
with an outline of the Bible facts to the dawn of the
Christian era. The characters and lives of Christ and
Mohammed and other teachers were contrasted, and
the auditor was left to draw his own conclusions as to
which system was most worthy of his allegiance. The
words of the Ten Commandments were written out in
Swahili by one of the boat's crew, a former pupil of
the Universities' Mission at Zanzibar, and morality and
religion for the time absorbed the entire attention of
Mtesa and his zealous instructors.
The time had come for the return voyage to Kagehyi,
where the main body of the expedition had been
located in camp, and Stanley took leave of the gene
rous and kind-hearted Mtesa, after having received a
promise of a supply of men and canoes sufficient to
convey the entire force to the shores of Uganda.
Colonel Linant had accompanied his white companion
to the banks of the lake, and there the travellers took
an affectionate leave of each other. The scene is thus
described by the former : —
" At 5 a.m. drums are beaten; the boats going with
Stanley are collecting together.
" Mr. Stanley and myself are soon ready. The Lady
Alice is unmoored ; luggage, sheep, goats, and poultry,
are already stowed away in their places. There is
nothing to be done except to hoist the American flag_
and head the boat southwards. I accompany Stanley
to his boat ; we shake hands and commend each other
to the care of God.
" Stanley takes the helm : the Lady Alice immediately
swerves like a spirited horse, and bounds forward, lash
ing the water of the Nyanza into foam. The starry
flag is hoisted, and floats proudly in the breeze ; I im-

154 Henry M. Stanley.
mediately raise a loud hurrah with such hearty good
will as perhaps never before greeted the traveller's
ears. " The Lady Alice is already far away. We wave our
handkerchiefs as a last farewell; my heart is full — I
have just lost a brother. I had grown used to seeing
Stanley, the open-hearted sympathetic man and friend,
and admirable traveller. With him I forget my fatigue ;
this meeting had been like a return to my own coun
try. His engaging, instructive conversation made the
hours pass like minutes. I hope I may see him again,
and have the happiness of spending several days with
him."4 The course lay along the western side of the lake
to the large island of Sessi, where it was hoped that
the canoes for the transport of the expedition would
be obtained in compliance with an order of the king.
After some delay the promised assistance not being
forthcoming, the Lady Alice proceeded upon her way
southward till the Makongo was reached. At the
sight of the boat the natives seemed to be terror-
stricken, and lined the banks of the locality fully
armed, and drawn up in order of battle to oppose any
attempt at a landing upon their shores. Drawing off
into deep water the party held on its way, anxious, if
possible, to avoid any further conflicts with the savage
tribes, whose worst passions were aroused to a pitch
of frenzy at the sight of the white man who was
silently traversing their borders, with such audacious
complacency. In the midst of a heavy and persistent
storm of rain, which drenched the voyagers to the skin,
they made for the islands of Bumbireh, where they
4 Linant's Journals.

Further Exploration op the Lake. 155
were anxious to obtain a fresh supply of food, and a
temporary camp was formed upon the northern point
of the group. The largest island of the cluster was
eleven miles long by two miles broad, and consisted of
a backbone of highland with verdant slopes falling
away to the level of the lake. It had a considerable
population, and the general aspect of the plaee was
one of fruitful prosperity. An attempt was to be
made at barter with the natives ; but before a trade
palaver could be opened, hordes of lusty warriors
rushed furiously down the hill on all sides, and seizing
the Lady Alice, lifted her bodily out of the water, and
drew her some distance over the beach. The position
now became most alarming. The boat, in which Stan
ley was still seated, was surrounded on all sides by
painted, dark-skinned demons, who fought with each
other in order to get near the stranger, who had dared
to approach their islands, so that they might pour out
upon him volumes of native abuse, which they accom
panied with signs of hatred and contempt, of a nature
too terribly real to be misunderstood by the cool but
anxious occupant of the disabled craft. Every means
was tried to pacify the wild fears of the natives, but
with no satisfactory results, and at last it became a
matter of fighting or death. A momentary with
drawal of the crowd left open a way of retreat. Turn
ing to his men, the leader of the little band upon the
beach said, " Are you ready, your guns and revolvers
loaded, and your ears open?"
" We are," was the resolute reply.
"Don't be afraid; be quite cool."
"Push, my boys; push for your lives," shouted
Stanley, and the Lady Alice was in a moment hurried

156 Henry M. Stanley.
over the stones, and into deep water again. The
crew sprang in after their leader, and as Safeni, the
last of the Zanzibari, sprang over the thwarts, the
crowd of disappointed natives reached the edge of the
water, their faces daubed with black and white pig
ment, the dread signs of irreconcilable hate. The
oars of the vessel had been stolen by the miscreants,
and Stanley ordered his men to pull up the planks
from the bottom of the craft and use them as paddles.
Spears fell thick and fast upon the little Lady Alice
as she shot out into the flood, and flights of poisoned
arrows flew overhead as the fugitives bent to their
work. Canoes were now launched in all haste, and
cruel shouts of defiance and vengeance rang over the
smooth grey waters. The fire from the rifle of
Stanley soon checked the further progress of the
pursuers, who fell back in disorderly retreat, with the
hoarse cry , " Go and die in the Nyanza." Stanley
and his party were saved, but not before terrible exe
cution had been done upon the natives by the deadly
elephant-rifle, without which the crew and their
leader would have been completely at the mercy of
their fiendish enemies.
After safely passing through a storm of awful
violence, during which the Lady Alice drifted before
the wind, or fell into the trough of the huge waves,
which threatened at times to engulf the tempest-
beaten craft, or dash her with irresistible force upon
the surf -beaten rocks, the tents of the camp of the
expedition on Speke Gulf were seen, and amidst the
joyous congratulations of his followers of all ranks,
Stanley found himself with intense and grateful satis
faction again amongst his own people.

CHAPTER X.
More deaths — Mutiny in the camp — Capture of the Lady Alice —
Peace with Bumbireh — Back to Uganda — Mtesa on the " war
path " — The royal convert — Christ or Mohammed — A white
man's stratagem— To Muta Ngize — A retreat — Disappointed
hopes — The boiling springs of Mtagata — Mirambo, "a perfect
African gentleman" — Once more at rest in Ujiji.
The camp was a scene of intense excitement as the
Lady Alice drew up to the shore, and Stanley and. the
brave fellows who had shared with him the perils of
his cruise of 1000 miles over the waters of Speke's
Nyanza, rejoined his anxious followers, who had been
startled and perplexed again and again by sinister
accounts of the massacre of the entire party by the
lake tribes. Death had been busy in the ranks of
the expedition during the absence of its commander,
and another European, Frederick Barker, had died
and been buried just twelve days before the Lady
Alice hove in sight. Mabruki — the trusted servant of
Burton, Speke, and Grant — and Jabiri, one of the boat
porters, and others had also passed away, and trouble
of various kinds hung over the little settlement for some
weeks. A rebellion and a return to Zanzibar had been
discussed, and a serious calamity had only been averted
by the timely arrival of the commander-in-chief upon
the spot. There had also been threatenings from with
out, and a force of hostile natives had been assembled
to attack the camp. Stanley was anxious to leave the

158 Henry M. Stanley.
district at once, and reach the friendly shores of
Uganda, but the canoes for the transport of the
expedition, which Mtesa had undertaken to supply,
had not arrived, and the way northward by land had
been " killed " by the unfriendly tribes. In his
dilemma, Stanley sent a request for aid to Lukongeh,
King of Ukerewe, a prince in whom he had confidence,
and a few days after a fleet of twenty-three canoes,
with a sufficient number of boatmen, was awaiting the
commands of the white chief upon the shore at
Kagehyi. The flotilla, piloted by the Lady Alice, and laden
with 150 people, 100 loads of cloth, 88 sacks of
grain, and 30 cases of ammunition, left Speke's Gulf on
June the 20th, and was soon heading westward on
its course to the territory of Mtesa. The native
craft speedily developed their utter incapacity for
breasting the rough waves and beating up against the
strong currents of the lake, and after several mishaps,
which resulted in the loss of a quantity of arms and
grain, and the total collapse of five of the canoes, a
thorough overhauling of the fleet was decided upon.
Fresh canoes were ordered up from Kagehyi, and a
camp was formed on one of the islands for the purpose
of allowing time for the crazy craft to be put into
perfect sea-going order. The expedition having re-
embarked, a course was shaped for the Bumbireh
group, and every precaution was taken to secure the
safe passage of the canoes through the waters which
bordered this region, in which Stanley had already
experienced something of the terrible power of the
island population, whose parting execration, " Go and
die in the Nyanza," still rang in his ears. As the

Massacre op some of Stanley's Men. 159
flotilla neared the dreaded locality, the shores of
Bumbireh became alive once more with crowds of
natives, and canoes began to shoot over the waters to
scrutinize the resources and observe the motions of
the strangers. It was soon found that progress was
impossible without a struggle, and the commander of
the expedition decided to open up the water-way to
Uganda, after harassing delays and futile negotiation,
by an attack in force upon the savage warriors of
Bumbireh, who had, amongst other outrages,
massacred a number of Stanley's men, after cajoling
them into landing upon their banks by false professions
of peace and amity. The enemy had been considerably
strengthened by the arrival of armed hosts of allies
from neighbouring tribes, and it was not without
great reluctance that Stanley ordered the men of the
expedition to be supplied with twenty rounds of
ammunition, and to be prepared for a stern and de
cisive conflict with the pitiless islanders. His force
consisted of 250 men armed with spears or native
weapons, and fifty men carrying rifles, and he decided to
land his fighting-party upon the shores cf Bumbireh
in eighteen canoes. " My friends and Wangwana," he
said to his men before leading them to the fray, " we
must have the way clear. Whatever mischief these
people meditated must be found out by us, and must
be prevented. I am about to go and punish them for
the treacherous murder of our friends. I shall not
destroy them, therefore none of you are to land
unless we find their canoes, which we must break
up. We must fight till they or we give in, for it
can only be decided in this manner. While in the
fight, you will do exactly as I tell you, for I shall

160 Henry M. Stanley.
be able to judge whether we shall have to fight or
land."6 At 2 p.m., of August 4th, the canoes of the expedi
tion headed for the island. By a skilful trick of navi
gation the whole strength of the enemy was revealed
to the leader of the advancing force, who steered for
the open water, and then suddenly dropped anchor. To
the challenge of his interpreter the men of Bumbireh
replied with scorn that they did not want peace, but
war. " Come on ! " cried the multitude, shaking their
spears in savage fury, " we are ready." A withering
fire from the rifles of the expedition threw the
masses of the enemy into wild confusion for a moment.
But they stubbornly held the shore, and hundreds of
them plunged boldly into the flood to grapple with
their foes at close quarters. Another volley and
another from the canoes, however, began to shake
their resolution, and soon the panic-stricken islanders
were in full retreat across the hills into the interior of
Bumbireh. The passage was now clear, and the
order was given for an immediate advance northward
to Uganda-land. As the victorious flotilla sheered
off from the banks of the beaten and disheartened
Bumbireh, a few of the headmen came towards the
lake. " Shall we begin the fight again," cried the victors.
"Nangu, nangu." (" No, no.")
" The trouble is over, then ? "
" There are no more words between us."
" If we go away quietly, will you interfere with us
any more ? "
" Nangu, nangu."
6 " Through the Dark Continent " (H. M. Stanley).

A Fight with hostile Natives. 161
" You will leave strangers alone in future ? "
"Yes, yes."
" You will not murder people who come to buy food
again ? "
" Nangu, nangu."
After a few words of wholesome advice to the van
quished and penitent foe, the fleet sailed on its way,
and reached Dumo, the first halting-place in the terri
tory of Mtesa, on August 12th.
The great king of Uganda was at war with the
powerful tribe of the Wavuma, and had already
entered Usoga, and fought his first battle. The
Lady Alice, with Stanley on board, at once proceeded
to the Bay of Buka, where her commander disembarked
in order to make his way without delay to the royal
camp. He wished to reach the Albert Nyanza to
the north-west without delay, and he hoped that the
amiable monarch of Uganda would furnish him with
guides for the journey to the lesser lake. On
nearing the precincts of the encampment, Stanley was
greeted by kindly messages from his princely pupil,
who also forwarded to his visitor the royal walking-
stick as a sign that the words which were brought to
him were actually from his own regal lips. The news
that the Uganda people were engaged in a campaign
in Usoga-land somewhat disconcerted the energetic
traveller. He was anxious to press forward upon his
great task of minutely examining the Central Lake
Region, and then to pass along the course of the
Lualaba to the Atlantic. African tribal wars he knew
by bitter experience to be long-drawn-out affairs, with
no definite end to them when once blood has been
shed, short of the extermination of one or other of
M

162 Henry M. Stanley.
the belligerents. He was by no means disposed to
linger on in attendance upon Mtesa until he had
" eaten up " the Usoga people, and as there was no
possibility of the Usoga tribes " eating up " the invin
cible Mtesa, the outlook for the expedition was by no
means inspiriting.
The hosts of Uganda were found occupying a
splendid position near the Ripon Falls, the only
outlet of the Victoria Nyanza, and the meeting
between the prince and his white friend and precep
tor was most cordial and flattering to the latter, who
felt that there was something more than mere imperial
courtesy in the hearty greeting with which he was
welcomed again to the royal presence. The Uvuma
had resisted the claims of the King of Uganda to a
yearly tribute from them, and had enslaved his subjects,
and sold them to other tribes for " a few bunches of
bananas." They had descended upon the shores of
Chagwe, burning and plundering the villages, and de
fying the royal authority, and Mtesa had determined
to chastise them effectually for their insolence, and
reduce them to a proper spirit of meekness and sub
mission. In reply to the request for guides to pilot
the expedition on its way to the Albert Lake, the
king begged that the advance might be delayed till
the conflict with the Uvuma was over. It was not
the custom of the country, he said, to allow travellers
to go through the land in time of war, and besides, a
large force would be necessary to reach the shores of
the Nyanza in safety. Patiently abiding the issue of
events, Stanley decided to follow the fortunes of the
army of Uganda, as Mtesa had given his royal word
that when hostilities ceased, he would immediately

Mtesa with 150,000 men takes the Field. 163
send his friend overland with an armed escort, and an
influential chief to guide him to the great waters
which he wished to explore. The fighting force of the
Uganda monarch numbered about 150,000 men, and the
entire number of people of all ages and ranks follow
ing the royal army must have reached 250,000 ! Such
was the enormous host which was advancing into the
region of Usoga under the leadership of the all-power
ful Mtesa, who marched on foot, surrounded by his
body-guard, bare-headed, and dressed in dark blue,
with a broad leather belt round his waist, and his face
painted a bright red, in order to strike terror into the
hearts of his enemies. At Nakaranga, four days'
march from the Falls, a camp was formed, consisting
of 30,000 dome-shaped native huts, above which
towered the sharp conical residences of the officers of
the legions. " Stamlee " was carefully provided for,
in the. midst of the hurry and confusion attending
the housing and provisioning of such an immense
army as Mtesa had collected together, and cosy
quarters were set apart for his crew and himself near
the royal pavilions. The fleet of Uganda consisted of
325 canoes, carrying a force of 5000 men, and it was
drawn up near the beach to be ready at a moment's
notice to operate upon the flank of the enemy. The
valour of the Uavuma was by no means to be despised.
Alert and dashing on water, as well as on land, they
had in days past enjoyed the reputation of being the
stoutest warriors on the north-eastern borders of the
lake, but the martial glory of the rising empire of
Mtesa had gradually over-shadowed them.
A few days after the arrival of the army at the vast
camp at Nakaranga, the order was given for the

164 Henry M. Stanley.
Uganda flotilla to cross the bay, and take up a fresh
position, from which it could more effectually support
the troops. The scouts of the enemy, who were
posted upon the neighbouring hills, at once detected
the movement, and soon at least 100 canoes filled with
Uavuma warriors shot over the water to dispute the
passage with their enemies. The contest, however,
was too one-sided — 225 canoes against 100 — and the
Uavuma discreetly opened their line, and allowed the
Uganda fleet to pass through in silence. But no
sooner had the last vessel of the rival squadron
cleared the open line, than the divided force of the
Uavuma attacked their foes upon both flanks, carry
ing disorder and consternation into the Uganda fleet,
and cutting out and towing away in triumph fourteen
of its best canoes. This display of spirit on the part
of the Uavuma was by no means gratifying to Mtesa,
who, calling his friend to his side, asked his advice as to
the best method to be adopted to reduce these freeboot-
ing islanders to subjection. " Stamlee," he said, " I
wan't your advice. All white men are very clever,
and appear to know everything. I want to know
from you what you think I may expect from this war.
Shall I have victory or not ? It is my opinion that we
must be clever, and make headwork against that
island." Without at all wishing to assume the role of
prophet, the white man suggested that active steps
should be taken at once to construct a rough bridge
across the narrow strait, between the mainland of
Usoga and the island home of these pestilent
Wavuma. " You have women and men and children
here in this camp as numerous as grass," said Stanley.
" Command every one able to walk to take up a stone,

Stanley's military Counsel. 165
and cast it into the water, and you will make a great
difference in its depth ; but if each person carries
fifty stones a day, I will warrant you that in a few
days you will walk on dry laud to Ingira." 6
The work was at once commenced. A whole forest
was cut down, and the trees drawn to the waterside
and lashed together and flung into the flood to keep the
stones from being carried away by the under-current.
Soon, however, the project of constructing the causes-
way was abandoned, and Mtesa requested his guest to
instruct him in various branches of scientific know
ledge. He put innumerable questions to his white
friend, which Stanley answered to the best of his
ability, and the conversation ranged from a discussion
on the secret workings of Divine Providence, to the
consideration of the construction of the earth, and the
inventions and mechanical appliances which had made
white men powerful above all other branches of the
human family. During one of these interesting
discussions, which was attended by a crowd of nobles
and officers of the royal household, the mention of
angels by the white speaker at once appeared to
suggest to Mtesa an entirely novel subject for delibe
ration, and bursting into loud expressions of delight,
the royal pupil and his equally hilarious retainers
continued to cry " Ah-ha-ha ! " as much as to say
that they had dropped upon the very topic for a most
interesting and profitable argument. Meanwhile,
Stanley was curious to know what there was in the
subject of angels to move the risible faculties of the
usually grave and serious courtiers of Uganda. When
the excitement was over, and calm was restored,
0 " Through the Dark Continent " (H. M. Stanley).

166 Henry M. Stanley.
Mtesa addressed his friend " Stamlee," with the
request that he would proceed with his most improv
ing discourse. They all knew that the white men
possessed a universal knowledge. They were renowned
for their wisdom and subtlety. Many white men
had visited Uganda, and had astonished the people of
the land by their learning and goodness. Therefore
the king knew that to gain knowledge you must have
intercourse with the white man. " Now, Stamlee,"
said his royal host, " tell me and my chiefs what you
know of the angels." Step by step the education of
the king progressed, and great was the satisfaction
of his white preceptor, when he found that Mtesa had,
after a long and serious course of instruction,
decided to forsake the creed of Mohammed, and
become a follower of the faith of Jesus of
Nazareth. Calling together his ministers of state and
chief officers, the king reminded them of the fact that
many of the tenets of the religion of Mohammed were
foolish and contrary to reason : e.g. that men could
enjoy earthly pleasures in Paradise, or walk along a
pathway no wider than a hair. Besides, the Arabs
who followed the book of the prophet of Mecca did evil,
bought slaves, and were not always true, or pure, or
kind. But the white men, Speke and Grant, and Abdul
Aziz Bey (M. Linant de Bellefonds) and " Stamlee,"
who followed the book of Christ, had not bought slaves ;
they had been men of honour, and had lived without
reproach among them. Therefore the white man's
book was better than the book of the Arabs. "We
will then take the white man's book," cried the
assembly, to the intense satisfaction of their monarch,
and thus a way was opened for the spread of the

Mtesa becomes a Christian. 167
Christian faith in the great empire of Uganda. The
new convert was supplied with a copy of portions of the
Bible, written out in his own tongue, and a complete
transcript of the Gospel of St. Luke, which is the fullest
evangelistic narrative of the Sacred Life ; and Dalling-
ton, the young boatman who had been educated at the
Universities Mission, was, at his own request, released
from further service with the expedition, that he might
devote himself entirely to the king, as reader and in
structor, until a missionary should reach the court,
and formally instruct and baptize the royal proselyte.
" Stamlee," said Mtesa, as the two men looked upon
each other for the last time, " say to the white people
when you write to them, that I am like a man sitting
in darkness, or born blind, and that all I ask is that I
may be taught how to see, and I shall continue a
Christian while I live." 7
Meanwhile the war with the rebel chiefs of Uvuma
was carried on with relentless vigour by Mtesa and his
army, and battles were fought from day to day, without
any decisive results. The island home of the insurgents
was defended at all points with heroic fortitude, and
the attacks of the Uganda flotilla were repeatedly
repelled with success, to the great discomfiture of the
king. At length his Majesty decided to take counsel
with his white friend once more as to the tactics to be
pursued to bring the conflict to a satisfactory conclusion.
Mtesa had given way to most unchristianlike fits of rage
at the defeat of his soldiers, and having secured one of
the offending chiefs, he had given orders in a paroxysm
of fury, that the prisoner should be burnt alive.
The faggots and the stake were prepared for the dread
' " Through the Dark Continent " (H. M. Stanley).

168 Henry M. Stanley.
act of vengeance, and the unhappy victim was about to
be led to his death, when Stanley appeared upon the
scene. The king was in a state of intense excitement,
and evinced unmistakable signs of his diabolical glee
at the prospect of seeing one of his hated enemies
undergoing the frightful agonies of the flaming pile.
"Now, Stamlee," he said, "you shall see how a chief
of Uvuma dies. He is about to be burnt. The Wavuma
will tremble when they hear the manner of his death."
The indignation of the teacher was aroused at this
evidence of pitiless ferocity in his new convert. He
reminded the barbarous prince of the solemn profession
he had just made of his disposition to accept the
humane precepts of Christianity, and pointed out the
right course for him to adopt with reference to the poor
wretch who stood by anxiously awaiting the conclusion
of this strange controversy. Regardless of Stanley's
expostulations, the infuriated despot, with gleaming
eyes, and features distorted by passion, decreed that
the sentence should be carried out. " I will burn this
man to ashes, Stamlee. I will burn every soul I catch.
I will have blood ! blood ! the blood of all in Uvuma,"
he cried in loud tones, and turning to the executioners,
he commanded them to seize the old chief, and bind
him to the stake. Once more Stanley intervened.
Overcome with horror and disgust, he advanced to the
king, and told him plainly that he would leave the
camp, and never look upon the country again, if the
execution was carried out. He would, he said, inform
every white man, north and south, and east and west,
of the frightful and atrocious deed. He would say of
Mtesa that he was unworthy of the friendship of good
men, and that his land was stained with outrage and

The First Fruit op Mtesa's Conversion. 169
the blood of the helpless and the aged. The spirits of
his fathers would look down with repugnance upon the
crime he was about to commit, and he dare no longer
stay as the guest of a man who was no better than a
ravenous beast of the forest. The king was touched
by the reference of his friend to the founders of his
dynasty, and he hastily retired from the spot to the
privacy of his own tent. Shortly afterwards a page
was sent to call the teacher to the royal presence.
Mtesa was subdued and penitent. " I have forgiven
the Mavuma chief, and will not hurt him," he said,
" Stamlee will not say Mtesa is bad now ; will Stamlee
say that Mtesa is good ? " " Mtesa is very good," was
the reply.8
Stanley now set about a novel scheme for assisting
the prince to settle matters with his stubborn and in
accessible foes. Having secured three of the largest
canoes of the fleet, he lashed them together, and with
the help of Mtesa's men, he erected upon the platform
thus provided a temporary fort, some yards in height,
of stout poles and branches interwoven and bound
together by thongs of bark. Sixty men were placed
inside the floating battery to propel the structure, and
150 soldiers armed with muskets were embarked for its
defence in case of assault. Long streamers of blue and
white and red floated from the top of a tall mast in the
centre of the craft, and as it moved silently over the
water with its human freight carefully screened from
view, the wondering islanders gathered upon the shore
to gaze upon the approaching phenomenon. A message
was shouted across the strait that the strange object
now crossing from Mtesa's camp contained within
8 "Through the Dark Continent" (H. M. Stanley).

170 Henry M. Stanley.
itself power to destroy the whole population of the
island, and that it bore upon the waters the invincible
and terrible fetish of the Uganda people. The
superstitious and awe-stricken crowds of islanders
were admonished to make terms of peace at once with
the emperor, or submit to the fate which would over
whelm them directly the keel of the mysterious craft
touched their shores. Drums beat, and the war-horns
were sounded, until the fortlet had arrived within fifty
yards of the banks, when a voice of appalling volume
cried out to the crowd of trembling Mavuma. " Speak !
what will you do ? will you make peace, and submit to
Mtesa, or shall we blow up the island ? Be quick and
answer." " Enough," said a chief from the bank,
" let Mtesa be satisfied. Return, 0 spirit ; the war is
ended ! " A few hours later, a canoe arrived from the
rebels containing an ample tribute, and bringing pro
fessions of submission from the islanders, who had been
completely vanquished by the odd device of Stanley.
The old chief, who had been condemned to the stake,
was sent back to his friends, and peace was proclaimed
amidst the joyful cries of both camps. Preparations
had been made for vacating the territory of the
Mavuma, and Stanley and his party were about to
follow the retinue of the king to the place of embark
ation, when he suddenly found himself and followers
environed by a wall of fire. The dry, grass-covered
huts had by some means become ignited, and with
fearful rapidity the flames rolled over the site of the
encampment, devouring everything which lay before
them. The sick and aged and those who were unable
to escape from the savage fury of the conflagration,
perished in fearful agony, and it was only by great

Mtesa vanquishes his Foes — A Fire in Camp. 171
exertion that Stanley was able to lead his little band in
safety through the sheets of fire and clouds of smoke
which surrounded them on every side. On October
29th, 1875, Mtesa and his vast following were once
more in Uganda. The victors were received with loud
demonstrations of joy by the populace of the royal city
of Uganda, and peace and contentment once more
prevailed throughout the empire.
The kingdom of Uganda has been described as
crescent-shaped. It is 300 miles long, and 60 miles
broad, and covers an area of 30,000 square miles.
The entire population is said to be about 2,775,000,
and the soil is capable of raising enormous and valu
able supplies of* native produce, e.g. coffee, gums,
resins, myrrh, sugar, bananas, cereals, &c. Herds of
cattle and flocks of sheep roam over its fertile plains,
and splendid timber and rich stores of ivory are found
within its borders. The forest scenery is strikingly
grand. Immense sycamores, far-reaching mvule, and
wide-spreading gums intermingle with delicate creepers
and feathering palms, the tamarisk and the acacia,
and afford a delicious shade from the vertical rays of
the sun overhead. Broad plains, and terraces of grass
and brushwood, and hills and valleys, covered with
green, and wrapped in a soft, filmy haze, make up a
landscape which, for simple grace and attractiveness,
is unsurpassed throughout the Central Equatorial
region. The natives, as a rule, are tall and graceful in figure.
They are cleanly, modest, and courteous in demeanour,
and naturally predisposed to hospitality and the
customs of civilization. They dress in clothes which
are much superior in finish to the habiliments of other

172 Henry M. Stanley.
African tribes ; their houses are more suitable for
human habitation, more substantially constructed, and
more completely furnished ; and their weapons of war
and their canoes are perfect in the symmetry of their
design and careful workmanship. Mtesa and his
courtiers could read and write Arabic with fluency,
and the king was accustomed to record in brief notes
the chief points of the discussions which he held, from
time to time, with his white visitors. These tablets
of smooth cotton-wood, upon which he wrote, were
called his " book of wisdom," and were highly valued
by their royal author.
At length Stanley ventured to remind the king of
his promise to aid him with an efficient escort and a
supply of bearers and canoes for his journey through
the country west of the lake, and for the return voyage
to the southern shore. Mtesa at once ordered a body
of soldiers to be selected for the expedition, and after
an affectionate " Farewell," the Lady Alice, attended
by her consorts, set sail from the shores of Uganda,
and made for the western borders of the great inland
sea. The entire force, including the men supplied by
Mtesa, numbered 2800 souls, and with this magnificent
following Stanley pressed forward to the region of
Muta Nzige, one of the smaller lakes due west of the
Victoria Nyanza. The sudden appearance of this
enormous host of armed men, headed by their white
leader, created some consternation amongst the popu
lation on the line of march, but no resistance was
offered to their progress, and on January 1st, 1876,
the force had reached Kawanga, the frontier town of
the kingdom of Uganda, without any molestation or
casualties of any kind. Fears were entertained by the

Stanley explores the Shores op the Lake. 173
chief of the Uganda men that trouble might be expected
in the territory of the Unyoro. He professed to see
in the total desertion of the district, and in the absence
of any sign of life, unpleasant portents of coming
strife. The Wanyoro were supposed to be gathered in
some hidden valley or secret spot, for the purpose of
assailing the strangers in force, and overwhelming
them by sudden attack or ambuscade, and scouts were
sent out ahead of the main column to give warning of
approaching danger. These fears were happily not
realized, and on January 8th a camp was formed on the
Mpangu river, a tributary of the Muta Nzige, which
rises at the foot of Mount Gordon Bennett, and rushes
with angry impetuosity down a series of cascades and
rapids into the lake at its north-eastern corner. The
entire region, with its towering mountain-summits
wrapped in wreaths of white clouds, its rushing
streams foaming down the hill-side and through the
fissures of the torn and disordered* rocks, and its
rugged peaks breaking the sky-line in all directions,
had a distinctly Alpine aspect, and was aptly named
by Stanley, the Switzerland of Africa. On January
11th the lake was reached, and a temporary
settlement formed upon its banks at an altitude of
4724 feet above the sea-level. A hostile message soon
reached the camp from the chiefs of the surrounding
territory, which necessitated a prompt defence of the
position. A band of Uzimba, 300 strong, had been
sent to the commander of the expedition, with the
intimation that war would be made upon the white
man, whose words were fair, but whose purpose, they
were sure, was none the less evil. On hearing this
communication the whole force was thrown into a

174 Henry M. Stanley.
state of wild dismay. Stanley at once proposed to
descend to the waters of the lake, and erect a strong
camp upon one of the islands at some distance from
the shore, where they might hold out till some terms
of peace were arranged with the Uzimba, or till succour
could arrive from Uganda. But a spirit of fear had
taken possession of the entire expedition. The levies
of Mtesa resolved to return immediately to Uganda,
and Stanley's own men absolutely refused to remain
to be massacred by these dreaded warriors of the
Uzimba hills. A retreat was decided upon, and the
project for the exploration of the Nyanza had to be
reluctantly abandoned. The decision of their leader
was received on all sides with delight, and on January
27th the soldiers of Mtesa detached, themselves from
Stanley, and returned to the capital, where they met
with a cold reception from their king, who had
heard from his friend of their despicable cowardice on
the cliffs of Muta Nzige, and of the complete failure
of the expedition in consequence of their craven con
duct in the hour of danger. The king was, for the
time, frantic with passion at the disgrace which had
been brought upon the fair fame of his empire, and
punishment was speedily dealt out to the delinquents
with no sparing hand. " By the grave of Suna (a
strong oath in Uganda), my father, will I teach you
that you cannot mock Kabaka ! Stamlee went to this
lake for my good as well as for his own ; but you see
how I am thwarted by a base slave like Sambuzi (the
chief malcontent), who undertakes to be more than
I myself before my guest. When was it I dared to be
so uncivil to my guest as this fellow has been to
Stamlee ? You, Saruti," said the enraged monarch to

Failure of the Expedition. 175
the chief of his body-guard, " take warriors, and eat
up Sambuzi' s country clean, and bring him chained to
me." A kindly message of sympathy was sent to the
disappointed traveller from his royal friend, and an
offer of a fresh body of men was made, with a view to
a return to the forsaken Nyanza ; but Stanley decided
to proceed on his way for the future free and unfettered
by " any other man's caprice, power, or favour ! " 9
Crossing the dull waters of the Alexandra Nile, after
a peaceful march through the broad basin of the
noble stream and its thousand affluents, the expedition
entered Kafiurro, the semi-civilized Arab colony of
Karagwe. The travellers met with a cordial reception
from the wealthy Arab traders of the settlement, and
an interview was arranged with Rumanika, King of
Karagwe, at which Stanley, as a friend of Mtesa, was
welcomed with great warmth by the amiable and
gentle prince, for whom the great Lord of Uganda
entertained a special regard. Leave was frankly
given to his white visitor to explore his country in
any direction he might wish to examine it. " It was a
land," he said, " which white men ought to know. It
possessed many lakes and rivers and mountains and
hot springs, and many things which no other country
could boast of." Rumanika was anxious to hear from
his guest which country he preferred, Uganda or
Karagwe. To this somewhat pointed question Stanley
replied that Karagwe was lordly, and had pleasant
valleys, mighty rivers, and much cattle. But Uganda
was prolific, and full of wealth ; its people were well-
nourished, and Mtesa was good — so was Father
Rumanika. " Do you not hear him, Arabs ? Does he
9 "Through the Dark Continent" (H. M. Stanley).

176 Henry M. Stanley.
not speak well ? " said the gratified monarch. " Yes,
Karagwe is beautiful."
Pleasant, peaceful, happy days were those at
Kaffurro. Lake Windermere (so named by Speke),
the largest of a cluster of tiny Nyanzas in the enjoy
able country of King Rumanika, was carefully
explored. Its length was found to be eight miles, and
its greatest breadth about two and a half miles.
Its position was directly north and south, in the midst
of a green and mountainous land, with rugged
heights rising to 1500 feet above its sparkling waters.
A boat-race was held upon the lake, to the intense
delight of the enormous crowds which had assembled
to witness the contest, who cheered the boatmen of
Rumanika, whilst the white chief urged on his faithful
Wangwana to the peaceful conflict. The old king came
down to the shore to witness the exciting spectacle,
clad in a robe of state, with heavy anklets of copper
upon his legs, and large bracelets of the same metal
upon his brown and sinewy arms. He was arrayed
in crimson to do honour to his guest, and he carried
a sceptre seven feet in length. He had an enormous
stride in walking (a yard long), and he was attended
by minstrels, spearmen, relatives, Arabs and Wanga-
Ruanda. Four canoes entered for the race with the
crew of the Lady Alice, commanded by Frank Pocock.
The old king was in raptures of delight. He entered
thoroughly into the fun of the thing, and the crowd of
natives on the banks were pleased to witness the
gratification of their sovereign. The course was 800
yards in length, in the direction of the point of
Kankorogo, and the struggle resulted in a tie, neither
craft distancing the other to any appreciable extent.

Karagwe and its Lakes. 177
Much had been heard about the famous hot springs
of Mtagata, and Stanley determined to visit them, and
test the efficacy of their healing waters. The king
furnished him with guides for the road, and the
steaming fountains, six in number, were found
occupying the base of a wooded gorge about thirty-
five miles directly north of the Arab town. A cloud
of damp warm mist lay over the spot, which was
crowded with sufferers from various complaints, who
had come long distances to drink the sulphurous
waters, which had a high reputation in the surround
ing region for their health-giving properties. Stanley's
opinion of their virtues was by no means favour
able, and he always attributed a violent attack of
fever, from which he suffered after staying some
days at the wells, to the malarious atmosphere
of the much-vaunted health-resort of his friend
Rumanika. During the months spent at Kaffurro, much useful
and interesting exploring work was carried out, and
the noble stream of the Kagera, or Alexandra Nile,
carefully examined along a great portion of its
course. From this point Stanley determined to strike
across the country in the direction of the Lualaba,
and the great Arab entrepot of Nyangwe, the highest,
point reached by Livingstone in his examination of
that obscure river. An affectionate leave was taken
of open-hearted old Rumanika, his lovely lakes, and
his gentle, courteous people. On March 30th the
expedition entered Western Usui, only to find its
further progress effectually arrested by the rapacity of
the king, Kiborogo, and his subordinate chiefs. A
distressing famine had impoverished the land through -
N

178 Henry M. Stanley.
out its entire length, and the people were reduced to
a condition of abject misery. Making the most of their
deplorable state, Kiborogo raised the amount of
tribute to such an extent that the bales of the
expedition began to show lamentable signs of
depletion. It therefore became a serious question
with Stanley whether he should proceed further west,
or return to the coast and replenish his stores. Before
him lay the broad plains and valleys of the Uhha
country, whose princes were known throughout
Central Africa for their avarice and greed. Twenty
days' sojourn in Uhha would suffice to consume all that
was left of the tons of goods — cloth, wire, beads, &c. —
which had been brought over from Zanzibar in 1874. To
lead an expedition through the lands of the voracious
Mkamas or their grasping neighbours without cloth or
beads would be to court disaster and the utter destruc
tion of the entire party; and beyond lay the impassable
district of Urundi andRuanda,the people of which were
strongly adverse to the presence of strangers on their
borders, even when laden with supplies, and willing to
pay any tax demanded of them. On April 7th the order
was given, with great unwillingness, to take a south
ward course along the fruitful vale of Myagoma, the
quiet birth-place of the swift-flowing Malgarizi, which
rushes southward to the great waters of Tanganika,
and the rapid Lohugate, which, gathering strength as
it meanders through the rich loamy plains of Mzinza
Land, discharges itself into the Victoria Nyanza just
below the island of Bumbireh. Thus in the same
valley these two splendid rivers have their sources,
within a distance of 2000 yards of each other. But
issuing forth in opposite directions, the two streams

Stanley marches Southwards. 179
go out into the world apart, and remain' " strangers
throughout their lives."
The Expedition had been making good' progress on
its way back to Ujiji, and no difficulties bf a serious
nature had arisen to damp the ardour or quench the
courage of the column. " Bull," the last of Stanley's
canine friends, had died on the way from Nyambeni
to Gambawagao. The animal was a splendid specimen
of the pure-bred English bull-dog, and he had followed
in the track of his master overland for abovel500 miles.
The poor brute was full of " courage " to the last
moment, and dragged himself wearily over the rough
forest path in the wake of the bearers, but at length
with piteous cries and moans he laid himself down on
the ground and died, to the intense regret of his
owner and the entire company. The chiefs of the
districts through which the caravan was passing were
content with a moderate tribute, and they showed
themselves in many ways well disposed towards the
strangers. But Uranga had scarcely been reached,
before the terrible tidings flew through the country
that Mirambo was coming ! He was near, only twenty
miles (two camps) off, accompanied by an enormous
following of Ruga-Ruga (brigands) ! The terror was
universal. The town was at once put into a state of
defence, " marksmen's nests " were set up, and heavy
stockades of logs and beams of thick timber hastily
constructed. Arms and ammunition were dealt out
to the panic-stricken people, and the king, in long
flowing garments of calico, ran frantically from place
to place, directing the operations, and animating the
workers by his regal presence. He said Ho Stanley,
"You will stop to fight Mirambo, will «you not?"
N 2

180 Henry M. Stanley,
"Not I, my friend," was the reply, "I have no
quarrel with Mirambo, and we cannot help every
native to fight his neighbour. If Mirambo attacks
the village while I am in it, and will not go away when
I am here, we will fight, but we cannot stop here to
wait for him." 1
Early the following day the exploring party filed
out of the roughly fortified town with scouts in
advance to " feel " the country, and give due notice of
the presence of any danger from Mirambo or his law
less hordes. Serombo, one of the chief towns of the
Unyamwenzi, was reached without encountering " the
terror of Africa," and it was found that the progress
of the dreaded chief was one of peace, as he had
come to terms with his old enemies, the Arabs, and
was for the time intent only upon cultivating friendly
relations with his neighbours and fellow-chieftains.
The king of Serembo, a lad of sixteen, was connected
with Mirambo, and he was expecting a visit from the
famous warrior when the Expedition reached his
capital. The next day the whole population was
astir to receive the great man in a manner befitting
his proud position as the most powerful prince east
and south of the Tanganika. Volleys of welcome
announced his approach, and the air rang with the
crash of war-drums and the clamour of thousands of
tongues, as Mirambo made his state entry into the
town, attended by his body-guard of Ruga-Ruga
splendidly attired in coats of red and blue, white
shirts, and handsome turbans. The chief himself
was "a nice man," said Mabruki, the head of the
tent-boys, who had gone to see the procession enter
1 " Through the Dark Continent " (H. M. Stanley)/

A friendly Interview with Mirambo. 181
the capital, and who described to Stanley in glowing
terms the brave clothing and arms carried by the
notable visitor. In reply to a request from Mirambo
that the commander-in-chief of the Expedition would
send " words of peace " to him, a wish was expressed
by Stanley to shake hands with one who had made so
great a name for himself. He had, he said, made
treaties of friendship with Mtesa of Uganda, Rumanika
of Karagwe, and other powerful princes from Uganda
to Unyamwenzi, and he should be pleased to be on
good terms with Mirambo also. Stanley was much
astonished, when the notorious tyrant appeared at
the camp, with only twenty of his guard, to see before
him, not a " terrible bandit," but, " a thorough
African gentleman." Well-formed, mild in demeanour,
soft of speech, with a striking face and masterful eyes,
there was nothing of the sanguinary savage about the
man, nor any marks of special genius to distinguish
this Napoleon of the Central regions from any ordinary
calm and inoffensive-looking chief of dignified bearing
who might be met with in the course of the march
through the Lake Country.
In the course of a deeply interesting conversation
between the two leaders, Mirambo, who was dressed
in an Arab fez, coat, turban, and slippers, explained
the constitution of his formidable army of invincible
warriors, by means of which he had carried terror and
destruction into the Arab settlements and doubled the
price of ivory throughout Central Africa. He selected
boys or youths for his battalions (in curious accord
with Lord Wolseley's well-known predilection in
favour of young soldiers), as they had no domestic
ties, and were ready to march at a moment's notice.

182 Henry M. Stanley.
Their lithe limbs and supple frames enabled them to
cover the ground with the ease of deer, and they had
the spirit of the lion when roused by valorous words.
" Give me youths for ever in the field, and men for
the stockaded village," said the proud victor in many a
sternly contested fight. " The Arabs," he said, " got
the big head " (proud), and there was no talking with
them. But the war is now over — the Arabs know
what Mirambo can do. Any Arab or white man who
would like to pass through my country is welcome. I
will give him meat, and drink, and a house, and no
man shall harm him." Presents were exchanged
between the prince and the white man, and an abiding
compact of amity and good-will was sealed by the
ceremony of blood-brotherhood, which was performed
with all due solemnity in accordance with the rites
and forms observed on such occasions. The warrior
chief moreover furnished his white brother with guides
on the way to the south, and on the 4th of May he
accompanied the Expedition to the outskirts of
Serembo, with expressions of great regret at the
departure of his friend. Cows, calves, bullocks, and
a valuable ass (afterward named Mirambo by Stanley),
a bar of Castile soap, a bag of pepper, and some
saffron were presented to Stanley by Mirambo and
his companions as parting gifts ; and the march was
recommenced in a direction bearing south-south-west,
along the borders of the Watuta, a people with a bad
reputation for their churlish conduct to travellers or
passing caravans. Ugaga, on the banks of the rapid
Malgarazi, was reached on May 18th, and arrange
ments were made for ferrying the whole party across
the stream, which was at this point about sixty yards

The Expedition reaches Ujiji. 183
in width. The transport of the entire body having
been effected in safety, the desert beyond Uvinza was
traversed without mishap, and at mid-day on May
27th the weary, travel-worn band once more beheld
the gleaming waves and snowy surf beating upon the
rocky shores of Lake Tanganika. Before night the
Expedition was comfortably housed, and at rest in Ujiji.
The entire waters of the Victoria Lake had been
traversed, and its shores, inlets, and tributary streams
expored. The southern sources of the great river
of Egypt had been searched out, and followed through
all their devious windings to the shores of the
mighty Nyanza, into which they emptied their
tributary waters. Muta Nzige and its inhospitable
regions had been visited, and the Expedition had
travelled the course of the Alexandra Nile, the chief
affluent of the Victoria Lake, for more than half its
length. New and valuable facts had been collected
concerning the wide morasses and prolific slopes
whence the slender rivulets and countless streams well
forth to supply the silvery flood which rolls with
majestic force over the Ripon Falls to feed the far-
reaching Nile. The work of Speke and Grant had
been completed. The Victoria Nyanza and its
surroundings had been for ever cleared from the
mystery which had hitherto surrounded them, and the
great watery expanse had been proved to form, not
five distinct lakes, as Livingstone, Burton, and other
eminent travellers had so long supposed, but one
vast inland sea, with an area far exceeding that of
any other lake upon the African continent.

CHAPTER XL
The mystery of the Lualaba — Livingstone's legacy — Afloat on the
Tanganika — Sad memories — A "south-wester" — The "Soko"
(gorilla) country — On the track of Cameron — Friendly overtures
declined — No letters — Mutiny and death — Strong measures —
Native statuary — In the Manyema country — Traces of Living
stone — Heathen testimony to the virtues of the " old white
man" — The children loved him — On the banks of the Lualaba —
Tippo Tib and the Arabs of Nyangwe — Forward to the ocean !—
A terrible jungle — The expedition in peril — Perpetual strife —
Tippo Tib deserts Stanley — The cataracts — Encamped at the
Stanley Falls.
Stanley was by no means disposed to allow the
attractions and comforts of Ujiji to divert him for any
length of time from his fixed purpose, which was to
strike the Lualaba of Livingstone at the great Arab
settlement of Nyangwe, and follow it along its entire
course, either westward to the sea, or eastward to the
Great Nyanzas of the lake region. The question of
the final flow of the stream had been invested with
supreme interest by the tragic death of the veteran
traveller, who was the first European to gaze upon its
grey waters, and who had turned disconsolately back
from Nyangwe, unable to trace the newly found
waters beyond the confines of the Arab district, on
account of the wholesale desertions of his men, who
were terrified at the ghastly stories told of the man-
eating tribes in the great forest-lands to the north,
through which Livingstone proposed to lead them.
But before finally taking the westward road, the

Afloat on the Tanganika. 185
leader of the expedition was anxious to clear up some
problems of minor importance connected with the
great Tanganika, upon whose borders he was resting,
and he decided to coast along the eastern side of the
lake, carefully examining the shore throughout its
entire length, and then to return to Ujiji by way of
the western banks. On June 11th, 1876, the taut
and newly decorated Lady Alice was afloat for the
first time upon the deep blue waters of Tanganika.
Her history had been so far by no means uneventful.
She had successfully traced the sinuous shores of the
vast Victoria Nyanza, from Speke's Bay to Uganda
and back. She had travelled in safety on the
shoulders of her bearers over hundreds of miles of
swamp, and grassy plain, and bosky jungle ; she had
forced her way through the reedy sedge of the
Alexandra Nile; she had taken part in a friendly
contest upon the smooth bosom of Lake Windermere,
in the presence of native royalty ; and now, with a
crew of smart and able boatmen, she once more felt
the ripple of the waters about her bows, as she sailed
out of the port of Ujiji, attended by the Moefo, a
substantial but by no means rapid craft of native
make. With many hand-shakings and mutual felici
tations, the exploring party set forth, doomed,
according to the Arabs and their followers, to certain
destruction. " Take care of yourselves," was the
admonition of the crowd of people upon the banks,
who had assembled to see " the last," as they said, of
the adventurous Stanley. All who saw the Lady
Alice had serious doubts as to her seaworthiness- or
capacity to beat up against the heavy waves of the
lake, and the drowning of the entire party, was looked

186 Henry M. Stanley.
upon as a certain event by the desponding population
of Ujiji. Memories of Livingstone were revived, as
spot after spot was passed, which had been rendered
for ever notable as the scene of some incident in the
journey, which the two travellers had taken in
company from the lake to Unyanyembe.
At Urimba, Stanley recognized the exact spot upon
which they had pitched their little tent in 1872, and
which now to him " was hallowed by associations
of an intercourse which will never, never be re
peated." The district of the Ruga Ruga, the pirates of these
waters, was passed without difficulty but not without
danger, for the camp was on one occasion rudely
invaded by these dreaded freebooters, who have
literally swept the land of its inhabitants from the
Malgariza River as far south as the Rungwa, and, like
Ishmael of old, every man's hand is against them.
With bated breath, but none the less sincerely, they
are cursed alike by Arab, Wajii, and Wanyamwezi,
and all have an account to settle with them some day.
Towering above the lake to the south of Bonga Island
are the interesting peaks of Kungwe, the rocky re
cesses of which afford a refuge for the few remain
ing families of the original inhabitants of the locality.
The heights rise to an altitude of about 3000 feet
above the water, and the dwellings of the last of the
Karwendi are built in the clefts of the mountain, and
are defended from hostile attack by huge boulders of
rock, which are in a position to be detached at any
moment by the people, upon the heads of their
assailants. The country about Karema and the
Mpembwe Cape was found to be well stocked with

Gradual Rising op the Lake. 187
game, and the crews of the boats were made glad
with an abundance of fresh meat, which was easily
obtained by the sportsmen of the party from the fine
herds of buffalo and red antelope which ranged over
the broad undulating prairie-like region. The rock
scenery of the shore at this point was very striking.
Huge masses of granite of gigantic size rose up
from the deep waters, imparting to the locality an
impression of rude grandeur. The titanic blocks
were scored and seamed with the effects of the mighty
waves, which had at some time or other swept with
irresistible force over and around them, scouring
every particle of soil from their rugged faces,, and
most inaccessible fissures, till by some terrible and
sudden collapse of the earth's crust, the basin of the
lake fell, and these grey pillars and castellated masses
of stone were left a hundred feet above the surface of
the water. Immense blocks and crags of granite
lined the edge of the lake, and rose up peak above
peak, presenting an extraordinary and weird scene of
disarray, ruin, and confusion. On all sides there
were abundant proofs of the gradual rising of the
lake. Villages which a few years before were
standing high and dry at some distance from the
shores, were found either completely covered by the
waters, or in imminent danger of the flood ; and the
natives were alive to the certain change which was
taking place in the surface level of the. Tanganika.
" Can you see ? " said they. " Another rain, and we
shall have to break away from here, and build anew."
" Where does the water of the lake go to ? "
" It goes north, then it seems to come back upon
us stronger than ever."

188 Henry M. Stanley.
" But is there no river about here that goes towards
the west ? "
" We never heard of any."
The rugged heights of the western coast are
highly venerated by the population, who speak of
them as the abodes of the spirits of the mighty
dead, of whom they stand in great awe. The
natural towers of Mtombwa, which rise to a height of
1200 feet above the shore, are regarded by the
superstitious natives with special dread, as they are
supposed to shelter the ruling powers of the winds
and waves, and to control the tempests which sweep
down with terrible violence at times upon the waters
of the Tanganika. The exploring party had some
experiences of the power of a lake storm or Ma'ander
" south-wester," soon after leaving the mouth of the
Ruf uva River. The guides declared that this was the
very worst Ma'ander they had ever passed through.
The Meofib was hopelessly disabled, her rudder was
carried away, and she was only saved from complete
destruction by being allowed to drift helplessly on
to the beach. The Lady Alice flew, like a sea-bird,
before the blasts, and topped the waves like a thing
of life. The waves rushed along before the tempest
with wild noises and foam-crested tops, threatening
each moment to engulf the gallant little craft ; but she
passed safely through the peril, and succeeded at
length in finding a secure anchorage in a small creek,
behind the grey headland of Kasawa, out of the reach
of any further danger from the ruthless hurricane.
Mount Murambi, 2000 feet in height, is an impressive
feature in the landscape, along the wooded coast of
Marunga, and the gorges at its base are the favourite

A Lake-storm and the Lukuga River. 189
haunts of the " soko " or gorilla, whose voices when
heard at a distance resemble, according to Stanley,
the noise which is made by a number of villagers
when engaged in some wordy quarrel or disputation.
The leader of the expedition was anxious to decide
the much-disputed question of the flow of the Lukuga,
and after examining the mouths of the southern
streams, he sailed up the east coast of the lake to the
estuary of that river, which had already been partially
explored by Cameron in 1874. " The entrance to the
Lukuga," says this traveller in Vol. I. of his " Across
Africa " was more than a mile across, but closed by a
grass-grown sandbank with the exception of a channel
300 or 400 yards wide, and across the channel there
is a sill where the surf breaks heavily at times,
although there is more than a fathom of water at its
most shallow part." These facts at once appeared to
Stanley to prove that the river was inflowing, and his
subsequent investigations, which were conducted with
the greatest patience and perseverence, showed that
he was correct in this opinion, and the fact was
established that Tanganika, although a fresh-water
lake, has no affluent or out-flowing river great or
small. The tribes along the western banks were
kindly disposed towards the visitors, and readily
imparted to them any information as to the physical
features of the country which they possessed. At a
village west of the Kasansayara River, however, a
somewhat peculiar reception awaited the boats, and as
they drew near the edge of the water to enter into an
amicable palaver with the dark-skinned groups upon
the shore, the crews were greeted with hoarse cries
and furious gestures, which were understood to mean

190 Henry M. Stanley.
that if they landed they would be attacked and slain.
The excited villagers smote the earth and the water
with their weapons, and sprang about in fits of
passion, hurling huge stones and pieces of sharp rock
into the boats, and otherwise conducting themselves
in a distinctly uncivil manner.
The white man and his followers gazed calmly upon
the scene, and never, by word or look, showed any
sign of anger or pleasure, until, worn out by their un
necessary exertions, the excited natives became calm
and sober in their demeanour. Para, the interpreter
and guide of the party, then explained to them that
their conduct had been so outrageously absurd, that
the white man declined to have any communication
whatever with them. The boats then turned away in
silence, and tried to land at the town of Mabonga,
where they again met with a far from flattering wel
come. The people of Mabonga, in reply to the salu
tations of the voyagers, rudely derided them, and,
when asked to supply them with food, cried out that
they were not the slaves of the white man and his
companions, and that they did not plant their fields
with grain to sell to such as them.
On the 31st of July the Lady Alice was once more
anchored off Ujiji, after an absence of fifty-one days,
during which she had sailed, without disaster, a distance
of over 810 miles.
The leader of the Expedition was cordially welcomed
back to his old quarters by the Arabs and the main
body of the force, which had been left behind during
the cruise to the south, under the charge of young
Pocock, who had suffered terribly from fever during
the absence of his chief. Small-pox had also attacked

Ujiji reached — Devastated by Smallpox. 191
the town, and several of the native bearers had been
stricken down by the foul complaint, which, amongst
the natives of Africa, who are unprotected by vacci
nation, takes a most virulent and loathsome form.
Villages are depopulated by the scourge, the healthy
flee from the epidemic in terror, and the sick and
suffering are left, untended and unsolaced, to die or
recover as chance may decide. Something like a panic
had seized upon the place, every house was afflicted
with mourning and woe ; the Arabs were paralyzed by
fear of the pest ; and thirty-eight men of the Expe
dition had deserted and fled to the coast. No letters
had reached Stanley for over nineteen months, and he
was naturally anxious to receive some news from home
before entering once more upon his wanderings through
the trans-Tanganika country, but he felt that if he
were to get away at all, he must decide to leave Ujiji
at once, before his native force was entirely decimated
by disease or desertion.
On August 25, therefore, the bugle sounded for the
advance to the canoes, to which those members of the
Expedition who were ready to take flight at the
earliest opportunity were conducted as prisoners by an
escort of the "faithful." The entire force now num
bered 132 men, but only thirty of these were trusted
with guns. On the second day three more Wangwana
decamped, and finally young Kalulu, the lad who had
been adopted by Stanley, and partially educated in
Europe, decamped, and could nowhere be found.
Strong measures had to be taken to save the enter
prise from complete failure ; and trusted parties were
sent out in all directions to scour the country in search
of the fugitives. Six of the runaways were brought

192 Henry M. Stanley.
back, and Kalulu was also obliged to return to his
allegiance, after having been traced to the Arab
colony on Kasenge Island. The labours of Living
stone had been more than once brought to an untimely
end, for the time, by the cowardly flight of his followers,
who preferred the indolent life of the Arab settlements
to the terrors and privations of a march through un
known lands, and it was only after a display of stern
determination on the part of Stanley that he was able
to transport his people across to the western shores of
the lake without further loss, and thus avoid the total
collapse of the enterprise which he had taken in hand.
Foolish and exaggerated reports had been industriously
circulated amongst his men as to the fiery meteors,
hobgoblins, terrible spirits, and man-eating tribes
to be met with in the regions which their leader was
about to traverse, and it required all the tact and
courage of their commander to successfully combat
the adverse influences which were at work to scatter
his forces and destroy his hopes. Landing at Mtowa,
the party found themselves in the territory of a peace
able and amiable people, who readily brought their
produce into the camp, and evinced a mixed feeling of
respect and fear for the white man, about whom they
had their own ideas. " How can the white men be
good, when they do not come for trade ? " they asked,
" whose feet one never sees, who always go covered
from head to foot with clothes ! Do not tell us they
are good or friendly. There is something very mys
terious about them ; perhaps wicked. Probably they
are magicians ; at any rate, it is better to leave them
alone, and to keep close until they are gone." In
some of the villages of the Waguha and Wabinjwe,

Not so bad as they look. 193
some interesting specimens of native skill in the arts
of stone and wood carving were noticed. Figures in
wood adorned the houses, and some of the men were
ornamented with wooden medals, upon which a rough
resemblance to a human face was portrayed. The
route of the Expedition now lay for some distance
through the country of the Uhombo people, a district
remarkable for its fruitfulness, and abounding in
delightful scenery. The people were busily employed
in their fields of sugar-cane, millet, maize, and sweet
potatoes, and kept the travellers well supplied with
good food and delicious fruit of various kinds. In
personal appearance they were by no means attractive,
and, in fact, they presented the most repulsive and
degraded type of humanity in Central Africa. Their
features were forbidding and ugly, and their habits
and dress were alike disagreeable and offensive ; but
in spite of their outward seeming, they proved to be a
generous and tender-hearted race.
On the 5th of October the frontier-town of the
Mangema people was reached, and Stanley was much
interested by the native stories which he heard of
Livingstone and his doings in this far-off land.
They showed Stanley the house which the doctor
occupied during his sojourn amongst them, and
Livingstone's various acts of kindness and his
gentle manners were recounted and dwelt upon in
soirowful and affectionate accents by these uncivilized
sons of the wilderness.
On the 11th of October the Luama river was crossed,
and after passing unmolested through the dreaded
region of the man-eating Manyema, the Expedition
halted upon the banks of the long-sought and stately
o

194 Henry M. Stanley.
Lualaba. The course from Ujiji to the banks of the
Lualaba had been one of unusual peace and compara
tive comfort. The native chiefs had received the
travellers with hospitality, and sent them on their way
with cordial expressions of good-will, and often with
large gifts of provisions, or offers of guides for the
road. The little force had, happily, been free from
sickness, and the old dread of the strange nations of
the interior had almost died out. With wild shouts of
delight the tired bearers put down their loads for the
moment, and gazed with their gratified leader upon
the broad waters which they had journeyed so far to
behold. At Mwana Mamba the Expedition came up with a
large body of Arabs, who were returning from a raid
into the Manyema country, which they had invaded to
avenge the murder of one of their own people, a trader
of some distinction. From these men Stanley was
able to obtain much useful information as to the causes
which had deterred both Livingstone and Cameron
from pursuing their investigations along the course of
the Lualaba. Tippo-Tib, a wealthy and powerful Arab,
who had accompanied the latter in some of his explo
rations, at once described to Stanley the difficulties
which lay before him, should he determine, at all
hazards, to follow up the course of the river.
The obstacles which had baffled and turned back
the two valiant men, who had already attempted to
solve the greatest problem of African geography, were
formidable, and apparently inconceivable. No canoes
could be had ; and the reported hostility to the white
man of the savage hordes who lined the banks of the
stream had so effectually scared the followers of Living-

A Bargain with Tippo-Tib. 195
stone and Cameron, that they resolutely refused to
accompany their leaders upon a river which led no one
knew whither. After considerable delay, however, a
small fleet of canoes was obtained by Stanley, and the
interest of Tippo-Tib having been secured by an offer
of liberal remuneration for his services, and a promise
of full compensation for any loss which he might sustain
in the course of the passage, the Arab agreed to accom
pany the Expedition with a force of 300 men for, at
least, a distance of sixty camps. The conditions of
the contract were : —
1. That the journey should commence from Nyan
gwe, in any direction the leader of the exploring party
might choose, and on any day fixed by him.
2. That the journey should not occupy more time
than three months from the first day it was com
menced. 3. That the rate of travel should be two marches to
one halt.
4. That the Arab's force, after accompanying the
party for sixty marches — each march of four hours'
duration — should return to Nyangwe with the explor
ing party, for mutual protection and support, unless
they fell in with traders from the west coast, in which
case Stanley might proceed to the western sea, pro
vided he allowed two-thirds of his people to return
with Tippo-Tib to Nyangwe.
5. That, exclusive of the 5000 dollars agreed upon
as the price of the Arab's support, the leader of the
exploring party was to provision 140 of Tippo' s men
till the whole body returned to Nyangwe.
6. That if, after experience of the countries and the
natives, it was found impracticable to continue the
o 2

196 Henry M. Stanley.
journey, and it was decided to return before the sixty
marches were completed, Tippo was not to be held
responsible, but he was to be paid the 5000 dollars
in full, without any deduction.
On the 2nd of November, 1876, the combined forces
were assembled at Nyangwe for the start down the
stream to the great Atlantic. The men of the Expe
dition, 146 in number, were supplied with rifles, and a
supply of ammunition was served out to them. En
couraged by the formidable array of Tippo's contingent,
they renewed their promise of fealty to their com
mander; and the eventful journey, which was "to
flash a torch of light across the western half of the
Dark Continent," was begun.
On Christmas Day, 1876, the expedition had reached
Vinya-Njaia, after a toilsome and perilous journey by
land from Nyangwe. The people had suffered terribly
all along the route, and they had well-nigh become dis
heartened when Stanley ordered a halt to be made,
and a strongcamp formed,in order to give the exhausted
men a short rest from the toils of the road. The pas
sage through the dense jungle, along the western banks
of the river, where at times a way had to be cut
step by step with axes, to allow the boat sections and
bales of goods to be carried forward, had sadly tried
the endurance and patience of the little army, and the
Arabs were so much distressed by these fearful days
and weeks spent in the foul atmosphere and slush and
reek of the "pagan's forest," that they decided to
break their contract and return to the south. The
progress through the hateful woods was painfully slow.
The marching column was utterly disorganized, and
every man did the best he could for himself, as he

A dismal Swamp. 197
plunged knee-deep in the slough, or fought his way
through the tangle of creepers and convolvuli, which
were as thick as cables, or scrambled along, his
toes holding on to the path whilst his hands grasped
the load upon his head, and his elbows pushed aside
the sapling or the brush-wood which obstructed his
path. The fetid and confined air of this doleful wilder
ness of woods soon began to tell upon the men, and the
slopping moisture, the dreary monotony, the reeking
malarious atmosphere, the horrible odours, and the
constant necessity to crawl, and creep, and burrow
a way like wild animals through the interlaced and
closely matted vegetation, so thoroughly exhausted
their energies, and crushed their spirits that a mutiny
appeared once more to be inevitable. Forty-one miles
north of the Nyangwe Stanley had decided to cross the
Lualaba (henceforth to be known as the Livingstone)
and pursue his course by water. The land-marches
had proved disastrous to the health of the force, and
small-pox had broken out in the ranks. The natives
had ceased to be friendly, and day after day they had
mustered in thousands on the banks, and upon the
water, to oppose the advance of the white men. In
vain Stanley explained to these ferocious savages that
his purpose in travelling along their waters was one
of peace, and that he had not come to ravage their
lands or destroy their villages. The camps of the
party were attacked, stragglers were cut off, and the
road had for leagues to be forced in the face of hordes
of enraged and frantic natives, armed with heavy
spears and sheafs of poisoned arrows, which they cast
down upon the boats with furious energy, as they
drifted northward with the flood. At times every

198 Henry M. Stanley.
man of the expedition felt that he must fight or ac
cept the only other alternative, a terrible and dis
honoured death. The natives in vast numbers would
assail the camps, and fling themselves against the
hastily raised stockades with a determination and rude
valour which severely tried the resources of the little
garrisons which were thus brought to bay. The
muzzles of the rifles of the besieged expedition at
times touched the bodies of their dark-skinned foes
as they pressed up to the barricades, and for hours the
desperate conflict raged before the natives, terrified
at the prowess of the white men, sullenly retired into
the gloomy depths of the jungle, and allowed the
strangers to proceed on their way in peace. On one
occasion a clear passage was only secured for the
expedition by an exploit which reveals something of
that audacity and readiness of resource which are so
characteristic of Stanley.
A tribe remarkable for the fierceness with which it
repeatedly attacked the voyagers, had drawn up its
canoes in force at a favourable point on the river to
check the advance of the party. A desperate
struggle for the passage took glace, but the enemy's
blockade remained unbroken. In the darkness of
the night, however, Stanley put off from his camp, in
the midst of a storm of rain and wind, with muffled
oars, accompanied by Pocock, to cut adrift the entire
fleet of the enemy's canoes, and so effectually disable
them from all further opposition to his advance. The
adventure was carried through with spirit, and was
crowned with success, and the result was that the
chiefs of the offending tribe sued for terms of peace,
and entered into blood-brotherhood with the daring and

TlPPO-TlB ABANDONS STANLEY. 199
ubiquitous strangers. But Tippo Tib and his con
tingent requested to be released from their engage
ment. They wished to go back to Nyangwe. The
terrible condition of the force, the number of deaths
which occurred daily from disease, and the constant
fighting for a free passage northward, had so dis
couraged them that Stanley saw it was useless to
attempt to keep them with him any longer. But
nothing could damp the ardour or quench the calm
but strong enthusiasm of Stanley, His progress
had been one continued struggle with difficulties and
adversity. He had fought his way so far with in
vincible courage, and already his force had been pain
fully thinned by the ravages of disease and the
assaults of his implacable foes. But still he did not
hesitate for a moment as to the course which he would
pursue. He agreed to cancel the agreement with his
Arab allies, and decided to press onward, relying
altogether upon his own resources. Addressing his
men at this crisis in the history of the expedition, he
told them that he would never turn back till he had
accomplished the work which he had been sent to do,
viz. to explore the Livingstone from its source to its
mouth. " Therefore," said he, " my children, make up
your minds as I have made up mine, that as we are
now in the very middle of this continent, and it would
be just as bad to return as to go on, we shall con
tinue our journey, and toil on and on by this river,
till we reach the great salt sea." The men once
more declared their confidence in their leader, and
active preparations were made for voyaging down
the river. The fleet was mustered on the morning of
Christmas Day, and itwas found to number twenty-three

200 Henry M. Stanley.
canoes, to each of which a distinguishing number or
name was attached. After taking a kindly farewell of
the Arabs, the expedition, mustering 149 souls in all,
was embarked ; and the flotilla soon spread itself over
the broad bosom of the Livingstone, and headed for
the Equator. The morning of New Year's Day, 1877,
found the party advancing peacefully and hopefully
through a magnificent growth of tropical forest, the
delightful stillness of which was most grateful to the
harassed men, who were slowly drifting over the
mighty stream which pierced its dreamy solitudes.
From the Kankore people, who received the expedition
with hospitality, Stanley learnt that the district which
hehad just traversed was the territory of the Amu-Nyam,
the most persistent cannibals on the river, whose war-
song on sighting the boats of the strangers had been,
" We shall eat Wajiwa (people of the sun), to-day !
Oho, we shall eat Wajiwa meat, to-day ! " To Kalimbo,
the interpreter, one of their chiefs had replied, on see
ing the strings of shells and beads and the copper orna
ments which were offered for barter, " Do you think we
shall be disappointed of so much meat (pointing to
the crews in the boats) by the present of a few
shells and beads and a little copper ? "
From January 6th to the 28th, a weary period of
twenty days, the members of theexpedition were fighting
their way, step by step, from the first to the seventh
cataract of the Stanley Falls. The canoes had re
peatedly to be hauled out of the stream and dragged
over miles of rugged forest-road, and then launched
again upon the wild and turbulent waters, in the midst
of violent onslaughts from the cannibal tribes of the
region, who hung about the locality, and kept up a

Cannibals and Cataeacts. 201
perpetual strife with the heroic little band led by the
white stranger. The scene at the seventh and last
cataract of the series was one of great magnificence.
To within a mile of this spot the Livingstone preserves
a broad flow of 1 300 yards in width ; it then suddenly
narrows, the current increases, and with a crash like
thunder the huge volume of water is flung over the
rocky precipice, which is only 500 yards across. The
work of passing the rapids had been full of peril, and
scarcely a day had passed without a struggle for life
with the man-eating warriors of the renowned Bakumi,
or the pitiless savages who inhabited the islands
surrounded by the seething waters of these falls.

CHAPTER XII.
Afloat on the Livingstone — Peace and rest — Eiver life — Fighting once
more — Stanley Pool — Depressing prospects — The expedition
starving — A royal visit — "Thirty-second and last fight" — The
dreaded cataracts — Livingstone Falls — The "largest goat" in
Africa — Disaster and love — Kalulu lost — Drowning of Frank
Pocock — Rebellion in the camp — "Tired" — Death in the river
— "The politest people in Africa" — The end approaching —
" Master, we are dying of hunger ! " — The Lady Alice abandoned
¦ — A painful march — " Food, give us food ! " — " Eum, I love
rum ! " — In correspondence with white men — Belief appears —
" Saved " — Boma — Zanzibar — Home once more.
The canoes of the expedition were once more afloat
upon the grey -brown waters of the Livingstone. The
surging, deafening torrents of the falls were left far
behind, and aided by the swift current the expedition
sailed gaily on its course, cheered by the rude songs
of the boatmen, and thankfully feeling that at last the
cannibal regions about the mighty cataracts had been
safely passed. The health of the men had consider
ably improved since they had reached the purer
atmosphere of the falls, and the absence of any
active opposition to their progress after leaving the
rapids, and the restful sensation which the entire party
experienced, as the crowded flotilla drifted undisturbed
over the broad bosom of the tranquil stream, contri
buted to render this portion of the journey not only
pleasant but even enjoyable. Populous villages were
seen at intervals along the fertile banks, and occasion-

Better Progress. 203
ally the people gathered in groups on the landing-
places and exchanged friendly greetings with the
voyagers as they sailed along. The river gradually
widened, and in some places it presented a broad
glistening expanse quite 4000 yards in breadth.
Islands clothed with dense green foliage rose above
the level of the waters, and imparted a refreshing tone
of colour to the scene, and tall, wooded ridges, and
brown, grey and red cliffs, crowned with luxuriant
clumps of tropical vegetation, enclosed the silent but
rapid stream on both sides. The travellers had
grown weary of constant strife, and they sought by
every means in their power to avoid conflict with the
people along the shores. The woods swarmed with
baboons and tiny, long-tailed monkeys. The long, low
islands of alluvial soil were alive with flocks of spur-
winged geese, kingfishers and flamingoes, and the
narrow channels afforded shelter to the hippopotamus,
crocodile, and the monitor. But the truce between
the dusky sons of the soil and the force of the white
man was soon destined to be rudely broken, and Once
more the sound of the war- drums rolled over the
waters, and warned the expedition that danger was
near. On approaching the villages of the Bangala,
Stanley was startled to find the river blockaded by
a crowd of sixty-three canoes, filled with natives who
were all armed with guns or rifles, and were evidently
bent upon disputing the passage of his men. A sharp
conflict took place for the right of way; but after
some hours of stubborn resistance, the Bangala drew
off, and left the expedition to proceed on its course.
On March 12th the canoes entered a broad lake-like
expanse of the river, which was at once named

204 Henry M. Stanley.
" Stanley Pool " by the brave fellows who were the
first to look upon its glistening waters, and who thus
desired to do honour to their trusted and undaunted
commander. The voyage from the district of the
Bangala to the "Pool" had been free from serious
contention with the natives, but the expedition had
suffered terribly at times from inability to obtain
provisions, owing to the distrust of the villagers, who
disappeared into the woods immediately the Lady
Alice and her consorts hove in sight. About the
middle of February the prospect had become most
depressing. "Where shall we obtain food? What
will be the end of all this ? What shall we do ? " were
the questions which each man asked of his neighbour,
and the kindly heart of their leader was wrung with
pain at the sight of his drooping followers, who
without a murmur endured the pangs of semi-starva
tion with the fortitude of stoics. At Mengo, however,
a market was opened with the chiefs after much
palaver, and rich stores of cassava, tubers, and
bananas and plantains were soon distributed amongst
the famished wanderers, who were beginning to fall
into a state of deadly callousness, induced by the
painful privations they had undergone. A visit of
state was paid to the camp by the chiefs of Bwena
and Tuguba, who were attended by an immense crowd
of armed followers, and whose approach was announced
by the sounding of gongs and bells and the usual royal
horns of ivory. Stanley felt once more that he was
among friends, and that he was for the first time since
leaving Urangi secure and at peace with his neigh
bours. The weapons carried by the native warriors
were highly decorated with brass, and their knives

A MORE FRIENDLY COUNTRY. 205
and hatchets of fine iron were beautifully fashioned.
The people were skilled craftsmen, and some of their
brass and iron ornaments were excellent specimens of
clever and tasteful native workmanship. Eight canoes
were ordered by the chiefs to accompany the flotilla of
the expedition for some distance upon its way, and these
well-mannered people partedf rom their white friend and
his followers with hearty expressions of good-fellow
ship and amity. An attack from the Irebu on the
south bank was feared, and every precaution taken as
the little fleet threaded its way amongst the groups of
thickly -wooded islets of the region of this warlike and
inhospitable tribe. Strong gales occasionally swept
over the face of the river and the canoes were
threatened with a new danger. In spite of tempests,
cataracts, and the Irebu, however, good progress was
made ; and on nearing the shores of Bolobo there were
signs in the cultivated fields, peaceful villages, and
mild demeanour of the natives that the region of
pure and unadulterated African savagery was past, and
that the expedition had once more reached a territory
inhabited by people who were controlled by the
primary laws of humanity. The fishermen, who met
them in mid-stream, no longer greeted the strangers
with opprobious epithets or insulting grimaces ;
messengers put off from the shore to invite them to
land, and to point out to them the most desirable
spot for the erection of a camp ; and, instead of the
frightful " Bo-bo-bo's " and " Woh-hu-hu-hu's " of the
frantic savages up the stream, gentle words of friendly
import were wafted across the waters to the delighted
wanderers. The change from the chequered experi
ences of the past was most welcome to the little band.

206 Henry M. Stanley.
Their terrors had been many. First the rocks and
fierce waters of the cataracts. Then the fell visita
tions of disease. Next the sudden storm raising the
waters into huge brown billows, and filling the boats
with their angry foam. Then the greatest peril of all,
the wild brutal cannibals who had to be fought at
every turn of the stream. Then the awful dread of
death by famine. Livingstone had described floating
down the Lualaba as " a foolhardy feat," and at
times Stanley was more than half inclined to agree
with him.
Meanwhile the mystery of the terrible river was
being silently unfolded as the expedition pressed on
its way. Since leaving Stanley Falls, there had been
no longer any doubt in the mind of the sagacious and
observant commander as to his being on the Congo.
To the cautious inquiry on the subject, which he
addressed to the kindly old chief of Rubunga, the
reply was " Ikuto ya Kongo," and these words at once
confirmed his own impression. The flotilla was
received in the handsomest manner by the King of
Chumbiri, who visited Stanley with a royal escort of
five canoes crowded with warriors armed with muskets,
and who sent the white man on his way rejoicing with
replenished stores, and an imposing guard of honour
of forty-five soldiers under the command of the heir-
apparent, who was charged to see Stanley and his little
band in safety as far as the end of the expanse of waters,
which was to be for ever after known to the world as
" Stanley Pool," and the devout and friendly tribe
implored their fetich to protect their white brother
from point to point on his perilous journey and to
bring him to his friends in peace. The thirty-second

The last Fight. 207
and last fight of the expedition took place six miles
below the junction of the Nkutu river with the Living
stone. The canoes had been drawn up to the bank,
and preparations were being made for the morning
meal, when the rattle of musketry suddenly startled
the commander of the party, who rushed forward to
find ¦ that the camp had been attacked by a body
of treacherous natives, who had approached them
unperceived. A desperate conflict at once began, and
for an hour the firing was kept up by both sides with
spirit ; but the enemy was at length beaten off, after
having succeeded in wounding fourteen of Stanley's
men. The left bank of the " Pool," a magnificent sheet
of water, thirty square miles in area, was found to
be thickly populated by the important tribe of the
Bateke, who warned Stanley of the perils of the
formidable cataracts which they said crossed the
western end of the "Pool." These genial people
tried to imitate the terrific noise which was made by
the falling waters, to the great amusement of the
exploring party, who, guided by the chief Mankoneh,
sailed on to inspect the rapids. The puzzled natives
were most anxious to know how the white man
proposed to navigate the boisterous torrents, which by
a graphic display of signs they described as appalling
in their grandeur. A camp was formed near the first
cataract of the series of rapids (which the commander-
in-chief of the expedition at once named the Livingstone
Falls), and preparations were made to receive the great
chief Itsi, the Lord of Ntamo, who had sent to say that
he would like to shake hands with the white man who
had come down from the High Waters. The party

208 Henry M. Stanley.
was again in a pitiable plight from want of food, the
specious Chumbiri having proved " the most plausible
rogue of all Africa," and Stanley was most anxious that
there should be peace between himself and his black
neighbours, especially as at this point of the passage
the tedious operation of hauling-up the canoes, and
transporting them bodily over land and then re
launching them upon the smooth flood below the broken
waters, would have to be repeated.
Itsi arrived at the camp about midday in a splendid
canoe, which measured eighty-five feet in length and
four feet in width. This noble vessel presented a most
imposing appearance, as she drew up to the shore with
her rows of paddlers standing in theirplaces and bending
their bodies to the measure of a rousing chorus. The
canoe, with Itsi enthroned in state " mid-ship," made
for the landing-place at the rate of six knots an hour,
to the intense admiration of the white men and their
followers, who could not restrain their expressions of
astonishment at the " style " in which the Lord of Ntamo
travelled through his far-reaching dominion. The
total number of persons carried by this enormous craft
was eighty-six, including the prince. The two canoes
which were in attendance upon the royal barge, carried
ninety-two persons in all. The young monarch was
very anxious to appropriate the last of the " big goats"
of Uregga, which Stanley was conveying with great
care to the coast, hoping to send it home as a present
to an eminent English lady. The animal was not to be
parted with, and Itsi was offered one of the asses, but
this gift was declined. Itsi sulked and threatened
to stop all supplies, unless his wish as to the goat was
at once complied with, and with great reluctance

An Exchange op Charms. 209
Stanley finally decided to allow his capricious visitor
to have his way. The "largest" goat in Africa was
therefore transferred to the royal vessel, and provisions
were sent into the camp, and the ceremony of blood-
brotherhood having been performed with much unction,
the Lord of Ntamo retired, having first handed over to
Stanley a small gourdful of a curious powder, which he
said would secure his white brother against all harm or
evil influences throughout his life. Stanley returned
the compliment by 'formally presenting to Itsi the white
man's charm against adversity — a half- ounce vial of
magnesia. On the 16th of March the struggle with the great
waters was renewed. As the expedition advanced west
ward, the natives on the shores of the Livingstone had
become amiable and even kind. But the terrors of the
river had increased. Mile after mile of raging waters,
rushing with awful fury down vast steeps of rock, had
to be avoided by dragging the flotilla up the hillsides
and over the rough boulders along the edge of the noble
stream. Some of the rapids were remarkable for their
savage beauty ; but the work of getting the expedition
in safety past the cataracts so occupied the mind and
eyes of Stanley, that the natural charms of this strange
and awful combination of towering mountains, eddying
waters and mighty rocks, had no attractions for him.
The whole region seemed to be full of perils to the tiny
host that was, day by day, engaged in a stern and
terrible strife with the dread stream, which ploughed
its way with angry violence through the vast ravine
that leads from the highlands of the interior down to
the maritime plains and the great sea. Several of the
canoes were dashed to pieces upon the sharp rocks, or
p

210 Henry M. Stanley.
carried over the eddying floods and swept down into
the foaming depths below, with their crews, never to be
seen again. The famous craft, the London Town, the
" Great Eastern " of the fleet, seventy-five feet long by
three feet wide, had been torn from the hands of fifty
men, in a piece of the river fitly named the " Cauldron,"
and carried away to instant destruction. On the same
day another canoe of great size and value, the Glasgow,
was drawn into the current, which rushed seaward at
the rate of thirty knots per hour ; and accidents of all
kinds were constantly happening to the men, who were
dashed upon the slippery rocks, or hurled into the
hissing stream bruised and disabled, in their gallant
efforts to secure the boats, or to snatch some member
of their party from a watery grave. Painful disloca
tions and severe injuries were common, from the
peculiar nature of the work upon the glazed trap
boulders, which were washed by the furious flood, and
Kalulu, Mauredi, and Ferajji, the former the favourite
attendant of Stanley, were (to the horror and dismay
of their leader and their comrades, who stood helplessly
watching the catastrophe) carried with lightning speed
over the furious falls since known as the " Kalulu,"
and never seen again. As the men were gazing in
awe-stricken silence at the fatal spot over which their
friends had for ever disappeared, a cry came over the
deafening flood from a second canoe which was being
carried on with fearful violence towards the watery
precipice. It contained only one man, the brave lad
Soudi, who, turning his sorrowful and despairing face
to the excited group upon the shore, cried out as he
shot with arrow-like speed past his belovedcommander,
" La il Allah, il Allah ! (There is but one God !) I am

Catastrophe at the Kalulu Falls. 211
lost ! Master ! " The men watched the tiny craft as it
dropped over the falls, till it was out of sight, hidden
by the clouds of spray which rose up from the foot of
the roaring, crashing torrents. Nine men were lost in
that one afternoon ! But Soudi had not been drowned
after all. He had been swept down over the upper and
lower Kalulu Falls and the intervening rapids, and
whirled about in the wild river ; but he clung to his
canoe, and eventually succeeded in springing upon a
rock. No sooner had he reached the shore than he
was seized by two natives, who bound him with thongs,
and carried him off in triumph to their chief. Such
terrible stories of the prowess of the white man with
large eyes of fire and long hair, who owned a gun that
shot all day, had reached these people, however, that
they feared to detain Soudi when they understood that
he belonged to Stanley's party, and the captive was
dismissed and told to go back to his king, and not to
tell him what they had done, but to say that they had
been kind to him and saved his life.
The safe passage of the Lady Alice over the broken
waters and treacherous currents of the falls was to
Stanley a matter of frequent anxiety, and more than
once the gallant little boat was in serious peril from the
snapping of her cables, or the irresistible violence of
the eddying tide.
Surrounded by the daily horrors and depressing in
fluences of these endless cataracts, deafened by the
ceaseless moaning and thunder of their many voices,
and confronted on all sides by rugged cliff's and
fearful scenes of nature in her wildest and most
threatening aspects, the little party of brave men pushed
on towards the ocean, as sternly resolved as ever to
p 2

212 Henry M. Stanley.
effect the great purpose of their journey or to die in
the attempt. From March 16th to April 21st the
dauntless band had progressed only thirty -four miles!
Many of the men were suffering from disease and
the effects of their terrible toil in the region of the
cataracts, food was scarce, and yet fresh canoes had
to be built and launched, if the expedition was ever to
reach the mouth of the river, and the entire fleet had
to be dragged over a steep ascent of 1200 feet before
it could pursue its course once more upon the brown
waves of the Livingstone.
After a halt of seven days at Mowa, an advance was
made to the neighbourhood of the great cataract of the
series. Stanley proceeded alone in advance of the ex
pedition to secure a suitable camping-ground, and to
prepare the natives of the locality for the appearance
of the main body of the force. Strict injunctions to
proceed with the greatest care along the dangerous route
were given to the men in charge of the boats, and the
anxious commander had taken up a position upon the
Zuiga Point, about a hundred yards from the great
cataract, to watch for the arrival of the fleet, at a fixed
point above the foaming cascade. To his horror and
amazement he suddenly perceived a capsized canoe, with
several men clinging to it, rolling and tumbling about in
the angry waves. Help was instantly sent down to the
shore, and strenuous efforts were made to succour tne
drowning men. The wrecked crew at once flung them
selves into the surf and struck out for the bank, upon
which their terror-stricken comrades awaited them; but
the unfortunate craft swept onward with arrow-like
speed, and, dashing over the precipice into the great
whirlpools below, was seen no more. At the same

Death op Pocock. 213
moment, Kacheche, the faithful police-officer of the
expedition, rushed breathlessly up to the spot upon
which his leader was standing, with the cry, "Three
are lost ! — and — one of them is the little master ! "
"The little master, Kacheche?" gasped Stanley.
" Surely not the little master ? "
" Yes, he is lost, master ! "
" But how came he in the canoe ? " said the sorrow-
stricken leader. " Speak, Uledi, how came he — a
cripple — to venture into the canoe ? "
The facts of the painful story are as follows. As
the canoe was about to push off, poor Pocock had
crawled up and asked to be taken in. He had been
suffering for weeks from ulcerated feet, and he wished
to follow the course along the river, rather than face
the toilsome journey over the rough, rocky pathway
by land. The men had ventured too near the falls,
and the canoe had drifted into the full force of the
current before the crew had realized their danger.
Uledi had been the first to hear the dread booming of
the rapids ahead, and he had said to Pocock, —
" Little master, it is impossible to shoot the falls ;
no boat or canoe can do it and live."
"Bah!" said Frank, contemptuously; "did I not
see, as we came down, a strip of calm water on the left
which, by striking across river, we could easily reach ? "
" But, master, this fall is not directly across river,
it is almost up and down ; the lower part on the left
being much farther than that which is on the right,
and which begins to break close by here. I tell you the
truth," added Uledi, as Frank shook his head sceptically.
"Little master, I have looked at all the fall, and I can see
no way by water ; it will be death to make the trial."

214 Henry M. Stanley.
The poor fellow spoke the sad truth ; but the high-
spirited English youth still urged the men to attempt
the passage of the falls.
" I don't believe this place is as bad as you say it is.
The noise is not like that of the fall which we have
passed, and I feel sure if I went to look at it myself,
I would soon find a way."
"Well, if you doubt me, send Mpwapwa and Sha-
mari and Mazoutt to see, and if they say there is a
road, I will try it if you command me."
Then Frank sent off two of these to examine, and
their report was that the place was quite impassable
by water.
Laughing at their fears, Frank said, "I knew what
you would say. The Wangwana are always cowardly
in the water ; the least little ripple has, before this,
been magnified into a great wave. If I had only four
white men with me I would soon show you whether we
could pass it or not."
" Little master," said the coxswain sadly, " neither
white men nor black men can go down this river alive,
and I do not think it right that you should say that we
are afraid. As for me, I think you ought to know me
better. See ! I hold out both hands, and all my fingers
will not count the number of lives I have saved on this
river. How then can you say, master, I show fear ? "
" Well, if you do not, others do," said Frank.
" Neither are they nor am I afraid. We believe
the river to be impassable in a canoe. I have only to
beckon to my men, and they will follow me to death
— and it is death to go down this cataract. We are
now ready to hear you command us to go, and we
want your promise that, if anything happens, and our

Pocock's last Moments. 215
master asks, ' Why did you do it ? ' that you will bear
the blame."
" No, I will not order you. I will have nothing to
do with it. You are the chief in this canoe. If you
like to go — go, and I will say you are men, and not
afraid of the water. If not, stay, and I shall know it
is because you are afraid. It appears to me easy
enough, and I can advise you. I don't see what could
happen." Turning to the crew, Uledi then said : " Boys, our
little master is sorry that we are afraid of death. I
know there is death in the cataract ; but come, let us
show him that the black men fear death as little as
white men; What do you say ? "
"A man can die but once."
" Who can contend with his fate ? "
" Our fate is in the hands of God."
" Enough ; take your seats," Uledi said.
" You are men ! " cried Frank.
" Bismillah (In the name of God) ! Let go the
rocks, and shove off," cried the coxswain.
" Bismillah ! " replied the men, as they pushed
off from the rocks.
They were soon amongst the fearful waters, plung
ing headlong through the billowy foam. The canoe
began to fill as the waves leaped over it, and with a
desperate cry of, " Hold on to the canoe, my men ;
seize a rope each one," Pocock rose to battle with the
murderous flood. But it was too late. The helpless
craft rolled over into the frightful abyss of waters,
and the drowning form of the Englishman was seen
drifting over the crest of the breakers, and Frank
Pocock was seen no more.

216 Henry M. Stanley.
The dreadful tidings soon spread over the district :
"The brother of the Mundele is lost — lost atMassassa,"
wailed the natives ; and, moved by tenderness and
sympathy, crowds of people came down to Zuiga to
weep with the white chief.
" Say, Mundele," asked Ndala, the head-man of the
place, " where is your white brother gone to ? "
"Home." " Shall you not see him again ? "
" I hope to."
" Where ? "
"Above, I hope."
" Ah," said the kindly African, " we have heard
that the white people by the sea came from above.
Should you see him again, tell him that Ndala is sorry,
and that he is angry with Massassa for taking him
from you. We have heard from Mowa that he was a
good, kind man, and all Zinga shall mourn for him.
Drink the wine of our palms, Mundele, and forget it.
The Zinga wine will comfort you, and you will not be
troubled with your sorrow." 1
The natives spoke in hushed tones of the dread
catastrophe, and the members of the expedition were
stupefied by despair. To Stanley, the loss of his friend
and faithful companion for thirty-four months, was
irreparable. " As I looked upon the empty tent and the dejected,
woe- stricken servants," says Stanley, "a choking
sensation of unutterable grief filled me. The sorrow-
laden mind fondly recalled the lost man's inestimable
qualities, his extraordinary gentleness, his patient
temper, his industry, cheerfulness, and his tender
1 "Across the Dark Continent." (H.M.Stanley.)

Finding op Pocock' s Corpse. 217
friendship ; it dwelt upon the pleasures of his society,
his general usefulness, his piety, and cheerful trust
in our success, with which he had renewed our
hope and courage; and each new virtue that it re
membered only served to intensify my sorrow for
his loss, and to suffuse my heart with pity and
regret, that after the exhibition of so many admirable
qualities, and such long, faithful service he should
depart this life so abruptly, and without reward.
" Alas ! alas ! In vain we hoped that by some
miracle he might have escaped, for eight days after a
native arrived at Zinga from Kilanga, with the
statement that a fisherman, whilst skimming Kilanga
basin for whitebait, had been attracted by something
gleaming on the water, and, paddling his canoe
towards it, had been horrified to find it to be the
upturned face of a white man."
A spirit of mutiny once more seized upon the
members of the exploring party, and they said they
preferred to be slaves to the heathen about them,
rather than follow their white commander any longer,
for was he not leading them all to death? The
dismal legends of the people about the cataracts had
infected the superstitious minds of the men, and they
looked with horror upon the prospect of once more
battling with the dread spirits of the "Falls." The
whole band was called together, and each member
requested to state his grievance or describe his
wrongs. " We are tired," said the panic-stricken
wanderers, " and death is in the river ; we are not going
to work any more, we have no strength."
" I am hungry too, and have no strength left," said
Stanley. "I am so tired and sorry that I could

218 Henry M. Stanley.
gladly lie down and die. Do what you will; but while
you stay with me, I follow this river until I come to
the point where it is known. If you don't stay with
me, I still will cling to the river, and will die in it."
A large detachment of the men actually left the camp;
but they were, after much parleying, induced to
return and resume their duties. Two large canoes
and one of the most useful men in the expedition
were lost during the difficult operations of hauling
the fleet once more out of the water and overland to
the basin below Zinga, and three lesser falls remained
to be passed before the smooth water could be
expected. Thirty days had been spent in covering
a distance of only three miles, but still the gallant
leader of the rapidly diminishing little band kept up
his heart, and stoutly faced the dangers which lay in
his path. On July 6th the end of the cruel chasm
along which the weary men had fought their way,
since leaving the Kalulu Falls, for 117 days, was
reached, and guides were secured from the Kakongo
people to lead the party to the "Njali Ntombo
Mataka Falls," which had so often been described by
the natives as the last rapids on the river, and which
Stanley fondly hoped would turn out to be the long-
looked-for "Tuckey's Cataract." On the 16th the
canoes, now carried rapidly on towards their desti
nation by the swift current, approached the Ntombo
Mataka, where they were welcomed in the most genial
manner by a vast concourse of natives of the locality,
who next morning conveyed the entire fleet to the
foot of the rapids in splendid style. These people are
described by Stanley as " the politest people in
Africa," and they gladly accompanied the flotilla

The famished Party drifts silently onwards. 219
down the river for some miles, out of sheer sympathy
and goodwill for the white man who had treated them
so kindly and rewarded them for their willing services
so liberally. The end of these dark years of toil and
suffering was now approaching. The sea was not far
off, and when Stanley cheered on his weakened and
depressed followers with the tidings that away
yonder to the west, at no great distance, lay the
great ocean which they were seeking, Safen, the cox
swain of the Lady Alice, entirely lost his reason, so
excited had he become with the joyful news.
Throwing himself at the feet of his leader, he cried
out, " Ah, master ! El hamnd ul Illah ! We have
reached the sea ! We are home ! We are home !
We are home ! We shall no more be tormented by
empty stomachs and accursed savages ! I am about
to run all the way to the sea, to tell your brothers
you are coming." The poor fellow at once plunged
into the forest, and although diligent and anxious
search was made for him, he was never found.
Beautiful and impressive scenery surrounded the
party on every side — marvellous and ever-changing
combination of sky and cloud, and river and forest —
but food there was none. Along the deep glens and
wooded ravines, or upon the red banks of the mighty
river the famished wanderers looked in vain for
something to stay the pangs of hunger, which
maddened them at times, and caused them to drift
silently and sullenly over the tawny flood with bowed
heads and sunken eyes, their knees bent with
weakness, and their frames no longer rigid with the
vigour of youth and life and the fire of devotion to
duty. With shrunken limbs, sallow and gaunt

220 Henry M. Stanley.
features, and dilapidated garments, this miserable
remnant of the noble band of fresh and ardent men
who set out years before from the Indian Ocean,
trudged on with one thought only possessing it — a
longing to look at last upon the great western
sea. The perishing expedition could no longer be re
strained by the rules or maxims of civilized life, and
the wretched creatures scattered over the country,
like ravenous animals, in search of food. The fury
of the inhuman natives was aroused, and they
resented this summary invasion of their cassava and
bean plots, by firing upon the strangers. Uledi
returned to the camp, carrying upon his shoulders a
poor half-starved comrade, who had with difficulty
been rescued from the hands of the people of the
district, and he had a doleful story to tell of what had
befallen himself and his companions in their raid for
the necessaries of life.
" Several men have been captured for stealing
cassava and beans," said he, in reply to the questions
of his commander.
" Why did you do it ? "
" We could not help it," said one. " Master, we
are dying of hunger. We left our beads and moneys —
all we had — on the ground, and began to eat, and they
began shooting." Six men had been wounded during
the foray, and three, Ali Kiboga, Matagua, and Saburi
Rehanini, had been enslaved by the exasperated
villagers. Kiboga afterwards escaped, and made his
way, after undergoing extraordinary adventures, to
Loanda. He was taken by one of the Donald Currie
steamers eventually to Cape Town, where through the

The moribund Explorers quit the River. 221
kindness of the agent of the Union Company, the
poor fellow was given a free passage to Zanzibar on
board the Kafiir. The steamer was wrecked soon
after leaving Table Bay, and in a notice of the
disaster the Gape Times of February 19th, 1878, says,
" On the rocks were some natives of Zanzibar. Among
them was the man who had gone through Africa with
Stanley. This man was supposed to have been
drowned with four others. But early in the morning
he was found very snugly lying under a tent made of
a blanket, with a roaring fire before him. Of all the
wrecked people that night, there was no one who had
been more comfortable than Stanley's Arab. The
power of resource and the genius of the master
had evidently been imparted in some degree to the
man." The cataract of Isangila was safely passed on July
30th, and as provisions were ruinously dear, a handful
of ground-nuts costing a necklace of beads, and
cowries being of no market value whatever, the order
was given to press steadily forward. Boma was now
only five days' journey distant. It was decided to
leave the river, and make for the settlement of the white
men overland. " Allah ! " shouted the delighted men.
" God is good ! " Double rations were delivered out to
every man, woman, and child in the column ; but the
long-suffering people gained little by the liberality of
their leader, for there was nothing in this famine-
stricken country to buy. Stores of all kinds, which
were no longer of use, were distributed to the
members of the little band, and their hearts were
made glad by rich gifts of iron spears, knives, axes,
copper, brass wire, bags of clothing, blankets,

222 Henry M. Stanley.
waterproofs, and, in fact, the entire impedimenta of
the expedition. Still no wholesome food could be
obtained. Bitter cassava, a few ground-nuts, or abunch
of bananas, were offered by the greedy natives in
return for the valuable articles which the Wangwana
of the expedition gladly sacrificed to obtain these
miserable supplies. The Lady Alice was now aban
doned to her fate, and after a journey of 7000 miles
up and down the African inland waters, she was left
to bleach and rot beside the restless waters of the
Isangila cataract. Forty men of the travel-worn and
decimated column were sick with dysentery, ulcers,
and scurvy, and as the weary band of stricken
humanity wended its way over the uplands, or defiled
slowly and painfully over the broad prairies of sere
scrub and coarse bush, the eyes of its commander
were for ever searching the country in front and all
around to detect any signs of villages or any promise
of food for the tottering and forlorn host which
followed him with lagging footsteps and mournful
exclamations. At Ndambi Mbongo the chiefs appeared, superbly
attired in smart red military coats, long out
of fashion. " Food," said Stanley, " bring us food."
Beads were offered. "Cannot." "For wire?" "We
don't want wire." "For cowries?" "Are we
bushmen ? " " For cloth ? " " You must wait three
days for a market ! If you have got rum you can
have plenty ! " The people were not rude or violent
to the strangers, but they were callous and greedy.
They conversed freely with the white man, and told
him, to his intense joy, that a smart messenger could
reach Boma in three days from their village. With

Checked by greedy Natives. 223
stiffened limbs and faltering steps the march was
resumed. The old men and the children suffered
terribly, but the younger men helped their aged
companions, and the fathers shouldered their children
and still trudged on through the bleak and desolate
land towards the great ocean. A mile from Mwato
Wandu, as the file of disconsolate travellers drew near
one of the villages, the old chief appeared, followed by
fifty followers all armed with guns, and demanded
tribute of the wayfarers.
" Know you I am king of this country ? " said he,
addressing Stanley in excited tones.
" I knew it not, my brother," was the mild reply.
" I am the king, and how can you pass through my
country without paying me ? ' '
" Speak, my friend ; what is it that the Mundele
can give you ? "
" Rum. I want a big bottle of rum, and then you
can pass on."
" Rum ? "
" Yes, rum ; for I am the king of this country ! "
" Rum ! " replied Stanley wonderingly.
" Rum, rum is good. I love rum," said the old
toper with a horrible leer.
Uledi at that moment stepped forward, saying,
" What does this old man want, master ? "
" He wants rum, Uledi. Think of it."
" There's rum for him," he said, giving his Majesty
a sound slap upon his face, of such force that the king
fell to the ground from his stool, and having regained
his feet made off with his warriors as fast as his legs
could carry him back to his village. On August 4th
the party encamped at Nsanda, and a letter was

224 Henry M. Stanley.
despatched by Stanley by two young natives at once
"to any gentleman who speaks English at Em
bomma." 2 The epistle was as follows : —
" Dear Sir, — I have arrived at this place from
Zanzibar, with 115 souls, men, women, and children.
We are now in a state of imminent starvation. We
can buy nothing from the natives, for they laugh at
our kinds of cloth, and beads, and wire. There are no
provisions in the country that may be purchased,
except on market-days, and starving people cannot
afford to wait for these markets. I, therefore, have
made bold to despatch three of my young men natives
of Zanzibar, with a boy named Robert Feruzi, of the
English mission at Zanzibar, with this letter craving
relief from you. I do not know you ; but I am told
that there is an Englishman at Embomma, and as you
are a Christian and a gentleman, I beg you not to dis
regard my request. The boy Robert will be better
able to describe our lone condition than I can tell you
in this letter. We are in a state of the greatest dis
tress ; but if your supplies arrive in time, I may be
able to reach Embomma within four days. I want
300 cloths, each four yards long, of such quality
as you trade with, which is very different from
what we have ; but better than all will be ten or
fifteen men-loads of rice or grain, to fill their pinched
bellies immediately, as even with the cloth it will
require time to purchase food, and starving people
cannot wait. The supplies must arrive within two
days, or I may have a fearful time of it among the
dying. Of course I hold myself responsible for any
¦ " Across the Dark Continent." (H. M. Stanley.)

Sends on Request por Food. 225
expense you may incur in this business. What is
wanted is immediate relief ; and I pray you to use
your utmost energies to find it at once. For myself,
if you have any such little luxuries as tea, coffee,
sugar, biscuits, by you, such as one man can easily
carry, I beg you on my behalf that you will send a
small supply, and add to the great debt of gratitude
due to you upon the timely arrival of the supplies for
my people. Until that time, I beg you to believe me,
" Yours sincerely, "H. M. Stanley,
" Commanding Anglo-American Expedition for
Exploration of Africa
"P.S. — You may not know me byname; I there
fore add, I am the person that discovered Livingstone
in 1871.— H. M. S."
The letter was copied in Spanish and French, and
Uledi volunteered to accompany the native bearers.
"Oh, master, don't talk any more," said the generous
fellow, " I am ready now. See, I will only buckle on
my belt, and I shall start at once, and nothing will
stop me. I will follow on the track like a leopard."
"And I am one," said Kachechi. "Leave us alone,
master, if there are white men at Embomma, we will
find them out. We will walk, and walk, and when
we cannot walk we will crawl." The messengers left
the camp, and foragers were sent out to find food for
the support of the people till supplies could reach
them from Boma. On August 6th the caravan was
suddenly startled by the shrill cry of a lad who said,
" Oh ! I see Uledi and Kachechi coming down the
hill, and there are plenty of men following them ! "
Q

226 Henry M. Stanley.
" What — what — what," cried the people, as they
rushed out from the tall grass to gaze at the distant
hill-side. " Yes, it is true ! it is true ! La il il Allah ! Yes, it
is food I food ! food ! food at last ! Ah, that Uledi !
he is a lion, truly ! We are saved, thank God ! " 3
The sacks were opened, and soon the famished
crowd, with apron, and bowl, and utensil, bore away
the rice, sweet potatoes, and fish in triumph to their
huts or tents. Water was brought up from the river,
fuel was gathered in haste, and hope and joy reigned
where a few hours ago all had been bitter despair. A
kindly letter of congratulation accompanied the sup
plies from the warm-hearted traders of Boma, and
Stanley turned into his tent with a heart overflowing
with gratitude for the mercies of that memorable day.
The long war against famine and the terrible force
of nature was over at last ! The gracious God be
praised for ever ! The people were reclad with bright
garments and flowing robes of white, and on August
9th, 1877, just 999 days after leaving Zanzibar, the
expedition was met by the European traders of Boma,
four in all, who had come out to receive the illustrious
traveller, and welcome him back once more to civiliza
tion and peace. The fame of the commander of the
Anglo-American Expedition had preceded him, and
the gentlemen of Boma felt proud of the honour of
being the first white men to render to the heroic
man that homage which they felt was due to the
friend of Livingstone, and the explorer of the great
river, which flowed past them with majestic volume to
the great ocean of the west.
3 " Across the Dark Continent."

Termination op the Expedition. 227
A passage was taken for $ie whole party from
hospitable Boma to Ponta da * Lenha, and on to the
sea, where Stanley was at once offered a passage for
his faithful Zanzibari on board the Portuguese gun
boat Tamega. On their arrival- at Loanda, the brave
fellows were transhipped to H-M.S. Industry, and
safely conveyed to Cape Town. '• Stanley had resolved
to see them back to their island home, and at Cape
Town he was most graciously received by Commodore
Francis William Sullivan, whose guest he remained at
the Admiralty House, while preparations were made
by the courteous admiral for the transport of the
entire force and its leader to Zanzibar. On the 8th
of November the Industry sailed out of Simon's Bay
amid the cheers of the blue-jackets and the best
wishes of the hosts of friends which Stanley had
secured during his brief stay at the Cape. Fourteen
days after, the palm groves and bright green hill
slopes of Zanzibar were sighted, and the people, now
robust, bright and happy, looked out with delight
upon their pleasant island home.
As soon as the keel of the Industry touched the
beach, the happy fellows, with their wives and little
ones, sprang down the sides oi^ the ship, and threw
themselves upon the white sands, and poured out their
thanks to Allah ! The news rang along the beach,
"It is Bwana Stanley's expedition that has returned."
Wages were paid, the relatives of the dead martyrs to
science whose bones were bleaching upon the banks of
the far-off river were consoled and compensated for
their losses, and on the 13th December, 1877, Stanley
took passage on board the British India steamer
Pachumba for Aden and home. A magnificent and
Q 2

228 Henry M. Stanley.
enthusiastic welcome was accorded to the intrepid
discoverer of the Congo on his arrival in England.
Addresses of congratulation were forwarded to him
from the chief public bodies of Great Britain, and
high honours were conferred upon him by the Govern
ments of Europe and America, and by all the great
scientific and learned societies of both hemispheres.

CHAPTER XIII.
A romance of modern history — The Conrite d'Etudes du Haut Congo —
The Brussels Conference — A continental holiday — A royal patron
— At the mouth of the Congo — Stanley's fleet— Some historical '
facts — Tuckey's farthest — Boma — A depressing voyage— Steam
against water — Choosing a site — The head-quarters of the new
state.
The record of the founding of the Congo Free State
has been said to occupy the most romantic page of
modern history. There is nothing exactly like it in
the annals of this or any century. During the time
that Stanley, with heroic fortitude, was pressing west
ward to the Atlantic, along the course of the Congo,
with only a mere handful of followers, and in the face
of obstacles formidable enough to daunt the bravest
heart, a growing interest in Central African affairs
was manifesting itself both in Europe and America.
The attention of the civilized world had been power
fully drawn to the resources and capacities of the
1,300,000 square miles of well watered and productive
country, with its population of fifty millions, which
the brilliant discoveries of Burton, Speke, Livingstone,
and others had revealed, and brought to the light of
day. In 1876 " The International African Associa
tion " was established, under the auspices of the large-
hearted Belgian monarch, Leopold IL, who in the
autumn of that year brought together at Brussels a
remarkable gathering of geographical and scientific

230 Henry M. Stanley.
notabilities, for the discussion of a plan to secure for
Inner Equatorial Africa the solid advantages of civi
lization, and the benefits of unrestricted and legitimate
commerce. It was decided by the conference to open
up a safe and direct highway right through the heart
of the continent, the security and free passage of which
would be maintained by means of a chain of well-
furnished " hospitable and scientific stations " estab
lished at intervals along the road from the East Coast
to Ujiji and the great lake district of the remote inte
rior. The honourable and humane efforts of this
association met with speedy success, and before the
end of 1880 an excellent route had been secured for
the passage of the caravans and the transit of mer
chandise from Zanzibar to the Belgian settlement
of Karema overlooking the blue waters of the Tan
ganika. The magnificent results of Stanley's recent dis
coveries upon the Upper Congo led in 1877 to the
formation of a distinct branch of the International
African Association, for the purpose of obtaining
further information, and devising a scheme for the
opening out of the Higher Congo region and the de
velopment of its immense and valuable natural re
sources. This body was known as the " Comite
d'Etudes du Haut Congo," and it declared in an official
statement of its objects that it was to devote itself to
the special work of investigating in detail the great
watershed of the now famous river, and decide upon
some method of bringing the newly -found region into
closer commercial and political relationship with the
other communities of Africa, and with the older
nationalities beyond the seas. The scheme of the

Early History op the Congo. 231
Oomite met with the cordial and eager approval of the
Royal President of the International African Associa
tion, its headquarters was fixed at Brussels, and
King Leopold not only aided the new organization by
his wise counsel and practical co-operation in the dis
cussion of its plans, but he generously assisted it by
large subsidies of money from his private purse.
The country about the mouth of the Congo had been
known to the Portuguese since 1485, when it was
formally annexed to the dominions of Dom Joas II. by
Diego Cao, a Portuguese officer, who was trying to
find a road to the East Indies by coasting round Africa.
Diego completed the ceremony of annexation by set
ting up a stone obelisk, previously consecrated for the
purpose by some prelate of the Church, at the mouth
of the tawny stream, to testify to all whom it might
concern, that the surrounding territory formed part of
the ancient and renowned kingdom of Portugal. No
thing, however, was really done for many centuries
to make good the claim of the Portuguese or even to
explore the course of the mysterious stream, which
now became known as the Rio de Padrao, or Pillar
river. In 1816 an English expedition under Captain
James Kingston Tuckey, was sent to the spot, which
had begun to derive an unenviable notoriety from the
slave-trade which was carried on upon the neighbouring
waters. Captain Tuckey was instructed, among other
things, to clear up the supposed connection of the Zaire
(the ancient native name for the Congo) with the
Niger, and to obtain accurate information as to the
vast tract of country through which it flowed. It was
said at the time that " there never was in this, or in

232 Henry M. Stanley.
any other country, an expedition of discovery sent
out with better prospects or more flattering hope of
success than the one in question." TuGkey succeeded
in ascending the swift-flowing waters for a distance of
172 miles, when the party was beaten back to the
coast by disease, disaster, and death. All the chief
members of the expedition, including Tuckey, perished
upon the shores of the inhospitable river, but not be
fore valuable information as to its course, soundings,
and currents, as well as curious facts about the tribes
upon its banks, had been secured and dutifully trans
mitted to the Home Government. " Tuckey's Far
thest " remained the limit of the " long winding Zaire"
till, in 1867, Livingstone came upon the sources of the
great waterway hidden in the silence of the far-off
Uguha Hills. The plau of operations decided upon
by the " Oomite d'Etudes du Haut Congo " was to
send out an exploring party with directions to enter
the river from the Atlantic and proceed eastward, to
establish stations for purposes of observation and
trade, to arrange treaties between the native chiefs
and the Comite, and to carry out a careful scientific
survey of the whole country north and south of the
stream, as far as practicable. Special attention was
to be paid to the character of the stream, to the pecu
liarities of its flow, currents, soundings, and volume, its
capacities for navigation by specially adapted steamers,
the disposition of the natives to trade with Europeans,
and the quality and amount of native products likely
to be available for baiter in return for articles of
European manufacture.
In January Mr. Stanley was on his way to England
for a lengthened period of rest, after the terrible exer-

Return to Europe. 233
tion and distressing privations he had undergone in
his journey of 7158 miles through the centre of Africa.
As he stepped out of the train at Marseilles, however,
a fresh and totally unlooked-for call to renewed work
awaited him. Two special Commissioners from the
King of the Belgians received him upon the platform
with a kindly greeting from their august master, and
the request that he would accept the leadership of the
new enterprise which the Comite d'Etudes du Haut
Congo had decided to inaugurate without delay, for the
ascent of those very waters from the fearful and trea
cherous perils of which he had only just been delivered.
Utterly wearied in mind and body by the terrible
experiences of the past two years, and oppressed with
a spiritless lassitude begotten of the incessant
worries and anxieties which had pressed upon him
from the moment he left Zanzibar till he beheld the
surging waters of the Atlantic laving the bunda at
Banana Point, he resolutely declined to entertain the
idea of another African journey. He offered in the
most generous and hearty manner, however, to place
all his unique and painfully acquired knowledge of the
river and its tributaries at the disposal of the Comite",
and he agreed to furnish practical hints as to details
for the guidance of that body in organizing its
expedition of exploration, but he shrank altogether
from a return in person to a region which was only
associated in his thoughts, for the time, with pain,
disappointment, and woe. " At present," he said to
the royal emissaries, " I cannot think of anything
more than along rest and sleep." The public were
eager, however, to read the record, in his own vivid
and felicitous language, of his recent experiences, and

234 Henry M. Stanley.
his publishers pressed upon him the necessity of at
once setting to work upon the story of his passage
" Through the Dark Continent." The book was sent
to press in May, and then came blissful months of
relaxation, luxury, and liberty, which were spent in
roaming over the continent and enjoying once more
the pleasures and comforts of civilized life. The
existence of the fashionable lounger does not appear
to have suited either the taste or the constitution of
the man whose creed is one of Doing. The inactivity
and the inane pleasures of a man without a purpose,
soon disgusted him, and after a few delightful and
invigorating weeks spent amongst the Swiss Alps, he
welcomed with unfeigned pleasure a message from
Brussels, reminding him of the work which the
Comite d'Etudes du Haut Congo had in hand, and of
his promise, made in person to the Royal President at
his palace in the summer, that he would aid and
advance the novel and humane enterprise of the
Comite to the best of his ability.
In November, 1878, the formal offer of the honour
able post of Commander-in-chief of the expedition
was made to Stanley in the royal council-chamber at
Brussels, in the presence of a large and influential
assemblage of commercial and financial magnates and
politicians (English, French, German and Dutch), who
had come together to give their most cordial and
practical support to the project of the Comite.
20,000Z. were at once raised for the initiation of the
scheme, and on January 23rd, 1879, Stanley was once
more on the wing to Zanzibar, to engage suitable men
for escort and carrying purposes for the Expedition du
Haut Congo.

To Zanzibar Again1 235
Two steamers were secured — the Albion of Leith,
which was to proceed to the east coast and convey the
leader and his band of Zanzibaris round by the Suez
Canal and the Atlantic to the estuary of the Congo
— and the Barga, which was to make direct for Banana
Point, with officers for the stations ; engineers for the
river craft ; portable sheds, houses, huts for the native
bearers ; waggons, boats, and steamers and machinery
in sections ; and stores and arms and ammunition.
Instructions were sent out to Mr. Albert Jung, whom
Stanley had previously met, in London, and who
resided as chief of the largest factory on the Congo at
Banana Point, to hire a large body of Kroo boys, to be
ready to act as porters and stevedores at the various
landing-places up the river, and to receive with all due
hospitality and to provide for the various officers and
passengers of the Barga, and to store her freight
pending the arrival of Stanley himself at the base of
operations. Meanwhile the Albion was pushing on
with all speed to Zanzibar, where Stanley had to
inquire into the fate of, and send relief and stores to,
the first expedition of the International African
Association, which had fallen into the toils of the
mendacious Mirambo somewhere west of Unyanyembe.
Detailed instructions were despatched to Mr. Cambier,
the commander of the unfortunate party, in which
Stanley advised him as to his future relations with the
astute and unscrupulous prince who had detained him,
and as to the best course to take for Ujiji, to avoid
further complications with the native chiefs.
A second Belgian expedition was on its way from
Europe, to follow up the work of the International
African Association from Zanzibar westward to Ujiji

236 Henry M. Stanley.
and the Trans-Tanganikan territory, and Stanley had
been requested by King Leopold to assist it with his
advice as to hiring pagazis, buying stores, and the
best method of meeting and overcoming the dif
ficulties and perils of the road to the interior. He
could no longer delay his own departure for the West
Coast, however, and he was therefore only able to
leave written instructions for the guidance of Captain
Popelin, the commander of the undertaking. These
papers thoroughly reveal at once the practical
spirit and strong common sense of the writer. They
are not without touches of quiet humour, and the neat
way in which blame is suggested, rather than openly
expressed is worthy of attention, whilst the strong
self-reliance of the man, and his marvellous grasp of
details, that true mark of real genius, are evident in
every line even of his most prosaic and commonplace
communications and despatches. The gentle, kindly
manner, for instance, in which, in his letter to
M. Cambier, he reminds him of the real purpose and
pacific character of the Society which he represented,
and of the need there would always be for the greatest
care on the part of its agents in forming alliances,
offensive and defensive, with slave-trading Arabs, and
the habitual caution which he enjoins upon the
military chief of the second expedition, thirsting for
distinction, and probably somewhat inclined by his
professional instincts to prefer martial methods of
settling matters, are excellent specimens of his official
epistolary style. To the latter he says, " Construct a
bush fence round your camp each night after crossing
the Kingari River. Rush not into danger by any
overweening confidence in your breech-loading rifles,

Advice to African Explorers. 237.
and military knowledge. Be not tempted to try your
mettle against the native chiefs. Be calm in all your
contentions with the natives, and one golden rule
which you should remember is, " Do not fire the first
shot, whatever may be the provocation."
Having secured a strong band of seventy men for
the ascent of the Congo (many of whom had already
crossed the continent with him), the Albion steamed
out of the bustling harbour of Zanzibar, and sped
northward on her passage to the West Coast at the
end of May, 1879.
Whilst the little steamer was diligently pursuing her
onward way over the pellucid waters of the Mediter
ranean, and along the surf-beaten shores of the Gold
Coast, where Stanley had landed a few years before
on his way to witness the defeat of King Coffee and
the destruction of Coomassie, the leader of the new
venture was preparing himself for the undertaking by
a thorough and painstaking study of the instructions
which he had received from time to time from the
Comite, which had now become the " Association
Internationale du Congo." He desired to realize for
himself, in the quiet of his temporary solitude in the
state cabin of the Albion, the magnitude, probabilities,
and enormous difficulties of the task which he had
pledged himself at Brussels to carry out to a success
ful issue.
At Sierra Leone the presence of a strange craft
freighted with a crowd of blacks, and bound upon a
voyage upon which no reliable details were forth
coming, soon attracted the attention of the officials of
the colony, who probably expected that a tentative
revival of the slave traffic, and all the horrors of the

238 Henry M. Stanley.
"Middle Passage," was being attempted. A courteous
and frank note of explanation to Sir Samuel Rowe
the able and public-spirited Governor of the Colony,
soon set matters straight, and an incident which for
the moment promised to end in an unpleasant exhibi
tion of colonial bullying and ill-humour, was agree
ably closed by a trip and a lunch in the Governor's
pleasure-steamer, which was thoroughly enjoyed by
all the members of the Congo party.
Twenty days — or if all went well, only eleven days
now — and the keel of the Albion would be cleaving
the ruddy waters of the Pillar River of the old
Portuguese navigators ! Stanley was longing to see
the rich brown waves foaming out into the brine of the
great sea, and to find himself once more upon the
broad bosom of the remarkable stream with which his
name will be for ever united — the Zaire of the natives
— the Congo of our geographers. His mission was
eminently calculated to develop the highest aspirations
and animate the noblest resolutions of the man. He
was the herald of amity and good-will from the most
civilized powers of the world to the vast and semi-
barbarous tribes of Inner Africa. He was the pioneer
of a splendid and carefully matured scheme, which
sought to elevate and secure in a condition of honour
able independence the population of a land more
extensive in area than India or China, and inhabited
by fifty millions of souls. He was to build up a Free
Negro State in the heart of Africa, under European
patronage and protection, and to secure for the new
province a future of prosperity and sustained greatness
by opening out well-constructed roads, erecting forts
and trading depots, building piers and landing-places

Enters the Congo. 239
at convenient spots along the river banks, locating
stations for observation, defence, and commercial
purposes, by framing just and equitable treaties with
the surrounding people, and above all by creating a
feeling of confidence in and respect for the probity
and good faith of the European merchant and the
Christian missionary.
On August 14th, exactly twelve months after
emerging at the mouth of the river a broken- spirited
and desolate wanderer, Stanley entered once more the
harbour of Banana Point, the chief trading-station and
place of call for ocean steamers on the northern
bank of the estuary of the Congo. As the Albion
steamed to her anchorage in the shadow of the busy
factories on the sandy promontory, upon which the
settlement is built, it was at once seen that the
Barga had discharged her mixed cargo of stores,
boats, and building materials, landed the subordinate
officers of the expedition — Englishmen, Belgians,
Danes, a Frenchman, and an American — and had left
the coast on her way back to Europe. There in line
lay the tiny fleet of vessels specially constructed for
the enterprise, awaiting the arrival of its commander,
and everything was being pushed forward for the
advance eastward in good earnest directly Stanley
should appear. Some days were spent by the saga
cious chief, however, in thoroughly overhauling and
testing the craft, and seeing that each vessel and boat
was in perfect order for the trying work which they
would have to go through in breasting that mighty
stream of waters which poured down to the sea in a
silent, but almost irresistible volume ; in making the
acquaintance of the persons who were to act under

240 Henry M. Stanley.
him ; and in maturing his plans for the passage up
the stream.
Seven days after landing on the coast, Stanley gave
the welcome signal for the start, and on August 21st,
the Esperance, Royal, En Avant, La Belgique, and the
Jeune Africaine, each having in tow barges or boats
laden with material or stores, drew out into the
stream and headed eastward, in the face of an oppos
ing current which at once began to test their staying
powers. There was nothing attractive about the
scenery along the lower reach of waters from Banana
Point to Boma. Both banks were covered with dense
impenetrable wood, and presented one uniform aspect
of dull, dreary monotony. Here and there an island
covered with coarse vegetation rose above the heaving
flood, but no sound broke the oppressive stillness of
the desolate scene, except the hoarse breathing of the
engines, as they struggled with the ceaseless tide, or
the signals of the various divisions of the party as
they pursued their way, now over the full bosom of
the mighty torrent which in places spread out to a
width of miles, with a depth of 900 feet, and a flow of
over four million cubic feet of water per second, now
amongst the groups of swampy and repulsive islets of
slime and mud, which rose at intervals above the
flood. Not the rustle of a wing or the cry of a bird
reached the ear, as the long stretches of sullen and
uninviting shore were left behind by the advancing
flotilla. Even here, however, commerce had already
established her outposts, and at Kissanga, on the
south bank, some twenty miles from Banana Point, a
settlement of white traders was found with three
factories in full activity, although as far as the eye

Ascending the River. 241
could see there was no sign of a human habitation
or life of any kind a hundred yards from the flagstaff
of the place itself. The outlook gradually brightened
as the little fleet advanced inland, and clumps of wavy
palms began to break the sky-line, and wide, open
savannahs covered with verdure stretched away to the
foot of the hills, which stood out on the distant
horizon. Boma, the first halting-place of the expedi
tion, was reached the day after leaving the sea. This
place is the chief trade-mart upon the river, and the
great commercial centre for the whole Congo region.
Clusters of factories, houses, stores, and official resi
dences, with the crowd of small and large trading
craft at the bunda or pier, and the constant stream of
natives hauling and discharging cargo hour by hour
in the full glare of the sun, give to Boma itself an air
of business, activity, and importance. But apart from
its importance as a trading entrepot, which is due to
its splendid natural position, and to the oapital
anchorage alongside its wharves, it is by no means a
desirable place of residence. The surrounding country
has simply one dull tone of colour, and an air of
barrenness, desolation and emptiness appears for ever
to envelop its grey hills, its silent forests, and its
untraversed streams.
At this point Stanley decided to explore the banks,
to find some suitable point at which a landing could
be easily effected, and a temporary camp or settlement
located, for storing the material and goods of the Ex
pedition (amounting to over 600 tons), and from which
parties could be sent up the stream to search for
a suitable site for the first permanent station and
entrep6t of the Association Internationale du Haut

242 Henry M. Stanley.
Congo. A place on the south bank, called Mussuko, a
few hours above Boma, and easily accessible from the
river, was decided upon as a depot for the time, and
here the mass of stores and the various impedimenta
of the party were landed and stacked, till the march
in force should be resumed, or a location for a per
manent settlement secured by formal treaty with the
native chiefs who had rights over the soil.
The Albion was no longer of service, on account of
the rapid shoaling of the stream, and, after discharg
ing her freight, she was sent down to Banana Point
on her way back to England.
On September 29th Stanley embarked upon the steam
launch Esperance, with a company of ten natives and
three Europeans, to examine the river ahead, and to
select a spot for his first town. The navigation of the
tiny craft through the cross currents, sinuous windings,
and uncertain depths of the impetuous stream, was by
no means an easy task. At times the stubborn torrent
threatened to sweep all before it, and to refuse a pas
sage to the struggling, straining Esperance. At length,
however, a gentler current was reached, and guided
bydDe-de-de, the singing and gay chief of the Nganda
village, who in 1877, had so generously relieved the
necessities of the footsore and famished exploring
party, Stanley proceeded to inspect the neighbourhood
of Vivi, where, upon a small plateaux of rock to be
fashioned, blasted, and hewn into a solid and even
platform, he decided to establish the first station of
the new dominion. But there was much to be done
before the foundation-stone of the head-quarters of
the expedition could be laid with due ceremony and
mutual rejoicing. A conference with the " Lords of

Proceeds to Vivi. 243
the Manor," — the chiefs and headmen and all who had
rights in the soil about Vivi, was at once arranged.
The object of the white man in coming into their dis
trict was explained to the primitive assembly, and his
pacific intentions, and his wish to live amongst them
as a friend and brother, were all carefully put before
them in the best African style of oratory by Massala,
the spokesman of the council.

CHAPTER XIV.
The lords of Vivi — A novel spectacle — "The breaker of rocks" — The
first settlement — Fifty-two miles of road — Isangila to Manyanga
— " The end at last " — Blood-brothers — An African pretender —
The bad fetish — -Stanley Pool once more — At Kintamo — Found
ing Leopoldville — A land of promise.
The Vivi hill, which had been fixed upon by Stanley
as the site of the principal settlement of the Associa
tion Internationale du Haut Congo, was 250 yards
long by 45 yards wide, with an altitude of 343 feet
above the level of the river which flowed at its base.
Its elevation ensured the presence at all times of afresh
cool breeze, and facilitated an admirable system of sani
tation. On two sides it was quite inaccessible, and on
the west its summit could only be reached by a road
— to be constructed — which might be at once defended
or rendered impassable in case of attack. At the
same time it was easily reached from the river ; the
natives of the locality were amicably disposed towards
the strangers who wished to dwell amongst them ; and
the pioneer station of the Comite, if planted at this
point of the river, would be sufficiently near the sea
to prevent any unnecessary delay in bringing up heavy
stores or fresh workers from the coast for the settle
ments to be established beyond the Falls.
After long and anxious deliberation, the bargain for

Palaver at Vivi. 245
the purchase of the huge rocky platform was con
cluded to the satisfaction of at least one party to
the contract. Beneath the umbrageous shadow of
a friendly tree, according to the usual African cus
tom, the motley gathering conducted its negotiations,
which commenced in due form with an address as
follows: —
" We, the big chiefs of Vivi " — a territory of twenty
square miles in extent — " are glad to see the Mundele
(trader). If the Mundele has any wish to settle in our
country, as Massala informs us, we shall welcome him,
and will be great friends with him. Let the Mundele
speak his mind freely."
To these gracious words of the chiefs, the head of the
Expedition replied, " I am glad to hear you speak so
kindly of the white man. I do not want much to-day.
I want to build my houses, for I am about to build many,
either here or elsewhere. I want ground enough, if I can
get it, to make gardens and fields. Vivi is not good for
that unless I go far up ; but what I do get, I want for
myself and people, and the right to say what white man
shall come near me. At Boma the chiefs have cut the
ground up small, there is no room for me. I want
plenty of room, and that is why I have come up here.
I want to go inland, and must have the right to make
roads wherever it is necessary, and all men that pass
by those roads must be allowed to pass without inter
ruption. No chief must lay his hand on them and
say, ' This country is mine, pay me something, give
me gin, or cloth, or so many guns.' You have heard of
me, I know, for De-de-de, who is here, must have told
you. What I saw on the road to Boma must not be
repeated here. You have no roads in your country.

246 Henry M. Stanley.
It is a wilderness of grass, rocks, bush, and then at
Banza Vivi is the end of all life. If you and I can
agree, I shall change all that. I am going to stop
here to-night ; think of what I have told you, and I
will listen. To-morrow you can return at the third
hour of the day and speak."
Dressed up in their gayest and most grotesque gala
attire, chiefly made up of old cast-off military uniforms
and showy coloured prints, to mark the importance of
the occasion, the great men of Vivi returned at the
hour appointed to continue the palaver with the white
man as to the disposal of the coveted rock. They had
decided, they said, to give the right hand of fellowship
to him and his friends. He was to be " their white
man," and he only, was to be allowed to settle within
their borders. Their people should work for him for
wages, he was to have absolute control of his own
servants, coloured or white, and if unhappily any of
their people should be detected in any crime or mis
doing, the culprit was to be handed over to his own
chief for trial and punishment. Stanley was to pay
32/!. for the desired site, and 21. per month rental, and
both parties agreeing to these articles of this novel
and wisely drawn agreement, the heads of the covenant
were written out, and duly signed and attested by the
principals in the transaction. " I am glad," Stanley
wrote in his journal at the time, " that we have so
happily concluded the negotiations. My friend De"-
de-de of Nganda pleaded and argued hard, so much so
indeed that Vivi Mavunga became suspicious at last,
which caused D6-de-de to fall at the feet of each Vivi
chief, with finely affected warmth and action, crying
out, ' Are not Vivi and Nganda one ? Why should I

Establishment op a Station. 247
seek to do hurt or harm to Vivi ? ' We had the usual
scenes of applause and silence in court."1
Stanley was far from satisfied with his bargain.
He felt that he had paid too dearly for the place, and
the 21. per month was absurdly out of all proportion
to the market value of land in that barren and for the
most part utterly unproductive district. He consoled
himself, however, with the knowledge that little, if
any, choice had been left him in the matter. This
hill-top was the only available spot, with so many
natural advantages, near the extreme limit of the
navigation of the Lower Congo ; and, making the best
of the position, he determined to " rise and build."
The construction of the road along the western
slope to the summit of the hill was first taken in hand
On October 1st, 1879, a lusty band of over a hundred
labourers set to work upon the rocky path, to adapt
it for the passage of waggons, laden with bales of
cloth, iron goods, and heavy cases of merchandise.
The road was to be 1965 feet long, and the ground to
be levelled was divided into equal portions, each plot
being assigned to a separate gang of men, under the
control of a leader, who was held responsible for the
due execution of their share of the undertaking.
Old Vivi hill presented a novel spectacle to the
bewildered natives, who gazed with open-mouthed
wonder at the strange and unaccountable activity of
their new friends. The scene was full of excitement
and motion, and busy tumult. The air rang with the
musical strokes of the iron tools upon the stubborn
rocks, and the songs of the squads of earnest workers,
as they toiled along with burdens of earth or broken
1 " Founding of the Congo Free State." (H. M. Stanley.)

248 Henry M. Stanley.
stones for the foundation of the highway. Stanley,
coatless and bare-armed, with heavy sledge in hand, led
the operations, and revealed to the amazed Lords of Vivi
— who looked on with exclamations of admiration and
surprise — what Anglo-Saxon pluck and muscle can do
with the vast boulders of stone and tons of shapeless,
impassable rock which had to be thrust bodily out of
the line of the projected pathway.
" See, 0 chiefs," said Bula Matari (the Breaker of
Rocks), the distinctive title bestowed upon Stanley by
the natives, half in fear and half in delight, as they wit
nessed his triumphs on the stern and rugged hill-side,
"I have begun. My young men are at work. Have you
no help to give me ? Look at your strong-armed young
fellows standing idle, and I have abundance of cloth
bound in the bales below, brighter handkerchiefs than
any you have yet seen, gay strings of beads and
shining brass armlets for the womankind ; collect
fifty people, and prepare the top of the hill for me to
live upon, cut down the grass, clear the ground of
stones, and mark your welcome of my coming among
you thus, and to-night at sunset the wage due to you
shall be paid, and a demijohn of good rum shall cele
brate the event ! "
Bula Matari had suggested a novel and attractive
idea to these black-skinned sons of the soil. They
could earn on the Vivi hill cloth, wire, gin, and beads
by labour ! But the matter was far too serious and
too recondite to be dealt with in unseemly haste. It
had to be turned over and discussed in all its bearings,
and some fear was expressed by the more timid
members of the woolly-headed crowd that the words
of the Breaker of Rocks, pleasant though they were,

The Breaker of Rocks. 249
only concealed some dark design upon their liberties
and lives. Distrust soon gave way, however, to con
fidence in the good faith of the white man's offer, and
parties of the natives, encouraged by their chiefs, were
soon swarming over the hill-top, and preparing the
ground, with their strong arms and willing hands,
for the dwellings and gardens which were to form
the delightful settlement of Vivi. The tiny steamers
of the Expedition puffed noisily backwards and for
wards to Mussuko, bringing up relays of workmen,
and fresh supplies of implements, stores, provisions,
and tents for the bands of diligent workers on the
rough hill-side ; and Stanley, with restless energy and
watchful eye, went from group to group, directing
the efforts of his followers, who were slowly trans
forming his patch of savage wilderness into a habit
able place for civilized men. On the 13th of October,
a broad and traversable path was opened out to the
crest of the height, and the materials for the erection
of the houses and store-rooms, stables and sheds of
the new settlement were transported in safety to the
levelled platform.
The preparation of the site and the erection of the
buildings occupied a period of about four months, from
October 1st, 1879, to the end of January, 1880. A
large Swiss chalet had been brought out in the Barga,
and this house was set up at one end of the village as
the official headquarters of the Expedition, and the
residence of the commander-in-chief of the enterprise.
Along each side of the broad central avenue were
rows of huts for the labourers, carriers, and soldiers
of the Association, and beneath headquarters were
commodious vaults and magazines for the storage of

250 Henry M. Stanley.
reserve supplies of ammunition, grain, cloth, and
other valuable property. A stream ran round the
base of the rock, yielding at all times an abundant
supply of pure water for domestic purposes, and
gardens and cultivated plots of prolific soil, in which
mango, orange, and avocada pear-trees flourished, and
cast their grateful shade over rich patches of cabbage,
tomatoes, onions, and beets, added grace and freshness
to the scene.
The completion of Vivi station was celebrated with
great ceremony and much rejoicing. Handsome
presents of beef and cloth were bestowed upon the
native chiefs and their people who had assisted in the
important work, and the Europeans assembled at
headquarters as the guests of the commander, to mark
the successful founding of the station by a banquet on
a somewhat elaborate scale, provided at the expense
of their generous and high-spirited host, who pro
posed with great enthusiasm the toast of " His Majesty
the King of the Belgians," the prime mover and best
supporter of the " Expedition d'Etudes du Haut
Congo," and" Her Majesty Queen Victoria," " The Pre
sident of the United States," and " The Contributors
to the support of the Expedition," were honoured in
the like manner on this auspicious occasion. The
magnificent work to which Stanley had deliberately
set his hand was, however, only now commenced.
He felt he must not linger at his pleasant " home "
on the Vivi Hill, cosy and tempting as it seemed to
him, after his rough and comfortless experiences in
camp, or aboard the cramped and leaky steamers. A
staff of officers was organized for the control and
management of affairs at the newly-finished settle-

Stanley's Subordinates. 251
ment, and a Mr. Sparhawk, of whose ability Stanley
had a high opinion, was placed in charge. Under
him were twelve white men, eighty-one Zanzibaris,
and 120 natives — in all about 215 people.
At times considerable difficulty and annoyance had
been caused by the selfish and indiscreet conduct of some
of the European members of the party, who generally
contrived to be most useless when their services were
most needed, and who failed sadly to realize the dignity
and responsibility of the undertaking to which they
had attached themselves. Disease, disgust at the
duty required of them, and dismissals soon thinned
the ranks of these half-hearted and unreliable employes
of the Association, to whom, in spite of their egregious
follies, and most provoking conduct, Stanley showed
the greatest forbearance, good temper and sympathy.
The tact which he displayed in dealing with some of the
vexatious episodes in which he found himself involved
through the utter incapacity of certain of his co-workers,
would have done credit to a diplomatist of the first
rank. He had, however, no patience with indolence or
silly self-importance. " I have no preference for any
nationality here," he writes home to the President of the
Association from Vivi in January, 1880, " Duty is our
law, rule and guide. Be he Dutchman, Greek, Turk,
Portuguese, Dane, Belgian, Englishman, or American,
it is perfectly immaterial so long as he works accord
ing to his agreement. We are here charged to perform
a task which I believe is a sacred one. While the
task is unfulfilled there is no place here for the trifler,
or for the laggard, indolent, peevish, undisciplined man
hostile to his work."
At this point of the river it was no longer possible

252 Henry M. Stanley.
to proceed eastward along the course of the stream.
The waterway was effectually closed by the mighty
and impassable barrier of the Livingstone Falls, which
extended in a broken series of minor cataracts and
shoals and sunken rocks for a distance of fifty-two
miles, and it became necessary to construct a per
manent waggon-road, which would enable the Expedi
tion to avoid the Falls, and strike the river again at
Isangila. Attended by a small company of natives,
Stanley set out on February 21st to explore the
district up to this point, and find out what facilities it
offered for the construction of the first public highway
in Equatorial Africa. Chiefs would have to be inter-
viewed, measurements of heights and depressions
taken, observations as to the nature of the soil made
and carefully noted down, and the questions of hired
labour and voluntary help thought out and discussed
with the heads of the various clans and tribes in the
localities to be traversed by the new thoroughfare. A
great palaver of the chiefs of Usanda was summoned
by the invaluable De-de-de, to hear from Stanley an
outline of his plans with reference to the road and its
construction, and the purposes for which it was to be
made. He told the great men of Usanda that he
wished to make a way, broad and smooth, through
their land, along which he hoped to convey his
steamers upon specially constructed carriages, to the
highest waters of the Congo. They might approve or
not approve of his scheme. It was for them to say.
He was willing to pay for the land which he should
need from them and their dependents in carrying out
the formidable enterprise. Hill-sides would have to
be blasted, ravines bridged or filled in, and rocks over-

A Road to the Livingstone Falls. 253
thrown or broken up. All this would need many
stout hearts and ready hands for its accomplishment,
but he did not despair if they, his friends of Usanda
and their neighbours of Chionzo and Nsekelelo, would
help. The road would be good for all, and all could
use it, the trade of the region would be increased,
markets would be opened along the route, and produce
and food of all kinds from the villages would be eagerly
bought up and liberally paid for by the white men and
their followers. But care must be taken that the
road was not "killed" in any sudden outbreak of
hostilities between the tribes who occupied the
territory traversed by the pathway. The proposal of
the white chief of Vivi Hill was duly discussed and
finally accepted by acclamation, and no difficulties were
raised as to keeping open the way as well in times of
war as in peace for a "consideration" in the shape of
liberal gifts of old livery suits, knives, and finery for
the women. A painful and exhausting journey
through the wild and desolate region onward to
Isangila resulted in the conclusion that the construction
of a road all the way from Vivi to the navigable waters
above the Livingstone Falls was a possible feat. The
task would be a difficult and gigantic one, entailing
incessant toil and exhausting effort upon those who
would be called upon to control and execute the
stupendous project. But the thing could be done,
and Stanley was the man to do it. He hurried back
to Vivi in June for men, tools, stores, and ample
supplies of tribute for the native chiefs, whose help
he was anxious to secure on the road which he was
intent upon carrying up the steep hill-sides, through
the spreading forests, and down into the dark ravines,

254 Henry M. Stanley.
and across the grassy plains of their wild and rugged
land. Once on the smooth waters above Isangila, the
flotilla of the Association could steam on its peaceful way
over the broad bosom of the majestic river for a distance
of ninety miles. On February 21st, 1880, Stanley
entered upon the second important undertaking of
the Expedition — the road from Vivi to Isangila — with
a force of 106 men. The attack upon the great
barriers, with which nature appeared to have closed
the entrance to Central Equatorial Africa, was begun
in the Loa Valley, and day by day the narrow, sinuous
track of newly cleared and rudely levelled soil length
ened and stretched itself, like a ribbon of dull red over
hill and valley, plain and river bottom, till about the end
of February, 1880, to the intense satisfaction of every
body concerned in the operations, the final stage was
finished, and Vivi and Isangila were united by a well-
made thoroughfare fifteen feet wide and 274,472 feet or
fifty- two English miles, less eighty-eight feet, in length.
Stanley had surveyed the ground in advance of the
workers, mile by mile, assisted by a small band of native
helpers whom he had trained for this special work. He
was a staunch believer in the truth of the old saying
that there is nothing like " a stout heart for a stae
brae," and at length, after a year of patient and
unremitting toil, he saw the little fleet of boats and
steamers once more afloat upon the main stream of the
Congo, and the Expedition preparing for the ascent
of the river to Manyanga, which he had fixed upon as
the site of the next station. Steaming off from the
shore in high spirits, the flotilla, headed by the fussy
little Royal, and laden with stores, a company of
native labourers and other passengers, turned east-

Completion op the Road. 255
ward, and the dreaded region of treacherous rapids
and foaming cataracts was soon left far behind. A
dreary tameness pervaded the scenery along the banks.
No signs of human life were visible for leagues as the
heavily-freighted craft pressed onward, battling with
the sweeping current of the deep brown flood. At
times the hills rose up to formidable and impressive
heights, and the broad, verdure-clad plains were
broken at rare intervals by clumps of palms or patches
of jungle, which sheltered enormous herds of buffalo
and elephants. In the swampy ground by the river
side hippopotami and crocodiles abounded. But the
land seemed for the greater part of the way to be
altogether deserted by the natives, and given over to
solitude and desolation. Cold winds swept over the
face of the waters, and virulent sickness attacked the
party, so that one officer after another had to be
relieved from duty. On May 1st, after a passage of
seventy days, the camp of the Expedition was pitched
at Manyanga, and Stanley set about the tedious
labour of bargaining for a permanent site for the
central depot which he was anxious to erect at this
most eligible and convenient spot. The headmen of
the locality duly presented themselves for their accus
tomed tribute, and the proposal was made to them
that they should apportion a space of ground for the
white man's town. The great men of Manyanga,
however, by no means accepted the proposition with
alacrity. Permission was given for the Expedition to
remain where it was for the time, but nothing definite
could be elicited from them as to the permanent con
cession of a site for a regular settlement. A total
journey of 2464 English miles had been now com-

256 Henry M. Stanley.
pleted by ascending and descending the various
reaches from camp to camp in fourteen voyages, over
the entire distance of eighty-eight miles of navi
gable water that extended between the cataract of
Isangila and the cataract of Ptombo Mataka, abreast
of the district of Manyanga. The Expedition was now
exactly 140 miles above the Vivi Hill. 436 days had
been occupied in road-making, and in hauling up fifty
tons of stores, with a force of sixty-eight Zanzibaris and
an equal number of West Coast and inland natives.
During this period 4816 miles had been traversed,
which, divided by the number of days occupied in
the heavy transport work, shows a progress of above
eleven miles per day !
The sustained exertions and anxieties of the past
year now began to tell seriously upon the worn frame
and debilitated constitution of Stanley. Four days
after the tents had been set up, and the property of the
Association Internationale du Haut Congo stored at
Manyanga, the fever demon of the tropics laid his
scorching finger upon him, and day after day he lay
prostrate and unable to move, or think, or even to
speak coherently. The palaver about the purchase of
a site from the native magnates had to be indefinitely
postponed. The work of the Expedition was at a
standstill, and an indescribable gloom lay over the
whole party, natives as well as Europeans, who gazed
with helpless dismay upon the forlorn and perilous
condition of their popular leader. All the usual
remedies, hitherto so effectual in mitigating the attack
of the insidious and relentless enemy of the white
man in these regions, were tried in vain. The fell
disease would run its pitiless course. The chill blasts

Stanley desperately ill. 257
sweeping down upon the heads of the road-makers in
the narrow gorges of the Congo, and the constant
exposure to the heat of the fierce sun thrown back
from the stony hill-sides and iron faces of the rocks
which overhung and enclosed the workers, had done
their work upon the enervated system of Bula Matari,
and he felt that at last he was dying. Six weeks of
illness and hourly paroxysms of pain had reduced him
to a condition of mind and body from which he could
not hope to recover. The completion of his great
plan must be entrusted to other heads and hands. As
for himself he had only, while consciousness remained,
to lay down his high commission and say " Farewell "
to the men who had, with few exceptions, so nobly
aided him in his endeavours to open up the heart of
that great continent to light and peace. The curtains
of his tent were rolled back, and one by one the gallant
fellows who had followed him thus far, stepped for
ward to the almost lifeless sufferer, and received a
kindly word and a brief " Good-bye." Meanwhile his
native attendant, Dualla, had prepared a potion of
alarming strength — sixty grains of quinine, mixed
with a few drops of . hydrobromic acid and an ounce
of Madeira wine — and handed it to him as a last
expedient. The effect of the dose was marvellous.
The mixture was poured between the lips of the
patient, as he was too feeble to lift it himself. The
powerful remedy at once began to operate upon the
malady, and check its ravages. Stanley fell into a
deep slumber, which lasted for twenty-four hours.
At the end of this time he awoke a new man. To
the astonishment of his servants he cried out for food.
His appetite was insatiable. On the 30th of May a

258 Henry M. Stanley.
striking procession made the tour of the camp.
Stanley, who was terribly emaciated and feeble, was
carried past the tents of his men, to cheer them with a
proof of his gradual convalescence. On the morning of
June 4th an unusual commotion was noticeable in the
temporary settlement, and the glad news was brought
to the commander that a strong body of fresh
labourers and European officers had come up from
the coast. The new arrivals appeared to bring with
them the atmosphere of home. Letters, papers, and
scraps of the latest intelligence poured in upon the
grateful leader of the Expedition. He recovered
strength daily. The Manyanga palaver was opened,
and the business of the site arranged without further
delay. Wooden huts and the heavy materials for the
various buildings of the station were at once ordered
up from below the falls, the ground was speedily
prepared for the settlement, and in a few weeks, with
the ready help of the newly arrived auxiliaries, the
town was ready for occupation. The Association
had now two fully-equipped and well-established
colonies on the river — Vivi and Manyanga ; and a
minor station had been founded at Isangila, in accord
ance with instructions from Stanley, by an energetic
young Belgian officer, Lieutenant Janssen, who had
recently come out from Europe. On the 12th of
June arrangements were made for an advance upon
Stanley Pool. The " spirit of movement " was once
more upon the undaunted leader and his host of eager
companions. Stanley began to find himself among
old friends. The white man who had passed down
the river some years before, and who was known to
the natives as " Tanley," was welcomed by his dusky

Further Advance up the Congo. 259
admirers with loud cries of pleasure and satisfaction
as soon as he was recognized ; and Ngalyema, the
Chief of Ntamo, with whom he had made blood-
brotherhood in 1877, at once sent a party of his
people to bring Stanley to his presence. This royal
reception of the travellers by the warm-hearted and
generous African prince at once secured for them
attention and respect throughout the district. The
journey from Manyanga had not been altogether free
from distress or anxiety. The disposition of some
of the great men towards the party of exploration had
been by no means friendly. On more than one
occasion the firm boldness and personal courage of
its commander had alone saved the whole column from
disaster, and it was with the greatest difficulty at
times that the suspicious and rapacious dwellers on
the north bank of the river could be induced to allow
the Expedition an unmolested passage through their
borders. At Malima, a straggling village of about
fifty huts, the Expedition made a halt to pay due
respect to its chief, Gamankono, an old acquaintance
of Stanley. He was, however, so gorgeously arrayed
on this occasion that he was scarcely recognizable as
the toiling fisherman who had palavered with the
white chief four years before on the river bank.
Gramankono was so delighted at seeing his friend of
former days that he proceeded to execute a most
extravagant triumphal dance, to the music of a rude
chorus raised by 400 of his stalwart liegemen. The
song was at once taken up by the followers of Stanley,
whose feelings, in the midst of this uproar and babel
of languages and chords, may be more easily
imagined than described. The hospitable prince
s 2

260 Henry M. Stanley.
was a fine specimen of his race. A well-made
figure, frank, honest features, genial but dignified
manners, and a regal costume of red and yellow, and
blue and white, with armlets of finely twisted brass
wire, interlaced with hair from the elephant's tail,
combined to make Gamankono a person of mark in
this out-of-the-way corner of the world. He gladly
acceded to the request that permission should be
given for his white visitor to establish a town in his
territory, and to reside, build, plant, and sow as it
pleased him. But matters were not destined to be so
amicably and speedily arranged, after all. Malameen,
a lieutenant of the French agent, M. de Brazza, had
followed Stanley into Malima, and had contrived to
whisper evil counsel into the ear of Gamankono, so
that during the dark hours of the night the tom-tom
sounded through the streets of the native village, and
it was officially announced that no dealings whatever
were to be allowed with the Expedition or its leader.
Stanley rose to the occasion. Gamankono was sent
for, to come and explain his duplicity. This he
declined to do, and in order to avoid strife it was
decided to march on at once for Ntamo, the kingdom
of the amicable Ngalyema, whose emissaries were met
on the road, bearing a hearty invitation to his country
and words of kindly greeting from their lord to his
old intimate " Tanley," Avhose approach had been
announced to him long before. Since their last meet
ing Ngalyema had risen in social rank. He had
enriched himself by successful trade, and had become
a chief of the first rank. His record was not a spot
less one, however, and his cruelty, superstition, and
avarice caused him to be mistrusted and disliked by

An Insolent Pretender. 261
his peers. He was, according to his own words, a
man not to be lightly regarded by his white brother.
He could open or close, at his own will and pleasure,
the whole territory of the Higher Congo to the
Association. The country of Ngalyema was situated
on the southern bank of the river, and it was decided
to accept his friendly overtures, with a view to a
treaty for a concession of land in his district for the
erection of the station of Stanley Pool. Stanley felt
that the presence and support of the powerful chief were
advantageous. Expressions of mutual affection and
kindly remembrances of their past intercourse were ex
changed, and presents were brought forward for the
visitors. The lord of Ntamo (known as Kintamo, on
the southern bank) at once displayed his characteristic
and innate vice of greediness, and requested for him
self the two asses, then a large mirror, which was
succeeded by a splendid gold-embroidered coat,
jewellery, glass clasps, long brass chains, a figured
table-cloth, fifteen other pieces of fine cloth, and a
japanned tin box with a " Chubb " lock. In return
he bestowed upon Stanley his baton, or emblem of
sovereignty, a staff decorated with brass hoops and
rings of wire, to be exhibited as a proof that he was a
kinsman of the great Ngalyema of Kintamo. Still the
lust of the African for the white man's treasures was
not abated. It soon became clear that the favours of
the Prince of Kintamo were valued by himself at a
very high rate. It was impossible to satisfy his
repeated demands. Whereupon he threatened to
make war upon his blood-brother, and drive him from
the neighbourhood. But it presently appeared that
the position and influence of the insolent rogue had

262 Henry M., Stanley.
been over-estimated. He had deceived the strangers
altogether as to his power and rank, and it was found
after a time that the would-be lord of Kintamo was a
runaway slave, who had been allowed to settle and
trade in the territory by favour of the actual owners
of the soil. By industry and cunning he had secured
great wealth, and a large band of hired retainers and
slaves, and had assumed the outward state of a high
born chief. On November 7th, after the exploring
party had crossed the river, the news reached the
camp that the actual lord of the country, the premier
chief of the surrounding region, was on his way to visit
the leader of the Expedition in state, accompanied by
a large retinue of head-men and persons of rank.
Advancing with quiet dignity, the old man announced
himself as Makoko, lord of the region between
Kimtompe and Stanley Pool, and offered the right
hand of fellowship to the white stranger. Seating
himself upon his leopard skin, the emblem of his
exalted dignity, he waited for the address of Stanley
to be interpreted to him. " People call me Bula
Matari (Rock-breaker)," he said. "In old times I
was known to Kintamo as Stanley. I am the first
Mundele seen by the natives of this country. I am
the man who went down the great river with many
men and many canoes years ago. I lost many men in
that river, but I promised my friends at Kintamo that
I would come back some day. I reached the white
man's, land, but remembering my promise, I have come
back. I have been to Mfwa already. The people, of
Mfya have forgotten me, but the people of Kintamo
have remained true. I saw them again, and Ngalyema
asked me to return to my people, and lead them along

The Pretender exposed. 263
the south bank to his village. Here is his staff as a
sign that I speak the truth. I am going to live with
him and, to build a town alongside of his village ; and
when this is done, I will put the boats you see on the
waggons here into the water, and I will go up the
great river, and see if I can build more. That is my
story Let Makoko speak to his friend, and say it is
good." 2 The reference to the importance of the
turbulent Ngalyema was by no means relished by
Makoko and his followers, and the old chieftain in
warm language denounced his pretensions as entirely
baseless, and declared that neither "Ngalyema nor
any of his clan, who were mere ivory- traders and
nothing else, had any country on the south side of the
river." " I am glad," continued the aged orator, " to
see Bula Matari and his sons. Rest in peace. Land
shall be given you. I want to see plenty of white
men here. Be easy in your mind. You shall build at
Kintamo, and I should like to see the man who says
' No ' to Makoko's ' Yes.' " Another heavy tribute
had to be paid to seal the compact of good-will with
Makoko, who completed the transaction by saying to
Stanley, " Ngalyema gave you his staff to show the
people he was your friend. Take this sword from
Makoko as a sign that Bula Matari is Makoko's
brother." This new alliance at once aroused the
rancour and ill-blood of the mendacious ivory-dealer,
who prepared to attack the camp with as many
followers as he could collect for his audacious purpose.
The place was at once put in a condition of defence.
The men were armed, but carefully hidden out of sight
for the moment, and when the braggart chief appeared
2 "Founding of the Congo Free State." (H. M. Stanley.)

264 Henry M. Stanley.
he found Stanley quietly reading at his tent door.
The latter was profuse in his exclamations of welcome,
wuen Ngalyema approached with his men of war all
armed and ready for the fray. The dealer in ivory
was not in a mood for friendly intercourse, and
furtively looked about him, and took careful note of
the defenceless state of the camp, and inwardly gloated
over the thought of the vast stores of rich cloth, silks,
and other costly merchandise which it was now in his
power to seize and carry off in triumph. Quietly, but
not without attracting the attention of Ngalyema, a
body of natives suddenly appeared upon the scene and
betook themselves to a corner of the enclosure, where
they watched the course of events with great interest.
These were a party of old Makoko's people. It was
evident from his bearing that the visit of Ngalyema
was not one of ceremony, but of war. In imperious
tones he demanded to know why Stanley had come to
Kintamo. The brass -bound staff was produced with
the reply, " This is what brought me. I have done
exactly what you asked me." The chief then hinted
that he would like to inspect the last additions to the
stores of the Expedition. Willing, if possible, to avoid
a conflict, Stanley led the way into the tents, and
allowed his unwelcome visitor to select some articles
for himself. But the Expedition was not to advance
nearer Kintamo. If it did so after this warning,
there would be war, and he would no longer be the
protector of Bula Matari. So said Ngalyema.
" What is this ? " said the sullen chief as he stood
before a huge gong hanging in the doorway.
"It is a fetish," replied Stanley.
" Strike it ; let me hear it."

The Tables turned. 265
" I dare not ; it is a war fetish ! "
" Beat it, Bula Matari, that I may hear it sound,"
said the obstinate visitor.
" I dare not, Ngalyema. It is the signal of war ; it
is a bad fetish that calls up armed men, it would be
too bad."
" I tell you to strike. Strike it ! " said the African,
as he stamped angrily upon the ground.
" Well, then," said Stanley, grasping the stick,
"remember I told you it was a bad fetish — a fetish
for war ; shall I strike now ? ' '
" Strike— strike it, I tell you ! "
In a moment the gong rang out with a fearful
crash, and the Zanzibaris, bearers, and native
labourers, who had been carefully concealed from the
eyes of Ngalyema and his party, rushed out with
hideous cries, and terrible gesticulations, and sur
rounded the astonished chief. From behind tents and
boats, and other hiding-places, they swarmed forth,
leaping over the ground like men bereft of their senses.
The earth appeared to tremble beneath their tread.
Tents fell crashing down and added to the din, and
the stampede of the warriors of Ngalyema in a frenzy
of fear struck terror into the heart of their chief.
" Be not afraid, Ngalyema ; remember Bula Matari
is your brother. Stand behind me, I will protect
you," said Stanley.
"Save me!" said the affrighted Ngalyema; "I
did not mean anything."
" Hold hard, Ngalyema ! " cried Stanley, " keep
fast hold of me ; I will defend you, never fear. Come
one, come all! Aha ! " 3
3 See Stanley's " Founding of the Congo Free State."

266 Henry M. Stanley.
Peace was gradually restored, and the Zanzibaris
and their friends marched off the ground, to the no
small satisfaction of the still trembling Ngalyema, who
gladly renewed his treaty of eternal friendship with
his white blood-brother, and promised that for the
future he would be the close ally and defender of Bula
Matari. The day after this useful exhibition of
Stanley's powers as a practical joker, a prospecting
party under the direction of Susi, the foreman of the
Zanzibaris, was sent off to secure a suitable position
for the new town. An elevation near Kintamo was
selected, and approved of by Stanley, and a road was
cut through to the spot, Avhich was a savage-looking
strip of wilderness, covered with rank herbage, but
admirably suited, as regards situation and contour, for
the site of the projected settlement. The ground
sloped from a height of eighty feet down to the banks
of the river, in the midst of magnificent views of the
broad expanse of the Pool, the opposite shore, and the
surrounding country. Ngalyema continued to give
trouble, and his threatening attitude caused consider
able anxiety to the Expedition at times, but nothing
occurred to hinder the steady progress of the work of
erecting the town, to which the name of Leopoldville
was given, in honour of the Royal President of the
Association Internationale du Haut Congo.
By the 19th April, 1882, Leopoldville was in perfect
order, and had already established a reputation as a
centre of commerce, and meeting-place for native
traders from all parts of the surrounding region on
both banks of the river. Upon the broad and airy
terrace which had been cut out of the slope, the
residences of the Europeans were erected. Below

Leopoldville pounded. 267
stood the native village and the huts of the coloured
residents in the settlement, and the entire colony was
protected by a substantial house, built of solid blocks
of timber of vast size, and loop-holed for musketry in
case of attack. The walls of this timber citadel were
solid enough to resist any attack from the natives, and
it was large enough to shelter the entire garrison
within its gates if obliged to seek a place of refuge in
any time of serious clanger. The view from the summit
of the rising ground Upon which the station had been
erected, was one of striking grandeur. To the east
ward lay the broad gleaming surface of the Pool, with
its framework of rugged hills and steep cliffs, and its
islands carpeted with verdure ; on the other hand the
enormous cascade of the Kintamo Falls sparkled and
foamed in savage wrath as it flung itself over the lofty
precipice, and rushed on towards the great ocean far
away ; and all about the terraced hill, as far as the
horizon, lay broad fields and plains of rich alluvial soil,
intersected by flowing streams, and covered with every
variety of vegetation in rich profusion, and capable of
producing grain, cotton, coffee, wheat, maize, or sugar,
sufficient to nourish and sustain in comfort half a
million of people.

CHAPTER XV.
ON THE UPPER CONGO WATERS.
A magnificent watery expanse — The Kwa — An African princess —
Eoyal commands — Lake Leopold II. — "No fuel, no steam" —
Worn to death — A complication of ills — Vivi — Home to England
— Interview with the Comite at Brussels — Reporting progress — ¦
Three years of toil — Back to Vivi — Desolation— Ruin and decay
— Deserters — B"ew stations founded — Leopoldville a rain — In
peril at Bolobo.
Early on the morning of April 19th, 1882, the first
Upper Congo Expedition set forth from the landing-
place at Kintamo Inlet. The En Avant, the first vessel
whose keel had furrowed the magnificent watery
expanse of Stanley Pool, led the way with a full
cargo of stores, and a company of forty-nine natives
and four Europeans. A whaleboat and some canoes
completed the flotilla with which the commander of
the Expedition was about to navigate the Pool which
bore his name, and carefully explore the great Central
Equatorial watershed of the noble stream for which he
had already sacrificed health and comfort and friends.
The long, swampy inlet of Bamu lies in the centre of
the broad expanse of the Pool, and is the favourite
resort of the buffalo, elephant, and river-horse. It
divides the volume of the river into two branches,
which reunite at the point of Inga eastward and the
point of Kallina to the west. The extent of water
between these points is estimated at 200 square miles.

The Mswata Settlement. 269
The passage was by no means a rapid one, as the
current of the Congo was running furiously in places
at the rate of seven knots an hour, and the upper
reaches of the river with its affluents were pouring a
mass of three millions of cubic feet of water into the
Pool per second !
On April 26th, the people of Mswata were visited,
and after a palaver lasting near a fortnight, a most
desirable plot of land near the stream was given up to
the Association for building purposes. Taking the
young officer who was to be placed in charge of this
village to the summit of a mound overlooking the
whole district, the chiefs (who had expressed in the
warmest terms their desire for intercourse with Bula
Matari) told him to select for himself the place which
pleased him most. The whole land was his, and he
had only to make a choice of a site, and the spot
would at once be handed over to his detachment. A
commencement was made by setting up a house for
Lieut. Janssen ; a road was opened out down to the
waterside, the bush and scrub and rank undergrowth
for some distance round the settlement was cleared, and
the Mswata settlement, owing to the energy and capa
city of its youthful but sagacious head, soon assumed,
with its flourishing gardens, well-planted terraces, and
nicely ordered rows of dwellings and magazines, all
the appearance of a prosperous and well-established
trading town.
Again the spirit of movement was upon Stanley,
and he longed to penetrate, if possible, to the sources
of the Kwa, a mighty but only partially-explored
tributary of the Congo, running into the main waters
from the south. Weird and melancholy fables were

270 Henry M. Stanley.
repeated to the white man about the swift and danger
ous torrent, and his love of adventure revived as he
listened to the strange stories of the natives who had
visited the uplands of the Kwa, concerning the wonders
to be met with in its waters and on its banks. En
tering the broad estuary of the affluent, the little En
Avant, provisioned for a voyage of 200 miles, and
carrying a crew of fourteen men and three guides, was
soon battling with the chafing current, as she ploughed
her way over the tawny flood between steep, evenly-
shaped banks of dull red clay. For miles no object of
interest disturbed the calm of the pensive group of
idlers upon the deck of the steamer. But soon the
landscape began to wear an aspect of rich fertility,
and the abundant vegetation covering the wide-stretch
ing valleys and fruitful lowlands on all sides, and
fields of banana, sugar-cane, and cassava, testified
everywhere to the rank prodigality of the soil.
" What could not be done with these fat pastures
and loamy meadows, these oases of promise in the
midst of the sterile wilderness ? " Stanley often asked
himself, as hour after hour he viewed with careful eye
the bosky hill-sides, the dense groves of finely de
veloped trees, and the verdant plains reaching away to
the far horizon. Birds swept across the bosom of the
waters, or flecked its teeming surface with their snowy
wings as they dived for fish in its lucid depths.
Families of ungainly hippos floundered in the muddy
shallows, populous villages were seen at intervals all
along the banks of the great tributary stream. The
En Avant was an object of great curiosity and some
dread to the prying natives, who stared in stupid
wonder at the huge monster propelling itself through

Exploration of the Kwa. 271
the water by means of its paddle-wheels, which to
them suggested the idea of enormous fins.
" Where are you going ? and what is all this for?
What kind of thing is this that goes up by itself on
our waters ?" asked the unsophisticated sons of the
Mabula. " Oh," replied the guide, Ankoki, in a superior sort
of way (forgetting that he had been terribly scared
himself by the boat only a few days before), " we are
going to visit Gankabi, the great queen of the Wa-
buma. This is Bula Matari, you know, brother of
great Gobila, and this is the white man's boat. Ah !
it takes the likes of white men to do things like this,
you know." 1
The course of the boat lay directly under the groves
and spreading palms of Kemeh Island, the sacred place
of sepulture for the royal rulers of the Wabuma.
Flocks of birds — gay parrots, doves, and fierce hawks
— filled the air with their cries as they flew overhead
or hovered over the surface of the water in search of
the flies and insects which infested the sedgy banks of
this final resting-place of kings, and the En Avant was
found to be steaming through waters of distinctly
opposite hues, yet both flowing in the same river-bed.
On the right the Kwa was black as could be, and the
left half of the stream was pale grey. The reason of
this singular phenomenon was that just ahead of the
party the two branches, the Mfini and the Mbihe,
combined to form the main body of the Kwa. Crowds
rushed to the river bank to see the smoking craft pass
along its foamy path, heedless of the rushing current,
and forcing a way for itself, unaided by any human
1 "Founding of the Congo Free State." (H. M. Stanley.)

272 Henry M. Stanley.
arm, into the heart of their country. At Musye, a
well-placed native trading-station and village of some
importance, situate at the point where the Mfini and
the Mbihe combine, Stanley landed with his party to
pay the usual visit of homage to the illustrious chief-
tainess, Gankabi, who had, however, gone a journey of
some days up the sable stream of Mfini. In her
absence the white men were refused hospitality, and it
was decided to continue the advance up stream, in the
hope of meeting with a more cordial welcome else
where. On the passage the party suddenly came upon the
canoes of the Queen of Musye, who was returning
homewards with a number of attendants, from her
tour up the Mfini. Her Majesty was seated in the
bow of the boat, and she was at once recognized by
the native guides of the Expedition, who exclaimed,
in tones of veneration and surprise, " There is Gan
kabi." The En Avant was at once brought to, and the
boat of the dusky chieftainess was rowed to the
side of the steamer. Gankabi was, in person and
bearing, the perfect ideal of an African princess. Her
fine stature, firm, determined face, and calm self-
possession, at once proclaimed her to be a woman of
character and power. She was simply arrayed in a
robe of ordinary grass-cloth, and the only outward
sign of her dignity which she displayed was a solitary
but heavy armlet of copper.
" So you are Bula Matari ! " she said with some
imperiousness. " Yes."
" Then come with me."

An African Queen. 273
" No, I am going to see the end of this river, and
when I return, if you are at Musye, I will see you —
that is, if you wish ; if not, I will go down, as I came
up, past you."
" Well, what next, I wonder ! How will you get
past Ngete ? The people are bad. No one is allowed
to pass Ngete. The people will fight you; they will
kill you all."
" Ah, well, I shall be very sorry to get killed, of
course; but I must go all the same."
"What for?"
" To see the river."
" And what will you do with it, when you do see
it?" "Nothing, when I have seen the end I will
return." 2
Stanley informed tho Queen of the fact that he, had
been scurvily treated by her subjects at Musye the
day before, and he preferred now to go on his way
without troubling her people further. The interview
ended by a present of food and a goat to the white
men, and Gankabi passed on her way, after again
warning Bula Matari of the danger into which he was
so obstinately thrusting himself, in continuing his
course through the country of the barbarous Ngete.
Considerable difficulty was now experienced in pro
curing sufficient fuel for the boilers, and no wood or
brush of any kind could be discovered near the banks.
Bits of dried wood were easily secured at first for the
fires, but at length it became absolutely necessary to
purchase the precious commodity from the native chiefs
at any price. A heavy payment in brass rods was
2 See Stanley's " Founding the Congo Free State."

274 Henry M. Stanley.
demanded, and upon these terms the furnaces were
plentifully and speedily supplied. The upper region
of the Kwa appeared to be thickly populated, well-
watered, and abundantly productive of all the neces
saries of life. The streams were stocked with fish,
and every village had its well-cultivated plot of ground
covered over with fine crops of millet, bananas, grain,
and cassava. The long spear-grass which rose to a
height of seven or eight feet and covered the district
for miles, was burnt when dry by the natives, and
from the ashes, which they boiled, they managed to
extract a dirty-grey saline substance which served
them as salt.
Three days were spent in exploring Lake Leopold IL,
a magnificent sheet of shallow water in the district of
the dark Mfini, with an area of 800 square miles,
and an average depth of sixteen feet. The rude
villagers on the shores were terrified at the sudden
appearance of the En Avant steaming across the calm
waters with her motley company of white and coloured
men, and churning the lake into seething foam with
her ever-revolving arms. The incessant worry about
fuel, and the insufficient supplies of food at times,
together with the exertion of circumnavigating this
vast inland sea, induced a return of Stanley's old enemy
the fever of the country, and he was obliged to hasten
back with all speed to Lieutenant Janssen's thriving
settlement at Mswata, where he arrived on June 7th
in a terribly prostrate condition, and utterly unable to
shake off the feeling of " deathly languor " which had
settled upon him. In a condition of painful weakness,
and unable to take any interest in what was passing
around him, the exhausted leader was conveyed from

A Complication of Ailments. 275
station to station down the river as fast as his anxious
and sorrowing followers could effect the mournful
passage. At Leopoldville he had only an indistinct
idea of the locality and of the events which attended his
arrival there. He was ill, terribly ill, that he knew, and
when consciousness returned f 01* a brief space, between
the paroxysms of the disease, he tried to make those
about him understand that he wished to be carried
down to Vivi. His faithful Zanzibaris were to escort
him on the road and see to his comfort, as far as
they could, and on the 23rd of June the melancholy
procession filed down from the terrace of Leopoldville,
bearing to the steamer their brave Bula Matari, who
to all outward seeming was stricken for death. The
symptoms of an alarming complication of ailments,
incipient gastritis, and dropsical enlargement of the
lower limbs, added to an almost chronic physical
debility, induced by successive attacks of fever and
dysentery, created something approaching to despair
amongst the officers and members of the Expedition,
who, in bidding him " Farewell," scarcely dared to
hope that he would ever return to lead them on to
further and greater triumphs. With trembling fingers
he wrote a few lines on the road to his officers in
charge of Leopoldville, in favour of Mr. T. I. Comber
of the Baptist Mission, whom he wished to see settled
on the southern shore of the Pool, and at noon on
July 8th, 1882, he was carried up the broad pathway
to his headquarters on the crest of the old Vivi Hill.
The faithful Zanzibaris, whose contract for a three
years' period of service had expired, were returned,
under the charge of a competent officer, to their home
on the East Coast. Doctor Pe'schuel Loeche, a German

276 Henry M. Stanley.
traveller of some reputation and experience, who had
arrived most opportunely, as it turned out, with the
commission of the Association appointing him to the
command of the Expedition in the event of any mis
fortune having happened to Stanley, was installed in
his position of responsibility, and a week after his
arrival at Vivi (which he found had been sadly
neglected during his long absence) he was carried down
the road, upon which in happier days he had earned
his proud title of " The Breaker of Rocks," and
amid the stirring cheers of his white and coloured
companions, who had so gallantly aided him in his
struggles to make an open way through Africa, he was
placed on board the La Belgique, and four days later
he was in the harbour of St. Paul de Loanda. Here
he was detained for some weeks, awaiting the arrival
of the mail from Europe. He rapidly recovered, how
ever, from some of the effects of his three years' ex
posure to the vicissitudes and trials of Congo life,
under the skilful and sympathetic treatment of his
friend Senhor Oliviera, the well-known physician of De
Loanda. But it was decided that a thorough change
to Europe would alone be of permanent benefit to the
sufferer, and on August 17th he embarked on board
the China for Lisbon, en route for home!
An Atlantic voyage of twenty-five days by way of the
islands of St. Thomas and the Cape de Verd did much
to restore the physical energies of the explorer of the
Congo, who found a great deal to interest and divert him
in the manners and doings of his fellow-passengers,
and in the novel incidents which day by day are sure
to arise in a sea passage on board a mail steamer.
On the 21st October, 1882, Stanley was again in

Invalided to Europe. 277
Europe. He at once reported himself at Brussels to
the Comite of the Association Internationale du
Congo, and gave an account of what had been done
on the banks of the great African river. Five stations
had been completed ; the formidable obstruction to
the navigation of the Upper Waters presented by the
Livingstone Falls had been cleverly circumvented by
that marvellous road of fifty-two miles between the
Vivi Hill and the rapids of Isangila, and Manyanga
and Stanley Pool had been connected by a similar
waggon road. A way was now open from the ocean
to the mouth of the Kwa, a distance of 440 miles
from the Atlantic, and a portion of the fleet of the
Association was actually afloat upon the upper
reaches of the Congo. But to ensure the permanent
success of the work of the " Comite," Stanley urged
most strongly upon that body the immediate con
struction of a line of railway from the Lower to
the Upper River, to be managed by themselves, and
worked entirely for the advantage of the Equatorial
region. Stanley also suggested, as a condition of his
return to the scenes of his arduous but successful
mission, that he should have an able and responsible
second in command, who could control and direct the
affairs of the stations already completed upon the
Lower River. The repeated failures of the young and
inexperienced officers who had too often shown an
utter incapacity to grasp the true nature of the duties
they had assumed, or the requirements of the positions
they had been sent out to fill, had been a constant
source of vexation and distress of spirit to the single-
minded and ardent man who had risked so much
and suffered so severely for the reclamation of the

278 Henry M. Stanley.
vast territory which he had added to the map of
Africa. On Nov. 23rd, with restored health and freshened
hopes, the steamship Harkaway left Cadiz for
Banana Point with Stanley and a number of fresh
recruits for the service of the Association on board.
About 600 tons of merchandise of all sorts were
taken out for the purposes of the Expedition, and on
Dec. 14th the party landed at the mouth of the
Congo. By the 20th of the same month Stanley had
reached the Vivi Hill, only to find that one station
after another had been deserted by the officials who
had been placed in charge of them before his
departure for Europe. In five short months the
work of years had been ruthlessly upset or ruined.
The German doctor, a man of large African ex
perience who had been appointed to take the direction
of the entire enterprise in the absence of Stanley, had
left for Europe some weeks before. Vivi was chief-
less. The head of the Leopoldville settlement was
down at Banana Point, and his second officer had
vanished altogether. La Belgique was captain-
less, and the machinery of the little En Avant had
been hopelessly disabled. Quarrels had arisen with
the natives, and the condition of affairs generally was
as bad as it could well be in so short a time.
Happily the arrival of the founder of the work upon
the scene prevented further disorganization and
disaster. A detachment was at once sent off to open
a new route to the Upper River with an outlet to the
coast between the French Colony of the Gaboon and
the Congo estuary. The malingerers were sent back
to their duties, and formal treaties were entered

Once more in the Congo. 279
into with all the chiefs who had any rights of owner
ship in the regions bordering upon the river, securing
to the Association the supreme control of the territory
for some distance inland on either bank. A new line
of stations was established, and favourable treaties
arranged with the native owners of the ground,
greatly to the satisfaction of the commander of the
Expedition, by Lieut. Van de Velde, an officer of
whom his chief speaks in the highest terms of com
mendation. A road was opened up on the south bank
from Manyanga to Leopoldville, a medical superin
tendent was located at Stanley Pool and, all the
stations were re -provisioned and set in order once
more. The Royal was hurried up to Leopoldville by
waggon overland, and a new steam launch, the A.I.A.
(Association Internationale Africaine) was built upon
the upper waters of the river for special service
eastward of the Pool.
On arriving at the Inkissi River on Feb. 27th, the
alarming intelligence was brought to Stanley that the
colony on the Pool was absolutely without food.
" Bread was at famine prices," and no supplies could
be obtained from the natives of the district. Truly
the post of head of the Congo Expedition was one
which required a clear brain, and firm nerves, and a
stout heart. What was wrong and who was wrong ?
were points which Stanley with his natural shrewd
ness and experience of the devious ways of men, soon
settled in his own mind. He found no scarcity of
provisions on the way as he hurried forward to see for
himself the actual condition of the famishing settle
ment. The natives, who crossed his path, or with
whom he had dealings, were as kindly and as well

280 Henry M. Stanley.
disposed to the white man as they had been in his
former visits to the territory. At last Leopoldville
came in view. The picture was a sad one, and it
would be impossible to describe the feelings of the
Pioneer of the Congo as he looked down upon the
neglected terrace, the grass-grown streets, the
forsaken huts, the overgrown gardens, foul with rank
vegetation and fast returning into their primitive
wilderness condition, the broken fences, and the
forlorn aspect of all things connected with his once
bright and flourishing and busy town on the Kintamo
slope. At the dilapidated landing-stage the En
Avant was discovered cracked and seamed by the sun.
Hostilities had arisen with the neighbouring chiefs,
and the trade between the white man and themselves
had been " killed." This was the explanation of the
startling condition of the station, in the midst of a
land overflowing with the necessaries and even some
of the luxuries of life. Amicable relations had to be
re-established with the native lords of the Kintamo
region, and a grand palaver was called to discuss the
strained position of affairs and to find a remedy. The
results of this conference were most gratifying. An
alliance, offensive and defensive, was formed between
the Association and the various tribes inhabiting the
Wambundu and Kintamo district, for the purpose of
securing the entire territory west and south of the
Pool from disturbance or outrage. The chiefs were
to acknowledge the authority of the Association, and
as a sign of this the dark blue flag of the Association
with its gold star in the centre was to be displayed
on public occasions at the native towns of the con
federacy.

Lamentable State op Leopoldville. 281
Leopoldville soon assumed much of its old bright
ness and activity. The roads were cleared of grass,
the terrace was restored to something of its former
dignity, and the En Avant was docked, repaired, and
re-painted. But, best of all, confidence was again
restored between the white man and his dusky neigh
bours, and soon the market of the settlement was
crowded with women and children, bringing in the
produce of the district for barter as of old, without
fear or reserve.
The advance along the Higher Waters was con
tinued on May 9th, 1883. The new steamer A. LA.,
the En Avant, and the Royal, which had been hauled
up from Vivi, forming the fleet of exploration and
observation. Eighty men and six tons of goods for
the stations to be established up the river, were taken,
and food for the support of the Expedition for at least
six months was stowed away in the holds of the
crowded vessels. Every kind of article useful or
ornamental had to be thought of and packed for the
voyage — axes, shovels, picks, scythes, saws, cloth,
fancy ornaments, medicine, ammunition, oil, flour and
salt, seeds, and every conceivable thing which could
tempt the natives to barter or attract their attention
with a view to stimulate trade between the white
man and themselves, had to be laid out and kept
ready to hand in the cabin of the A.I.A. for the
benefit of any visitors from the tribes on shore, or at
the various landing-places where the Expedition
halted to get fresh supplies of fuel and provisions.
At " Good View Station " matters were found to
be progressing satisfactorily. The buildings were
advancing towards completion, and the officer in

282 Henry M. Stanley.
charge seemed to have his work well in hand. A
grand stretch of river was visible from the rising
settlement, reaching to a distance of five miles, where
it was merged in the fleecy mist which hung over the
far-off horizon. The day after leaving Kimpoko, the
native name for the " Good View Station," the steam
launches and whale-boats passed the portals of the
Higher Congo, at the extreme limit of the Pool.
Mswata Station looked pleasant and attractive, with
its well-built homestead and cultivated surroundings,
and its thriving condition amply justified Stanley's
high opinion of the industry and ability of the young
lieutenant whom he had placed over the colony
thirteen months before. The native population round
the station had considerably increased since the last
visit of the head of the Expedition, and fresh villages
had sprung up in the district for the purpose of
carrying on a regular trade with the agents of the
Association upon the banks of the river. Between
Gobila, the kindly-disposed and benevolent chief of
the Mswata, and the youthful but astute head of the
station, the kindliest feelings existed, and the old
man day by day visited the colony for a gossip with
his son "Nausi Mpembe " or the " White Chicken,"
a name which he had himself bestowed upon young
Janssen. Sailing and steaming on their course over
the great Congo waters, the flotilla was now approach
ing the real heart of the African Equatorial region,
the vast watershed and catchment of the wonderful
stream which has an onward flow of 2500 miles from
the Lake Region of the interior to the Atlantic Ocean.
The primary object of the Expedition had ,been to
pierce through the sterile and profitless borders of

The White Chicken. 283
the Lower Congo, extending over a distance of 235
miles right up into this almost limitless expanse of
fertile and densely peopled country, where Stanley
"believed that under European control there could be
formed a great African Empire, open to the commerce
of the world, to become the centre of future civiliza
tion over a large portion of the Dark Continent."
The old mythical description of Central Africa as a
vast and silent tract of and wilderness, without a
sign of vegetable or animal life, and given over to
solitude and desolation, had been altogether disproved
by the splendid achievements of modern explorers.
What had been for ages regarded as a Southern
Sahara, was found to be a magnificent area of wide-
swelling and fruitful plains and levels of productive
pasture-land, sustaining " myriads of dusky nations,"
numbering, in the aggregate, according to Stanley,
over thirty millions of people.
A station had been established in the thickly-
inhabited locality of the Bolobo, who were, however,
not well disposed to the strangers, and presently gave
serious trouble. Stanley arrived just in time to
save the settlement from a great danger, if not from
positive ruin. A quarrel had arisen between the
officers in charge and a native magnate of consider
able influence, and open hostilities were threatened.
Some of the great men of the district were at once
consulted by Stanley as to the right method, according
to native custom, of conducting such matters, and
happily the unfortunate affair ended by the payment
of a fine of .£42 by Gatula, the chief who had in retali
ation for an alleged insult to a member of his family,
slain in cold blood two of the employes of the settle-

284 Henry M. Stanley.
ment. The position for a time was painfully critical,
as an open fight must have resulted in the defeat and
probable massacre of Stanley and his men. He knew
this, but put, as was his wont, a bold front on the
matter. Conscious of his weakness, he yet spoke
thus to the friends of Gatula : " We are strangers in
Ibaka's country. Ibaka gave us ground, for which he
took much money. Our people were put into his
hands. Two of these people are not to be found. I
want them. I cannot do without them. They were
freemen. They had families. Those families will ask
me for them. Shall I show them empty hands ?
Blood must be shed for blood, or money must pay for
it. Gatula must pay or fight. Ibaka says he has
heard of Bula Matari before. Ibaka and the other
chiefs must advise Gatula which is best. I will wait
two suns for the money. If it is not paid, I will go
to Gatula' s village and bring him out."
Both parties to the quarrel were secretly in dread
of each other, as it afterwards turned out, and it was
intimated to Stanley that Gatula had been so scared
by the message of Bula Matari, that he would rather
sacrifice a dozen slaves than go through such an
experience again.
At a state council of the Bolobo lords later on, a
definite and stringent agreement was formulated and
signed between themselves and Stanley by which they
agreed to ally themselves with the Association and to
hand over their territorial rights to that body, as re
presented by the Commander of the Expedition, their
friend and intimate Bula Matari, and for the time
peace and good-will once more prevailed.

CHAPTER XVI.
THE EQUATOR STATION AND THE PALLS.
Splendid scenery — Miles of the forest — Effect of the " smoke boats " —
Native mendacity — The covenant of blood — Hostile natives — A
novel farewell — Equator Station — 770 miles from the Atlantic —
Stanley as a peacemaker — "Bula Matari has spoken" — Vivi
dismantled — Bolobo in ashes — Progress at Equator Station —
Peace with the Bangala — A born orator — The wild Basoko — On
the track of the Arab slavers — A ghastly spectacle — Slaves in
chains — Plucky little Binnie — Stanley's ideal station — Unhappy
Vivi — On board the Kisembo — Six laborious and " bitter " years
— Report of the work of the Expedition — Stanley at Brussels —
Retrospect.
It was necessary for the complete success of the
plan of the Association, that at least two important
stations should be at once established on the Upper
Congo waters, and on the 28th of May, 1883, the
tiny fleet, flying the flag of dark blue with the gold
star, was once more ascending the river. The
troubles at Bolobo had caused considerable delay, and
Stanley feared that he might not be able, after all
to keep his promise to the Comite, that he would
reach Stanley Falls by the end of the year. Twenty
miles per day was the average speed of the flotilla.
The constant need of fresh supplies of fuel and food.
for the eighty men of the Expedition, for whom a
meal had to be provided twice a day, was a frequent
cause of stoppage, but after a wearisome voyage of
some days through most uninteresting scenery along

286 Henry M. Stanley.
the silent but ever-flowing stream, signs of life began
to appear upon the banks, and the country opened
out and revealed everywhere rich groves of tropical
fruits, pleasant villages embedded in palms, and
sheltered by forests of enormous and valuable timber,
and towering hills on the distant horizon, whose
pointed crests were wrapped about with a beautiful
mantle of purple haze. Considerable difficulty was
experienced in opening up communications with some
of the villages on the banks. In vain were rich cot
tons, rolls of crimson cloth, and sparkling beads or
sheaves of brass rods held up as signs of the pacific
intent of the white man. The smoke-boats terrified
the people, and they fled in terror from the belching,
hissing, and powerful monsters, which beat the waters
with strange hands on either side, and groaned and
sighed like human beings. At times hostilities were
threatened if Stanley or his party attempted to land
for purposes of barter, or to get wood for the furnaces,
and at one spot a novel but ineffectual expedient was
adopted to get rid of the white-faced strangers and
their mammoth fire-canoes. As the steamers neared
the shore the usual display of goods was made upon
the deck, but the only response which came from a
miserable group of abject natives on the shore was
that small-pox, that most fearful of all African
scourges, had swept over the spot, and every chief
and person of consideration had fallen victims to
the frightful virulence of the plague, and that the
few unhappy wretches who had survived the fell
disease, were perishing from hunger, owing to the
want of able-bodied men to till the land or gather
in the perishing crops. The crews of Stanley's

Alarmed by the Steamers. 287
vessels were aghast at this recital of irremediable
woe, "but," said they, "those men on the banks
look too fat to be suffering from famine." There
was nothing for it, however, but to turn away from
the village and press onward to more hospitable
scenes. It was decided to camp higher up the stream
at no great distance from the famine-stricken tribe,
in the "hope that they would make some effort to
relieve our need and enrich themselves by bartering
any provisions they might be able to get together
for our merchandise." No sooner was the camp in
situ than the arrant rogues put in an appearance,
laden with fowls, goats, bananas, green plantains,
cassava roots, yams, eggs, and palm oil ; in fact, all
the luxuries and dainties of the continent, and a brisk
trade was done, and the fleet was provisioned for
some days on the spot. Inexhaustible stores of
fowls, goats, and " good things " were obtained and
stored away against a time of need, and then the
question was asked why the story of famine and
small-pox had been invented when, the Expedition
first hove in sight. The reply was, " 0 ! why do you
remember what we said in fear of you? Neither our
oldest people nor their fathers before them ever saw
or heard of such things as these," pointing to the
En Avant and her consorts.
Vast teak forests lined the banks for days at certain
portions of the route, and wide park-like expanses,
covered with a fine growth of majestic trees, were
frequently visible beyond the low, reedy marsh-lands
by the river sides. The contrast between the cold
sterility of the Lower Congo district, and the luxuri
ant verdure and rich productiveness of the Upper

288 Henry M. Stanley.
Congo basin was most striking. Day by day the
surroundings of the river increased in interest, and
fresh evidence was constantly afforded to the eye and
ear of the leader of the flotilla, which was patiently
steaming onwards over the brown waters, that he had
by no means over-estimated the material wealth and
productive power of the finest and least known of
African watersheds. The reception of the vessels at
Usindi was overpoweringly kind. A party of natives
dashed over the foaming waters in a canoe to the side
of the En Avant, and shouting out words of welcome,
sprang upon the deck to guide the fleet to the safest
anchorage off their town. News had reached the
place from the Pool of the achievements of Stanley
in opening markets, planting settlements, and creating
trade all along the banks of the great river. No weapon
of war was seen about the place during the stay of
the party, and Stanley verily believes that the chief of
the tribe would gladly have given him the half of his
kingdom had he agreed to settle down and build a
station there.
Passing on to the great Irebu tribe, which they
visited by invitation of Mangombo, the great chief of
this well-known mercantile tribe, whose members
formed the most accomplished of the native traders
on the upper waters, Stanley had to go through the
by no means agreeable ceremony of blood-brotherhood
with Mangombo. The right arm of each was punc
tured by the fetish-man, and the oozing blood mixed
with gunpowder, salt, and scrapings from the gun-
stock of the white man and the spear of the chief,
and sprinkled over the bleeding arms, which for the
moment were rubbed together. The fetish-man then

From Irebu to Ikengo. 289
with much ceremony touched the head, arms, necks,
and legs of the two men with some kind of dust in
a large pot, and the mystic rites were completed,
and the white man was admitted to all the honours
and privileges of a prince or member of the royal
house to which his blood-brother belonged. The
Irebu were at the time engaged in a war with a
neighbouring tribe, and Stanley was asked to inter
vene, and, if possible, prevent further hostilities. An
armistice was arranged between the combatants for
fifteen days, and on June the 6th the expedition was
once more under weigh in mid-stream. The banks
were now occupied at frequent intervals more or less
all along the way by villages or considerable towns,
having enormous native populations, and carrying on
a brisk trade up and down the stream and far away
into the interior in ivory, grain, palm-oil, and other
marketable produce of the region. From Irebu to
Ikengo, a distance of fifty miles, the stream was
bordered by a continuous and extensive growth of
stately wood — mahogany, teak, plane, and fine gum —
and the islets, which in places broke the current of
the river, were surrounded with rich forests of timber,
of extraordinary altitude and massive bulk. The dis
like or distrust with which some of the people on
shore regarded the strangers was exhibited in a
variety of ways ; and on one occasion the En Avant,
followed by. the rest of the vessels, passed up stream
between banks lined with masses of people, who kept
up a frantic motion of their bodies, and, armed with
bows, rushed forward in serried ranks to the edge of
the river as if about to overwhelm the tiny craft with
an attack in force. The display was only intended as
u

290 Henry M. Stanley.
a hint to the travellers to keep on their way, and not
venture to molest those who had no wish to injure
them. On June 13th, 1883, a site was selected at this
point of the river for a fixed settlement, and Equator
Station was founded in 0° 1' 0" N. Lat. in the district
of Wangata, and placed under the charge of Lieute
nant Vangele and a garrison of twenty-six men. The
position of this advanced and isolated outpost of the
Association was one of the first importance. It was
surrounded on all sides by vast multitudes of people,
the natural wealth of the region was incalculable, and
under judicious management there was every prospect
that it would become the centre of a flourishing and
influential trading community. With a light heart the
patient Pioneer of the Congo returned once more to
Irebu, after seeing the little detachment thoroughly
settled down to their task of erecting the buildings of
the new colony, which was exactly 770 miles distant
from the Atlantic. On the return of Stanley to the
district of Mangombo, his blood-brother, and chief of
the wide-spreading Irebu, it was found that war had
again broken out, and that the truce which the white
man had arranged had been broken only two hours
before the fleet came in sight. Stanley once more pro
ceeded to act as peace-maker, and his efforts were
crowned with success. To his friend Mangombo, who
showed a disposition to renew the quarrel, Stanley
thus delivered himself in his character of chosen arbi
trator. " Magwala and Mpika have both agreed that
they will leave the case in my hands : you, Mangombo,
must do the same. The war lies in the obstinacy of
Mangombo alone. It is enough, Mpika and Magwala

Stanley as Peace-maker. 291
offer their hands in friendship to Mangombo. Give
the pledge of peace, and bury the war. Bula Matari
has spoken ! " The speech was electrical in its effects.
Mangombo was " nowhere," so to speak, after the de
livery of these stern but wholesome words of his white
brother, and peace was at once proclaimed, for " had
not Bula Matari spoken ? "
The stations of Mswata and Kimpoko were visited in
turn, and although the former was found in excellent
order, the latter was still suffering from some inex
plicable lethargy and tendency to decay. Leopold
ville was rapidly rising to a position of dignity as a
central market for the entire Stanley Pool region, and
it had every mark about it of the assiduous care with
which its chief officer continued to discharge the oner
ous duties of his responsible post. Valeke was Stan
ley's model officer. But alas ! of Vivi, , unhappy Vivi,
what shall be said ? Confusion reigned supreme in
the pretty village which Stanley had left upon the
Vivi Hill. " Divided counsels, strife, and mutual re
criminations, all declared themselves in the bundle of
correspondence which reached the Expedition at the
Pool station." Valeke was sent down the stream with
authority to settle the unfortunate difficulties which
had arisen at Manyanga and Vivi, and then came fresh
troubles to distract the weary, but hopeful man, who
had determined to devote his whole powers to opening
out the Equatorial regions to the beneficent influ
ences of Christianity, civilization and commerce. His
mind was ever dwelling upon " that vast domain which
lay around him, and far away beyond, with its 80,000
square miles of lake water, the second largest river
and river basin in the world, and a fertility that no
u 2

292 Henry M. Stanley.
tropical or equatorial region elsewhere could match,
with its great independent native empires, kingdoms>
and republics like Uganda, Kuanda, Ungoro, and the
pastoral plains of a country like the Masai Land ;
gold and silver deposits, abundant copper and iron
mines ; valuable forests providing priceless timber, in
exhaustible quantities of rubber, precious gums and
spices, pepper and coffee, cattle in countless herds, and
peoples who are amenable to the courtesies of life,
provided they are protected from the attacks of the
lawless freebooter and the murderous wiles of the
slave-trader." Kimpoko station, after repeated disasters, had to be
abandoned for the time. Janssen was drowned whilst
generously conveying a French priest to a location up
one of the affluents of the river, and Bolobo was sud
denly destroyed by fire, with a large reserve store of
merchandise amounting to something like 150 tons.
Proceeding to relieve the houseless contingent at Bo
lobo, the flotilla was attacked by the Itimba and
Btangala people, and matters assumed so grave an
aspect that the Royal was sent down with all speed
to Leopoldville to bring up the Krupp cannon and
fifty charges of ammunition. Before the gun reached
the spot, however, a peace was arranged, the unfriendly
tribes paying an indemnity of 600 matako. The per
formances of the cannon produced a profound effect
upon the native hordes, who were asked to see it fired
" just for fun," and they did not hesitate to accept the
suggestion of Bula Matari that it was worse than
foolish of them to attempt to fight with their white
friends. In the centre of a forest of unusual magni
tude and beauty, a young Englishman named Glave

Two able Lieutenants. 293
was commissioned by Stanley to establish the station
of Lukolela. The task was by no means an easy one,
but after assisting him by clearing an open space of
some fifty square yards for his buildings, the Expedi
tion left him to push on the work, with a small com
pany of labourers, to the best of his ability. At the
end of September, after an absence of one hundred
days, the fleet was once more off Equator Station.
The progress which had been made on all sides was
most marked. What, three months before, was a bare
strip of African wilderness, had become a highly cul
tivated and well-constructed European village. A
strong serviceable bungalow, surrounded by gardens,
well-stocked with vegetables and fruits, gay with
coloured blinds and painted jalousies, and furnished
with taste and an eye to ornament as well as use —
had been erected by the young lieutenants Vangele and
Coquilhat, who shared the responsibility of the manage
ment of the place. In the native quarter also, the
clay huts, in the midst of nicely laid-out garden
plots, and surrounded by sugar-cane, cucumbers,
and other products, betrayed at once the pre
sence in the settlement of the spirit of order and
industry, and the heart of Stanley was made glad by
the smiling welcome with which even nature apeared
to greet him at his " ideal station." The Expedition
had penetrated inland 757 English miles from the sea,
and 412 above the western outlet of Stanley Pool.
The Flotilla now steamed away direct for Stanley
Falls, some 600 miles further up the river, for the pur
pose of establishing a station in the region of the great
cataracts. On October 21st the town of the dreaded
Bangala, the tribe which had attacke d the exploring party

294 Henry M. Stanley.
with such implacable ferocity in 1877, came in sight.
If the Ibanza ever returns, they had said, we will fight
him " over every inch of the way." Stanley, however,
determined, if possible, to come to terms with his old
enemies, and he awaited the turn of events at a camp
which he pitched within sight of the chief village of
the Bangala, which was of such enormous extent, that
the vessels were seven hours in passing it from end to
end. An interview with the senior chief, Mata Buryki
(Lord of many guns), was sought and granted, and
Stanley crossed the river for a palaver, with some
anxiety as to the result of the meeting. A crowd of
native warriors 1700 strong lined the shore, and Yum-
bila, the eloquent guide and linguist of the Expedition,
explained to Mata Bwyki, a stalwart old grey-haired
man, with the frame of a giant and the voice of a
stentor, the mission of the white man, and the work
he had done in building towns, and entering into
friendly treaties along the waters of the Congo.
" Is this Tandelay ? " asked the old warrior, as he
gazed steadily and sternly upon the stranger before him.
"Yes." A low murmur ran through the vast assembly of
savage men. The moment was a critical one for all
present, and Stanley perfectly realized the gravity of
his position, as he sat powerless in the midst of the
excitable and war-loving Bangala. Howbeit, as
Yumbila proceeded with his narrative, a visible change
passed over the attitude of the vast assembly, and at
the mention of the irresistible powers of the Krupp
gun, the hearts of the bellicose warriors of Mata
Bwyki sank within them. It was to be peace between
themselves and Bula Matari ; and the son of Mata

Blood-Brotherhood. 295
Bwyki, taking one end of a forked branch of palm in
his hand, offered the other end to Stanley, and then
cut the branch in two with his sword, saying, " Thus
I declare my wish to be your brother." Again the
indispensable ceremony of blood-brotherhood was
performed, and the friendly alliance was sealed by the
due observance of this sanguinary rite. At once the
mighty voice of old Mata Bwyki was heard thundering
above the heads of the curious multitude, as he pro
claimed the fact that the emnity between himself and
" Tandelay " was now buried. " People of Iboko,
you by the river-side, and you inland. Men of the
Bengala, listen to the words of Mata Bwyki," said the
energetic Lord of many guns. " You see Tandelay
before you. His other name is Bula Matari. He is
the man with the many canoes, and he has brought
back strange smoke-boats. He has come to see Mata
Bwyki. He has asked Mata Bwyki to be his friend.
Mata Bwyki has taken him by the "hand, and has
become his blood-brother. Tandelay belongs to Iboko
now. He has become this day one of the Bangala.
0 ! Iboko, listen to the voice of Mata Bwyki. Bring
food to sell to Bula Matari at a fair price, gently,
kindly, and in peace, for he is my brother. Hear ye,
ye people of Iboko ! You by the river-side, and you
in the interior." " We hear Mata Bwyki !" was the
universal response. An offer of a site for a station
was made, and Stanley promised to complete the
arrangements for taking over the concession on his
way back from the falls.
Leaving the Bangala in the happiest of moods, the
course of the steamers now lay for days through walls
of leafy beauty, sometimes reaching a height of 150

296 Henry M. Stanley.
feet and scenes adorned by a wealth of gorgeous
tropical vegetation in all its native and unrestrained
luxuriance. The ficus, the gum, the calamus, the
orchilla weed, the oil palm, and all the priceless
treasures of African forest life, are present in the
Congo basin. Forests of gum copal and rubber bush
overshadow the fruitful soil, and the fleet sailed at
times for days through one unbroken growth of copal
trees, covered with the precious dye-weed, the market
value of which could scarcely be estimated. On
approaching Basongo, where a terrible conflict had
taken place in the memorable passage of 1877 over
these waters, the whole of the tribe were discovered
drawn up on the banks for a distance of three miles
in full war-paint, and ready once more to try con
clusions with Stanley. Making for the centre of the
town, the En Avant, with Yumbila perched upon her
cabin-roof, was allowed to drift gently past the armed
legions upon the shore. The voice and accents of the
speaker, as he turned to the ranks of scowling
imperturbable warriors of Mokulu, were full of energy
and pathos, and the effect was at once seen in the
stillness which reigned amongst the brown multitudes
on the bank. In " tones which melt and words which
burn," the powerful orator portrayed the blessings
which would result to the land if peace and good- will
were established between the Mokulu chiefs and the
renowned Bula Matari. Weapons were silently
conveyed away or hidden out of sight, as the oration
proceeded, till at last, when Yumbila descended from
his perch, words of amity and friendship came from
the crowded bank, and the wild Basoko were added to
the now lengthened roll of the allies of the Association

Ravages op Arab Slavers. 297
Internationale du Haut Congo. A digression was
made from the main course to investigate the
condition of the Biyerre River, an affluent of con
siderable magnitude, which was clearly shown to be
identical with the Werre or Miani of Barth, Junker,
and other travellers.
On the return to the Congo proper, tidings began to
reach the fleet of the presence on the waters of a gang
of Arab slavers, who had been carrying desolation,
destruction, and death in all directions, and who had
left behind them ghastly reminiscences of their
detestable trade in the ruined, scorched, and de
populated towns, which were seen at intervals of a
few miles all along the water's edge. The whole
region was up in arms, and on the alert in defence of
home and life. The shores were strewn with barbed
hooks of dried reed to wound the feet of any raiders
who might land in the darkness, and villages were
fortified, scouts were posted up and down the stream,
and in one spot a fleet of canoes filled with exasperated
warriors covered the waters for a distance of over
three miles in close fighting order and carrying
something like 5000 men. Eight villages which had
been burnt to the ground were passed, whole towns had
vanished altogether, and a panic had seized numbers
of the people, who had fled for security into the jungle,
or to the interior of the country. The Arabs were
overtaken at Yavunga, a town on the north bank, at a
bend of the river, which afforded them a convenient
base of operations for the godless traffic in which they
were engaged. The band was composed of 300 men
who had come up from the Trans-Tanganika country
to raid for ivory and slaves. They had secured 2500

298 Henry M. Stanley.
captives, chiefly women and children, and about 2000
tusks of ivory. To obtain these, however, they had
destroyed 118 villages, and probably shot in cold
blood 3000 people. The district they had traversed
so far was equal to an area of 34,510 square miles,
with a population of perhaps 1,000,000 people. The
condition of the captives was simply horrible. The
Arab camp was strewn over with groups of wretched,
half-starved victims of Arab greed. Chained in gangs,
and languishing in a condition of indescribable filth,
these waifs of humanity presented a spectacle from
which Stanley turned with feelings of suppressed
indignation and disgust. Had he caught these
emissaries of Abed-ben-Salim red-handed at their
bloody work, the chances are that the Krupp gun
would have been brought into action, with a view to
protect or deliver the helpless children of the soil
from the clutches of their diabolical adversaries.
The district in the neighbourhood of the Arab camp
was one of striking beauty, and offered everywhere
splendid opportunities for the profitable growth of
cotton, sugar- wheat and maize, but it had been ruth
lessly swept jf its entire population by the raiders,
and given up to silent desolation.
On December 1st the Falls were reached. They
extend for a distance of fifty-six miles, and consist of
seven cataracts, and a series of smaller rapids. The
limit of the enterprise had now been attained, and the
chiefs of the region were called together to discuss the
terms upon which the last station of the the Comite
should be established within the confines of their
territory. The meeting was by no means conducted
with the reserve and decorum usually observed at

The purthest Station. 299
an African palaver. The proposal of the white man to
settle and build at the foot of the sounding waters was
warmly debated in loud tones and with excited gestures.
At length, however, the decision was given in favour
of the leader of the Expedition, who lost no time in seal
ing the important compact by handing over the price of
the desirable and extensive site which he had secured.
Entire control and possession of a number of islands
on the left mainland was granted to the Association
with all rights to ground not already appropriated or
built upon by the natives themselves. The price of
the concession was 160L, which was distributed in bales
of cloth and other merchandise to the various owners
of the soil. The great chief of the locality, Siwa-Siwa,
assented most graciously to the transaction, and
assured Stanley that he would protect the settlement
during the explorer's absence. " Your people shall be
my children," said he, " in your absence. Go in safety.
It will be my task to feed them, and until you return
I shall dream every night of you." A space to the
extent of four acres was at once prepared for the
erection of the houses and magazines, and an officer
chosen to take charge of the settlement. The heart
of the gentleman who had been chosen for the task of
erecting and developing the station failed him at
the last moment, and he begged to be allowed to go
back to the coast. The difficulty of finding a white
substitute threatened to be a formidable one, but the
matter was settled by the plucky conduct of little
Binnie, the engineer of the Royal, a canny Scot, who
offered to stay at the Falls and assume the direction of
the work. He was furnished with an abundant store
of supplies and ammunition and a detachment of

300 Henry M. Stanley.
thirty-one armed labourers, and on the 10th of Decem
ber the Expedition was on its way back to Vivi, and the
coast. The labour of extension was for the time to
cease, whilst every effort was to be made to secure the
ground already taken up, by further treaties with the
natives who held the lands along the line of stations
already planted. The return voyage was rapidly made
upon the full flow of the now friendly current. At
Iboko, the home of the fighting Bangala, a halt was
made on Christmas Day, and the homeward-bound
wanderers received a most hospitable welcome from
their former foes. The name of Bula Matari and the
fame of his great achievements had travelled from
bank to bank of the great stream. So strong was the
affection of the valiant Iboko for their pale-faced
brother that they did not hesitate to secure, without
leave or licence, any portion of his property which
they could conveniently appropriate, probably to
preserve as precious souvenirs of their illustrious
relative. So serious had these pilferings become, that
strong measures had at last to be taken to check this
curious mode of showing their respect for Bula Matari.
But the peace was kept, and Stanley parted from his
kinsmen-by-blood with every good wish on their part
for his safe arrival in his own land across the sea.
Friendly greetings reached the fleet, as it steamed
down towards the west, from the tribes along the
shores, who had learned to regard the smoke-boats as
harbingers of peace and prosperity to their country.
Equator Station was found still prosperous and pro
gressing. Glave, the Yorkshireman, was making head
way with the difficult work of erecting and developing
his settlement upon the rocky soil of Lukolela. The

Bolobo the Unlucky. 301
natives spoke of him in the kindest way, and his
subordinates trusted him to a man. But what of
Bolobo the unlucky ? Once more it had been reduced
to ashes. Houses, goods, ammunition, and, sad to
tell, the very carriage of the Krupp gun, had perished
in the flames. The thatch of the station had been
fired in the dead of night by a dying madman, who
wished to expire in the glare of the conflagration.
Murder, fire, and rapine had dimmed the fair fame of
Bolobo. Truly some malignant spirit hovered over the
unhappy place. The settlements of Kwamouth and
Kinshassa were steadily developing into active and
profitable colonies, and Leopoldville, , which was
reached on January 20th, 1884, was found still in a
most satisfactory condition. So much had the outward
aspect of the spot improved during the absence of the
steamers, that when the returning Expedition beheld it,
after a lapse of 146 days, the men gave vent to their
feelings of admiration in warm expression of surprise
and delight. All had gone well with the neighbouring
tribes. Ngalyema had become a reformed character,
and a trusted friend of the white officer, the trusted
Valeke ; and an air of peace, prosperity and security
surrounded Leopoldville, which abundantly testified
to the wisdom, energy and sterling good sense of the
young official who had been charged with the direc
tion of its affairs. The condition of things upon the
Lower Congo was still one of chaos. Vivi, was, as of
old, the source of anxiety. The second-in-command
promised so long ago by the Comite had never
arrived, and one officer after another had visited the
unhappy place, stayed a few months, and then retired
ingloriously from the scene. At Manyanga, an

302 .Henry M. Stanley.
expenditure of 10,000L in three years had only resulted
in the erection of a few ill-built and almost useless
tenements, and the whole place presented the look of
a colony of about a month old ! Isingila was in a bad
way. Its houses were still unfinished, and valuable
stores were rapidly decaying for want of proper care
and shelter.
By April, 1884, Stanley had taken Vivi and its affairs
once more in hand, and it was decided to move the
whole settlement bodily across the ravine to the
Castle Hill. The old settlement had become a
miserable desolation. Nothing had been done to keep
the buildings (erected by Stanley with so much pride
at the outset of his mission) in order, and the road to
the crest of the hill whereon he had gained for himself
the immortal cognomen of " The Breaker of Rocks,"
had never been touched or mended. A new road was
constructed in the direction of the fresh sites, and the
Nkusu river was bridged before the commander-in-
chief embarked for home. In May, 1884, Colonel Sir
Francis De Winton reached the Congo, and at once
took over the control of the work of the Association
from Stanley, who left Banana Point by the African
steamer Kinsembo. On his way up to the West Coast,
the Pioneer of the Congo was interested to see the
practical results of legitimate trade with the natives,
who, in return for their casks of palm oil, were
receiving and erecting cosy iron houses, well furnished
with every accessory to comfort — such as carpets,
mirrors, chairs, and curtains !
On July 29th the Kinsembo landed the late
commander-in-chief of the Expedition du Haut Congo
at Plymouth, and a few days after he reported himself

Stanley Relieved by De Winton. 303
at Ostend to his Majesty the President of the Associa
tion, and rendered to his august patron an account of
his labours and the work he had been privileged to
accomplish during the past six laborious and " bitter "
years. The mission entrusted to Stanley in the
Eoyal Council- Chamber at Brussels in December, 1878,
had been accomplished. The Congo State had been
founded. So far the arduous enterprise had been
attended by success. But at what cost of suffering,
anxiety, and personal sacrifice to the dauntless man
by whose intrepid skill, extraordinary fortitude, and
singular good sense and well-balanced judgment, these
sublime results had been brought about, the amplest
records of the undertaking can but faintly suggest.

CHAPTER XVII.
The founding of the Congo Free State — The Berlin Conference —
Treaties with natives — Portugal and England stop the way —
Difficulties overcome — Prince Bismarck — A convention signed
between the Association Internationale and Great Britain — M. de
Brazza — Chief points of the. formal convention agreed upon by
the Association and the Great Powers— A Eree-trade zone —
Capabilities of the new state — A Congo railway — The Congo Free
State a sovereign and independent power — Completion crowns
the work.
The high commission which had been entrusted to
Mr. Stanley by the Association Internationale du Haut
Congo had been faithfully and loyally discharged.
The flag of the Society had been carried in triumph to
the foot of the Stanley Falls, in the face of colossal
difficulties, and through many vicissitudes and changes
of fortunes. A line of permanent stations had been
planted from Banana Point to the inner Equatorial
regions, practicable roads had been constructed, 450
treaties had been made with independent chiefs, vast
tracts of eligible country had been secured for the
Association on both sides of the Congoese Water, and
an open way had been established through Central
Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Seas.
But something more remained to be done for the con
solidation and future development of this unparalleled
enterprise. The province of the Congo State had been created ;
it was now necessary that its freedom should be secured,

Founding the Congo Free State. 305
its boundaries fixed, and its position as a sovereign
power defined, by a formal acknowledgment of its
independence on the part of the Great Powers.
There could be no doubt as to the abstract right of
the Association to acquire the privileges of sovereignty
over the riverain territory of the Congo by treaties
with the native authorities and original holders of the
soil. The chiefs who had transferred to Mr. Stanley,
as the Commissioner of the Association Internationale
du Haut Congo, their sovereign powers over the
country, were without doubt in possession of their
lands by the best of titles, long ages of successive
inheritance: Other companies had, under similar cir
cumstances, taken over tracts of territory from native
owners, e.g. the Puritans under Penn in 1620, the
colonists of New Hampshire in 1639, and in later days
the Bast India, Sarawak, Liberia, Hudson's Bay, and
Borneo companies. " It can scarcely be denied," says
the Report of the Committee on Foreign Relations with
the United States, "that the native chiefs have the right
to make these treaties. The able and exhaustive
statements of Sir Travers Twiss, the eminent English
jurist, and of Professor Arutz, the no less distinguished
Belgian publicist, leave no doubt upon the question
of the right of the African International Association
in view of the law of nations to accept any powers
belonging to these native chiefs and governments
which they may choose to delegate or cede to them."
The prospects of a speedy and complete recognition
of the Independence of the Congo State were clouded
for the time by the action of the Governments of Great
Britain and Portugal. In 1884 these powers entered
into a treaty, by which the West African Coast
x

306 Henry M. Stanley.
between S. Latitude 5° 12' and S. Latitude 5° 18' was
declared to be Portuguese territory. This action was
merely the practical assertion, however, of the old
claim of the Portuguese to the whole of the south
west African coast, from the Equator to the Cape of
Good Hope. From the time that Diego Cao had set
up his pillar of possession at the mouth of the Congo,
the Portuguese had exercised a merely nominal control
over the maritime regions between the Gaboon and
Loanda. This treaty with the British Government
threatened effectually to close the estuary of the river
and the adjacent lands on both banks to the Associa
tion, and thus deprive it of its natural outlet to the
sea. It was formally decided by Earl Granville, on
behalf of England, that the assent of the Great
Powers would be necessary before the treaty could
be regarded as valid, and, happily for the infant state,
this assent was never given to the distasteful docu
ment. The most serious blow to the pretensions of Por
tugal was "dealt, however, by the American Govern
ment. A deep interest in the affairs of Central
Equatorial Africa had been created in the United
States, and on the 10th of April, 1884, the independence
and sovereign authority of the Congo Free State with
in its own territory was formally recognized by an
Act of the Senate. This friendly and timely support
from the great Republic across the Atlantic at once
gave new help and courage to the authorities of the
new province.
The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty had been firmly
opposed by the most influential Chambers of Com
merce in Great Britain, and the great manufacturing

The Pretensions op Portugal. 307
centres of Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow had
passed resolutions strenuously objecting to its formal
ratification. The objections of Prince Bismarck to the
treaty were unanswerable. " I do not think," said
the illustrious Chancellor, " that the treaty has any
chance of being universally recognized, even with the
modifications which are therein proposed by her
Majesty's Government. We are not prepared to
admit the previous rights of any of the Powers
who are interested in the Congo trade as a basis for
the negotiations. Trade and commerce have hitherto
been free to all alike, without restriction. We cannot
take part in any measure for handing over the
administration, or even the direction of their arrange
ment to Portuguese officials. In the interests of
German commerce, therefore, I cannot consent that a
coast of such importance, which has hitherto been free
land, should be subjected to the Portuguese Colonial
system." With a view to secure the support of France,
an agreement was come to between the Association
Internationale and the Government of the Republic,
by which the entire possessions of the Association were
to be placed under the French flag, in the event of the
failure of the Comite to carry through the negotiations
for the recognition of the independence of the Congo
State by the Great Powers. The following is the text
of the agreement signed by Colonel Strauch on behalf
of the Association: — -"The International Association
of the Congo in the name of the free stations and
territories which it has established on the Congo and
in the valley of the Niadi-Kwila, formally declares
that it will not cede them to any power under reserve
of the special Conventions which might be concluded
x 2

308 Henry M. Stanley.
between France and the Association, with a view to
settling the limits and conditions of their respective
action. But the Association, wishing to afford a new
proof of its friendly feeling towards France, pledges
itself to give her the right of preference, if through any
unforeseen circumstances the Association were one
day led to realize its possessions." The reply of M.
Jules Ferry, on behalf of the French Government, was
a formal recognition of the territorial rights of the
Association. After an interchange of notes between
the cabinets of Paris and Berlin upon the various
points of the proposed international understanding
with reference to the entire West African Coast, in
cluding the basins of the Niger, the districts of the
Gaboon, the Senegal, and Guinea, it was decided to
hold a conference at Berlin of representatives of all
the powers who had interests, commercial or political,
in the West African regions.
Plenipotentiaries were sent by France, Austria,
Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain,
Portugal, America, Russia, Sweden and Turkey to
meet those of Germany under the Presidency of Prince
Bismarck. The Conference met on the 15th of Novem
ber, when Mr. Stanley was appointed to take part in
the deliberations of the august body, as technical
adviser on behalf of the United States Government.
The meetings were held in the Palace of the German
Chancellor in Wilhelmstrasse, in the apartment which
had been distinguished as the place of assembly of the
famous Berlin Congress in 1878. Count H. Bismarck,
M. Raindre, and Vice-Consul Dr. Schmidt were
chosen as secretaries of the Conference, which was
formally opened by Prince Bismarck in a brief address

Stanley takes pabt in the Conperenoe at Berlin. 309
in which he announced that the objects of the gather
ing were : —
1. To discuss the questions of free navigation, with
freedom of trade on the River Congo.
2. The free navigation of the Niger.
3. The formalities to be observed for valid annexa
tion of territory in future on the African continent.
The meetings were held, with scarcely any inter
ruptions, from November 15th, 1884, to February
26th, 1885, when the final Act was duly signed by
all the Powers represented. A special commission
was nominated to deal with the important question of
the area and limits of the regions of Western Africa,
which were to be open at all times to subjects of any
nation for free and unrestricted commercial enterprise,
and another committee of the Conference was chosen
to define the extent of the Congo basin. An interest
ing discussion took place before this committee as to
the exact amount of territory to be included in the
new province. Various questions bearing upon the
internal administration of the Congo state were
earnestly and carefully considered. The slave trade,
the traffic in spirits, the free navigation of the river,
the formalities to be observed in any future acquisition
of territory, and the necessity for some guarantee on
the part of the Powers that Central Africa should be
open to the trader and the missionary from sea to sea,
were points which occupied the closest attention of the
Conference, and in all these matters the opinions of
Mr. Stanley, founded upon his unique experiences of
African life, were frequently asked for, and eagerly
listened to by the illustrious men who surrounded the
council-board. " I argued for a broad commercial

310 Henry M. Stanley.
delta," says Mr. Stanley, " 380 miles wide to a free
commercial basin, that is from the mouth of the Logo
river to 2° 30' S. Lat., and also suggested, quite un
expectedly to the members, that it would be wise to
extend the same liberty for trade across Africa to
within one degree from the sea coast, from N. Lat.
5° to and inclusive of the lower Zambesi." This bold
suggestion was strongly approved of by the able and
astute representative of the English Foreign Office,
Mr. Anderson, and it was warmly supported by M.
de Bloeme, the Dutch delegate, and ultimately adopted
by the Conference, to the intense satisfaction of its
author. But the primary question of the exact limits of the
frontiers of the Congo State had now to be definitely
settled. After considerable delay, an agreement was
come to with Portugal, and the boundaries of the new
territory were laid down as follows : — The dividing-line
was to proceed from Banana Point along the sea-board
to Cabo Lombo, a distance of twenty-two • miles, then
to follow the north bank of the Congo as far as the
cataracts, and beyond Likona above Stanley Pool, em
bracing also the south bank as far as Nokki. It was
to take in the geographical basin of the Congo, from
the sources of the Chambezi to 4° N. Lat., and from
Tanganiza to the Kwa river, and its entire superficial
area was estimated at 1,065,200 square miles, with a
population of 42,000,000. Having thus defined its
limits, the Congo State was formally recognized by
the Conference as a sovereign power. The Powers,
through their delegates, proceeded to negotiate private
conventions with Colonel Strauch, the President of
the Association, and the official head of the newly con-

Decisions op the Conference. 311
stituted dominion, who was introduced to the Council
by Prince Bismarck, and the signature of the Acts of
the Conference by the members of that high diplomatic
body, crowned the anxious work of many years, by
securing for ever the inviolability of the constitution
and government of the new African state. By the
decisions of this historical assembly, the trader is pro
tected from outrage or spoliation in the exercise of his
lawful calling, and is amenable for his conduct and
probity to a consul of his own nationality, who is
vested with ample authority to deal with any case
regarding which he may be required to exercise his
jurisdiction. The wholesale degradation of the
native races by an unrestricted liquor traffic is guarded
against, and the slave-trader peremptorily warned off
the protected territory ; the teacher of truth and
righteousness is specially cared for, and the pioneers
of science are entitled to many privileges. The recep
tion accorded to Mr. Stanley at Berlin was most
complimentary and ceremonious. On the evening of
the day upon which the Conference had decided to
accept his proposal as to the delta of the Congo, he
was invited to dine with the Chancellor at his palace,
and he was much impressed by the honesty, resolution,
and clear-eyed common sense of the great Prussian
minister. On November 30th the attention of the delegates
of the Conference was directed to the important ques
tion of the openings for religious and missionary work
in Congo-land, and on January 7th, 1885, a splendid
banquet in honour of the distinguished traveller was
given by a deputation from the Rhine Provinces and
Westphalia, who were delighted with a speech from

312 Henry M. Stanley.
him upon the many openings for commercial venture
which existed upon the banks of the Congo. On
January 8th Mr. Stanley proceeded to Frankfort,
where he lectured before a vast and most sympathetic
audience upon Central Africa, and the good results
which were likely to follow the labours of the dele
gates lately assembled at Berlin.
The diploma of the senior Geographical Society
of Germany was bestowed upon the great Explorer,
and another was handed to him by Prince Hohanlohe
Langenburg, from the German Colonial Association.
At Wiesbaden also he was honoured by a banquet, and
his extraordinary efforts for the amelioration of the
condition of the people of the Central Equatorial
regions were frequently referred to in terms of the
warmest admiration.
France and Portugal had every reason to be grati
fied with the results of the Conference. To both
these powers a considerable and valuable accession of
African territory had been awarded. The former
power had long been ably represented in the equa
torial regions by M. de Brazza, who had spent some
years in exploring the continent north of the Congo,
and in extending the influence of his government
amongst the tribes east and south of the Gaboon, and
in the districts watered by the Ogowai River. M. de
Brazza had been the guest of Mr. Stanley for some
days at one of the stations on the Congo, and the
latter speaks highly of the indefatigable energy and
diplomatic skill of his foreign guest. Count Pietro
Savorgnan de Brazza, who had succeeded in reaching
Stanley Pool a few weeks before the arrival there of
the expedition of the Association Internationale du

M. de Brazza. 313
Haut Congo in 1881, was born on the banks of the
Tiber, of a noble and ancient Italian family, in 1852.
In his school-boy days he evinced a taste for adventure,
and showed by several daring exploits that he pos
sessed the true courage necessary to succeed as an
explorer of savage lands. In 1868 his relations re
moved to France, and he entered the naval academy
at Brest as a cadet, leaving it with the rank of mid
shipman after about two years. In 1872 he was
appointed to the Venus, a French ship of war
then lying off the Gaboon. The French colony " here
seated astride of the equator" was founded in 1842,
and its area extended in 1862, so as to embrace
a sea-front of eighty miles about the delta of the
Ogowe a river which had never been explored beyond
a few miles from its mouth. The idea of tracing this
river to its sources, so completely took possession of
the mind of the young naval officer, that he asked for,
and readily obtained, leave to investigate the mystery
surrounding its course and rise. Could the Ogowe be
one of the great highways of nature, as the Nile, the
Zambesi, or the Niger, and was it after all the
embouchure of the Lualaba ? were questions De Brazza
asked himself, and which he determined to solve. An
expedition was fitted out at Gaboon to assist him in
carrying out his purpose, and he started full of hope
upon his self-imposed task; but in three years he
returned to the coast disappointed and dismayed.
The river which he had examined had proved to
be only a "mere littoral stream," of no importance,
geographical or commercial. In his wanderings,
however, the resolute Frenchman had come across
two splendid streams flowing due east, which he

314 Henry M. Stanley.
endeavoured to ascend. Driven back by] the savage
hostility of the natives, when only five days from
the trunk-waters of the Congo, of which these
streams, the Ahina and the Licona, were affluents, he
returned to Europe in 1879, and was re-commis
sioned in the same year, by the Government of the
Republic, to establish a French State and enter into
treaties of amity and friendship with the tribes of
Inner Equatorial Africa. He at once returned to the
region of Stanley Pool, where he succeeded in securing
an important alliance with the Makoko or King of
the Batekes, by a treaty which was ratified by the
French Chamber November 21st, 1882. The result of
the action of M. de Brazza was to give the French
precedence and priority of possession and influence in
the district of the great inland sea, and Brazzaville,
the French station, was founded in October, 1880, on
the right bank of the Pool, the native chiefs in the
surrounding region acknowledging formally the pro
tectorate of the French flag. In 1882 the French
Commissioner, who had succeeded in extending the
nominal influence of his government throughout the
entire region north of the river, returned to Europe to
report progress. De Brazza and Stanley have many
characteristics in common. Both have shown celerity,
endurance, resolution, and undaunted courage ; both
have shown power to look into the face of difficulties
which would have dismayed most men, and skill to over
come them. To neither of these remarkable men would
the word " adventurer " apply in any sense. Both are
inspired by the highest motives which can give an
impulse to human effort. Both men are working for
the good of Africa and the interests of humanity, and

French and Portuguese Teeeitory. 315
never even in their personal rivalry have they for
gotten that they are brothers united in a common cause.
The new territory assigned to France by the Berlin
assembly is of vast extent, and consists of rich, produc
tive lands, well endowed with mineral deposits, and
destined to become the field of important commercial
undertakings. The superficial area of this newly ac
quired country is estimated at 257,009 square miles.
It will be seen that this addition to the possessions
of the French in Western Africa is equal in size
to England and France united. On its eastern
side it has 5200 miles of available water-way, and on
the west it has a sea-board of 800 miles in length.
Within the borders of this enormous province there
are no less than eight extensive river-basins, and the
entire land is without a single square mile of barren
or absolutely worthless soil.
Portugal was fortunate enough to secure 103 miles
of the south bank of the Congo, and a strip of sea
board 995 English miles in extent, with a wide stretch
of territory inland amounting altogether to 351,500
square miles of area, a region larger than the united
areas of France, Belgium, Holland and Great Britain.
The country thus placed under the dominion of the
Portuguese crown is fertile, and embraces fine pastoral
districts, extensive forests, and large mineral fields,
as well as valuable tracts of land well adapted for
agriculture, bordering the inner region of the lakes.
By another important act of the Conference a zone of
Tree Trade was created right across the continent, and
the benefits of unrestricted commerce were secured
for all the countries (including the new possessions of
Portugal and France), within the limits of this belt,

316 Henry M. Stanley.
and it was decreed that the provisions of the various
Acts were to be upheld, if necessary, by the combined
forces of the signatory powers.
The chief points of the convention between Great
Britain and the Association of the Congo Free State,
which was signed at Berlin on December 16th, 1884,
by Sir Edward Malet, H.M.B.'s Ambassador Extra
ordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, and Colonel
Strauch, the President of the Association Internationale
of the Congo and the Free States, are as follows : —
The flag of the States, a gold star upon a blue ground,
is to be recognized as the flag of a friendly government.
No import duties are to be levied upon the merchandise
of British subjects, nor are any charges to be put
upon any goods in transit upon the roads, canals, or
waters of the State. British subjects are to exercise
the right of settling in the territories under the
government of the Association without let or hindrance,
and they are to enjoy all the privileges and protection
in regard to their lives and property which is afforded
to the subjects of the most favoured nation, and they
shall have the right to buy, sell, lease and let lands,
buildings, mines, and forests within the said terri
tories ; to found houses of business, and to engage in
commerce and coasting-trade therein under the British
flag. No advantages are to be accorded to the sub
jects of another nation which are not immediately ex
tended to British subjects. An undertaking is to be
given by the Association that the consuls or consular
agents of the Queen should be received and protected
in the ports and stations on its territories. Freedom
of action is to be allowed to consuls and consular
agents to establish tribunals for the exercise of sole

Convention concerning the Congo Feee State. 317
and exclusive jurisdiction, civil as well as criminal,
with regard to the persons and property of British
subjects within the said district, in accordance with
the British laws. No British subject is to be absolved
from obedience to the laws of the States applicable to
foreigners, but all infractions of the laws on the part of
a British subject are to be referred to the British con
sular tribunal. Any person doing injury to a subject
of her Majesty is to be arrested and punished by the
authorities of the Association conformably to the laws
of the Free States, and justice is to be administered
without respect to person, or race, or nationality. Any
British subject having cause of complaint against the
inhabitants of the territories of the Free States, must
lodge a statement of his grievances with the British
Consul. Inquiry is then to be made, and, if possible,
an amicable settlement arranged. Any inhabitant of
the said territories failing to pay any debt contracted
with a British subject, is to be brought to justice and
compelled to discharge his liability, and in like manner
if any British subject fails to pay any debt contracted
with one of the inhabitants, the British authorities
are to proceed to bring the defaulter to account and
recover the money. The British Consul, however, or
the authority of the Association are not to be held
responsible for any debt contracted by a British sub
ject, nor by any inhabitant of the Free States. In the
case of any future cession of territory, the obligations
contracted by the Association in this convention are
to apply to the grantee, and the engagements and
rights accorded to British subjects are to remain in
force after any cession with regard to any new occu
pant of every part of the said territory.

318 Henry M. Stanley.
Similar agreements, in almost identical, terms, were
signed by Colonel Strauch and the delegates of the
powers represented at Berlin, and it will be seen that
nothing was neglected which was at all possible to open
up into the interior of the African Continent a broad
road for the moral and material progress of its native
races, and for the development of the general welfare
of commerce and navigation. The domain of public
international law had been enlarged, and the cause of
religion, of peace, and humanity simultaneously ad
vanced. Article VI. of the General Act of the Con
ference is as follows : — " All the Powers exercising
sovereign rights, or having influence in the said
territories, undertake to watch over the preservation
of the native races, and the amelioration of the moral
and material conditions of their existence, and to co
operate in the suppression of slavery, and, above all,
of the slave trade : they will protect and encourage,
without distinction of nationality or creed, all in
stitutions and enterprises, religious, scientific, or
charitable, established and organized for these objects,
or tending to educate the natives and lead them to
understand and appreciate the advantages of civili
zation. " Christian missionaries, men of science, explorers
and their escorts and collections, to be equally the
objects of special protection.
" Liberty of conscience and religious toleration are
expressly guaranteed to the natives as well as to the
inhabitants and foreigners. The free and public
exercise of every creed, the right to erect buildings,
and to organize missions belonging to any creed, shall
be subject to no restriction or impediment whatever."

Independence op the Congo State. 319
The Congo State was at length not only established
but Free, and acknowledged by the great nations of
the Old and New Worlds as an independent and sove
reign power. Who will be bold enough to predict the
results, to the great African continent, of this brilliant
and beneficent enterprise, or to estimate the blessings
which will flow from it to fifty millions of Central
Africans, those countless myriads of dark-skinned chil
dren of the soil, who will learn, as time goes on, to
welcome the star of gold upon the dark blue as the
harbinger of peace, and the token to them of a higher
and a happier life ?
The great obstacle to the immediate development of
the unlimited natural resources of the Free States is
the break in the line of water transport at the Living
stone Falls and the cataracts of Stanley Pool; but
Mr. Stanley has devised a practical method of over
coming this serious hindrance to commercial opera
tions, and to the transit of goods and produce from
the inner basin to the sea. He has advocated most
strenuously, the construction of a surface railway from
Vivi to Leopoldsville, a distance of 343 miles, with a
break of 88 miles of available water-way. In 1885
the Government of the Free States granted a con
cession to the Congo Railway Syndicate, represented
by Mr. Stanley and Mr. J. F. Hutton, M.P., President
of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, to construct
a line from the Upper to the Lower Congo. Consider
able interest has been taken in the scheme, and it has
been supported by several distinguished men, and
subscription lists have been opened to obtain the
requisite capital — 2,000,000/. — which will be needed
for the completion of the road. Such a railway would,

320 Henry M. Stanley.
according to the reliable estimates of Mr. Stanley, be
one of the most remunerative speculations of the day.
If it were possible to send steamers or sailing-ships
direct to the upper basin of the Congo river, it is cal
culated that they would obtain three times the amount
of produce which they carry away from the west coast
of Africa at the present time. It is believed by those
who are competent to give an opinion upon the matter,
that the total value of the export trade thus opened
out would reach something like 50,000,000/. As the
region cannot be reached by ships or steamers of heavy
tonnage, the alternative is by no means a hopeless one.
"Build a railway," says Mr. Stanley, "in two sections,
respectively fifty-two and ninety-five miles in length,
connected by steamboat navigation, or a connected
railway 238 miles long, and you will obtain as much
produce as such a railway can convey, from the
trading agents on the Upper Congo, who will collect
it from over 1,000,000 native Africans, who are wait
ing to be told what further produce is needed beyond
ivory, palm-oil, gum-copal, palm-kernels, gourd-nuts,
orchilla-weed, corn wood, furs, hides, feathers, copper,
india-rubber, grass fibre, bees'-wax, ginger, castor-oil
nuts, nutmeg, bark-cloth, &c." The tonnage upon
such a railway would be equal to 427-g- tons per day,
an amount of traffic which would fairly task its
resources. At a charge for transport of one penny
per ton per mile, the total receipts of the line would
equal 152,000/., and the revenue from imports going
up-country would probably reach a like sum, bringing
up the grand total of receipts to 300,000/. per year,
without calculating for passengers. The cost of
constructing the road is estimated at 4000/. per mile.

A Railway on the Banks of the Congo. 321
Fuel could be readily obtained from the inexhaustible
forests of Bondi and Ngoma, which border upon the
proposed track ; and with the enormous facilities for
transport which such a line would possess, it has truly
been said that every square mile of the Equatorial
Congoese territory is reclaimable.
The results of the Berlin Conference were most
pleasing to Mr. Stanley. They secured, in a great
measure the end for which he had so long and so
arduously toiled — a Free African State. He left
the German capital with many expressions of respect
and regard for the illustrious men whom he had been
privileged to meet in council there. His admiration
for Prince Bismarck grew as his knowledge of the real
powers of that remarkable man increased, and he shows
us the great Chancellor in quite a new light, when he
describes him as a statesman who is glad to be advised
and ready to act upon the advice which he receives.
On his return to England, at the conclusion of his
labours at Berlin, Mr. Stanley was received by men of
all ranks and parties as a man who was worthy of all
honour, not only for his estimable personal qualities,
but for his latest and most splendid and heroic achieve
ment — the founding of the Congo Free State in the
heart of the African Continent.
Mr. Stanley's dream had at length become a reality,
and he was permitted to see (as few men have seen)
completion crown his work.

CHAPTER XVIII.
Notes upon the various races of Inner Equatorial Africa — The
Bantus — Baleike — Currency — The Kroomen — Fatal fascination
of the gin-bottle — Decline of ancient African monarchies — The
King of Congo — Cannibals and dwarfs — Ghastly decorations —
Language of the Congo tribes — Four distinct dialects — The French
of the East Coasts — Missionary enterprise — The religion of the
Congo Tribes — " Nzambi " — Human sacrifices — The poison ordeal
— " Some one has done it ! " — The Bakongo— Daily life — " A lair
of human beasts " — The slave trade on the upper waters.
The various races which inhabit the Congo basin from
the Chambezi sources to the Atlantic are branches of
one family — the Bantus, — which occupies the entire
area of Central Africa from the Soudan to the borders
of the regions occupied by the Hottentots and the
Bushmen of the South. The tribes of the great
central lake district and the Upper Congo differ both
in physique and language altogether from the negroes
of the north-west, or the Hamitic populations of the
north-east, and they have nothing in common with
the degraded populations in the southern portion of
the continent. The Bantus occupy the widest range
of any people in Africa, but at the same time they
themselves have no racial bond or special type of
feature or figure which could be distinctly called
Bantusian. " They are essentially Negroid rather
than Negro people, presenting every shade of transi
tion from the pure Negro of Guinea and the Soudan
to the pure Hamite and Semite of the Middle Nile and

The various Races op the Congo Basin. 323
north-east coast. Between these two extremes they
oscillate in endless variety, showing nowhere any fixed
physical features, and bound together only by their
common Bantu speech. The definition " Bantu " is to
be taken therefore in a linguistic rather than an ethno
logical meaning. In the region of the upper waters
and about the Lualaba, there are certain dwarf races,
described by Mr. Stanley and Lieut. Weismann :
and two specimens of dwarfs were seen in slavery by
Mr. Johnston in the Ba-yansi country, who differed in
every way from their masters in physique and manners.
Towards the west, the people along the basin of the
great river begin to lose their distinctly Bantu
characteristics as they become mixed with the inferior
negro population of the coast. The Bantu is a fine,
tall, well-proportioned, and erect type of manhood,
with well-shaped hands and feet, striking features, a
beard and moustaches, and a good covering of hair,
and the type improves as you advance into the region
of the Upper Congo. In colour the Bantu is not
black, but a warm bronze, and some of the men about
Belibohave been described as "perfect Greek statues,"
in the splendid development, and easy poise of their
forms. All throughout the lake country, and probably
as far as the broad waters of Stanley Pool, the best
specimens of the pure Bantu are to be found. From
the Pool to the coast the race rapidly degenerates,
both in physique and in character. On the north
bank, in the region of Stanley Pool, and reaching far
away into the interior, is the famous tribe of the
Bateke, with whom M. de Brazza has been so success
ful in making treaties and obtaining concessions on
behalf of the French Government. The energetic
Y 2

324 Henry M. Stanley.
traveller visited Makoko in 1880, "the ruler of thirteen
kingdoms," and managing to forestall Stanley, he
made good a footing on the north bank of the Pool
some time before the illustrious commander of the
Expedition du Haut Congo reached the spot.
There is no mixture of negro-blood in the pure
Bantu ( = meri) race, which occupies that portion of
the continent, roughly speaking, which lies between
the Sahara and the Orange River.
The Bantu is as distinct in physical features, language
and intelligence from the negro, as the Englishman is
distinct from the Bantu. The characteristic of the
race is an abundance of hair on the face and body.
Stanley describes the beard of one of the friendly
chiefs near the Pool as measuring six feet long when
unrolled for his admiration, and bushy whiskers and
flowing beards are common. The natives paint their
bodies in streaks of white, brown, yellow, or red, when
about to proceed to war, with pigments composed of
lime, or ochre, or common charcoal, and then each
bears a distinguishing tribal mark upon the forehead
or temples. These signs are short slashes in the skin,
and they vary in number and size. Their entire bodies
are in some cases covered with these weals, which
amongst the Bantu are very much admired as adding
considerably to the personal attractions of the wearer.
The tribes on the upper waters are fond of music,
colour, and motion. They dance well, and are grace
ful and intelligent in their movements. They are
domesticated in their habits, fond of their children,
and appear at ordinary times to be happy and con
tented with their lot. In time of war, however, they
are fierce and sanguinary, and are suspected of con-

The Bantus and their Characteristics, 325
suming the bodies of their enemies in a kind of
sacrificial feast. The boys are carefully trained from
childhood to the sports of the field and the practice
•of the peaceful arts of a pastoral life. They are all
taught to swim directly they can be trusted alone in
the water, and soon become quite at home amongst
the torrents and currents of the mighty river, in
which the crocodiles, which lie in ambush under the
shadow of the sedgy banks, or in the dark cool depths
of the stream, are the only objects of fear. The girls
are instructed in household duties, preparing food,
weaving cloth, and planting grain or roots for the
consumption of the family. The men 'of the Upper
Congo regions are great traders. They have a
peculiar gift for bartering, and have a marvellous
faculty for keeping the most intricate accounts,
simply by memory, without the aid of books or paper.
The boys are encouraged to begin to speculate in
small business adventures very early in life, and
Stanley records his astonishment on more than one
occasion at witnessing the unnatural precocity of the
youths in the region of the upper waters in the matter
of securing a bargain.
It appears that from the coast to the Pool the
currency is beads, but in the neighbourhood of the
Pool and inland, brass rods and Sami-Sami (long
white beads resembling bits of broken pipe stem)
are the only recognized mediums of exchange or
traffic. The Bantus are far behind the plucky and
cosmopolitan Wangwana or Wanzamwesi people of
the East Coast, from whom the great explorers always
took care to select the personnel of their expeditions.
As porters, or escort, these men are unequalled upon

326 Henry M. Stanley.
the continent of Africa, and without them it would
have been impossible to have " Found Livingstone," or
to have travelled " Through the Dark Continent."
The Kroomen of the West Coast and the debased '
race about the estuary of the Congo are spiritless,
cowardly, and entirely unfitted for any enterprise
requiring courage, or discipline. They are also indo
lent, and given over to the fatal fascination of the gin
or rum bottle, and consequently utterly unreliable in
any time of emergency or in any special and respon
sible service.
The natives of the lower or Bakongo region from
Stanley Pool to the coast are altogether of a lower
type of humanity. In the upper region the arts of
life are more or less cultivated with success. The
houses of the higher riverine tribes are large and well
constructed, with lofty rooms and stout walls, and in
some instances are nicely decorated with carved work
or native hangings of dyed grass-cloth, and an air
of domestic peace pervades the palm-shaded villages.
In the lower maritime region there is too often that
offensive squalor and barbarous rudeness about the
native towns which has always been associated in the
popular mind with African village life. These people
have no morality, they lie, cheat, steal and quarrel
from infancy, their remembrance of kindnesses
received is fleeting, their sloth incurable. In the
fifteenth century, the Kingdom of Kongo was one of
the most formidable empires upon the continent. In
the height of - its prosperity it included all the
countries to the south of the stream, from the Atlantic
to the head of the Pool, and reached down to
Ngola (Angola), but to-day the King of Congo is only

•The Inhabitants op the Lower Congo. 327
a petty chief, with no power beyond his own town.
The day of native rule on the West African Coast is
past and gone. At the cost of a few bottles of spirits
or a dozen coloured handkerchiefs it can be superseded
or entirely overturned by treaty, and it is with great
satisfaction, therefore, that the important future of this
vast territory has been safeguarded by the work of
the Association Internationale du Haut Congo.
Many of the villages upon the fearful journey from
Nyangwe to the Stanley Falls were found to be
decorated with hideous rows of bleached skulls, fixed
in the ground on each side of the pathway, about ten
feet apart, and reaching the entire length of the town.
In one place 185 " cerebral hemispheres " were
counted, ghastly and gleaming from long exposure to
the weather. In reply to the inquiry of Stanley, who
was anxious to come at the truth of the man-eating
propensities of the tribes of this region, his Arab
companions told him that the skulls were those of the
" Soko" (Chimpanzee or Gorilla) of the forest, which
were, the villagers themselves explained, animals
about the size of the boy Mabruki (4 ft. 10 in.). He
walks like a man, and goes about with a stick, with
which he beats the trees in the forest, and makes
hideous noises. " The Nyama ' Soko ' eat our bananas
and we eat them.
" Are they good eating ? " asked Stanley.
"Very good."
" Would you eat one, if you had one now ? "
" Indeed we would. Shall a man refuse meat ? " *
From the observations of Professor Huxley, who
examined some skulls of supposed " Soko " which
" Across the Dark Continent." (H. M. Stanley.)

328 Henry M. Stanley.
Stanley brought home, and handed to the famous
expert for his inspection, it appears, however, that
the skulls were the remains of people of the ordinary
African negro type, and that from some disinclination
to tell the ghastly truth to the white man, they, as
well as the rows of skulls which adorned the streets, had
been passed off to him as the bones of the " Soko."
All these people had the top row of teeth filed
to a point, and they were known by the title of the
Wasongoro Meno (" the people of the filed teeth.")
A dwarf was captured outside the camp at Ikonda,
above the Stanley Falls, and taken to the leader of
the Expedition. He was a vicious little fellow, armed
with a tiny bow and sheaf of poisoned arrows. The
creature was only about four and a half feet high. He
had a large head, a ragged fringe of whiskers, and a
complexion of light chocolate. He was altogether
a miserable specimen of humanity, with his bow legs
thin shanks, and forlorn aspect. He said he belonged
to the tribe of the " Watwa," who were known to
Stanley's men as a vindictive people of diminutive
stature, nearer Nyangwe. No European traveller has
actually seen the tribe or traversed the country in
habited by it, but there is little doubt as to the actual
existence of the "Watwa" dwarfs, with their long
beards and bushy whiskers, somewhere in the region
west of the Lualaba.
It has been already said that the only tie which binds
together the various tribes of Congo Land is that of
Language. Taking speech as the basis of the division,
the whole continent of Africa may be said to be peopled
by six distinct races, of which the Semitic, Hamitic,
and Bantu are the chief. Of the Bantu, till quite

The Languages op Africa. 229
recently the Zulu Kaffirs were the best known repre
sentatives, and their language is pure Bantu, although
much disguised by the clicks, which they have
acquired from their Hottentot neighbours. Dialects
of the Bantu are spoken by the various tribes of the
Congo basin, all of which display a remarkable affinity
to each other, while differing in almost every particular
from the speech of the other races of Africa. For
instance, there is nothing in common between the
speech of the Congoese people and that of the West-
Coast negroes, the Abyssinians, or the Soudanese
tribes. A striking characteristic of the Bantu
tongue as it is spoken upon the Congo is the use of
the "euphonic concord," which is described by the
Rev. W. Holman Bentley, an old resident in the
territory of the Free States, as " a principle by which
the characteristic prefix of the noun is attached to
the pronouns and adjectives qualifying it, and to the
verb of which it is the subject. Thus matadi mama
manipwena mampembe mejitanga beni = these great
stones are very heavy." Mr. R. N. Cust, the learned
Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, in his recently
published and most valuable book upon the languages
of Africa, says, " The Bantu languages are soft, pliant,
and flexible, to an almost unlimited extent. Their
grammatical principles are founded on the most
systematic and philosophical basis, and the number
of words may be multiplied to an almost indefinite
extent. They are capable of expressing all the
nicer shades of thought and feeling ; and perhaps no
other languages of the world are capable of more defi-
niteness and precision of expression. Livingstone justly
remarks that a complaint of the poverty of a language

330 Henry M. Stanley.
is often only a sure proof of the scanty attainments of
the complainant ; as a fact the Bantu languages are
exceedingly rich." The fact that the degraded tribes
of this wonderful region possess to-day a language
of such completeness and richness and superiority
would seem to point to a decline in the race, and to
the possibility that in remote ages it occupied a nobler
and a loftier position amongst the " dusky nations "
of the dark continent than it holds in our own times.
The Bantus have no memorials of past greatness, no
books, no monuments, no ancient buildings, and no
crumbling cities still bearing the marks of past
grandeur upon their broken walls or shattered towers.
But that they are the descendants of a once mighty
and far-reaching power, which probably dominated
Africa, there can be no doubt ; and, under the
fostering care of the Association Internationale, there
are promises of an ultimate return to their former pre
eminence, at least in the Inner Equatorial regions.
There are four distinct dialects spoken upon the
Western Congo, from the Equator to the sea, viz.
The Kongo or Shi-Kongo, 2. The Kiteke, 3. The
Ki-Buma, 4. The Ki-Yansi.
The rules of pronunciation are as follows : —
(a) The consonants are sounded as in English,
except " gh," which is pronounced as "zh," the z
taking the sound of the French " j," or of our " z " in
" azure." (b) The vowels are sounded fully, and exactly as in
the Italian language.
In diphthongs each vowel is distinctly sounded.
The accent is upon the penultimate syllable, but
there are a few words which have the accent upon the

The Banku Tongue. 331
last syllable, owing to mutilation of the word or loss
of a syllable.
(c) The consonant M used as a prefix, as in Mtu,
has a shortened sound of Um. The prefix Ki- denotes
language, U represents country, Wa a plural denoting
people, M signifies a person, thus : —
U-Sagara — Country of Sagara.
Wa-Sagara — People of Sagara.
M-Sagara — A person of Sagara.
Ki-Sagara — Language, manner, custom, or style of
Sagara, as " English " stands for anybody relating to
England, &c.
The Ki-Swahili is the French of the East Coast,
and is the language of diplomacy and the only means
of intercourse between many of the communities which
border the Indian Ocean. Far up into the interior
Swahili is spoken or understood, and it was found by
Stanley to be the court language of his royal friend
Mtesa of Uganda.
It was always the strong desire of Mr. Stanley that
the way which he had opened to the long-forgotten
heart of Africa should be used as a channel for the
introduction of the beneficent influences of Christianity
to the swarming populations of the interior. The
records of his great journey across the continent
aroused the sympathies of the English and Continental
religious and philanthropic societies, and arrange
ments were at once made, and money subscribed by
them to occupy the new territory in the name of their
Divine Master.
There are at the present time upon and about the
Congo something like seventy-five missionaries, who
are settled amongst the various tribes to instruct them'

332 Henry M. Stanley.
in the higher morality and holier aspirations of the
Christian life. There are twenty stations scattered
over the region from the sea to the district of Stanley
Falls, and there are several mission steamers afloat
upon the Congo's tawny flood at various points up the
river. Roman Catholics, Baptists, American Episco
palians, a Swedish Society, the London Missionary
Society, the Scotch Free Church, and the Church
Missionary Society are all busily engaged in the edu
cational and evangelical work in the Central Equa
torial region, and, in fact, the Free-trade belt from
ocean to ocean may be said to be covered by a
net-work of mission stations, from which the most
humanizing influence will be exercised over the whole
length and breadth of the continent.
The Congo tribes have nothing which can be called
a Religious system. They have no temples, priest
hood, or ritual of worship. They possess no idol
shrines or sacred groves, and have only a vague idea
of a supreme being whom they designate Nzambi, or
Molongo, the word being changed to Mulungu or
Muungu on the east coast. The great spirit is to
them by no means an object of dread, and there are
no signs of any feeling on their part of a need to
propitiate or even to invoke, the being of whose
immensity and majesty they appear to have a deep
impression. To these poor untaught heathen, Nzambi
is too far above them in his nature to be approached
or moved by earthly supplications ; and though they
regard him as the Creator and Protector of man, yet
the gulf between themselves and their Divinity is too
great to be bridged by prayer or lessened by the
most devoted service. They have a strong belief in a

The Religion of the Congo Basin. 333
future life after death, and all their funeral rites are
conducted with the idea that their dear friends are
only passing on to some new state of existence, in
which they will still be mindful of the conduct of
those who are left behind. Great reverence is shown
to the spirits of the departed, and the living are care
ful not to anger the dead by any neglect to pay them
every respect by attending their honoured burial, and
preserving their tombs in a proper condition of repair.
Human sacrifices are offered at the interment of chiefs
of great dignity, and a terrible story is told by Stanley
of a massacre of slaves at the burial of an old poten
tate of Iboko in 1884. As soon as the old man died
his relatives and friends began to collect as many
slaves as could be bought, and so anxious were they
to obtain a large supply, that they even applied to
Lieut. Vangele, the chief of Equator Station, to sell
them some of his men, whom the natives thought to
be the chattels of the white man. The proposal was
rejected with indignation, and the astonished would-be
purchasers of Stanley's loyal Zanzibaris were driven
out of the station with sticks and other weapons by
the enraged garrison. The lieutenant, however, was
curious to witness the funeral rites of these people,
and he proceeded with some of his followers to view
the horrible spectacle. Fourteen miserable wretches
had been secured for immolation at the grave-side,
and a crowd of men had assembled to witness the
massacre. The captives were kneeling, with their
wrists lashed behind them near a tall tree, to the
top of which a strong rope had been attached. A
band of men seized the rope and dragged down the
tree till it was bent into the shape of a bow. One

334 Henry M. Stanley.
of the captives was chosen and the cord placed round
his neck : the tree started up several inches, straining
the neck of the doomed man, and nearly lifting his
body from the ground. The executioner, bearing a
short broad-bladed weapon, now approached, and
marking the distance by touching the nape of the
man's neck with the tip of his sword twice, at the
third stroke severed the head from the body. It
flew up into the air, and was thrown yards off by the
rebound of the sapling, and the operation was repeated
till the whole of the victims had been despatched.
The bodies were dragged away and flung into the
Congo, but the skulls, after being denuded of the
flesh by boiling, were carefully collected for exhibition
at the grave of the deceased prince. The blood
stained soil was taken up and buried in the grave with
the body of the chief. The spirits of the dead slaves
are supposed to accompany the departed potentate and
to escort him into the great unseen land. Plates,
food, knives, cloth, beads, wire, are cast into the tomb
after being bent and broken or in some way " killed,"
in order that they may pass into the unseen country
with their lord. A widow on the death of her husband
mourns for him in solitude for fifty days, during which
she is made a hideous object by applications of
charcoal powder to the face and body.
The people of the Upper Congo do not practise
witchcraft, or put much faith in the pretended powers
of the medicine-man. They have a dread of death,
but no fear of meeting Nzambi, or of being punished
for wrong-doing, which they are taught to avoid
simply on account of the unpleasant results if found
out.

The Ordeal by Poison. 335
The poison ordeal is practised for the detection of
crime. The ceremony is a very simple but awful one,
and clearly points out the need of light and knowledge
in these " dark places of the earth." The market-day
of the district in which the crime has been committed
is chosen for the trial of the suspected evil-doers, and
vast multitudes of excited and exasperated people
assemble to witness the condemnation of the criminals.
The Nganga-a-ngombo, or witch-doctor, who is en
trusted with the task of finding out the authors of the
wrong which is to be avenged, then pounces upon a
few people, whose antecedents or connection with the
person bewitched or injured give some slight ground
for suspicion, and each in turn is obliged to drink the
terrible potion which is to decide his innocence or
guilt in the face of the jeering mob. Unhesitatingly,
but with a despairing horror, he grasps the judicial
cup. If he has in any way become conscious of the
fact that he was a suspect, he will have taken due
precautions to avoid the fatal effects of the poison by
drinking copious draughts of water, which will cause
his stomach to reject the deadly draught of the witch
doctor with little trouble. If no evil results follow
the absorption of the poison the person is declared
free of blame, but if the unfortunate creature has had
no hint of his position, and is suddenly seized and
made to drink of the terrible cup, he falls instantly,
overcome by its effects, and in a few moments his
battered and outraged corpse is floating upon the
brown waters of the Congo.
The inhabitants below the Pool, the Bakongo, are
simply, to use the expressive words of a recent writer,
" embedded in the mud of gross and cruel superstitions,

336 Henry M. Stanley.
by which the vague aspirations towards the unknown
implanted in every human breast are turned into the
fatal instruments of further degradation. The ignoble
parody of religion which they profess is fetichism in
its vilest form ; sorcery gives the only admitted
rationale of disastrous occurrences, and reaps a
plentiful harvest of victims ; each death is investigated
or revenged by the witch-detecting draught of
' caxa,' the Bakongo philosophy of life including no
idea of its natural limitation. The nganda or fetish man
raised to that ' bad eminence ' by superior intelligence
or villainy, represents justice, exorcises the demons of
sickness, guides the fury, or imposes the tyranny of
superstition and reaps the wages of power." These
people have no idea of the use of medicines in healing or
mitigating the ¦ ravages of disease. Directly a person
falls ill his friends declare that " some one has done it,"
and they are not content till this "someone" is
hunted out, found, and either killed or fined.
The life of the Bakongo is described as the most
dissipated and worthless existence that can possibly
be conceived. Dwellers upon a prolific soil, which
yields an abundance of good things without any effort
on the part of the occupiers, they give themselves up
to feasting, drinking, and aimless idling. Their one
desire is to possess rum and muskets.
The women till the fields, gather in the crops of
ground-nuts, bananas, manioc, and sweet potatoes,
whilst the men smoke or loiter about, or exert
themselves sufficiently to hunt such small game as
rats, lemurs, field-mice, frogs, and grasshoppers;
occasionally they fish in the river, or snare birds, but
a spirit of inertia possesses them at all times, pro-

Inheritance through the Mother. 337
crastination is their favourite ally, and their slothful
leisure, devoted to sensual gratifications, soon brings
upon them disease and death. The week of the
Bakongo consists of four days, but they have no
calendar, and take little note of the progress of time.
Children are considered as belonging to the relatives
of the mother, and they are almost entirely free from
the control of the father. The right to inherit
property does not pass from father to son, as with us,
but from uncle to nephew, and real property goes to
the eldest son of the eldest sister. This peculiar and
unique arrangement works very badly, and entirely
destroys all ideas of family life as accepted amongst
civilized nations. The Bakongo sacrifice to the moon,
which they recognize as a. potentiality of the first
importance, and they also propitiate the malignant
spirits, to which they attribute the power to afflict
them with small-pox, fever, and other ills, mental and
physical. The early hours are chosen for any work
requiring bodily effort, as they are the coolest and
the most pleasant for travelling or exertion of any
kind. As soon as the sun begins to make itself felt,
and its ardent beams penetrate the clouds and cast
their scorching glare upon the land, the people return
from the fields and .seek the shelter of their verandas,
or the shade of their plantain groves, where they pass
the fervent noon-tide in gossip, smoking, and hair-
dressing. As the heat becomes less oppressive, they
go forth once more to their various occupations, till
the sun falls into the western waters, when they
return home to spend the night in song, feasting,
and sleep. But with the opening up of the Congo
route to Inner Africa, this state of things is already

338 Henry M. Stanley.
showing signs of a change for the better. The men
are employed as porters or labourers at the trading
or mission stations, they have begun to see the value
of labour, they have found that the sale of the
products of the gardens and fields will bring increased
comfort to their homes, cloth for their families, and
independence for themselves ; and the future of these
people is by no means without hope.
The principle of native government is, as stated in a
previous chapter, tribal or patriarchal rather than
imperial. There are no potentates of the first rank
to be found on the west of the Tanganika equal in
dignity and importance to Mtesa of Uganda. Each
tribe enjoys a practical independence, and is con
trolled by its own chief, who is chosen for his natural
gifts and prowess, and by no means on account of his
birth or rank. Occasionally a chieftainship is found
which descends from father to son, but more often
the strong arm and the cool head secure for their
possessor the first position in the councils of the tribe
which mere family or rank would be powerless to
confer. But the power of the chiefs is on the wane.
With increased intercourse with the ways and
thoughts and doings of the white man, there is a
gradual relaxation of the tyrannical rule of these
native potentates ; fetishism and witchcraft are losing
their terror over large masses of the population slowly
but surely ; and a more just and equitable and en
lightened policy is already adopted towards their
own people and their neighbours by the headmen
of the Congoese races, which proves that the leaven
of truth and righteousness is already permeating
the vast myriads of people who a few years ago were

Civilization making Progress. 339
buried in the darkest ignorance, and were dwelling
unknown and unsought in the most habitable
and most public region in the world. The novel and
absorbing spectacle of the working out of an anthropo
logical experiment of unparalleled proportions, and
pregnant with results of the first importance to count
less millions of human beings, is presented to us in
the great watershed of the Congo to-day, and the
enormous central table-land of tropical Africa.
Girdled and closed against the outer world by thirsty
deserts, fever, cataracts, and rapids, the region
seemed to have been destined by nature to remain
a perpetual mystery to the outer world. But an
assault has been made upon the citadel of desert
and rocks and water, by which nature has so long
guarded the secrets of Inner Equatorial Africa, by
science, religion, and commerce combined, and a terri
tory twice the size of Europe has been brought to light
and added to the ever-increasing area of the known
world. As the result of a letter, already referred
to, which appeared in the Daily Telegraph of No
vember 15th, 1875, from Mr. Stanley, in which he
described his marvellous intercourse with Mtesa, the
Emperor of Uganda, and the desire of that monarch
for Christian teachers, the Church Missionary Society
immediately decided to establish a Mission on Lake
Victoria. An offer was made in response to
Mr. Stanley's appeal, of 5000/., by a friend for
this special work, and a few days after the latter
appeal, another 5000/. were added to the former dona
tion. In less than a year the first division of the
mission party had reached Zanzibar, and a line of
stations was established in course of time from
z 2

340 Henry M. Stanley.
the east coast to the capital of Uganda. But beside
all this, a staggering blow has been dealt at the power
of the Arab traders by the labours of Mr. Stanley in
Central Africa. To these men the appearance of such
Pioneers of human liberty as Livingstone, Speke,
Burton, Cameron, and Stanley meant the destruction
of their fiendish traffic. Slavery in Inner Africa will
die hard. It is the outcome of ages of degradation, lust,
and crime. It cannot be uprooted in a day. But with
the arrival of the Expedition of the Association Inter
nationale at Stanley Falls, a new era dawned upon the
entire central Lake region, the fruitful hunting-ground
of the slavers in past times. The devastation wrought
by these inhuman monsters upon the population of the
Upper Congo and Lake regions has been often de
scribed by Livingstone as well as Stanley in sad and
bitter words. The great lesson which it was hoped
the natives would learn from their contact with the
officers and chiefs of the various stations of the Associ
ation is gradually being acquired. The people already
see that the white man is not merely seeking to use
them and their land for his own selfish profit .- they
have sense enough to see that the pale-face stranger
is a peace-maker and a protector. " Father of slaves,"
was the proud title M. de Brazza earned by his
tender regard for his brethren in bondage. The
natives have begun to feel wants which the European
alone can supply, and to see the manifold advantages
of industry and honest toil over indolence and rapacity.
"A lair of human beasts," having its headquarters
at Nyangwe, on the head- waters of the Lualaba, has
threatened and still threatens the peace of the country
for some time to come. But the end is near, and

Opening up Equatorial Africa. 341
sooner or later the people themselves will rise as one
man, under the combined influence of true commer
cial instincts and a higher knowledge of the philosophy
and ends of life, and put an end for ever to the Arab
man-stealer and the horrors of these slave raids. At
the end of 1884 the blue flag with the golden star was
floating over nearly forty stations; 2000 persons
were actively employed upon and about the great
highway of the Congo ; the territory of the Associa
tion Internationale, the New Congo Free State, was
measured by degrees of latitude, and a flotilla of thir
teen vessels navigated the brown flood and breasted
the swift currents of the mighty stream throughout
2000 miles of its course. The Aruwimi, for ever asso
ciated in the mind of Stanley with terrible scenes of
conflict and death, had been explored, and a way
opened to the innermost recesses of Gahazal-land.
Settlements had been founded at the base of the Stanley
Falls, in the very heart of the slave-hunting country,
and a fresh line of communication had been opened
with the new Belgian station of Karema on the
eastern shores of the Tanganika Lake. The humane
and courageous design of the Comite du Haut Congo
for opening out a road to Equatorial Africa which
had been formulated in the council-chamber at
Brussels in 1876, and entrusted to Stanley for execu
tion in 1879, had been magnificently accomplished,
and a door has at length been opened to Africa by
which, we have every reason to hope, the continent so
long oppressed and forsaken will eventually escape
from the degradation which has for ages blighted its
fairest regions, and destroyed generation after genera
tion of the noblest races within its borders.

CHAPTER XIX.
Climate of the Congo region — "Wrong impressions — How to live in
Equatorial Africa — Sudden changes of temperature — Good spirits
essential to health — Flora of the Congo territory — Forests of
priceless value — A country abounding in natural wealth — The
ivory harvest — Mineral deposits — Large supplies of copper ore
— Iron — Gold and silver — Fauna of the river-basin — African
type — Elephants and zebras — Troops of hippos — The animal life
of the Congoese forests and swamps — Belts of primeval forests —
Gigantic trees — Lake villages — A word-picture by Cameron.
The African Climate is a subject about which travellers
and others have written much, and expressed various
opinions. Generally speaking, however, the continent
has had the unenviable reputation of being the most
unhealthy region in the world. The name of Africa in
the past, has always carried with it unhappy sugges
tions of fevers, debility, and premature death. The
climate of the Inner Congo Basin — " Yes," says the
critic of these pages, " now tell us all about the climate
of Equatorial Africa. You have introduced to us a
veritable Land of Promise, flowing over with good
things, productive to prodigality, splendidly endowed
with inexhaustible stores of natural wealth, and offering
an open and unlimited field of action to the trader and
the lover of his fellow-men ; but is not this Equatorial
Africa after all only a mere charnel-house for Europeans,
a place where no one can exist who has not been born
upon the soil ; is it not in serious fact ' the white man's
grave ' ? " To such a pointed query Mr. Stanley, with

Climate in Congo-Land. 343
an experience of seventeen years of tropical life, during
which he has safely passed through 120 fevers, severe
and slight, would reply most emphatically, " No !
Africa is not impossible for the white man, its climate
has been maligned, and, with due attention to habits
and conduct, there is positively no more danger to be
apprehended from the atmospheric conditions of the
Dark Continent than from the sudden climatic
changes in countries which have a high reputation
amongst us for salubrity and general healthiness."
"Fatal," "Abominable," "Deadly," "Treacherous,"
are some of the epithets which are in common use in
describing the atmospheric conditions of tropical lands.
Wrong impressions are created by the constant re
iteration of the cry that white men cannot live in
Africa. The Duke of Wellington's receipt for the
promotion of health in India, Mr. Stanley thinks is
thoroughly applicable to life in Congo-land. " ' I know
of but one receipt for good health in this country, and
that is to live moderately, to drink little or no wine, to
use exercise, to keep the mind employed, and, if
possible, to keep in good-humour with the world. The
last is the most difficult, for, as you have often observed,
there is scarcely a good-tempered man in India.'
Doubtless in Africa, as in India, the waste of life has
been considerable. Men of fine intellectual powers,
great capacity, and with the physique of giants, have
fallen and drooped and withered after a few months'
experience of tropical life. Promising careers have
been cut short and high hopes blasted by a fatal
attack of malaria or dysentery, and the ' fearful '
climate has been arraigned as responsible for the dis
aster. But after a residence of several years upon what

344 Henry M. Stanley.
was described to me as ' the worst coast for malarious
fever on the whole East African sea-board,' I have
deliberately come to the conclusion that with care and
stern self-control the European can live as safely, if
not quite as comfortably, in Africa as in England."
During three months of the year in the Congo region
it is cold, and all the year round there is an abundance
of shade from the phenomenal amount of cloud which
hangs over the territory. A delicious breeze from the
South Atlantic cools the heated atmosphere, and
residents in the district seldom feel any bad effects
from the excessive temperature. The nights are
decidedly chilly, and sleep is almost impossible without
blankets or warm woollen coverings. The heat of the
Congo corresponds with the definition of Bruce, the
celebrated African traveller, who says that a man is
warm when in ordinary dress, he does not sweat whilst
perfectly at rest, but upon moderate motion perspires
and cools again, a degree of temperature which may
be represented as 75°. The mean of the highest
observations of Congo heat is only 90° Fahrenheit,
whilst the lowest mean is 67°. Careful attention must
be paid to the variableness of the temperature of Congo-
land, and the constant changes in travelling from the
dense moist air of the ravines to the sharp cutting blasts
which howl through the rocky canons of the mighty
stream, or sweep with piercing violence over the hill
tops or elevated plains of the upper Equatorial region.
That the atmosphere is saturated with miasma there
can be no doubt. The rank vegetation, falling into
decay by the process of nature, and shedding its leaves
and withered branches into the stagnant pools and
fetid morasses which cover vast areas of country in

Means op retaining Health. 345
the neighbourhood of the river and its many affluents,
is continually throwing off the fatal fever-germs which
are carried up by the wind-currents, and wafted far
and wide over the land. But care, and attention to
such seemingly trifling details as the preparation of
food, the position of the sleeping-room, head-gear, and
clothing will do much to render the most heavily
charged atmosphere comparatively innoxious.
Care should be taken, in choosing a site for a town
or a dwelling-house, to avoid draughts or strong
currents of cold air, and at the same time to secure a
thoroughly well- ventilated position well out in the open
and not too much overshadowed by forest or hill.
There is nothing really to fear in the broad, full sun
light of the tropics. It is not the sunshine which kills,
but the neglect of simple precautions against its effects.
A healthy man, provided the head is well covered, the
nape of the neck carefully shaded, and the head and
shoulders protected by a good durable umbrella, may
cross Africa in the full glare of a vertical sun withbut
dread of the consequences. To the man debilitated by
self-indulgence or weakened by evil habits such
exposure would on the other hand be fatal. Congo-
land is no place for the man who is predisposed to
moodiness. Good spirits and a readiness to make the
best of things are essential to a pleasant or useful
existence in the tropics. Active habits are also in
dispensable for the life of a successful pioneer of
civilization or religion in the region of the Equator.
Slothfulness begets depression, depression induces an
unhealthy habit, and the unhealthy habit brings on
disease, and disease entails discomfort or death. In
the watershed of the Congo the thermometer ranges

346 Henry M. Stanley.
in the sun from 100° to 115°, and it is absolutely
necessary that all active labour requiring physical
exertion should be got over in the early part of the day.
In the matter of diet there can be no doubt that a
generous supply of good food is necessary to sustain
the system under the constant strain to which it is
exposed by a continuous residence in Equatorial regions.
Good bread, rice, milk, and the native fruits, if well-
ripened, are all that are needed, with fresh meat, fowls,
and fish, to provide a Congo banquet " fit for a king,"
and all potted meats and preserved delicacies should
be most carefully banished from the table of the white
man who wishes to live long and comfortably on the
banks of the great brown river. Care should always
be taken not to go for too long a period without food.
The system, when depressed by a protracted fast,
voluntary or otherwise, is more readily open to the
insidious assaults of disease, and on journeys of
uncertain length old campaigners always provide
themselves with some refreshment for the way. Damp
shoes, and sitting about in wet or moist clothing after
completing the day's travel or duty, are prolific sources
of fever attacks ; and the bath slightly heated, with a
complete change of attire before the evening meal and
the hours of recreation and relaxation which close the
day, are strongly recommended by one who has
thoroughly tested all that he here commends for
making a sojourn in the dreaded tropics not only
possible but most enjoyable.
On no account should the dwelling-house of the
European settler be built upon the ground. An
elevated platform, with a free space between the floor
and the surface of the soil of some eight or fifteen

Eating and Drinking. 347
feet, should be erected, and the house placed upon it,
with a deep veranda all round the building. The
poisonous exhalations of the soil which rise at night
are thus avoided, and the winds have free passage
below as well as above and around the hammock or
tent-bed of the sleeper. As to the use of stimulants
I can add nothing to the forcible words of Mr. Stanley
himself, who gives some painful instances of the
terrible effects of spirit-drinking by Europeans.
The Flora of the Congoese territory and the Great
Lake Region of Inner Africa is rich and diversified.
Along the lower course of the river from Banana
Point to Leopoldville, which embraces a narrow
tract of maritime land and a section of the hill region,
the surface of the surrounding country is covered
with patches of dark green vegetation, in long wavy
bars, which mark the fine of the belts of fertile
alluvial deposit, which have been formed in passages,
by the scour of the higher lands during the season of
the heavy rains. Clumps of palms and dense masses
of umbrageous forest-growth clothe the valleys and
lowlands in a refreshing garment of perpetual verdure,
whilst the hill district produces the beautiful India-
rubber creeper, the bright green orchilla moss, and
the gum-copal tree. But the region between Leopold
ville and the Stanley Falls is the great depository of
the natural wealth of Equatorial Africa. The Congo,
with its innumerable tributaries, here flows through a
tract of country with a superficial area of over one
million square miles, supporting upon its fruitful
surface a population of something like four millions
of people, who are sunk in degradation and indi
gence, simply because they have no channel of com-

348 Henry M. Stanley.
munication open to them for free intercourse with
the outer world, and with those benign influences
which alone can assist in permanently raising and
enriching them. Dr. Pogge and Lieut. Wissman say
of this region : —
" The country is densely peopled, and some of the
villages are miles in length. They are clean, with
commodious houses, shaded by oil-palms and bananas,
and surrounded by carefully divided fields, in which,
quite contrary to the usual African practice, man is
seen to till the soil, whilst the woman attends to
household duties.
" From the Lubilash to the Lumani there stretches
almost uninterruptedly a prairie region of great fer
tility, the future pasture-grounds of the world. The
reddish loam overlying the granite bears luxuriant
grass and clumps of trees, and only the banks are
densely wooded.
" The rains fall during eight months of the year,
from September to April, but they are not excessive.
The temperature varies from 63° Fahr. to 81° Fahr. ;
but in the dry season it occasionally falls as low as
45° Fahr."
Tippo Tibb, the great Arab chief of the Inner Basin,
declared to Mr. Stanley that he was amazed at the
vast population which he found throughout the north
eastern portion of the country. He has seen many
towns which had occupied two hours in passing
through, and the abundant fertility of the magnifi
cently wooded plains and mountain slopes was almost
beyond description. Of the north-east portion of the
same area Dr. Schweinf iirth says, " From the Welle
to the residence of the Monbutta king, Munza, the way

Products of the Upper Congo. 319
leads through a country of marvellous beauty, an
almost unbroken line of the primitively simple
dwellings extending on either side of the caravan
route, with a population of 370 persons per square
mile." The unique position and superior elevation of
the Upper Congo basin, which is divided by the
Equator, and has a rainy season of ten months'
duration, have contributed to render it the most pro
lific province upon the African continent. Foremost
amongst its valuable natural productions are its palms
of every variety. From one species of these, the
oil-palm, the dull red palm-oil of commerce, is pro
duced. The tree grows everywhere, and whole forests
of it are met with in the country lying between the
Lower Lumani and the main riverland. The islands
are clothed with it to the water's edge. The India-
rubber plant is also found in great abundance, and on
the islands of the Congo, Mr. Stanley saw sufficient
rubber to pay, if collected, in one year for the entire
construction of a Congo railway !
The beautiful white and red gum-copal in its fossil
state is common in the district, and in the country of
the Wenya huge blocks of the precious product
were seen, each block being over eighteen inches in
diameter. Copious supplies of oil were extracted by the natives
from the ground-nut, oil-berry, and castor-oil, and large
tracts of forest were traversed which were simply
draped with the deep green moss of the orchilla plant.
Redwood powder was found in process of manufacture
all through the district, and a large trade in this sale
able commodity always exists on the Upper Congo.
Fibrous substances suitable for making paper, rope,

350 Henry M. Stanley.
basket-work, fine and coarse matting and grass cloths
were everywhere noticed in rich abundance, and at
Lukolela, an important mart for the exchange of
tobacco, fine timber, and coffee, for European wares
and fabrics, was in full operation at the time of Mr.
Stanley's visit to the locality. The value of the vege
table produce of the Upper Congoese watershed is
estimated by the Founder of the Free State at not less
than 5,000,000/. Every native village has its rice-
fields and plantations of maize, sugar-cane, bananas,
plantains, cassava, manioc and black field-bean, and
its plots of yams, brinjalls, melons and tomatoes, and
in recent years the potato, onion, and other English
vegetables, have been acclimatized, and promise to
flourish as well in African as in their native soil. The
Arabs from the east are gradually and successfully
advancing the cultivation of the large-grained upland
rice, and on the west the agents of the Association du
Haut Congo are busily employed in planting and rear
ing and distributing broadcast over the land the
mango, lime, papaw, orange, pineapple, and guava.
The whole land abounds with plants which would be
invaluable to the physician as well as the merchant,
and wild cotton is found flourishing in certain favour
able localities, where a considerable profit could easily
be made by its careful and systematic cultivation.
The Chambezi region embraces the whole of the exten
sive central area of 46,000 square miles which forms
the watershed of the Chambezi river and its tributary
streams, and in whose deep recesses the primary
" sources and fountains " of the mighty Congo have
their origin. It was in this hitherto unknown land of
water that Livingstone commenced his great enter-

The Success of the Congo. 351
prise, which Stanley so bravely carried out to a success
ful issue. The lamented and honoured traveller says
that the district consisted of immense swampy plains
everywhere except in the neighbourhood of Kapende.
" The water of the country is exceedingly large ; plains
extending farther than the eye can reach have four or
five feet of clear water, and the adjacent lands for
twenty or thirty miles are level. We went through
papyrus, tall rushes, arums, and grass till tired out.
We were lost in still grassy prairies from three to
four feet in water for five hours. The country is all
so very flat that the rivers down here are of necessity
tortuous. Fish and other food abundant, and the
people civil and reasonable. One sees interminable
grassy prairies with lines of trees occupying quarters
of miles in breadth, and these give way to plain again.
The plain is flooded annually ; but its vegetation con
sists of grasses. The country is undulating, and well
covered with rich succulent herbage, which supports
vast droves of cattle. On the western borders of
Tanganika the Wajiji and the Wanyamwezi are pas
toral tribes, and large crops of maize, millet and cereals
are raised by the native population, who also possess
fine herds of cattle which find pasture upon the broad
prairies and meadow-lands between the watercourses
and rivers which intersect the district in every direc
tion. Tobacco of excellent quality is grown in Usanze-
land, Ukawendi contributes to the market of Ujiji
copious supplies of honey and wax, and the wide pro
vinces of Urundi and Ubba are famed through Inner
Africa for the cattle which are reared in ever-increas
ing numbers upon their breezy uplands and. grassy
fields."

352 Henry M. Stanley.
The ivory harvest of the Congo basin is described
by Mr. Stanley as one of vast promise, and only
waiting to be gathered in. There are also other rich
sources of commercial wealth which are ready to be
developed in this remarkable country. A new native
industry might be inaugurated, which would, if judi
ciously directed, soon render abundant returns, by the
collection and preparation for the European market
of monkey, goat, antelope, buffalo, lion and leopard
skins ; the resplendent plumage of the birds of the
region, hippopotamus teeth, bees'-wax, frankincense,
myrrh and tortoiseshell, all of which are at present
to a great extent lost to the white trader through want
of an open road to the sea-coast.
The mineral deposits of the upper region are
by no means unworthy of the consideration of the
magnates of commerce. Iron is found in large
quantities. The smiths of Iboko and Basoko have
already a high reputation for their finely-tempered
swords, and the spear-heads (some of them six feet
long) of the Yakusu and Basoko are marvellous
specimens of metal-work, welded and wrought by
means of one or two clumsy native tools.
There are large supplies of copper ore in the district
of Philippe ville, which are worked in a rude fashion by
the natives, and which supply the vast area of Western
Africa with blocks of the valuable metal. At Man
yanga alone, the quantity of copper which is brought
into the market for purposes of barter amounts to several
hundredweight annually. In the south-east also this
metal is found in great abundance, and is purchased
by the trading caravans, who convey it to the coast.
Plumbago is common, and gold in nuggets, as well as

The Value op the Congo Basin. 353
dust, has been picked up by the lynx-eyed Arabs in
their wanderings over the land, in the sand of the
swift-flowing streams.
From these facts, some idea of the value of the
country which has been opened out to the civilized
world by the courage and perseverance of Mr. Stanley,
can be formed. We have seen, thanks to the efforts
of this remarkable man, that a region which for ages
had been regarded as a mere extension of the silent and
barren Sahara, is a fruitful and pleasant land, watered
by the largest of African rivers, and gathering to itself
the united waters of thousands of tributary streams.
Its forests are composed of valuable and marketable
timber — redwood, lignum-vitaa, mahogany and odorous
gum-trees, the graceful rubber plant, the oil palm, and
the wild coffee-tree. Over its vast plains roam herds of
elephants, which furnish the precious ivory ; and its
population of fifty millions of industrious and intelligent
people are nourished by crops of rice, and maize, and
fruits, and other products which a generous soil yields
with marvellous prodigality, and with scarcely any
outlay of capital or labour. The temperature of the
new province has been shown to be such that the
European may venture to make his home in it with
out fear of death by disease or violence from the native
tribes, and it has been clearly demonstrated that the
pressing needs of the Congo Free State are the pre
sence of the legitimate trader, and the softening and
refining influence of the Christian teacher, to whom Mr.
Stanley, with all the powers of persuasion which he
can command, cries aloud, " Go ye up and possess the
land." The Animal Life of the region is purely African in
A a

354 Henry M. Stanley.
type. The elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and the
antelope range over its wide savannahs, and browse
upon its verdant mountain slopes, the hippo in
troops are found basking in the mud of the shoaly
streams, or seeking shelter in the reeds and sedge of
the marshy jungle, the lion and the leopard have their
lairs in the bushy recesses of its wooded depths, and
the monkey and the lemur make their homes in the
wide-spreading branches of its magnificent forest-trees.
Birds of rich plumage, and in vast flocks, are seen in
the neighbourhood of Stanley Pool, and at some dis
tance from the main stream in the district of the Kwa,
while for a considerable distance along the waters of that
river, an abundant supply of game, sufficient at times
for the needs of the entire expedition, could be obtained
in a few hours by a smart shot.
The lordly crocodile of the Congo is always
attended by his faithful little wading-bird, — a species
of plover, which never forsakes the locality — favoured
by the presence of the unwieldy monster. At the
approach of danger the bird sets up a shrill cry of
alarm, which arouses the hideous beast from his
slumber upon the bare and heated rocks, and sends
him plunging headlong into the flood to escape
pursuit. Snakes are almost unknown upon the
waters of the Congo. Swarms of butterflies of every
variety and hue flit over the face of the dark-brown
stream, or dart through the green foliage ; and the
banks of the river afford a splendid field of action for
the collector of the magnificent crimson, black, and
apple-green, and dead gold-spotted moths which are
common to both the lower and higher reaches of the
Congoese waters. Honey-bees and wasps of every

The Fauna qp the Congo Basin. 355
size and colour are found, some, building habitations
for themselves of paper, and others, of more ambi
tious tastes, erecting dwellings and store-rooms of
clay. The structures of the mason-wasp are very
clever contrivances. They are fixed upon any pro
jecting ledge or spot which appears to offer immunity
from disturbance, and in them the miserly creature
carefully stows away the caterpillars and spiders and
other prey which he has secured in his raids upon the
territory of the feebler insects ; but his greediness is
generally punished, as soon as his hoard is discovered,
by a wholesale confiscation of the contents of his
larder, for the purpose of supplying the pet birds of
the family with a dainty meal ready gathered to hand.
Scorpions are unknown ; but poisonous centipedes
are common in the dead branches and dry brushwood
of the forests. The crocodile, according to the
natives, will follow the canoes for long distances when
a storm is beating down upon the waters, as if the
creature felt that there was a chance of an accident,
and that some plump negro or choice European might
fall into his cavernous jaws. If attacked by these
monsters, which swarm in the upper waters, the
natives, it is said, force them to lose their grip of their
victim, by thrusting their fingers into the eyes of the
brute, or by sticking a knife into the tender skin
beneath its shoulder.
Amongst the birds in and about the Congo region,
may be mentioned the Podica, a dark, mottled-brown
web-footed specimen of feathered life, found on the
shores of Stanley Pool. Its throat and lower part of
the body are of a dirty white hue, and above its eyes
it has a streak of light colour, with another and
a a 2

356 Henry M. Stanley.
broader line of dark brown running beneath it. The
breast is spotted with dark brown, and the tail is four
inches long, and faintly lined with white. The feet
and bill are bright orange, and the whole appearance
of the bird suggests an odd combination of the
darter, the heron, the duck, and the grebe. When
swimming, it lies low down in the water, and moves
its long and crooked neck slowly backwards and
forwards in search of the fish, upon which it pounces
with a sudden forward jerk. The peaceful frigate-
bird, the tropic-bird, the garnet, the cormorant, and
the pelican are located near the estuary of the river,
and high up the stream. Mr. H. H. Johnston tells us
that he saw, on an unapproachable island above the
Falls of Yellala, a colony of pelicans, which had
established itself there, and made the island, which
could not be approached owing to the rapids, except
by balloon, its permanent home. The waters of the
Pool are much frequented by cranes, storks, giant
herons, Egyptian geese, bitterns, and large terns with
beaks of deep scarlet. There are, however, curious to
relate, no vultures, although almost every species of
this family of birds is represented in other parts of
the continent. The Congo basin only possesses one
specimen of the vulture, which is also found in the
lands between the Kunene and the Senegal. Mr.
Johnston speaks in terms of high admiration of the
great blue plantain-eater, which has a feathery covering
of rich verdite-blue, a yellow-green breast, light brown
legs, and a violet top-knot ! This gaily adorned and
attractive bird is timorous, and difficult to shoot. It
lives chiefly upon figs, and the scarlet date of a kind
of Calamus palm.

The Lion, the Leopard, and the Hippopotamus. 357
The grey parrots pervade, so to speak, the waters
of the Upper Congo. They are seen in flights of
thousands. The forest swarms with them, and the
air at times rings with the melodious cries of these
red-tailed denizens of the woods.
The absence of animal life in the maritime section
of the Congo territory has already been noticed. You
may travel from Banana Point to Stanley Pool and
not see a snake or a monkey. The gorilla and
chimpanzee are both found on the upper waters, and
also upon the Lualaba, where they are spoken of by
the natives as " Soko."
Lemurs are common in the neighbourhood of
Leopoldsville, and the soft rich skins are made up into
" Karosses," or cloaks with fringes of tails, by the
natives. The leopard, or " the great lord," is the
most dreaded of the larger animals upon the Congo.
The lion, the hyaena, and the side-striped jackal
and civet-cat are all known to dwell in the region of
the Stanley Falls and the Inner Equatorial Basin, and
the elephant has already been frequently referred to in
the course of the narrative of Mr. Stanley's journeys
and explorations. The rhinoceros is entirely absent
from Congoese waters, but the river-horse is found
everywhere in vast herds, and hippo-shooting is a
recreation which is in high favour with the European
settlers at the stations by the river-side.
The section of the river between Iboko and Ma-
tembo is by far the most attractive portion of the
stream. The islands in mid-Congo at this point are
enveloped in one dense mass of beautifully variegated
and rare vegetation, the green of which shimmers in
the bright rays of the vertical sun like some cunningly-

358 Henry M. Stanley.
woven texture of the finest satin. Some of the
smaller islets appear to be on fire, with their deep
crimson hues, and the purple fronds or the gold and
white blooms of the flowering plants add a delightful
variety to the whole scene. " Untainted by the
marring hand of man," says Stanley, " or by his rude
and sacrilegious presence, these isles, blooming thus
in their beautiful native innocence and grace, ap
proached in aspect as near Eden's loveliness as any
thing I shall ever see on this side of Paradise. They
are blessed with a celestial bounty of florid and leafy
beauty, a fulness of vegetable life that cannot possibly
be matched elsewhere, save where soil with warm and
abundant moisture and gracious sunshine are equally
to be found in the same perfection."
Till the problem of the flow of the Chambezi and
its affluents, the head-waters of the Congo, was satis
factorily and for ever solved by the patient researches
of David Livingstone, in the Central Lake Region,
that river had always been looked upon by our geo
graphers as the parent stream of the Zambesi.
Gathering up the rivulets and the smaller contribu
tory rivers from the southern heights of Tanganika,
and from the Muslinga range to the south, the Cham
bezi enters Lake Bangweolo or Bema (discovered in
1868), a vast oval-shaped expanse of water, 150 miles
long by 75 miles wide, at an elevation of 3690 feet
above the sea-level. Here the country is unattractive,
and destitute of vegetation ; but in the great Moevo
lake, about 100 miles west of Bangweolo, it is covered
by a dense growth of tropical wood, which affords
shelter to the buffalo, zebra, and elephant. There are
thirty-nine varieties of the first in Moevo, and an

The Central Lake Region. 359
active and profitable trade in salt is carried on by the
population of the district, who supply the tribes far
inland with this useful and valuable commodity. West
of this lake, in the country of the Katanga, there are
vast deposits of copper ore, from which the steady and
warlike Babunbu manufacture large supplies of copper
wire, bracelets and anklets. The Ulungu people, also
in the district of the Chambezi of Livingstone, adorn
themselves with pearls, with which they bind up the
hair or encircle the brows ; and every man carries an
axe, as if to testify to the daily warfare which these
industrious people have to wage with the milky fruits
by which they are environed. The men and women
weave mats, baskets, and cloth ; and the delightful
slopes of the Tanganika heights are overshadowed by
the dense vegetation, which completely covers them.
These verdant terraces are the grazing-grounds of
antelopes, elephants, and buffaloes, and the waters
below sustain herds of hippos, and crocodiles, and fish
in abundance. "It is," says Livingstone, " as perfect
a paradise as Xenophon could have desired." Katanga,
the celebrated copper country of the South Central
Equatorial Region, is so far only known very imper
fectly to Europeans. No traveller has yet penetrated
its borders, to describe for us its wonders or the
marvellous wealth of its unexplored mineral-fields. It
lies somewhat west of the country of the Cazembe
(visited more than once by Livingstone), and west of
Rua, or it has been more accurately described perhaps
as lying between the waters of the Lualaba of the
veteran explorer, and the Lufiva stream. The mineral
obtained from this territory finds its way to every
market in South Africa. In the region of the Man-

360 Henry M. Stanley.
quema it is the ordinary medium of exchange and
barter, being made up in the form of "handa" or
pieces of two and a half or three pounds in weight,
melted up in the form of a rough St. Andrew's cross.
A regular traffic in copper has been organized by the
Portuguese of Loanda, whose trade caravans are con
stantly passing between their own territory and
Katanga-land with European goods to exchange for
the salt and ivory and copper of the locality. Arabs
from the east coast, and native traders from the upper
waters of the Zambesi flock to the great mart of this
comparatively unknown land, to secure supplies of
copper, and there is, without doubt, a considerable
gold deposit in the country, but, so far, it has not been
in any way exploited by the natives. It was reported
to Livingstone that the people were afraid to dig the
gold because Ngolu (the Arab name for Satan), to
whom it belonged, had placed it there for his future
use. Cameron states that when at Benguela he was
informed that gold had been found in the copper
brought from Katanga in such quantities that a com
pany had been formed to buy up the latter mineral for
the purpose of getting out the gold from it.
The whole land west of Tanganika and Nyan a, opened
out by Livingstone and Stanley, is proved to be one of
extraordinary natural productiveness, with an entirely
new set of zoological, botanical and ethnological facts.
In Ubiza and Uvinza the mountain ranges attain a
height of 3000 to 4000 feet above the sea. Their
slopes are inaccessible, except by climbing up them
hand over hand, by means of the creepers or tough
fibrous plants which cover their flanks, and the north
ern sides are riven and scored by immense ravines

The Country op the Gorillas. 361
and fissures, which are never lighted by the sun, and
which are shrouded in an impenetrable gloom on the
brightest day, by the dense mass of overhanging
foliage which closes them in. Of this country Living
stone says, " Between each district large belts of the
primeval forest still stand. Into these the sun, though
vertical, cannot penetrate except as sending down their
pencils of rays into the gloom. The rain-water stands
for months in stagnant pools made by elephants' feet,
and the dead leaves decay on the damp soil, making
the water of the numerous rills and rivulets of the
colour of strong tea. One feels himself the veriest
pigmy before these gigantic trees ; many of their roots
high out of the soil, in the path, keep you constantly
looking down, and a good gunshot does no harm to
parrots or guinea-fowls on their tops ; the climbing
plants, from the size of a whip-cord to that of a man-
of-war's hawser, make the ancient paths the only pas
sage. I have heard gorillas — here called sokos — growl
at me within fifty yards without my being able to get
a glimpse of them ; their call to each other is like that
of a tom-cat, and not so loud and far-reaching as that
of the peacock. His nest is a poor contrivance, not
unlike that of our wood-pigeon. Here he sits, even
in pelting rain, with his hands and arms over his head.
The natives call it his house, and laugh at him for
being such a fool, as after building a hut not to go be
neath it for shelter." A great deal of good iron-work
is obtained in Manyuema-land. The people who, it
must be confessed, are cannibals, are expert musicians,
as well as smiths, and their towns are well built, their
fields thoroughly cultivated, and their habits (apart
from their terrible partiality for human flesh) are

362 Henry M. Stanley.
superior to those of the tribes by whom they are sur
rounded. In the kingdom of Nua, directly north of
Nyangwe, large plains of forest land or broad areas
of park-like open meadow country, intersected by
streams, afford abundant sustenance for herds of wild
cattle, elephants, and antelopes. Iron ore is found in
rich profusion, and is worked by the natives in every
part of the territory. Each village has its smelting-
furnace and foundry, and with careful management a
splendid African iron industry might be developed
here. The region is devastated, however, by the
Arab slavers, who have in some districts cleared off
the entire population. The lake villages of Mohrya,
north of Kilemba, visited by Cameron, were found to
occupy a series of variously-shaped platforms placed
about the lake without any attempt at order. The
platforms were constructed upon piles, and the huts
were built upon these platforms. The inhabitants
occupy the huts, and only visit the shore to cultivate
their gardens, or to secure food for their domestic pets
— fowls, goats, &c. The floating rafts of Kassal are
more remarkable even than the lake houses of the
people of Mohrya. Their rafts are made up of " masses
of vegetation cut from that which lines the shore,
overlaid with logs and brushwood, and covered with
earth. On these rafts huts are built, bananas are
planted, and goats and poultry reared." The people. of
Lo-vale are described by Cameron as very savage, and
much dreaded by caravans for their rapacious demands
in the matter of tribute. They are in fact the Ugo-
gians of the Trans-Tanganika Land ; but they are clever
workers in iron, and have a great reputation for their
arrow-heads and ornamental hatchets. Bee-culture is

Lake Dwellings. 363
carried on to a large extent by the Kibokive, another
tribe in the region of the head-waters of the Congo.
These people, who are peaceful and disposed to a
domestic life, collect large quantities of wax, which
they exchange with the caravans for European goods.
Iron ore is also found in the beds of the streams of
this locality, and it is industriously worked by the na
tives, who are expert smiths. The town of Kagnombe,
in Bihe, one of the adjacent independent sovereignties
of the Central Lake region, is described by Cameron
as the largest town ever seen by him in Africa. It
was more than three miles in circumference, and com
bined a number of separate enclosures, belonging to
the different chiefs, and large spaces were occupied by
pens of cattle and pigs, and patches of tobacco
gardens. The place is situated exactly 250 miles in a
direct line from the West Coast. _ The homely beauty
of the adjoining territory is thus painted in words by
Cameron : — " Neither poet with all the wealth of word-
imagery, nor painter with almost supernatural
genius, could by pen or pencil do full justice to the
country of Bailada. In the foreground were glades
in the woodland, varied with knolls crowded by
groves of large English-looking trees, sheltering
villages with yellow-thatched roofs ; shambas or
plantations with the fresh green of the young crops,
and bright red of new and old grow in vivid contrast,
and running streams flashing in the sunlight, whilst
in the far distance were mountains of endless and
pleasing variety of form, gradually fading away till
they blended in the blue of the sky. Overhead there
drifted fleecy white clouds, and the hum of bees, the
bleating of goats, and crowing of cocks filled the air.

364 Henry M. Stanley.
As I lay beneath a tree in indolent contemplation of the
beauties of nature in this most favoured spot, all
thought of the work still before me vanished from my
mind ; but I was rudely awakened from my pleasant
reverie by the approach of the loaded caravan, with
the men panting, yelling, and labouring under their
burdens." Such is the territory of the great Congo basin for
which Stanley has endeavoured to secure the benefits
of civilization and the benign influences of Christi
anity. Is it too much to hope that before the end
of this century this mighty region will have taken
its place in the orbit of the world's civilization; and
that the historians of future times will be able to
declare, that when the august founders of the Asso
ciation Internationale du Haut Congo planted their
neutral flag in the heart of Africa, they quite under
stood the spirit of their age ?

CHAPTER XX.
Gordon as Stanley's successor — Not to the Congo, but to Khartoum
— The story of the sad Soudan — An expedition to Khartoum
sixty years ago — -A captive princess — A novel poll-tax— Gold,
slaves, and glory — Forcing the cataracts — " Water mares " —
The commencement of the Soudanese slave wars — Tragedy at
Shendy — Conquest of Kordofan — Gordon as Governor of the
Equatorial Provinces — The Mahdi — Eas el Khabtodm — The
far-off garrisons — Left to perish.
Early in January, 1884, General C. Gordon, C.B., the
illustrious White Pasha and former Governor of the
Provinces of Upper Egypt, and the famous commander
of the " Ever Victorious Army," was commissioned at
Brussels, by the King of the Belgians, to proceed to
the Congo, as successor to Mr. Stanley, in the post of
Chief Administrator of the Free States. The gallant
officer announced his appointment in a letter which
reached Stanley on his way down the river from Vivi,
and frankly declared that he had simply accepted the
position in order effectually and finally to grapple to
the death with the hated slave-hunters, in the very
heart of the Equatorial Region.
Gordon at once proceeded to the Belgian capital to
receive his final instructions from Leopold II. , for
the formidable anti-slavery crusade which he hoped to
lead into the innermost recesses and rocky fastnesses
of the Soudan, along the northern tributaries of the
Congo Lualaba, and to take a formal pledge of fealty

366 Henry M. Stanley.
to the central authority of the Free States (January
5th, 1884). He expected to reach Boma before the
great Founder of the new territory, whom he was to
succeed, left the coast for Europe.
But Gordon and Stanley were never destined to
meet and take counsel together upon the brown waters
of the mighty African stream.
After sixty years of misrule, the Egyptian power
south of Wady Haifa had suddenly and completely
collapsed. Goaded beyond endurance by the harsh
and heartless treatment to which they had been
subjected for half a century by the Turco-Circassian
officials, who had been placed over them, the subject-
races had broken out into open revolt, and under
the banner of the Mahdi — Muhammed Ahmed — the
Ethiopian tribes between the Nile and the Red Sea,
the riverain population of the Nile Valley, the Negroes
of the southern districts, and the nomad Arabs of the
western desert, united for the first time in their
history by a religious fanaticism, banded themselves
together to drive the Egyptians from the Soudan, to
restore the old system of administering justice
according to the precepts of the Koran, to abolish all
taxes except the time-honoured tithe, to pay this tax
and all spoil seized from infidel hands into a common
treasury (Beit ul mal), whence it was afterwards to
be disbursed for the good of the community, to reform
Islam, to bring all Moslem countries to a better
observance of the true faith by force of arms if
necessary, and finally to conquer the lands and
completely crush the power of the Giaour.
The Khedive and his Council were in despair. The
rude levies of the Mahdi were sweeping everything

The Mahdi sweeps the Board. 367
before them, for the Egyptian troops, seized with
panic, fled at the first onset of the fanatical hordes of
the soldier prophet.
It was felt that the responsibility for the relief of
the unhappy garrisons and European officials, who
were environed by the rebels in the midst of leagues
of waterless desert and arid, limitless wastes of rock
and sand, rested with the English Government, and
the gravity of the situation throughout the whole of
Upper Egypt was attracting universal attention.
A few hours after Gordon's return from Brussels,
bearing his high commission as Head of the Congo
Free States, he was requested by the cabinet of Mr.
Gladstone to accept the perilous but honourable
mission of British Plenipotentiary to the tribes of the
Soudan, for the purpose of securing the safe retreat
of the Egyptian garrisons from those countries, and
to arrange for the final evacuation of the entire
region south of Dongola. Gordon had himself
suggested this solution of the Soudanese problem, in
an interview with a correspondent of the Pall Mall
Gazette, at Southampton, three days after his appoint
ment to the Congo, and he lost no time in obtaining
the sanction of the King of the Belgians to the new
arrangement by which he was to go to Khartoum
instead of to Boma. Gordon was to be sent out to
Egypt with carte-blanche to do the best he could to
effect the purposes for which he was entrusted with
the special and extraordinary powers of a British
Plenipotentiary. The press, irrespective of party,
and the public demanded that the hands of the
liberator of the garrisons should be left quite free, and
to this the Government finally assented. On the

368 Henry M. Stanley.
evening of Friday, January 18th, 1884, Gordon left
Charing Cross. The news that he had consented to
go to the Equatorial Provinces, on his sublime errand
of justice and mercy, had excited the warmest
gratitude and deepest enthusiasm, throughout the
whole civilized world. " I go," said this intrepid and
marvellous man, "to cut the dog's tail off. I've got
my orders, and I'll do it, coute que coute." At eight
o'clock he started. He was calm and cheerful, and
even hopeful. " The scene at the station," says an
eye-witness, " was very interesting. Lord Wolseley
carried the General's portmanteau, Lord Granville
took his ticket for him, and the Duke of Cambridge
held open the carriage door."
It is only necessary here to follow in outline that
chapter of the history of the Soudanese provinces,
which opened some seventy years ago, when, in
September, 1820, Mohammed Ali, the founder of the
tributary kingdom of Egypt, sent forth an expedition
of 4000 men to subjugate the then unknown countries
of the Upper Nile, and the entire region south of
Wady Haifa. The command of this force, which was
made up of Osmanli and Arab cavalry, Bedawin and
Osmanli infantry, 400 Ababdehs, and 300 artillery
men, was given by Ali to his younger son Ismail, who
was already distinguished by his courage, his in
difference to the comforts and luxuries of life, and his
utter disregard of danger in any form, as well as by
his unquenchable ardour and his anxiety to cover
himself with martial glory by some great deed of
daring and heroism in the face of the enemy. On
setting forth for Assouan, Ismail declared that he
was proceeding to allay certain disorders which had

The Expedition op 1820. 369
arisen in the districts beyond the Wady, and to renew
those amicable and profitable relations which once
existed between the tribes of the Soudan and the
government at Cairo, but which had been disturbed,
to the great loss of Egypt, by the frequent internecine
quarrels which had arisen too frequently between the
Meliks, or petty kings, of the region. There can be no
doubt, however, that the chief results which Ali
proposed to secure for himself by means of the
formidable host which Ismail led southward along the
left bank of the Nile were — the conquest of Upper
Egypt, slaves, gold, and glory. The gold-mines on
the Abyssinian frontier had aroused the cupidity of
Ali, he wished to obtain efficient reinforcements for
his army from the physically perfect negro slaves of
the interior, and he was at the same time anxious to
procure congenial employment for the half-savage
Circassians, Albanians, and Anatolians, who had been
his faithful and constant allies all through the eventful
period, during which he was patiently yet boldly
establishing himself as the supreme power and
authority in Lower Egypt and the provinces of the
Nile Delta. This ambitious scheme for the wholesale
enlargement of his frontier was pushed forward exactly
at the moment most opportune for its success. The
ancient kingdom of Funj, long established at
Senaar, was in extremis owing to civil strife; the
important state of Kordofan had succumbed to the
superior military power of the Sultan of Darfur ;
Berber, Shendy, and Halfaya had each asserted their
perfect independence, and had risen to the dignity of
separate and distinct principalities, the resolute and
B b

370 Henry M. Stanley.
clannish Shagiyeh had thrown off the hateful yoke to
a neighbouring state, to which they had impatiently
submitted for many years, and were fast rising to the
condition of a free and powerful people ; and Dongola
was held by a small band of Mamelukes, led by the
dauntless Ibraim Bey, who had escaped a terrible
death, by leaping his horse boldly from the parapet of
the Cairo citadel, when the brutal order was given for
the massacre in cold blood of his brave comrades
whenever they were found within the walls of the
citadel of Cairo. Ibraim amply avenged the death of
many of his own relatives in this massacre, by the
wholesale slaughter of the Shagiyeh governors and
chiefs of Argo, and by the sanguinary measures which
he took in union with his companion in arms and in
fortune, Abd er Rahman Bey, to hold the province,
which he had thus boldly secured with the aid alone
of his own strong arm at the point of the sword. The
march of Ismail's expeditionary force partook very
much from the outset of the nature of a triumphal
progress. One Melik (kinglet) after another sub
mitted quietly to the invader's terms directly his
banners were seen above the horizon, and the boom of
his cannon fell upon the startled ears of the desert
tribes, and even the haughty Mamelukes were forced to
retire to the remote fortresses of Shendy after sending
the following reply to the summons of Ismail to sur
render themselves into his hands, " Tell Mohammed
Ali that we will be on no terms with our servant."
2000 followers, chiefly native Egyptians and Ababdehs,
and a train of 3000 camels for land service, and
boats for water transport, were attached to the ex-

Difficulties and Atrocities. 371
pedition, and learned Ulemas were taken to act as
interpreters, conduct diplomatic relations, and frame
treaties with the various strange and hitherto un-
visited tribes about the waters of the Blue and White
Niles. In the face of terrible struggles day by day, with
the terrors of the desert, the hungry and deadly
rapids, the treacherous floods of the great Nile, and
indescribable hardships and dangers, the Soudanese
beheld the weary and battered but undaunted warriors
emerge from the perils of the cataracts and the almost
insurmountable difficulties of their march by land, and
press forward, mounting the current in their boats —
"water-mares," as the natives called them — without
the aid of oars. Terrible outrages and horrible vio
lations of all laws, human and divine, everywhere
marked the track of the advancing host, which swept
off the entire population and property of the region
along its front with the force and completeness of an
insatiable conflagration or a consuming pestilence.
Ismail offered a reward of fifty piastres a piece for
human ears, which he forwarded from time to time to
his father at Cairo as evidences of his triumphs. An
eye-witness, an Englishman who accompanied the
troops of Ali, says, " Our servants in their expedition
into the village found only an old woman alive, with
her ears off. The Pasha buys human ears, which leads
to a thousand unnecessary cruelties, and barbarizes
the system of warfare, but enables his highness to
collect a large stock of ears, which he sends down to
his father as proof of his successes. The shore is
putrid, and the air tainted, by the carcases of oxen,
b b 2

372 Henry M. Stanley.
sheep, goats, camels, and men. The latter, in particu
lar, are found every fifty yards, scattered along the
road and among the corn ; some, in an attempt to cross
the Nile and escape by swimming, have been over
taken on the bank and there killed ; others are found
with their oxen in the sakies, where they had been
labouring together ; some near the houses they pro
bably inhabited." ("Journal of a Visit to some Parts of
Ethiopia." By George Waddington and Rev. Barnard
Hanbury. London, 1822. Page 118.) After the
battle, boxes of human ears were sent northward to
the capital, and the brutalities practised in order to
secure this novel poll-tax from the wretched Shagiyeh
were too terrible to dwell upon here. The records of
this horrible war are lightened, however, by the
touching stories of the careful tending of the wounded
son of a brave foe by the surgeons of Ismail, and the
capture and chivalrous restoration of Zebehr's
beautiful daughter Safi, who, when a prisoner in the
power of the youthful commander of the Egyptian
army, was clothed by his orders in costly and lovely
garments, suited to her rank, and sent back un
harmed with a large escort to her father's tent on the
Soudanese plain. It is worthy of record that the
delighted parent was so touched by this unlooked-for
magnanimity on the part of the victorious invader,
that he at once submitted himself and his people to
the authority of Ismail. A force was sent across the
desert to invest Berber, and at the same time the
boats conveying the main body of the force were
wearily forcing a way round the great bend of the
Nile. The difficulty of forcing the cataracts at this

An Egyptian Scipio. 373
point was so great that Ismail ordered the flotilla
to be abandoned, and the guns, ammunition, and bag
gage to be landed and sent overland to Berber. The
march across the hot sands and desolate wastes was
a weary and painful one to officers as well as men.
Many camels fell dead on the road. The heavy guns
were drawn by camels, but were taken into action by
horses, which were usually led on the line of march,
ready harnessed beside their respective guns. The
charms and amulets of the Shagiyeh (like those of the
Arabs at Abu Klea in our own day), failed in the hour
of peril to save them from the bullets of their enemies,
or to render their bodies invisible upon the field of
battle ; and even the Mamelukes at length were glad to
sue for peace and forgiveness of the past at the feet
of "the son of their servant." Scorched by the heat,
and weakened by famine, the victorious army passed
on from province to province, and Omdurman,
Metemmeh, and Halfaya submitted to the authority
of the head of the dynasty of which Tewfik, the reign
ing Prince of Egypt, is the sixth ruler in order of
descent. The nomadic and warlike Shagiyeh soon
became close allies of the Egyptian power, and they
were rewarded for their adhesion and fidelity by
liberal grants of the lands which Ismail had wrested
from the ancient inheritors and holders on the right
bank of the Nile between Khartoum and Atbara. Of
these people the received opinion is that of all the
Soudanese tribes they are the most unreliable, and
General Gordon's last Journal contains many allusions
to the extreme difficulty he experienced at times in
dealing with these impulsive and excitable sons of the

374 Henry M. Stanley.
desert. He describes them pathetically as " the
worry of my heart," and declares that he " will back
them to try a man's patience more sorely than any
other people in the wide world, yea, and in the uni
verse." Three days were taken up in the passage of the
White Nile by the troops of Ismail. The expedition
was carried over in nine small boats, which had, with
difficulty, been brought round the great bend of the
river. The horses and camels were ferried over upon
rafts and boards laid upon inflated skins by the skilful
Ababdeh and Shagiyeh, who were thoroughly at home
upon the swift and turbulent rapids and drifty currents
of the ancient river. On May 30th, 1822, the Egyp
tian army was drawn up upon the low spit of white
sand, Ras el Khartoum, which will for ever be known
in history as the scene of the heroic self-devotion and
final martyrdom of Gordon. Ismail at once entered the
capital of the Nile Provinces in triumph. Disap
pointed in not finding the gold-mines and inexhaus
tible deposits of the precious metal which had been
described to him as existing in this region, Ismail
turned his attention to the collection of slaves, but
the blacks, knowing their own country well, and being
thus able to select the strongest natural positions,
were able to defeat the Egyptian troops in more than
one sharp encounter. It was now that those slave
wars and raids and quarrels commenced, which have
continued in the Equatorial Regions to our own day,
and for the suppression of which Gordon and many
others have freely yielded up their lives. To Ismail
may be attributed the foundation of the Soudanese

A Terrible Revenge. 375
slave-trade, " the open sore of Africa," to the healing
of which Livingstone dedicated his life, and for the
removal of which Stanley has once more ventured, with
his life in his hands, into the hidden heart of the
Dark Continent.
The Egyptian army was at this point attacked by
grievous sickness, and Ismail determined to fall back
upon Senaar. On reaching Shendy, his insolent
conduct exasperated the people to such an extent, that
in the dead hour of the night they collected heaps of
dry brush-wood about the house in which he was
sleeping, and in the morning all that remained of the
conqueror of the Soudan was a charred corpse. Kor-
dofan had already been annexed to Egypt by Ismail's
brother-in-law the Defterdar, who conquered the army
of the native prince under the walls of Bara, after a
terrific struggle, in which the cavalry of the Darfur
force, clad in helmets of metal and coats of mail, and
riding horses clothed in linked plates of native copper,
proved at. times too strong even for the splendid
horsemen of the Egyptian expeditionary force. The
death of the commander of the local forces, however,
turned the tide of battle in favour of the Defterdar,
and soon Obeid was taken and sacked, and the whole
of Kordofan, which had attained, under its own ruler,
to a high state of prosperity, passed under the dominion
of the Government of Cairo. The people of the
conquered province were by no means to be congratu
lated upon this change of masters. Before the arrival
of the invaders, the-district known generally as Kordo
fan, had been a rich, contented and busy commercial
state, maintaining relations with Central Africa and

376 Henry M. Stanley.
Abyssinia by means of frequent caravans which kept
up a constant exchange of commodities and products
between the different countries. Trade was free ; a
light tribute was the system ; the people were happy
and contented ; and everywhere gold and silver
ornaments attested the general wealth. The Defter
dar soon changed all this. His troops robbed and
plundered everybody and everything ; his greed was
insatiable ; taxes were imposed on every description of
goods and produce ; the rights of property were set
aside altogether ; every one who possessed goods,
cattle, or money was first charged with some crime,
and then condemned to death, in order that his pos
sessions might pass into the hands of the Egyptian
commander. It fell to the lot of the Defterdar to
avenge the murder of Ismail, and he at once marched
on Shendy, as soon as the news of the tragedy reached
Kordofan. Shendy was razed to the ground, and the
offending tribe was well-nigh exterminated.
But enough has been said to show the nature
of the conquest of the Soudan. The history of the
territory has been, from the days of Ismail and
the Defterdar, one continued record of revolts
ruthlessly suppressed, of rule by force, exaction,
chicanery', and double-dealing, unequalled probably in
the annals of any other region in the whole world.
The Egyptian system of government was quite unsuited
to the needs and habits of the people, and the rough
Turkish soldiers of fortune who had to administer it,
thought only of enriching themselves by any and every
means, at the expense of the people over whom they
were placed. The main result of the Egyptian occu-

Egyptian Misrule in the Soudan. 377
pation of the Soudan appears to have been the proving
how utterly unable Turks and Circassians are to govern
subject-races anywhere, even under the most favour
able circumstances. From the governors of provinces
downwards, every one plundered; pillage was re
duced to a system ; the exaction of specie from the
wretched populace was the one absorbing study of
the officials, and for every pound the soldiers collected
from the taxpayers they squeezed out for themselves
another from the peasants ; impossible requisitions of
grain, cattle, camels, butter, leather^ &c, were made
for the troops, and the people were reduced to a state
of abject and hopeless poverty. During the reigns of
later Pashas these disorders increased, and in 1857
Said Pasha, who visited the Upper Nile Provinces in
person to see for himself the condition of the people,
was horrified at the extortion and oppression practised
by the officials, and the widespread misery which was
the result of years of this treatment. Reforms were
at once ordered, and Said Pasha even contemplated
giving up the Soudan altogether, so much was
he impressed with the suffering which he witnessed
during his tour through the unhappy district, but^other
counsels unfortunately prevailed.
The reforms of Said were short-lived, and Sir Samuel
Baker says of the condition of things in 1862-64 : —
" During the administration of Musa Pasha, who is
described as a rather exaggerated specimen of Turkish
authorities in general, combining the worst of Oriental
failings with the brutality of a wild animal, the Soudan
became utterly ruined ; governed by military force,
the revenue was unequal to the expenditure, and fresh

378 Henry M. Stanley.
taxes were levied upon the inhabitants to an extent
that paralyzed the entire country. . . . From the
highest to the lowest official, dishonesty and deceit
was the rule ; and each robs in proportion to his
grade in the Government employ." ("Albert Nyanza,"
i. 13, 14.) To Col. Stewart, one of the officers of the
Khedive, Jafa Pasha, openly declared that " he was
quite aware the tax was excessive, but he fixed it at
that rate to see how much the peasant could really
pay." — " In consequence of this excessive taxation "
(says an official report) "many were reduced to destitu
tion, others had to emigrate, and so much land went
out of cultivation, that in 1881 in the province of
Berber there were 1442 abandoned sakies, and in
Dongola 613." Sir Samuel Baker thus describes the
condition to which the rule of Jafa Pasha had brought
the country. " Khartoum was not changed externally ;
but I had observed with dismay a frightful change in
the features of the country between Berber and the
capital since my former visit. The rich soil on the
banks of the river, which a few years ago had been
highly cultivated, had been abandoned. Now and
then a tuft of neglected date-palms might be seen, but
the river's banks, formerly verdant with heavy crops,
had become a wilderness. Villages once crowded had
entirely disappeared; the population was gone.
Irrigation had ceased. The night, formerly dis
cordant with the creaking of waterwheels, was now
silent as death. There was not a dog to howl for a
lost master. Industry had vanished, oppression had
driven the inhabitants from the soil." The whole
population was ripe for revolt against the plunder,

Baker and Gordon's Efforts. 379
extortion, and oppression of the Egyptians, and gladly
accepted the leadership of the Mahdi, who announced
his fixed determination not to rest day or night as long
as one official of the Khedive remained in the Soudan.
Sir Samuel Baker, as Governor of the Equatorial
Provinces, and General Gordon who succeeded him in
1874, strove earnestly to ameliorate the condition of
the people placed under their charge, but they found
the Egyptian officials busily engaged in thwarting
them at every turn, and ready to connive at the slave
trade, slave-wars, oppression, illegal trading or any
rascality or dark dealing, so long as they could enrich
themselves at the expense of the unhappy Soudanese.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding all the efforts, expostula
tions and menaces of Gordon, who was appointed in
1877 Governor- General of the Soudan, for the avowed
purpose of suppressing the slave-trade, the miserable
traffic evinced on all sides unmistakable evidence of
increased vitality. Slave-hunting is without doubt
the great disturbing influence of the entire Upper Nile
Territory. The "merchants" of Khartoum who deal in
human beings keep large armed forces of from 10,000
to 15,000 troops for the purpose of hunting down the
blacks of the adjacent districts, and Sir Samuel Baker
found one man who assumed the sole right of running
down and enslaving all his fellow-men over an area of
90,000 square miles of territory. 50,000 slaves are
said to be annually taken in the Soudan, and the
horrors perpetrated by the " dapper-looking fellows,
like antelopes, fierce, unsparing," who are the sleuth-
hounds of the traders in this detestable work, would
be incredible if they had not been described to us by

380 Henry M. Stanley.
such reliable authorities as Speke, Grant, Baker,
Schweinfurth, Gordon, Stanley, and Gessi. Amassing
large fortunes out of the large profits of their abomin
able calling, the slave-hunters live in princely mag
nificence, and are able to exercise considerable influence
even at Cairo, as Gordon found to his cost when he
attempted to destroy their power, and clear them
altogether out of his province. Evidence has lately
come to light which proves that the Egyptian Govern
ment itself actually shielded the slave-dealers of whom
Gordon complained, and even made a profit out of
their trade, which publicly it denounced. The protest
of civilization against this monstrous condition of
things moved the late Khedive from time to time to
feign a serious earnestness of intention to put down
slave-wars and slave-hunting in the Upper Nile Basin,
but Gordon soon saw through the hollow decrees of
Ismail, and he ultimately resigned the position of
Governor-General of the Soudan with the full convic
tion that no good could be really done, so strong were
the influences used against him by the corrupt officials
whom he rebuked or removed from their posts, and so
powerful was the " loathsome lust for human flesh "
which seemed to possess the great men of the entire
dominion of the Khedive, north as well as south of the
Wady Haifa.
During his administration of the Equatorial
Provinces, Gordon travelled many times to the
extreme southern limits of his satrapy, and every
where peace and prosperity resulted from his policy
of justice to all, protection to the weak, and govern
ment by affection rather than by force of arms. He

Gordon as an Administrator. 381
mapped out the White Nile from Khartoum down to
the Victoria Nyanza. He had dealt a fatal blow at
the slave-trade on the White Nile and its affluents.
He had restored confidence and peace to the
industrious people of the Nile Valley, so that they
freely entered into commercial relations with him, and
attended his markets. He had opened up a water
way between Gondokoro and the Lakes. He had
established pacific relations and made satisfactory
treaties of friendship with Mtesa, the great Uganda
king. He had divided the province into districts,
with responsible and capable chiefs over them, and
open roads between them. He had astonished the
authorities at Cairo by forwarding a substantial contri
bution to the revenue of the Khedival exchequer, and
he had secured this without any attempt at coercion
or oppression. It may be said truly, that "the
Taiping rebellion established Gordon's genius as a
military commander ; the Equatorial Provinces when
he left them testified not less to his genius as a
philanthropic and practical administrator."
On February 17th, 1877, the Khedive Ismail,
writing to Gordon, who had just arrived from England,
said, " Setting a just value upon your honourable
character, on your zeal, and on the great services you
have already done me, I have resolved to bring the
Soudan, Darfur, and the provinces of the Equator into
one vast province, and place it under you as Governor-
General." He was to be assisted by three under -
governors, and the two chief points to which he was
to direct his attention, by the instruction of Ismail,
were the total suppression of slave-wars and the

382 Henry M. Stanley.
opening up of new and rapid means of communication
between the various military and commercial centres
of the united provinces. In July, 1879, after more
than two years of weariness and scheming and counter-
scheming to circumvent the machinations of his old
foes at Cairo ' and at the head- waters of the Nile,
during which time Gordon's energy had caused him to
be feared and respected, but not loved over-much, by
the populations of the territory under his rule, he
received the news of the abdication of the Khedive
Ismail and the succession of Tewfik. Feeling that his
mission was over, and that his work in the Soudan
was done, he at once placed his resignation in the
hands of the authorities at Cairo only to anticipate
his dismissal. The Pashas hated him to a man, and
intrigued against him, for the success of his policy
meant the ruin of themselves and their families, by
the loss of revenue from the slave-trade and the
oppression of the unfortunate people in the far-off
provinces of the Upper Nile waters. So Gordon
turned his back upon the Soudanese land ; but he had
not seen the last of that fatal region.
On leaving London on January 18th, 1884, as
British Plenipotentiary, with powers to secure the
retreat of the Egyptian garrisons, and evacuate the
territory, Gordon proceeded at once to Cairo and
thence to Khartoum, where he arrived on February
18th, to the intense delight of the garrison and
inhabitants, who pressed about him as he rode in state
into the city in his " gold coat," and in all the pomp
beseeming a British representative. With his arrival a
change came over the people once more. The stick,

Gordon's Return to the Soudan. 383
the lash, and the prison of the Bashi Bashoukery
regime were instantly swept away. As he passed to
the palace from the Mudisieh, where he had been
granting audiences to which the most beggarly Arab
was admitted, the excited populace thronged him,
kissing his hands and feet, and hailing him as
"Sultan," "Father," and "Saviour." A fire was
made in front of the palace, and the records of the
out-standing debts of the people to the Government at
Cairo, the bastinado rods which took the place of
collector's notices, and the kerbashes, whips, and all
the devilish instruments of torture, were thrown
by Gordon's own hand upon this funeral pyre of
Egyptian tyranny. " From the council-chamber,"
we are told, "he hurried to the hospital; thence to
inspect the arsenal. Then he darted to the heart of
the misery of the prison. In that loathsome den two
hundred wretched beings were rotting in their chains.
Young and old, condemned and untried, the proven
innocent and the arrested on suspicion, — he found all
clotted together in one union of common suffering.
With wrathful disgust Gordon set about the sum
mary work of liberation. Before night fell the chains
had fallen from off scores of the miserables, and
the beneficent labour was being steadily pursued."
The defence of Khartoum and the final overthrow of
the city and the death of the heroic man of whom it
has been said that " there was no figure during our
generation to which the popular feeling and sympathy
were so much attached," are now matters of never-to-
be-forgotten history. The news of the failure of
Gordon, and of his tragic fate, created a widespread

384 , Henry M. Stanley.
feeling of the deepest sorrow throughout Europe and
America, and it was at once felt that the condition of
the isolated Egyptian garrisons far away over the
desert, without any possibility of succour reaching
them, and severed by implacable foes, was altogether
hopeless. To all human seeming they were left to
perish.

CHAPTER XXI.
Gordon Pasha's favourite policy — Reforming the administration — " I
will hold the balance level" — Emin Pasha — Early life — At
Berlin — On the staff of Hakki Pasha in Syria — Accepts service
with the Khedive Ismail- — To the Equator — Gordon and Emin
at work — Mission to Uganda — The fruits of a righteous rule —
Emin defies the Mahdi — Defence of Wadelai — Emin a soldier,
doctor, man of science, and linguist — The Emin Pasha Relief
Expedition- — Mr. Stanley asked to lead the enterprise.
Upon his appointment, in 1877, by the Khedive Ismail
to the post of Governor-General of the Soudan, Gordon
proceeded to carry out his favourite policy of reform
ing the administration of the vast territory under his
jurisdiction with characteristic vigour. " With terrific
exertions," he wrote, " I may in two or three years'
time, with God's administration, make a good province,
with a good army, and a fair revenue, and peace and
increased trade, and also have suppressed slave-raids ;
and then I will come home and go to bed, and never
get up again till noon every day, and never walk more
than a mile." In his speech at his installation in his
capital of Khartoum, where the firman announcing
his elevation was read by the Cadi, amid the thunder
of a royal salute, and the tumultuous applause of the
populace, he made a formal declaration of his policy.
It was brief and to the point. Justice to all was to be
the distinct aim of his official life amongst these warm
hearted but wayward and irresolute sons of the desert.
c c

386 Henry M. Stanley.
"With the help of God, I will hold the balance level,"
he said, solemnly addressing the polyglot multitude
which swayed and surged about the steps of his vice
regal throne. And then " he directed gratuities to be
distributed, in Eastern fashion, to the deserving poor,
and in three days he gave away upwards of three
thousand pounds of his own money."
The control of the Equatorial Region, " the very
pearl and heart of the Soudan," he at once handed
over to one of the most tried and trusted of his lieu
tenants, Emin Pasha, whom he formally appointed chief
¦executive officer, and Governor of Equatorial Egypt
and the countries about the White Nile (1878), and for
whom he ever afterwards entertained the highest
regard, not only for his work's sake, but also for the
high character, great administrative ability, and varied
accomplishments, of the man himself. Till early in
1887, however, Emin Pasha, " the last white chief of
the dread Soudan," was altogether unknown to fame.
A few scientists and personal friends only, in England
and Germany, were acquainted with the stirring de
tails of that desperate struggle for civilization and
liberty, which he has carried on single-handed, as
¦" Gordon's heir," in the immense province entrusted
to his charge, since the Fall of Khartoum, and the
tragic death of his illustrious friend and patron.
Emin Pasha is a European and a German by birth
and education, notwithstanding his Egyptian cogno
men, which signifies The faithful one. His name is
Eduard Schnitzer, and he was born on March 28th,
1840, at Oppeln, a prettily situated little town, upon
the banks of the Oder, in the Prussian province of

Early Life of Emin Pasha. 387
Silesia. His father, Ludwig Schnitzer, was a merchant
of repute, and a Protestant. In 1842, for commercial
reasons probably, the family removed to Neisse, a
smaller town, situated in the same province, upon the
banks of a southern tributary of the Oder, where the
relatives of the distinguished Pasha still reside.
Eduard was educated at the Gymnasium, or public
school, of Neisse, and in due course he proceeded to the
University of Breslau (1858). He completed his medi
cal studies by attending a course of lectures by emi
nent specialists at the University of Berlin, where he
graduated, and received his diploma of M.D., in 1864.
Free now to indulge the dreams and fancies of his-
youth, the young surgeon, who had from boyhood
evinced a taste for travel and the study of natural his
tory, set off upon a tour of adventure through
Turkey and Syria. As he was the bearer of high cre
dentials, and was also well recommended by eminent
German physicians and others, he soon obtained
employment, and he was posted to the staff of Ismail
Hakki Pasha, Governor of the Turkish provinces of
Antivari and Scutaria. On the death of Hakki Pasha
in 1873, Schnitzer decided to return to Neisse, and
devote himself for a term to the closer and more direct
study of the phenomena of natural history and biology.
In 1876 the " Spirit of movement " again possessed
him, and he set out for Cairo, determined to seek em
ployment under the Government of the Khedive. His
offer of service was at once accepted, and he was
ordered to join the staff of the Governor- General of
the Soudan at Khartoum. From Khartoum he was
sent down south to act as chief medical officer in the
c c 2

388 Henry M. Stanley.
Equatorial Province of Egypt, of which territory Gor
don Pasha was then Governor. Gordon was the very
man to value an officer of parts and resources, as Emin
soon proved himself to be, and to afford him abundant
opportunity for the employment of all those gifts and
powers, in the face of difficulties and impossibilities,
which he soon began to display.
For medicine alone by no means engrossed the at
tention of Schnitzer. He soon showed that he had a
special power for dealing with the native mind. He was
able to secure the confidence of the " black-skinned
children of the soil," and to carry out to ultimate suc
cess difficult diplomatic missions which other officials
had given up in despair. We soon find, therefore, that
Gordon frequently selected Emin to undertake negoti
ations of considerable importance with neighbouring
tribes and kinglets, which required peculiar gifts, and
called for the exercise in a more than ordinary degree of
the " Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re " method of dis
cussion and settlement.
Two of these missions were to the great Central
African Emperor of Uganda, and one to the Unyoro
monarch, a formidable rival and frequent foe of the
Lord of Uganda.
The Governor and his zealous lieutenant, in 1876,
made a journey of exploration up the White Nile,
with a view to becoming acquainted in detail with
the head-men, officials, and circumstances of the
populations along the banks of the stream ; and in
company these two intrepid men circumnavigated the
Albert Nyanza, noting many fresh features of interest
to the naturalist and the geographer, and entering into

Emin Pasha in the Soudan. 389
amicable relations with all the various tribes and
island communities on the route. In the same year,
Gordon Pasha and Emin passed northward to Khar
toum, to prosecute some notorious slave-hunters, who
had been caught " red-handed " in the traffic, and who
had been cleverly " checkmated " by Gordon.
In describing the appearance of the Albert
Nyanza region, seventy miles of which, stretching
eastward from the debouchement of the Victoria Nile
into Lake Albert, Gordon and Emin carefully surveyed,
the former says, — " A dead, mournful place it is "
(near Murchison Falls), " with a heavy, damp dew
penetrating everywhere ; it is as if the Angel Azrael
had spread his wings over this land ; you can have
little idea of the silence and solitude." The river was
found to be quite open to the foot of the cataracts,
and then there was nothing for it but a weary tramp
through the almost impenetrable jungle in a flood of
tropical rain. The road was broken by frightful
ravines of extraordinary depth, opening out laterally
from the terrace-land into the deep gorge through
which the river rushed onward to the Nyanza. Five
days more were occupied in forcing a way through a
perfect network of creepers, and clinging rope-like
vegetation, which had all the holding power of a ship's
cable. Eighteen miles per day was the longest march
possible under these circumstances, and it was with
a weary heart that the dauntless Pasha and his
companion plodded on towards Foweira, the station
which marked the limit of the survey. Arriving
within easy distance of Speke' s Nyamyango, the expedi
tion turned back, and arrived at Mapuyo on September

390 Henry M. Stanley.
29th, having succeeded in actually occupying, as well
as annexing in the name of his Highness the Khedive,
a magnificent and important tract of fertile territory
in the extreme Equatorial lacustrine region.
Emin's special mission to Uganda was not accom
plished without some difficulty, and at times the party
were exposed to considerable peril. One of Gordon's
officers had invaded the Empire of Uganda with a
body of 300 troops, and, acting entirely upon his own
responsibility, had proceeded to annex the kingdom of
the famous Mtesa to the Khedivate of Egypt. The
effect of this rash and fanatical act upon the trained
levies and vast population of the threatened country,
was at once seen in the demeanour of the outraged
people ; and the outcome of this piece of sheer folly
might have been the total destruction of the Egyptian
outposts and garrisons, as far north as Khartoum, by
Mtesa and his exasperated followers. Happily, other
counsels prevailed, and Emin was sent to bring back
the offending troops, and to make peace with the
haughty Lord of Uganda. The sagacious German
eventually accomplished his difficult task without
losing a life or firing a shot, and was warmly
congratulated by his chief for the able maimer in
which he had conducted and carried out a most
hazardous enterprise.
In 1877, Emin was again ordered southward, to
negotiate with Kabarega, the monarch of Unyoro, who
was frequently engaged in raiding the Soudan
portion of the Egyptian frontier. It was important
that Gordon should secure the good services of this
potentate, if possible, as in the event of trouble with

Emin's Missions and Explorations. 391
Uganda, he would be an invaluable ally ; and again the
young German surgeon was successful, and succeeded
in the task of making a treaty with the Unyoro people,
which in Gordon's own opinion probably, saved himself
and his garrison from massacre. " This mission,
although carried out so far back as 1877, has recently
borne fresh fruit," says Dr. Felkin ; " for the friendly
relations then brought about have enabled Dr. Emin
to obtain scanty supplies from Kabarega, and to send
through him letters to the Church Missionary Society's
representatives in Uganda, and have also assisted the
intrepid German traveller, Dr. Junker, to escape, vid
Unyoro and Uganda, to Zanzibar." A second journey
to Uganda was undertaken by Emin, under orders
from Gordon Pasha, in 1877, and Lake Albert was
also re- visited, for scientific and administrative pur
poses, in 1879.
In 1878, on his appointment to the Governorship of
Equatorial Egypt, Emin was raised to the rank of
Bey, and he entered upon the duties of his responsible
office with the determination of developing his province,
and protecting his frontier. At the close of Gordon's
administration, the affairs of the territory were in an
orderly and fairly prosperous condition. Taxes had
been paid with regularity, slavery had been virtually
suppressed, commerce had been developed, and the
coudition of the people had been altogether changed
for the better. But the rule of the English Pasha had
been succeeded by an interval of Turkish and native
administration, by which the old evils had been revived
with tenfold power, the tide of civilization had been
rolled back, and oppression, poverty, and misery once

392 Henry M. Stanley.
more brooded over " the pearl of the Soudan," one of
the fairest and most fertile, and most populous, of the
Central African States. Emin had now entered upon
the serious work of his life. When he assumed the
reins of government, and cast his eye over the country
which his great predecessor had ruled with so much
success for a brief period of something like eighteen
months, he found that the only portions of his
dominion in peace and security were the narrow strips
of territory on either side of the White Nile, reaching
on one side from Lado, his capital, to the Albert
Nyanza, and extending on the other side for some
distance into the land of the Shalis, between the east
bank of the river and the Galla country. At the end
of 1880, however, a change was manifest throughout
the length and breadth of the entire province.
Stations long since fallen into decay, through neglect
and indifference, were rebuilt, and re-provisioned, and
re-manned ; peace, order, and respect for constitutional
authority were established amongst the tribes within
the borders of the state ; and all the principal towns
and fortified villages were connected together by good
roads and regular weekly posts. Crime was reduced,
slavery once more received a crushing blow, slave-
raids and slave-wars were sternly put down, markets
were thrown open and protected, agriculture was
encouraged, strangers were invited to enter the
territory for the interchange of commodities and the
opening up of new trade-routes, and the slave-traders
were swept clean out of the region altogether.
The Government officials, chiefly pardoned criminals,
convicts and felons gathered out of the prisons of

Emin, Governor op Equatorial Egypt. 393
Cairo and Khartoum, whom Emin found established
throughout the province, were replaced by trustworthy
men, selected by the Governor himself from the
ranks of his own assistants and subordinates. The
Egyptian soldiers, the scum of the regiments of Lower
Egypt, were disbanded, and new forces recruited from
the Negro population of the subject territory ; and
although the remote, isolated region was cut off for
years from all communication with Khartoum, and
no supplies could be forwarded, in consequence of a
block on the Nile, the Equatorial Provinces, which in
1878 were maintained at a deficit of 38,000L per
annum, had, three years later, a surplus of 8000Z., a
financial improvement which was effected entirely by
the efforts of Emin Bey, without having recourse to
any measure of oppression or excessive taxation, and
simply by the exercise of rigid economy, and the
suppression of long-standing abuses. A spirit of
loyal obedience had everywhere been developed,
discontent had disappeared, and an era of sustained
prosperity and peace was incorporated. The organ
ization of this vast dependency was not effected with
out an immense amount of patient and wisely directed
labour, and it was made possible only by a careful,
and even painful, attention to the minutest details,
and to the peculiar and ever-varying character
istics of the numerous tribes and populations in
habiting the region, which is divided into districts,
each having a military station for its official centre, to
which the taxes of grain and cattle are brought by the
natives at stated periods. At Lado, the central
stronghold of the province and the seat of govern-

394 Henry M. Stanley.
ment, on the White Nile, Emin was constantly em
ployed in discharging the varied and responsible duties
of his office, and in ministering to the sick in the
large hospital which he had established for the
reception of his distressed and afflicted subjects.
" Lado is a well-built town, the divan, offices, mosque,
and government buildings being built of burnt bricks,
and roofed with corrugated iron ; all the other build
ings being of wood or grass. The streets are wide
and straight, and surrounding the station there is a
broad promenade, a clear space of thirty yards being
kept between the houses and the earthwork fortifica
tions. Beyond there are large gardens. The station
has three gates, at which sentries are mounted night
and day, the gates being open from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m.
No gun is allowed to be fired near the station from
sunset to sunrise, unless as a signal of an attack. At
5.30 a.m., the bugle sounds the reveille; and shortly
after ' Light your fires.' At 6 a.m., the muster-roll
is called, and the gates are opened. The soldiers then
drill, and the women begin to sweep the streets, for
in Emin's stations, sanitary precautions are adopted,
and the people are taught that cleanliness is next to
godliness. At 8.30 a.m. all, excepting the sentries,
turn out to draw water, and to fetch wood; and, the
dew being by that time dried up, the cattle are sent
out to graze. Work lasts till 11.30 a.m. ; when there
is an interval of rest till 2.30 p.m. : the people then
set to work again till 5 p.m., when all return inside
the fort. At 8.30 p.m. the roll is called, and the
gates are shut ; and at 9 p.m. all fires are extinguished,
an officer going the rounds to see that this regulation

Regulations and Garrison of the Capital. 395
is carried out. Curfew in those parts is a very im
portant precaution, for should a hut once catch fire,
the whole station is threatened with destruction. In
the spring of 1878, before Emin's rule began, Lado
itself was burnt down, and the immense stores which
Baker Pasha had taken to the province were all
destroyed. Near each of the principal stations are
groups of native villages. The soldiers are nearly all
Makraka men, and, physically, a finer body of troops
it would be difficult to find. They are brave (one
might almost say recklessly brave), civil, and high-
spirited ; they obey orders with alacrity, and are at
the same time intelligent in the performance of their
duties. They are armed with the Remington rifle,
which they pride themselves upon keeping bright and
clean. Their uniform, when on duty in the station, is
a white tunic and trousers, boots, fez, and a cartridge
belt made of leopard-skin, which is bound round the
waist, and holds a sword, bayonet and knife. On the
march they are dressed in brown clothes, with knicker
bockers, and they seldom wear boots. I should have
said they were clothed in this fashion, poor fellows, for
now they are scantily provided with kit." (Dr. Felkin.)
Every large village of the province is bound to supply a
fixed number, according to population, of armed drago
men, who act as a kind of native police, and these are
held responsible to the central authority for the peace
of the place, and the prompt payment of the taxes.
Some twenty or thirty of these officers live near each
fort, and are expected to provide porters and
messengers for government service when required.
There was a marked contrast between the region

396 Henry M. Stanley.
ruled by Emin and the surrounding country. In the
latter, slave-dealers still ravaged the land, and their
inhuman traffic went on unheeded and unrestrained.
Brutal acts of cruelty were daily perpetrated, villages
were burnt to the ground, the aged killed, the women
and children carried off for sale, and the strong men
who resisted were subjected to tortures, which were
applied with fiendish ingenuity. Emin succeeded in
introducing the steady cultivation of indigo, cotton,
rice, and coffee, and the revenue from these industries
alone, he hoped would enable him eventually to
contribute a substantial sum to the treasury of the
Khedive. When Khartoum fell before the attacks of
the Mahdi, and the northern portion of the Egyptian
Soudan was given over to anarchy, it was feared that
the whole of the territories of Egypt, south of
Dongola, was lost. Such, however, was not the case.
After the death of Gordon, the forces of the Mahdi
spread southward, and threatened Emin, who had
entrenched himself in his citadel at Wadelai, on the
banks of the White Nile, just north of the Albert
Nyanza. To the summons of the Mahdi that he
would surrender and adopt the faith of Islam, Emin
replied by a bold message of defiance, and a promise
that if the followers of the false prophet attacked him,
they would meet with a most determined resistance.
Hemmed in on every side, and cut off from all
communication with the outer world, the brave German
surgeon held his own, although sadly in want at
times even of the necessaries of life, and it was not
till 1886 that news reached Europe of the terrible
condition to which the little garrison of Wadelai and

Emin Isolated. 397
its brave chief were reduced by famine, sickness, and
the constant assaults of the Mahdi's infatuated hordes.
Unsupported by a single word of sympathy from the
civilized world, and alone with his handful of black
troops, Emin bravely held his own, bidding defiance
to the raiding slave-hunters, and to the disaffected
natives, who harassed him night and day for four
bitter years without being able to force an entry into
his fortlet, to break down his indomitable, splen
did spirit, or to destroy his hopes that all would yet
be well with him and the people over whom he had
been placed as ruler and father. Emin, who was
raised to the rank of Pasha on the arrival of the news
at Cairo that he was thus bravely holding his own in
the face of implacable foes, and a combination of
difficulties calculated to try the boldest heart, was
described as a tall, thin man of military bearing.
" The lower part of his face," says Dr. Felkin,, who saw
him in the Soudan in 1870, " was hidden by a well-
trimmed beard, and a moustache of the same colour
partially veiled his determined mouth. His eyes,
though to some extent hidden by spectacles, were
black, piercing, and intelligent ; his smile was pleasing
and gracious ; his actions graceful and dignified ; and
his whole being that of a man keenly alive to every
thing passing around him. Courteous, but somewhat
reserved, he is distinguishable as a thorough gentle
man. He addressed us in English ; but subse
quently finding I spoke German, we conversed and
corresponded in that language." The last of the
White Pashas is an accomplished linguist. He has a
knowledge of most European languages, of several

398 Henry M. Stanley.
spoken in Asia, and of nine of the native dialects
spoken by the tribes of his region. The word-por
trait of him, drawn by one of his intimate friends, is
delightfully true and distinct. It describes a man
who prefers at all times duty before pleasure. Much of
the drudgery of his daily life would naturally have been
repulsive to a more scientific expert, but Emin Pasha
was ready at any moment to relinquish the pursuit of his
favourite studies and researches in natural history, and
put aside his specimens, of which he is a passionate and
indefatigable collector, to visit the hospital or listen to
the complaint or appeal of the poorest of his subjects.
Although a born naturalist, Emin has also shown all
the qualities of an efficient military commander and
strategist, and his defence of Wadelai is rendered the
more remarkable by the remembrance of the fact that
his education and training had been essentially peace
ful and rather that of the student than the soldier.
" I am," he wrote to his sister, " a general as well as an
M.D., a surgeon qualifying as a general in strategy."
From sunrise to sunset, his time was employed during
the first year of his command in hearing cases and
administering justice. At Lado his hospital duties
always occupied certain hours of the early morn
ing, and he never failed to visit all the wards, and to
prescribe for the inmates with the greatest tender
ness and care, no matter how pressing his official
duties as supreme executive officer might be. His
attitude towards the natives was one of genuine
sympathy and gentleness. He heartily adopted the
policy of Gordon, and in all ways identified himself
with the people he loved to help and protect. He

General, Judge, Doctor, and Ruler. 399
sought to forget his Frankish origin as far as possible,
and to lose all identity as a German ; he adopted an
Egyptian name and the Egyptian official dress.
Writing to his sister from Trebizond, in 1871, he says,
— " Here I have already gained a reputation as a doctor.
This is due to the fact that I know Turkish and
Arabic as few Europeans know them, and that I have
so carefully adopted the habits and customs of the
people that no one believes that an honest German is
disguised behind the Turkish name." But Emin
Pasha is no renegade, or half-hearted Christian, or one
of those who think even favourably of the superiority
of Mohammedanism as a civilizing agency in Central
Africa. He is in thorough sympathy with Christian
effort on the Dark Continent, and, like Stanley in his
strange interview with Mtesa of Uganda, Emin has
ever held that for the African the faith of Christ is
infinitely superior to the legends of Mohammed.
Commenting upon the inability of Islam to influence
the African, he says, that to his certain knowledge,, in
his own district Mohammedanism has not made a
single convert for twenty years. This he considers
indisputable evidence of the effete and feeble character
of Mohammedan traditions. The intercourse between
Gordon and Emin was unbroken till the fatal 26th
January, 1885, when the great and heroic soldier met
that death in the streets of his own capital which was
the crowning and adequate finish to his devoted life.
The news of the catastrophe at Khartoum reached
Emin, on the banks of the Nile, as he was preparing an
expedition to march northward to Khartoum. It was
told him by the exultant followers of the Mahdi, and

400 Henry M. Stanley.
for the moment the blow was overwhelming. But the
heart of faithful Gordon's lieutenant never quailed :
" I feel now that I am Gordon's heir, and that I must
continue, at all risks, the work for which Gordon paid
with his life's blood."
The hope of Central Africa, says the eloquent and
apostolic Archbishop Lavigerie, who has lately called
upon the nations of Europe, " in tones which melt and
words that burn," to deal a final blow at the slave-
trade, lies in the armed resistance of the natives them
selves, assisted by Europeans, to the attacks of the
man- stealers. Maritime barriers formed by cruisers
and gun-boats can do little to kill the traffic effectually.
It must be dealt with at the source and fountain of
supply. The Cardinal, who has spent over twenty
years as a missionary in North Central Africa, is no
advocate of half-measures. He sees, as other friends
of Africa have seen, the possibility of a temporary
revival, at least, of the Mohammedan superstition, and
he fears that unless the Christian nations of Europe
unite to stem the flood, a wave of fanaticism may
sweep over the entire Central Zone of the continent,
and, for the time, obliterate the very footprints of
Livingstone, Gordon, and others who have patiently
laboured and gladly died that Africa might be free.
The number of slaves still annually sold on the shores
of the Red Sea, the Cardinal estimates at 400,000, and
when we remember that for every slave taken at least
ten lives are sacrificed, and when we consider the
massacres caused by resistance, the deaths by exposure
of the old and feeble, the ruin created by the incur
sions of the slave-hunting parties, we may safely

Commercial Objection to the Slave Trade. 401
calculate that over two millions of persons become
victims of the slave-dealer every year, and that more
than 1500 negroes are daily forced from their homes in
the Central Equatorial Provinces and carried down to
the coasts for sale. That slavery is contrary to
reason, to the laws of religion natural and revealed,
and hateful in the sight of that God who is a Pro
vidence to all His creatures, there can be no doubt.
Commercially, the sale of human beings as chattels in
the public market is fatal. Legitimate trade is
hindered, and there is no inducement given to cultivate
the fruits of the earth, or to develop the natural
resources of the region, while men and women and
children are the chief objects of purchase and barter.
And it is abundantly proved that slave-labour is the
most expensive kind of labour. With no incentive to
exert himself, the bondsman does as little as he can,
and wastes as much of his master's time as he can.
The waste of power, time, and wealth in slave coun
tries is enormous, and the magnificent capacities of
the great African Equatorial Zone can only be properly
developed by a free people wisely directed by Euro
peans like Stanley, Emin Pasha, Cardinal Lavigerie,
or David Livingstone. It has lately come to the
knowledge of the English Government that on the
East Coast of Africa, numbers of slave caravans are
constantly wending their way with long lines of
captives to be exported secretly, but still to be
exported from the coast, and the Arab slave-dealers
of the district have an impression that English
interest in the suppression of their traffic has died
out ; or that we have not the far-reaching arm and
d d

402 Henry M. Stanley.
the strong hand to deal with this curse of the race.
There can be no doubt that till quite recently the
feeling of England was stagnant upon this question.
But the labours of Emin Pasha upon the White Nile,
and in the region which is par excellence the " happy
hunting-ground " of the Arab, have already drawn
public attention once more to this matter, and it is
felt that the time has come when, for the honour of
our national name as well as for the honour of our
Christianity, slavery must cease, and cease for ever,
on the African Continent. , There is no longer any
obstacle to united action on the part of all Christian
nations, in the direction of adopting some judicious
method for putting a speedy end to, or greatly
diminishing, the horrors which far exceed those of
former days, when the traffic was mainly from the
West Coast or trans-oceanic. The remedy is to
declare the trade in slaves by land or sea to be piracy,
and to treat it accordingly, and the arrangement by
which the English and German influence is divided
behind the strip of coast-line governed by the Sultan
of Zanzibar is the very best that could have been
devised for civilization and humanity at large.
In 1885, Mohammed Ahmed, who had driven the
troops of the Khedive out of the Soudan, and had
established himself at Khartoum, succumbed to an
attack of virulent small-pox, and before the close of
the year a successor was appointed, who gave himself
out to be the heaven-sent prophet of God, and none
other than the rightful and lawful successor to all the
titles, dignities, and privileges of the Mahdi Mohammed
Ahmed. The new leader of the rebel army lost no

The second Mahdi. 403
time in reorganizing his rude battalions, and in
reviving in them that spirit of fanatical valour which
had inspired them and carried them on to victory in
past days beneath the banner of the hermit of Aba.
Several of the forsaken garrisons in the far-off desert
stations, and many European officials, fell into the
hands of the new Mahdi, and the lot of the captives
was by no means a pleasant one if they refused, as
many of them did, to embrace the tenets of Islam and
swear upon the Koran to devote their lives to the
propagation of the creed of the Prophet of Mecca.
The population of Khartoum, who were suspected of
entertaining a secret sympathy with Gordon, were
reduced to great misery, and clothes, money, and even
food were denied them by the exultant conquerors
after the fall of the city. For months, hanging, and
murder, and massacre were the order of the day in
the dishonoured capital of the Soudan ; whoever
smoked or sold tobacco, traded, or refused to give up
his cash, or stored food or corn, was instantly
executed. It was useless to send ransom-money to
Khartoum to secure the release or more humane
treatment of the European captives, as any one
attempting to journey to that city with money or
wares, whether Christian or Moslem, friend or foe,
was robbed before he reached his destination by the
tribes who had been beggared by the Mahdi' s reign
of terror. It was equally vain to enter into any
negotiations for the release of the prisoners, as in the
event even of the Mahdi's consenting to such a course,
his councillors were sure to oppose it. Attempts
have been made from time to time to bring about the
d d 2

404 Henry M. Stanley.
release of the captives still held by the Mahdi, but
with no good results. The intervention of the Sultan
of Turkey and the Grand Shereef of Mecca have been
invoked, but the Mahdi declares himself to be the
true Prophet, and consequently standing high above
the Sultan and the Shereef, and declines to take
any notice of either of these authorities. It has
been feared that more active interference on behalf of
the prisoners might result in additional cruelties being
inflicted upon them, as it is felt that an expedition
would be fatal to them, for they would doubtless be
murdered directly it was known at Khartoum that
troops were on the way to effect their release. Owing
to the blind fanaticism of the followers of the present
Mahdi, they would never consent to release the
prisoners even to save themselves. If it is declared
of importance to the Egyptian, or rather the English
Government, that Statin Bey, Lupton Bey, and other
innocent victims, should be freed by some means from
their sad position, it will be easy (when the time
arrives) to come to an understanding with those
who know the Soudan well, as to ways and means.
Lupton Bey is an Englishman, and an old friend and
former companion of Emin Pasha at Wadelai ;
Neufeld is a German ; Statin Bey is an Austrian.
There are also three missionaries and four nuns, all
Austrians or Italians. Seven Greeks are also at
Khartoum ; and thus four of the principal states of
Europe are curiously enough represented among the
little band of prisoners held by the false prophet in
durance upon the Upper Nile waters. As late as July
last, a messenger arrived from Khartoum, bearing some

Condition op the Mahdi's Prisoners. 405
slips of paper from Lupton Bey and the missionary
Urwedder. The latter asked for a receipt for dyeing
grey cottons, by using which the missionaries and
sisters hoped to earn a living. According to the
statements of this messenger, the condition of the
prisoners is even worse than was represented in the
former report. Statin Bey sits the whole day at the
Mahdi's door, where he is exposed to all sorts of ill-
treatment and insults. He is not allowed to speak at
all to the other Europeans, nor to visit the bazaar.
Lupton Bey has to work like a slave in the arsenal ;
and Neufeld is in chains. The missionaries and the
Greek dealers may freely walk about in the town, but
are not allowed to leave it. They are not permitted
to trade openly ; but they do this secretly, as it is the
only means they have of procuring food. There does
not appear to be any chance of ransom or rescue for
these unhappy people. Some time since it was proposed
to the Mahdi to exchange his prisoners for several
important dervishes who had been captured by the
Kababish tribes. The Mahdi took the proposal with
every sign of extreme vexation and anger, and send
ing for the European prisoners, he placed a soldier
behind each, and then called, " Who wishes to be
exchanged ?" Of course no one replied.
Such, doubtless, would have been the fate of Emin
Pasha had he not been able to beat off the levies of
the Mahdi, and to preserve his little fortress of Wadelai
intact. In October, 1886, nearly two years after the
fall of Khartoum, letters were received in England, by
Dr. Felkin, from Wadelai, describing the condition of
affairs, and begging for help and food to be sent to

406 Henry M. Stanley.
relieve the handful of men who were holding out
against overwhelming odds for life and liberty onT[the
head-waters of the Nile. The letters were forwarded
by the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society
in Uganda to Zanzibar, and were about five months on
the way from'the Albert Nyanza to Edinburgh. The
critical position of the Pasha and his garrison was at
once made known in the public press, and considerable
interest was at once manifested everywhere in the
gallant defence which Emin was making at Wadelai,
and admiration was expressed at the noble self-abne
gation which, had marked his Egyptian career from the
outset. The public interest in him and his work soon
took a practical form, and it was decided to send out
an armed party to convey supplies of men, ammunition,
food and clothing to the beleaguered Pasha and his
companions in peril, and to offer them the means of
escape from the Soudan, if they finally decided to leave
the territory to the Mahdi and the slave-hunters.
The proposal to send relief to Wadelai, was laid
before the British Government, and the plan was
sanctioned, although ^it could not, from its nature,
receive the official support of the authorities. A
committee of gentlemen interested in the welfare of
the African races, and in the development of legiti
mate commerce upon the great continent, was formed
(1887) to carry out the novel and hazardous enter
prise, and funds were freely contributed for the
humane and laudable purpose of the organization.
Encouraged by a splendid donation of 10,000L from
Mr. W. Mackinnon, application was made to the
Khedive for help, and a grant of 10,0 00Z. was imme-

The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. 407
diately made from the Egyptian exchequer in aid of the
enterprise. Sir Francis De Winton, who for two years,
after the retirement of Mr. Stanley, had administered
the Government of the Congo Free State, and who
has been identified with every effort which has been
made of recent years for the highest good of the num
berless communities and peoples of Central Equatorial
Africa, undertook the position of Secretary to the
Relief Committee ; and to his indefatigable exertions,
and unique personal influence, we may mainly attribute
the success of the scheme in its initial stages. But
after all, Who was to lead the Relief Party ? was the
great question to be settled. And a thrill of gladness
and gratitude passed over both hemispheres, when it
was at last definitely announced that the man who
Found Livingstone, Discovered theCongo, and Founded
the Free State, was once more ready to face the un
known terrors, risk the deadly perils of a journey
through the cannibal belt and the trackless forests of
Equatorial Africa, for the cause of humanity and
liberty in the heart of Africa. At the call of duty,
Mr. H. M. Stanley turned back from a lucrative and
pleasant lecturing-tour in America, and hastened to
confer with the Emin Pasha Relief Committee as to
how Wadelai was to be reached in the shortest time
and with the least possible risk to health and life.
This task of daring heroism, so fearlessly undertaken
by Mr. Stanley, has been appropriately regarded as the
boldest, as well as the most interesting and beneficent,
African enterprise of this or any age. From the first,
it was clearly seen by geographers and explorers and
others familiar with the peculiar difficulties and vicis-

408 Henry M. Stanley.
situdes of African travel, even under the most favour
able circumstances, that the relief of Gordon's faithful
lieutenant, on the northern shores of the Albert
Nyanza, would be an undertaking full of dread uncer
tainties and manifold dangers. Stanley thoroughly
understood that he was not leading his armed force
into the heart of Africa upon anything which could par
take of the nature of a holiday review or dress parade.
In a public reference to the expedition, just before leav
ing England, its brave leader thus defined his duty : "I
am taking an expedition into the heart of Central Africa,
for the relief of an Egyptian officer, who is in straitened
circumstances, and environed by breadths of unknown
territory populated by savage tribes. I intend to
proceed at once to Zanzibar, to recruit a force of
followers and bearers from among any of my old friends
and former companions who may be once more dis
posed to cast in their lot with me and share the
labours and dangers of the expedition to Wadelai. I
shall leave for the Congo, if I find a steamer ready
to take us, and I shall not return till I reach Emin,
unless I perish in the attempt."

CHAPTER XXII.
Stanley at the Mansion House — A Freeman of the City — An errand
of mercy and peril — The proposed routes to Wadelai — The
perils of the expedition — Stanley declares his plan — He will
follow the Congo — Farewell to England — Zanzibar — The Congo
— The camp on the Aruwimi — Preparations for the journey
overland to Wadelai — Stanley on the march — A word-portrait
of Stanley — The explorer at home — How he wrote "Through
the Dark Continent" — Into the unknown — En route to
Wadelai.
The chosen leader of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition
had long ceased to be regarded merely as a " smart
newspaper correspondent." As the discoverer of the
second largest river in the world, as a pioneer of
civilization in remote and savage regions, and as a
persistent worker in the sacred cause of humanity,
his fame had spread over both hemispheres, and he
was a man whom potentates and statesmen, as well as
savants and philanthropists, delighted to honour.
By his distinguished services to science and humanity,
he had fairly won the first place in the first rank of
that illustrious band of brave men — the Explorers of
Central Africa — who have not only lifted up for ever
the thick veil of mystery which once enveloped the in
ner heart of the Dark Continent, but have revealed to
us the existence of " myriads of dusky natives," hidden
for long ages altogether out of sight, in the fertile
plains and teeming basins of the Zambesi, the Congo,
and the Nile. Mr. Stanley, by his own discoveries
alone, had added a population of 50,000 to the sum-

410 Henry M. Stanley.
total of the known people of the world, and his depar
ture for the Southern Soudan, at the head of the Emin
Pasha Relief Expedition, was made the occasion for
the bestowal upon him of several public honours. On
January 13th, 1887, a few days before he left England
for the region of the White Nile, he was presented, with
the freedom of the City of London, and a farewell ban
quet was given in his honour at the Mansion House.
A large and distinguished company of men of letters,
statesmen, scientists, and " lovers of their fellow-men,"
had assembled at the invitation of the Lord Mayor,
Sir John Staples, K.C.M.G., to do honour to the
famous explorer, and to wish him " God-speed" upon
his fresh errand of mercy and peril to Equatorial
Africa. Eloquent references were made, in the course
of the proceedings, to Mr. Stanley's career as a Press
man, and his great enterprise — boldly initiated and
nobly sustained by the Daily Telegraph and the New
York Herald, which resulted in the grandest geogra
phical achievement of the Victorian era, the discovery
of the mighty Congo Lualaba, and placed the name of
Stanley in the forefront of African discoverers — was
appropriately dwelt upon in the laudatory resume of
Mr. Stanley's services to humanity and science, which
preceded his admission to the privileges of a freeman of
the first city of the world. In an earnest and thought
ful address, the guest of the day briefly sketched out
the course which he had decided to follow in order to
reach and succour Emin and his faithful garrison
environed by savage enemies on the White Nile banks.
In calm and measured tones Stanley expressed his
firm conviction that success would once more crown
his efforts, and that the purpose for which he was giving

Stanley's Scheme. 411
up, for the time, the society of friends and the comforts
of civilization, would eventually be accomplished. In
the course of his remarks the illustrious speaker more
than once hinted at the fact that the relief of the
discovered Pasha was not the only object which he
had in view in going out to the Equatorial Provinces.
It was hoped that he would clear up the still unsolved
problem of the outflow of the Tanganika Lake and the
Lukuga River, and its real relationship to the Lualaba
and Lake Tanganika. Stanley was of opinion, after
careful examination of the stream (in 1874-75),
that it was an influent of the Lake, but in a most
interesting and circumstantial account of his in
vestigation of the phenomena of the river in 1880, Mr.
Thomson seeks to establish the curious theory that the
Lukuga is an effluent of the Nyanza, and that it is the
channel through which the great lake pours out its gene
rous contribution to the floods which unite to swell the
dark-brown stream of the Congo Lualaba. Thomson
also declares of the waters of Tanganika, that though
potable they never quench thirst, and that they are
impregnated by a strong saline deposit, which corrodes
metal or leather with all the power and virulence of
a fiery acid. The physical conformation of the un
known area between the Congo and the Albert Ny
anza, and the condition of its population of mixed and
savage tribes; the true course of the Kabrilla, a stream
flowing out of the Victoria Nyanza, and the chief
southern fountain and source of the great Nile; and the
actual area and special physical features of the Alex
andra Lake and the surrounding district — were all to
receive attention, and Stanley looked forward with
confidence to carrying out a complete and exact sur-

412 Henry M. Stanley.
vey of the wide expanse of fruitful and densely peopled
country between the Albert and Victoria Lakes.
Mr. Stanley referred at the Mansion House to the
happy and practical results which had attended his
former travels in Eastern and Western as well as
Central Africa, and spoke, with some excusable pride,
of the irresistible proof thus afforded of the truth of
Livingstone's memorable statement as to the priceless
value of the work of the explorer, and the valuable
stimulus which every journey undertaken by a
traveller in foreign parts, however obscure, has given
to political, commercial, and religious enterprise.
Four roads to Emin Pasha's Province were open to
Mr. Stanley, and for some time these alternative
routes formed the subject of keen debate and close
discussion in scientific circles and in the public press.
The first route, proposed by the young but already
distinguished explorer of Masai Land, Mr. Joseph
Thomson, struck into the interior from the port of
Mombasa, on the east coast. It would lead through
Masai Land, along the base of Mount Kenia, and
over the waters of Lake Baringo, somewhat north of
the Victoria Nyanza, and enter the Equatorial Province
at Foweira, Koro, or Fadjulli. Mr. Thomson proposed,
as amply sufficient for all purposes, a small caravan of
four hundred porters and fifty or sixty camels or
donkeys, and he claimed the following advantages for
his route : — It would be the shortest and most healthy,
the country presents no topographical difficulties,
camels and donkeys agree admirably with the climate,
" and," said Mr. Thomson, " taking everything into
consideration, I myself pronounce emphatically in.
favour of the Masai route."

Alternative Routes. 413
It was estimated that the beleaguered garrison at
Wadelai could be reached from Mombasa in less than
four months. The proposal of Mr. Thomson was
warmly supported by the late celebrated traveller,
Dr. Fischer, but it was less keenly advocated by,
perhaps, the most trustworthy authority of these days,
and a recent visitor to Wadelai, Dr. Robert W.
Felkin, F.R.S.E., F.R.G.S., &c, who said, "I do not
say that this route is an impracticable one, but I think
that its difficulties and dangers are too great to be
risked. The greatest objection I see to it is, that the
King of Uganda, the son and successor of Mtesa,
would inevitably hear of the expedition, and would
most certainly try to prevent it reaching its destina
tion. Since the murder of Bishop Hannington, he
has been kept in constant alarm by rumours from the
east, partly coming from Dr. Fischer's journey that
way, and partly from the German annexations on the
East Coast. It must be remarked that Mr. Mackay,
of the Church Missionary Society, who has nobly held
his post for seven years, and who is now virtually a
prisoner in the king's hands, is still in Uganda, and I
think that an expedition for the relief of Emin Pasha
should avoid any route which would in any way
render his position more precarious. It should not be
forgotten that Mr. Mackay, at great personal risk,
has done all he could to help Emin, and indeed he has
formed the channel of communication between him and
Zanzibar, thus generously repaying the services which
Emin rendered to the Church Missionary Society's
missionaries in previous years. The district too, to
the north-east of Uganda, which would have to be
passed by a caravan following this route, has been the

414 Henry M. Stanley.
slave-hunting ground of the Waganda for many years,
and its inhabitants fear them, so that the expedition
would have to rely upon its own resources in with
standing any attacks the brutal boy-king chose to
make upon it. Any one who remembers Mr. Stanley's
account of the military organization of the Waganda,
the prowess and the hundreds of thousands of men
they can put into the field, must be convinced that it
would require a strong party indeed to cope with this,
the strongest Central African power."
A second proposed route for the expedition was one
which would lead directly through the heart of
Uganda. This was at once voted to be quite imprac
ticable. The chances were that once in the power of
the tyrant emperor of the great Central African state,
the expedition would be detained upon one pretence
or other, and prevented from ever proceeding north
ward to the Victoria Nile and the Albert Nyanza.
The policy of the Waganda is still unchanged.
Duplicity, greed, and heartless lust for blood are still
the characteristics of these powerful people. No
European would ever be permitted to leave their
borders till they had spoiled him of everything he
possessed, and this policy they will continue " till they
have learnt a lesson which it would be beyond the
power and the province of a relief expedition to teach
them." A third route was suggested to Wadelai via
Bagamoyo to Lake Alexandra, and then north to
Muta Nzige and the southern shore of the Albert
Nyanza. By pursuing this road the territory of
Uganda would be entirely avoided, as well as the
unsettled country of Kabrega, and the relief party

The Congo Route adopted. 415
would be able to lighten the weariness of the way by
boat passages over the Alexandra Lake, the gleam
ing waters of the Muta Nzige, and the Albert
Nyanza. On the shores of the Albert Nyanza the expedition
could be met by the two steamers of Emin and his
life-boats, and safely conveyed to the fortress. All
possibility of contact with the bellicose Waganda
would by this route be rendered impossible, and these
people in fact, might never even hear of the passage
of the white man's forces through the Equatorial
Region. The only drawback to this road was the fact
that it traversed an entirely unknown region of
country for something like 300 miles, but the same
objection could be raised to the Masai route, as well
as to the Congo road, which Mr. Stanley decided to
follow, and which traverses far wider tracts of unex
plored wilderness, and crosses territories inhabited by
tribes far more warlike and barbarous than any to
be met with in an advance upon the White Nile from
Bagamoyo. The finest possible road to Wadelai was by the
Congo, and this was the route fixed upon by Mr.
Stanley as the one most suitable for his purpose. He
determined to proceed to the east coast once more to
enlist a strong party of his favourite Zanzibaris, and
then to go round to Banana Point and again breast
the turbulent waters with which he had sternly
battled in bygone days. Ascending the main stream
of the Congo to about 23° E., he decided to leave the
trunk river at the point of its juncture with the
Aruwimi or Biyerre, which flows from about 5° N. in
an almost direct southerly direction through the heart

416 Henry M. Stanley.
of the Niam Niam country, and follow the course of
the tributary waters as far up as the navigation was
practicable. At this point he decided to form a reserve
camp, and then to press on overland, through the
unexplored cannibal belt, for Emin's stronghold in
an almost easterly direction. The only objections to
this course were : — the time it would occupy, the
long delay which would inevitably attend the uncertain
progress of the party through the terrible district of
the Niam Niam, and the disturbed condition of the
entire region north and east of the Stanley Falls. The
distances of the various routes were as follows : —
Mombasa to Wadelai, 1200 miles (Thomson's route)
Bagamayo to Wadelai, 1600 miles (Felkin's route)
Bagamoyo to Wadelai, 1350 miles (Uganda route)
Congo route : water journey (Congo route to Biyerre),
1500 miles; land journey (Biyerre to Wadelai), 900
miles. It was at a farewell dinner given to him by the
President of the Relief Expedition, Mr. William
Mackinnon, of Balinakill, that Mr. Stanley first
announced his decision as to the Congo route. The
King of|the Belgians had generously placed the whole
naval resources'of the Congo Free State at the disposal
of the'*leader and heads of the expedition for the
purposes of this enterprise for a period of ninety days,
and Mr. Stanley determined to leave Zanzibar with
his force on the 25th February, expecting to reach the
estuary of^the Congo in twenty days after that date.
He calculated on taking up five days in steaming up
to the point above Vivi, where it would be necessary
to avail himself of his road (or " staircase," as Brazza

Particulars op the indended Route. 417
playfully called the African highway). After a march
of seventeen days to Stanley Pool, he expected to
embark on the Congo for a voyage of thirty or thirty-
two days, which would bring him to the highest point
of possible navigation on the Biyerre. At this point
he hoped to establish, as has been named above, a
strong military fort and entrenched camp, under an
efficient officer, with a reserve of stores, ammunition,
and recruits. His plan was then to march on Lake
Albert, through an unknown land of nearly 900 miles.
It was at once seen that Mr. Stanley had a very dis
tinct idea as to the serious nature of the work he had
in hand. He had a pretty clear understanding as to
the country he was about to traverse, and of the kind
of people he would have to encounter, and with
the wisdom and prudence which are characteristic
of the man, he took every precaution, which human
experience and foresight could suggest, to secure
the safety of himself and his followers in their
risky journey from the Aruwimi to the shores of the
Albert Nyanza. He knew that his way to Emin
Pasha lay through " a zone of the fiercest and most
relentless cannibalism in the world," and across a
tract of country never trodden by the foot of a
white man. He was fully alive to the possibility of
hindrances arising at every step of the way to arrest
the progress of the party, and to try its resolution.
The task of leading a caravan into the heart of Central
Africa is at all times a difficult one, but the march
which Stanley contemplated from the shores of the
Congo tributary to the banks of the White Nile, was
an undertaking bristling with difficulties, and alto
gether an enterprise of daring heroism worthy of the
E e

418 Henry M. Stanley.
man who had found Livingstone and traced the dread
waters of the Congo Lualaba from Nyangwe to the
Atlantic. If, as has been supposed by eminent
scientists and geographers, the dense forest growth,
which extends upwards from the Zambesi, is continued
to the borders of the Soudan, we can well understand
the serious nature of the obstacles which the relief
expedition would have to be prepared to face, not only
from the anthropophagi on all sides of it, but from the
endless and gigantic vegetation which proved so
terrible a barrier to the progress of the Congo
exploration party in 1876, when a passage had to be
ploughed through the wall-like bush by means of the
sharp sections of the Lady Alice, which had often to
be forced through the forest ahead of the men, to clear
a path on the road from Nyangwe to Stanley Falls.
Of the Equatorial belt, through which the relief party
would have to force its way, the chief feature is its
prolific vegetation. From about 10° north and south
dense tropical forests were known to prevail, con
sisting of giant trees, with foliage so closely spread
as almost to shut out the light. The heat is thus
rendered less extreme, although Stanley, in his
" Through the Dark Continent," speaks in burning
words of the painful trials he and his party underwent,
inthe journey of 1876, from the close, moist atmosphere,
as they pressed on northward from Nyangwe ; but the
dense undergrowth, composed of tenacious creepers
and roots and fibrous plants, is so mixed and woven
together, that it makes the country in places altogether
impenetrable. In the beautiful Manyuema country,
west of Lake Tanganika, Livingstone found forests so
dense, he tells us, that the vertical midday sun could

Obstacles to be overcome. 419
only send down thin pencils into the interior. A
rank and prodigal luxuriance of creeping plants of every
degree of thickness, from small cords to a man-of-war's
hawser, interlaced the stems and branches of the trees,
so that only when a path was recently used could a
passage be obtained. When one of the giant trees
falls across the path it blocks it breast high ; the fallen
trunk soon becomes fenced with creepers, and it is
no one's business to cut a path across it. Animal
life, of course, abounds in these luxuriant regions, from
herds of elephants to innumerable swarms of insects.
To the north and south of the equatorial belt, as the
rainfall gradually diminishes, the forest region is
succeeded by an open pastoral and strictly agricultural
country. This pastoral belt extends north across the
Soudan, and south to the Zambesi. The population
with which the expedition would have to deal, is
probably the most savage of all the peoples of Africa.
Stanley had a taste of their quality in his famous
passage from Stanley Falls to the Port in 1874-77,
and he therefore determined to secure a strong and
well-trained band of Zanzibaris, to be officered by
Europeans, upon whom he could rely in the hour of
peril, when face to face with the dreaded man-eaters
in the forests of the Niam Niam and Mombuttu
countries. He also decided to take into his counsel
and service the Arab chief Tippo Tibb, whose name
has already appeared in these pages as the man who
deserted Stanley in the forest north of Nyangwe,
upon his exploratory journey ten years before.
Almost the last hours which Stanley spent m this
country before proceeding to Zanzibar, were passed at
Sandringham, the delightful country home of H.R.H.
e e 2

420 Henry M. Stanley.
the Prince of Wales, who has always been a hearty
admirer and warm friend of the Pioneer of the Congo
Free State. The Prince and his family were much in
terested in Stanley's projects and plans for the relief
of Emin; and the traveller, by means of maps and
sketches, waB able to lay before his illustrious enter
tainers a detailed description of his intended journey.
The last " Farewell" had however now to be said, for
the date fixed by Stanley for starting upon his eventful
and adventuresome journey had arrived, and on June
21st, 1887, the most intrepid and foremost traveller of
this present age of universal exploration, was once
more upon the " war-path." From the moment of his
departure from Europe for Africa, it need scarcely be
said, that his noble mission " held the field " in the
public mind, as far as popular interest in Africa was
concerned, and if good wishes could insure success,
the triumph of the leader of the Emin Pasha Relief
Expedition, would have been speedy and complete.
Making his way to Zanzibar, he recruited the members
of his force, and with his usual punctuality, at the
date fixed upon, reached the mouth of the Congo, and
proceeded up its course to the fortified station of
Yambunga, on the Aruwimi or Biyerre River, where
he encamped, and at once proceeded to make arrange
ments for the land- journey of 900 miles to the
beleaguered Egyptian stronghold, which was to be the
goal of the expedition.
Another way of reaching Emin, by way of the Nile
Valley, had been suggested by experts, and it was
thought at one time that the Relief Expedition would
finally select that route, as it would give them the
advantage of water-carriage for the entire distance

From Sandrlngham to the Congo. 421
from Dongola to the Albert Nyanza. Stanley, how
ever, clung to his great swift-flowing river, as he saw at
once that he would not only secure water transport for
his men and stores by the Congo, for a considerable
portion of his journey, but he would also have a line of
stations at intervals in his rear, governed by Euro
peans, and therefore capable of sending on intelligence
and affording active and speedy help to him and his
people, in any case of difficulty or disaster. Tracking
the length of the enormous stream, which sweeps in
a huge curve half-across Africa, in a north-easterly
direction, till he reached the apex of the curve, he, as
we have said, deserted the Congo, and followed the
course of the Aruwimi northward to Yambunga.
There can be no doubt as to the splendid facilities
afforded by the Congo water-system for opening out a
direct road to the great Central Lake Region, and not
withstanding the increased distance involved, this road,
when the Congo railway is once completed, will be the
great trade-route and main highway into Central Africa
for European commerce and civilization, and the chief
means of communication with the Central Soudan, and
the numerous tribes upon the shores of lakes Albert,
Muta Nzige and Tanganika, Nyangwe, and the Ulyga
Range. On April 3rd, 1887, the Relief Expedition had
passed Matade Station, on its way up the river from
Boma, where it was joined by Mr. Herbert Ward,
who thus describes the appearance of the column on
the march for Yambunga : — " I was on my way down
country to embark for Old England. About two days
from here, however, I met two armed Abyssinians
(Soudanese). Immediately behind them, and mounted

422 Henry M. Stanley.
on a fine mule, whose new-plated trappings glistened
in the sun, was Stanley himself. Behind him came a
Soudanese giant about 6 ft. 6 in. high, bearing a large
American flag. I saluted the ' Congo King.' He
smiled, and indicating the bare ground, said, ' Take a
seat.' We squatted accordingly. He handed me a
cigar. We talked about half an hour. He was very
nice and kind. He accepted me as a volunteer, and
it was at once arranged that I should see to the
transport of some of his remaining loads. Of the
eight whites he has with him, two have contributed to
the expenses of the expedition for the privilege of
accompanying him — ' The Congo King' — through the
heart of Africa, and the others are English (how
refreshing !) officers on full army pay as volunteers.
" I never in my life was so struck with any sight as
with Stanley's caravan on the march. Egyptians, Sou
danese, Somalis, Zanzibaris, and others, nine hundred
strong. It took me two hours to pass them, and then
I met the second in command, Major Barttelot, a young
fellow, burnt very dark, with a masher collar fixed on
a flannel shirt, top-boots, &c. He was carrying a large
bucket that some fellow had abandoned.
" ' I say, are you Ward ? ' he shouted.
"'lam Ward,' I said, ' and I now belong to your
expedition.' "' I am very glad to hear it,' he replied; 'Stanley
has spoken of you ; and so you are coming along ; that's
right ! — very good business ! '
" He seemed to be full of tremendous spirits, and
looked very fit, and I admired him immensely. Tippo
Tibb, the notorious slave-trader of Stanley Falls, has
come round from Zanzibar with Stanley, and in

Stanley's Caravan. 423
his silken robes, jewelled turban, and kriss, looks a
very ideal oriental potentate. It is thorough ' good
business, ' as Major Barttelot would say, getting him
for an ally. He has forty-two of his wives along with
him, and some of them are handsome women. Stan
ley is about 5 ft. 7 in. in height, broad shouldered and
muscular. His thick hair is streaked with grey. He
wears a long military moustache, and has a piercing,
steely-grey eye, which is a factor in the marvellous
command which he wields over the natives.
" An early riser, he had finished his correspondence,
had breakfasted, and was smoking over a book when I
entered his apartment at 10.30. Edwin Arnold's
' Light of Asia ' was in his hand, and all around him
on the floor were a number of English and American
newspapers. He greeted me with a fresh and cordial,
' How do you do ? ' and a genial grip of the hand. It
is some years ago since I met him first, on a memor
able and exciting night at the Savage Club, when he
had returned from his splendidly successful search for
Livingstone. There is but little alteration in his sturdy
appearance, but his manners have more repose than
formerly ; the expression of his face is less eager ;
there is more of retrospection and less of perspective
in it than in those early days. He has a quieter and
less aggressive look in his grey eyes than of yore, and
there is a deeper suggestion of power and less con
sciousness of it, giving one the idea of a man who is
content to leave his deeds and his work to speak for
themselves. In those days of his first great triumph,
he had to fight his African battles over again in
London; for there were men, American and English,
who had doubts (and expressed them) of the truth of

424 Henry M. Stanley.
his simple, circumstantial, and most remarkable story.
You gather this from the appendix of his book, ' How
I Found Livingstone,' in the letters of the Queen's
Ministers, and in the gracious recognition of his
powers, his courage, and his success by the Queen
herself. A large room plainly furnished, it con
tained no evidence of luxury. Stanley, like most
travellers, is somewhat of a Spartan in his mode of
life. ' Do you write on so small a table ? ' I asked
him ; for one is interested in the way men work, and
the table in question was a small round one such as a
lady might use for a work-table.
" ' Yes, always,' he said, ' and for this reason, I can
sit right in the midst of any notes and papers and
move about easily. I wrote " Through the Dark
Continent " on this table, and in this very wicker chair ;
— wrote it in three months.'
" ' Did you indeed — at a white heat, they say ? '
" ' Yes, my notes here on my right, my writing-paper
here,' he said, indicating the positions, ' and if you
read the book with this explanation, you will, I think,
realize the method. I wrote it straight off, throwing
the manuscript sheets aside as I went on.'
" Then we talked of the Congo jungle fever, of
accidents by flood and field, of the great broad
view of universal usefulness that overlies the opera
tions of the African International Association. ' Most
of the deaths by so-called fever on the Congo might
fairly be called accidents,' said the Founder of the
Free State. ' I had a fine, strong, hearty officer en
gaged with a gang of men road-making ; he met an
other officer from a neighbouring district whom he had
known as a boy. For such a possible occasion as that

Conversation with Stanley. 425
he had saved up a bottle of Burgundy. His friend
had a bottle of brandy. Men do these things away
from home. They retired to the shade of a tree and
pledged each other. On the Hudson or the Thames
they might have drunk their liquor and been well.
The brandy sending the blood rushing to his head —
when my first-named officer came from the shade of
the tree into the broad day the sun struck him, and
within twenty-eight hours he was dead and buried ; his
death set down to fever — it was an accident. I lost
another fine fellow, who got wet and neglected him
self ; and many, very many deaths are caused through
this kind of thoughtlessness. As regards the Congo,
we want all the world, not one country only ; all the
world as clients of the association, and we want them
all to come and trade freely.
" Stanley is full of humanity. As a traveller his
heart goes out to the people of the new countries
he visits. It is not the entomology of a district, its
ornithology, or its climate or natural history, that
is his first concern; but its people, — what they are,
how they live, what they think, and how they regard
him and the countries he has come from ; what is their
mental condition, shut out as they are from the world's
civilization. The glory of a traveller, says Burton, in
' To the Gold Coast for Gold,' results not so much
from the extent or the number of his explorations, as
from the consequences to which they lead; and judged
by this test it may be said that Stanley's glory rests
upon a most sure foundation."
On the arrival of the caravan at the point of de
barkation on the Higher Aruwimi, a strong camp was
established, consisting of 163 Zanzibaris, 40 Soudanese

426 Henry M. Stanley.
soldiers, and Messrs. Jamieson, Troup, Bonny, and
Ward, as a reserve in case the main body should be
obliged to fall back on account of famine or loss of
men in forcing an advance in the face of openly hostile
natives. Major Barttelot, who had already proved him
self a zealous and able officer, was placed in command
of this station, with instructions to keep open the line
of communication with the outer world down the entire
course of the Congo to the ocean ; and to keep up the
strength of the garrison and maintain undiminished the
bulk of the supplies, stores, and ammunition, so that
he might at any moment be able to send on reliefs of
men and rations to the front. The point chosen upon
the banks of the Aruwimi as a rallying-point for the
party of relief was admirably suited for the purpose,
and everything being in order, on the eventful June
28th, 1887, Stanley plunged boldly into the unknown
region of swamp and forest and mountain, which
constitutes the great watershed between the Congo and
the Nile, and took the eastward road to Wadelai.
The news that the expedition had entered upon the last
and most formidable stage of its journey through
Tropical Africa created considerable interest and some
anxietyin Europe, although it was felt that there was no
reason to doubt the ability of Stanley to deal success
fully with any difficulty which might confront him on
his perilous and trying march. The departure from
the higher Congo waters of the party recalled to the
minds of his many friends in England and elsewhere
his conduct in that great crisis of his life at Nyangwe,
in 1876, when he boldly severed his connection, and
broke the last link of his slender chain of communication
with Europe and civilization, and pushed undauntedly

A Plunge into the Unknown. 427
on over the dangerous, inhospitable waters of the swift-
flowing river, fighting for his life with cannibal tribes on
either hand day after day, and still pushing onward,
hauling his boats overland at times to avoid death in
the rapids, and losing his English companions and
native followers one after another in the hungry rapids
of the cruel stream, till at length, after three terrible
years of agony and prolonged misery he emerged once
more into the light of day at Boma, footsore and
hungry, and heartsick, and grey-headed, but bringing
with him the solution of some of the profoundest
geographical problems which have exercised the minds
and intellects of thoughtful men from the days of
Ptolemy (300 B.C.) down to the present era.

CHAPTER XXIII.
Good news for Emin — The Pasha holding his own — Letter to Mr.
Allen — Emin will not desert his post — Reorganization of the
Province — Emin will remain and carry out the policy of his
great chief — Unyoro and Uganda in arms — Kabrega a fugitive
— A long silence — Letter from Wadelai to Dr. Felkin— Emin
is anxiously expecting Stanley and the Relief Expedition —
Gathering clouds — The Mahdi moves down upon Wadelai —
Summons sent to Emin to surrender his post — No tidings of
the expedition — Emin decides to attack the Mahdi.
Towards the close of 1886 the tidings reached- Emin
that an expedition, under the command of Mr.
Stanley, was being organized in England to penetrate
the heart of Africa, and open a door of escape for
himself and his loyal band of native followers.
The isolated but invincible Pasha had long given up
all hope of succour from Egypt or Europe. He had,
however, determined at all hazards to hold on to his
post as best he could with the feeble forces at his
command, to go steadily on in the path of duty, and
patiently to abide the issue of events till the end
should come. But the marvellous devotion of this
heroic man was not destined to go unrewarded.
As the weary months of watchfulness and suspense
dragged slowly and painfully along, the din of conflict
died out, and the dark war-cloud, which for years
had hung over Wadelai and its gallant defenders,

Emin Pasha Unconqueeed. 429
drifted away to the north-west, beyond the frontier
of the Equatorial State, and the tide of fortune ap
peared to set once more in Emin's favour. The siege
of his stronghold, from which the flag of the Khedival
Government had never been lowered, was gradually
relaxed, and the wild levies of the second Mahdi with
drew to other districts at the call of their fanatic
warrior-chief, or wandered northward in the direction
of the Bahr el Ghazel, and the starved and tattered
"faithfuls " enjoyed a period of welcome respite from
the daily and nightly attacks by which they had been
harassed, well-nigh to despair, since the disastrous
failure of Gordon's defence, and the triumphant entry
of the rebel troops into the Soudanese capital.
Emin had even succeeded in regaining his hold over
a wide area of the outlying country, his authority had
been partially re-established over a considerable por
tion of his province, and, although still sorely ham
pered by the want of ammunition, rations, and clothing
for his troops, he began to cherish a hope that the
worst was past, and that a brighter day was dawning
for the limitless region over which he still considered
himself to be the legally constituted and responsible
rulers For four years he had preserved " the pearl of
the Soudan " from fiendish anarchy and total spolia
tion, by his own unaided exertions and his wonderful
strategic skill, and when, after a long silence of three
years, the letter from Wadelai, dated October 28th,
1886, reached his friends in this country, conveying
the intelligence that Emin was well and fairly holding
his own, the news was welcomed with inexpressible
pleasure and thankfulness.
The Pasha was cheered and encouraged by the

430 Henry M. Stanley.
prospect of greeting Mr. Stanley and his relief party
on the banks of the White Nile, and he wras anxiously
looking forward to the arrival of the fresh stores and
supplies which his friends were sending out to him.
Another long period of absolute silence then inter
vened, and for a year, at least, no message of any
kind reached Europe from Wadelai. In the spring
of 1888, however, Emin was again able to commu
nicate with his friends at home, and it was satisfactory
to find, from his graphic and always hopeful despatches,
that he had been able to continue his beneficial sway,
without serious interruption, over the province which
he had governed so wisely and so well for so many
eventful years. Writing to Mr. Charles Allen, F.R.G.S.,
the Secretary of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery
Society, on August 16th, 1887, from Wadelai, Emin
said : —
"Dear Mr. Allen, — "Your most welcome letterof the
19th November, 1886, reached here at the end of June,
1887, and I should have answered it at once, had I not
been detained by a month's work on the western shores
of Lake Albert. A new station which I formed
towards the south needed inspection, and a little cara
van with goods from Uganda had to be brought home.
Forgive, therefore, the delay, and accept my thanks
for your considerate and cordial words.
" Convey, also, please, my and my people's heartiest
thanks to the Anti-Slavery Society. Their ready
sympathies with our position, their unselfish advo
cacy of help to be sent, their generous exertion in our
behalf — have greatly rejoiced and obliged us, and our
warmest thanks will never equal our obligation. As
to myself, if ever I wanted an encouragement to pur-

Emin's Letter to England. 431
sue my work, the acknowledgment of what, by God's
permission, I was allowed to do until now, will spur
me to go on and to do my duty cheerfully.
" I am sorry to disappoint your kind wish that your
letter may find me safely arrived at Zanzibar, and I may
as well tell you that I have been greatly amused by the
doubts expressed in some papers if I would stay or
leave when Mr. Stanley arrives. I think there can be
no doubt that I stay, and I wonder how one could
suppose the contrary. I need not dwell on the
reasons of my decision ; would you desert your own
work just at the dawn of better times ?
" Since my last letter to you I have been able to re
sume the regular turn of affairs, relaxed somewhat by
the events you know. I have inspected our stations,
and erected two new ones. I have put order every
where, and our native chiefs have been consulted.
The crops for this year are luckily abundant, the
cotton plantations yield very fairly, and altogether
things look more brightly than before. By Mr.
Mackay' s kind help I have procured a considerable
lot of sheeting and prints from Uganda ; if not suffi
cient to cover our wishes, they are enough for giving
to every one some little gift. But as our self-made
' damoor,' or cotton stuff, is more appropriate for wear
and tear, we reserve these for holy-days. The value
of what they receive, I make my men pay from their
wages. " I cannot speak too highly of the untiring exertions
and valuable assistance afforded me by Mr. Mackay,
the Church Missionary Society's missionary, in
Uganda. At great personal inconvenience, he has
not only provided for the despatch of our posts from

432 Henry M. Stanley.
and to Zanzibar, and done his utmost to facilitate our
transactions in Uganda, but he has actually deprived
himself of many valuable things to assist myself. He
has done splendid work in Uganda, but lately his
labours have been somewhat interfered with by the
Arabs trying to have him turned out of Uganda. His
position, therefore, has become dangerous, but I hope
he may be able to hold his own. In the interest of
the Uganda Mission, I am very glad that Mr. Stanley
chose the Congo road for his expedition. He will
there encounter numberless difficulties, arising mostly
out of the soil to go across, yet he will, without doubt,
succeed in vanquishing them ; whilst, coming by
Uganda, he would never have obtained permission to
come here, except by sheer force, besides imperilling
the life and work of the missionaries.
" Once provided with the necessaries, I deem it not
at all difficult to open a direct road to the sea-coast
by way of the Lango and Masai countries. A chain
of stations in suitable places and distances is more
than sufficient for holding the road open, and the
country itself is so rich in camels and donkeys, and so
eminently fit for breeding them, that means of trans
port will never want. The only obstacle to conquer
is the fierceness of the Lango people. I think, never
theless, that by cautious and energetic proceedings
they may become more manageable. I should like
respecting this, to hear the opinion of Mr. Thomson,
whose book I have not yet been able to procure. At
all events, you see, I have a good lot of work before
me, and if, by God's help, I succeed in carrying out
only a part of it, I shall feel more than rewarded for
whatever I have had to undergo. Privations do not

Gordon's Legacy. 433
terrify me, twelve years' stay in Central Africa are a
good steel.
" The death of Gordon has been, as you truly say, a
great blow to civilization in Africa. Certainly, he
would have done better to make his way here, where
friends awaited him. Through prisoners, we had
heard of his arrival in the Soudan, but we never could
make out what he was doing, and the news of the fall
of Khartoum, and of Gordon's death there, on the 21st
of January, given me by the Mahdi's Commander,
Kerem Allah, seemed too incredible for acceptance.
Gordon lies in rest ; he died, as he wished, the death
of a soldier. Now it is our duty to carry on his work,
and upon myself, his last surviving officer in the
Soudan, devolves the honour to develop his intentions.
Be sure that, by God's will, I shall succeed.
" The King of Uganda is again at war with Kabrega,
who would not listen to my warnings, incited as he
was by an Arab trader.
" The whole western part of Unyoro has been laid
waste. Kabrega had to escape, and is now somewhere
near Kisuga, on the road to Mrooli. The Waganda
established themselves in Mayangesi, and seem un
willing to quit the district again. All communications
are closed. I do not, therefore, know when I may be
able to forward this letter, but I trust it will reach
you safely, some day or other. Do not forget your
promise to write to me sometimes, and believe me to be,
" Yours very faithfully,
" Dr. Emin Pasha."
The lofty and kindly spirit of the man comes out in
every line of this brief, but delightfully frank and
p f

434 Henry M. Stanley.
touching communication. It tells little of the trials of
the past. It dwells much upon the work in hand, and
the prospects of success in the future. Emin, in his
isolation, had by no means fallen a victim, to helpless
lassitude or nerveless despair. He had enlarged his
southern frontier; he had managed to carry out a
hasty survey of his more distant stations ; he had got
up a caravan of goods in safety from Uganda ; he had
found time to indulge in pleasant memories of old
friends far away, and he had grateful words of
acknowledgment for their sympathy and "generous
exertion" on his behalf.
In June, 1888, Dr. Felkin received a fresh batch of
important letters from Emin, the last of which was
dated November 2nd, 1887. The first of these letters
was as follows : —
" Dear Friend, — In my last letter I told you how
Mahomet Biri arrived with the second caravan of
goods. " I have been prevented sending him back to
Uganda owing to the amount of war which still exists
between Uganda and Unyoro. The Arabs will only
make use of the situation in obtaining a higher price
for the gunpowder they manage to smuggle into
Unyoro. Will the introduction of gunpowder from
Zanzibar never be stopped ? The one who really
suffers most from these everlasting quarrels is myself.
The route to Uganda is rendered almost impracticable.
Sometimes, it is true, M'Wanga permits the Arabs to
send people to me; at other times he forbids them to
do so. Kabrega addresses all the people who come as
spies, has their goods examined, and confiscates all

Another Letter prom Emin. 435
correspondence which he sees. It is due to this fact
that since May 3rd, 1887, I have never had a single
letter from Mr. Mackay, and I do not even know
whether he is still in Uganda or not. On the
22nd of September, I was able to send letters to
Mr. Mackay, and I am in hopes he has received
them. In a few days it is my intention to go myself
as far as Kibiro, taking Mahomet Biri with me to the
station. Kabrega is sending some of his officials to
confer with me. There is little enough to be gained
by these conferences. To be sure, when all is said
and done, Kabrega does as he likes, or as his advisers
for the time being suggest. I expect that I shall gain
permission for Biri to pass on through Unyoro. If I
had only sufficient soldiers at my disposal, they would
enable me to obtain concessions to my requests and
wishes. If Mr. Stanley arrives, as I hope he may do,
in November, many of my difficulties will be done
away with. Not that I intend to undertake another
warlike enterprise ; that is very far from my desire ;
but the mere fact that I have received them will,
I confidently expect, soon bring to an. end all the
quarrels among my foolish neighbours. If I cannot
report that our relations with Unyoro and Uganda are
satisfactory, I can say that the chiefs nearer me are
more friendly. Chief Befo, of Mount Belinian, near
Gondokoro, who played such a great role in the last
Bari and Ormka revolt, has just sent me some broken
rifles as a present, and has also requested a conference.
He is, undoubtedly, the most important of the Bari
chiefs, and he is also the most cunning, and I greatly
wish it was in my power to accede to his request. I
should do so were it possible for me to visit him, but
P f 2

436 Henry M. Stanley.
in the meantime I felt it my duty to remain here. My
sphere of action has been greatly confined to Lake
Albert, but I have made some days' journey to the
west towards Alanda, and I intend, as soon as I come
back to Kibiro, to pay a short visit to some of the
friendly chiefs in that district.
" All goes well personally. I have to thank Mr.
Mackay for many little luxuries. By last caravan he
sent me some of Wills 's best bird's-eye, and you may
Imagine what an unexpected present this was for one
like myself, who for years has been cut off from such
articles. " With regard to my personal state, I may tell you,
you need not have any anxiety about me. As soon as I
have become aware of the possibility of now and again
corresponding with you and with one or two others, I
have tried to throw care to the winds, and look with a
certain amount of confidence to better times in the
future." In a postscript, dated the Island of Anuguru,
October 31st, 1887. Emin further writes : —
" At last I arrived here, the day before yesterday.
To-morrow I take Mahomet Biri by steamer to Kibiro.
From there he goes to Bjuaia, where he will remain with
Captain Cassati until Kabrega sends him the necessary
powers. This will probably occupy three weeks,
although I will use every endeavour to expedite
matters. Biri has promised that directly on his
arrival at Cassati's, he will send one of his people on
with my post to Uganda, so that it is just possible
they may return with letters before he leaves Cassati's.
I calculate with some certainty upon his doing so,
because up to the present he has proved himself pretty

Emin's Activity and Cheerfulness. 437
reliable. If he is delayed in Unyoro, I shall probably
return from my visit to Alanda before he leaves. I
have sent on this occasion, several boxes full of collec
tions of birds, &c, to the British Museum, addressed
to Professor Flower, and I hope he will find not a few
interesting specimens among them. I have not been
able to send a quantity of very valuable objects, as the
cases and boxes have come to an end. I have been
compelled, therefore, to write to the Professor asking
him to send me supplies, which I hope he will do, and
not object to these requests, which I only make on
account of my isolation."
In a second postscript, dated November 2nd, 1887,
from Kibrio, the Pasha continues : —
" Everything has now been arranged, so that
Mahomet Biri started to-day. We have had very bad
weather. Storms and rain have prevailed, so that the
steamer has had very bad work. Kibrio lies exposed
on all sides to the winds, therefore I cross over the
lake to-morrow to Ni'Soa, where I shall establish my
camp and send the steamer back to Wadelai. Biri's
people take this letter. Excuse its length. Write as
often as you find time, for the only holidays I get are
those days on which letters come from you.
" (Signed) Dr. Emin Pasha."
It was evident from this despatch that the courage
and ability with which the White Chief of the
Equatorial Soudan had confronted his enemies, and
the skill and energy which he had displayed in the
partial re-organization of the province, had produced
a wholesome impression, for the time at least, upon
the semi-barbarous tribes upon the borders of the

438 Henry M. Stanley.
state, and the anxiety of the powerful prince of
Belinian to come to terms with Emin was a substantial
proof of the growing power of the Pasha. These
letters, at the same time, revealed the fact that the
situation was surrounded by complications which
might at any moment place Emin in a position of
difficulty, if not of danger.
Owing to the guilty fears and persistent intrigues
of the Arabs, the entire region of Tropical Africa was
in a state of excitement and unrest, and a covert
hostility was everywhere manifesting itself, from the
banks of the Zambesi to the head-waters of the Nile,
against the scattered settlements of the white men.
It was, therefore, possible that the lurid flame of war —
war for the suppression of all European influence in
the Equatorial Region — might leap forth without any
warning, and sweep through the entire length and
breadth of Mid-Central Africa, overwhelming and
effectually destroying the work to which Emin had
devoted his life, before the friendly aid could reach
him, which he hoped would enable him successfully
to resist any attack which might be made upon
him. In August, 1888, an alarming report reached
England, via Zanzibar, to the effect that the Mahdi was
marching upon Wadelai, Avith a powerful force, and
his purpose was to destroy the fortress and capture
Emin and his garrison.
Some prisoners who had succeeded in escaping
from Uganda, stated that on April 4th, Emin received
from the Mahdi a summons to surrender himself into
his hands and disband his troops. This imperious
mandate of the Nubian prophet was accompanied by a

Emin defies the Madht. 439
letter purporting to be from Lupton Bey, requesting
an instant compliance with the request of the rebel com
mander, and stating that by such a course alone would he
be able to preserve the lives of the European prisoners
at Khartoum, and adding details of the expedition
which was being organized against Wadelai. Emin
doubted the authenticity of the letters said to be from
Lupton Bey, who has since died of consumption at
Khartoum, and in response to the further demands of
the Mahdi, that he would adopt the faith of the
Arabian prophet and join his standard, Emin declared
his resolution to maintain his independence,and to fight
on to the end, rather than hand over the Khedival flag
or yield for a moment to the pretensions of the rebels.
Hearing fromhis scouts that the vanguardof the Mahdi's
forces was advancing southward, and that a flotilla of
armed vessels upon the White Nile was supporting the
troops of the enemy, Emin saw that no time was to be
lost ; and as he could gather no news of Mr. Stanley
and the Relief Expedition, he decided to quit Wadelai,
to move rapidly on the left bank of the river, and
to attack the levies of the Mahdi, before they could
even have notice of his approach.

CHAPTER XXIV.
From the Congo to the Albert Nyanza — Stanley and Emin meet —
Major Barttelot — Lake Albert Edward— The march to the
coast.
When the relief column turned away from the Congo
for the Albert Nyanza no serious difficulty hindered
its progress for a few days. The party, consisting of
389 officers and men, followed the course of the
Aruwimi, till it struck an inland forest road which
trended due east. Opposition now began to manifest
itself. The natives surrounded the compact little
army, and sought by every means to delay and prevent
its advance. Day after day the struggle was renewed
between the caravan of the white stranger and a
succession of barbarous tribes whose villages were
burnt as soon as the Expedition was known to be in
the neighbourhood, in order to prevent Stanley's party
from receiving supplies or obtaining shelter. Every
device of savagery was resorted to for the purpose of
defeating or disheartening the relieving force, but the
advance was pushed on for some time successfully
without the loss of a single member of the column.
From the 5th of July till October 18th, the waters of
the ever-friendly Congo Luabala were never out of
reach. On August 1st dysentery broke out among
the Europeans, and soon the rank and file also began
to succumb to the terrible privations of the march ;

Fighting and Famine. 441
men falling out by scores. Nine days were occupied
in crossing a waste wilderness, where famine rapidly
thinned the already weakened ranks, and numbers of
Zanzibaris perished of sheer starvation upon the road
side. Profiting by the proximity of the Congo, Stanley,
with his usual fertility of resource, at once had his
sick conveyed to the friendly river and placed upon
rafts. On August the 13th the news was passed
round that a vast concourse of hostile natives was
assembled at some distance up the stream. Careful
preparations were at once made against surprise. The
Expedition was divided into two parts, and the men
were carefully instructed in the use of their new
magazine rifles. Stanley soon found that he had by
no means overrated the fierce opposition or rude
strategic skill of his foes, and in the conflict which
ensued, Lieutenant Stairs was seriously wounded by a
poisoned arrow near the heart, and for some time the
whole party was in serious peril from the resolute and
persistent onslaught of their enemies. On the 25th of
August the column reached the point of junction of the
Nepoko with the Aruwimi, and its leader at once began
to realize the extent of the baneful influence of the Arab
slavers. The great traveller had taken this very route,
he tells us, on purpose to avoid these human vampires,
who would, he knew, seduce his men from their
allegiance, and so probably wreck the entire Expedi
tion. Twenty-three men, indeed, did desert within
three days of the meeting between the relief column
and a party of Arab marauders, led by the infamous
Ungarrowwa, or Uledi Balzaz, who eventually proved
to be none other than a trusted tent-boy of Captain

442 Henry M. Stanley.
Speke's. The whole region had been turned into a
desert by this Arab and his cannibal band of followers.
Provisions cojild not be obtained in anything like
sufficient quantities to feed the advancing party, and
at this point Stanley had to report sixty-six men as
lost by death or desertion, fifty-six men, including all
the Somalis, broken down and useless, and the rest of
the column sadly demoralized by the want of food and
hardships of the journey. Fifty-five men deserted as
soon as the station of Kilonga-Congo was sighted on
October the 18th, and the clothing, rifles, and ammuni
tion of many of the party were soon surreptitiously
bartered with the Arabs, who never left the flanks of the
column, for the necessaries of life. The consequence
was that when the rapidly decreasing party left this
place, to struggle on towards the yet far-distant
Nyanza, Stanley, to his horror, discovered that scores
of his soldiers were unarmed, and many of them
positively naked.
But the White Nile, which was the goal of the
enterprise, was still many weary miles away, and the
word was given to press onward. The men, however,
were so reduced by famine and fatigue, that the steel
boat which they had conveyed so far on the way, had,
with a large quantity of useful stores, to be left in
charge of Surgeon Parke and Captain Nelson, at one
of the native villages. Fungi, ground nuts, and wild
berries formed the staple food of the party, who were
now traversing a land described as " one horrible
wilderness." When Ibwiri was passed, however, the
travellers to their delight found themselves in a
veritable land of plenty. The country abounded with
corn, fruits, and wholesome food, and the famine

Desertion and Selling of Aems. 443
period which had begun on the ever-memorable 31st
of August, was ended. But of the 389 men who had
started from the Aruwimi, only 174 were left to
Stanley, and these were in a most pitiable condition.
A temporary camp was formed to enable the wanderers
to gain strength and refresh themselves after their
terrible wilderness journey. The poor fellows had
almost despaired of ever being able to cross the un
known land which still separated them from the
pleasant plains, the teeming pastures and the green
corn-fields of the Nyanza region. They had begun
also to doubt the word of their intrepid leader as
to the object of his mission, and the actual existence
of the famous White Pasha whom Stanley professed
to be anxious to succour. Desertions, pillaging, and
the wholesale disposal of the arms and equipments
of the men had to be punished by death, and it was
with extreme reluctance that in several cases, those
who had been tried and found guilty of mutinous
or dishonest conduct were ordered by Stanley to be
hanged in the presence of their comrades. The
excellent food supply at once brought about a happy
change in the condition of the force. The effect of
the new diet in a few days was remarkable upon the
173 men still available for the advance. " I set out,"
says Stanley, " for the Albert Nyanza on November
the 24th, with a body of followers who were posi
tively stout and robust men." In a letter to the Royal
Geographical Society on April 9th, 1889, giving the
details of this journey through a belt of cannibalism
and savagery, probably unequalled on the face of the
dobe, the leader of the relief column sets forth the
horrors of the Congo forest in most graphic language.

444 Henry M. Stanley.
After touching upon the obstacles to his advance which
the nature of the country everywhere presented — the
foul, fetid atmosphere of the forests, the barren plains,
and the almost impenetrable jungle, which covered the
land — the famous traveller went on to reveal some
thing of the tactics of the hitherto unknown peoples of
the Central Congo region. With diabolical skill the
roads were planted with sharpened skewers and crows-
feet made of hard wood, and frightful thorns three
inches long. Pits were dug and then covered over with
a thin layer of branches, in order to entrap the
advancing company, and " one of the approaches to
every village was a straight road, perhaps, a hundred
yards long and twelve feet wide, cleared of jungle, but
bristling with these skewers carefully and cunningly
hidden at every place likely to be trodden by an
incautious foot. The real path was crooked, and took a
wide detour, the cut road appeared so tempting, so
straight and so short. At the village end was the
watchman, to beat his drum and sound the alarm,
when every native would take his weapons and
proceed to the appointed place to ply his bow at every
opportunity. Yet despite a formidable list of hostile
measures and attempts, no life was lost, though our
wounded increased in numbers."
" The river," continues Mr. Stanley " retained a
noble width — from 500 to 900 yards, with an island
here and there, sometimes a group of islets, the resort
of oyster-fishermen. Such piles of oyster-shells ! on
one island I measured a heap thirty paces long,'
twelve feet wide at the base, and four feet high. At
almost every bend of the river, generally in the
middle of the bend — because a view of the river

Poisoned Arrows. 445
approach up and down stream may be had — there is
a village of cone huts — of the candle-extinguisher
type. Some bends have a large series of these villages
populated by thousands of natives. The villages of
the Banalya, Bakubana, and Bungangeta tribes run
close to each other along a single long bend. The
first has become famous through the tragedy ending
in the death of Major Barttelot. An island opposite
the site of the Bungangeta villages I occupied, to re
organize the expedition, which had almost become a
wreck through the misfortunes of the rear column.
The abundance found by us will never be found again,
for the Arabs have followed my track by hundreds,
and destroyed villages and plantations, and what the
Arabs spare the elephant herds complete "
" One of the most serious features in the opposition
of the natives was the fact that they were armed with
poisoned arrows. At Avissibba, about half-way between
Panga Falls and the Nepoko, the natives attacked our
camp in quite a resolute and determined fashion.
Their stores of poisoned arrows they thought gave
them every advantage ; and indeed when the poison
is fresh it is most deadly. Lieutenant Stairs and
five men wrere wounded by these. Lieutenant Stairs'
wound was from an arrow the poison of which was
dry — it must have been put on some days before.
After three weeks or so he recovered strength,
though the wound was not closed for months. One
man received a slight puncture near the wrist ;
another received a puncture near the shoulder in the
muscles of the arm ; one was wounded in the gullet ;
tetanus ended the sufferings of all. We were much
exercised as to what this poison might be that was so

446 Henry M. Stanley.
deadly. On returning from the Nyanza to relieve the
rear column, we halted at Avisibba, and, rummaging
among the huts, found several packets of dried red
ants, or pismires. It was then we knew that the dried
bodies of these ground into powder, cooked in palm
oil, and smeared over the wooden points of the arrows,
was the deadly irritant by which we lost so many fine
men with such terrible suffering. The large black
ant, whose bite causes a great blister, would be still
more venomous prepared in the same way; the
bloated spiders, an inch in length, which are covered
with prickles most painful to the touch, would form
another terrible compound, the effects of which makes
one shudder to think of."
Stanley resumed his journey on the 24th November,
and on the 5th of December, the head of the column
approached the village of the mighty Mazamboni, " a
lord of many villages," whose vast territory was
studded with fruitful fields covered with corn and
fruit and yams. The natives were on the alert, and at
once took steps to drive back the white man's
caravan. Stanley was, however equal to the occasion ;
with his usual promptitude and courage, he at once
seized upon an elevation, which he strengthened by
erecting a zareba, within which he placed his men
and stores, and then awaited the next move of
Mazamboni. The position was an anxious one. Was
it to be war or peace ? The relief party were a
mere handful of men compared with the masses of
brown-skinned warriors who were clustered about
the standards of the fierce Congo king. There was
nothing for it but to strengthen the zareba by a deep
trench and piles of brushwood, and to watch the course

Stanley at Bay. 447
of events with patient vigilance. Time after time the
war-cry of the natives rang up the hill side, and the
beleagured garrison prepared to meet an attack. The
native levies were observed to gather in dense crowds
away below in the valley in response to the summons
of Mazamboni. Village after village sent forth its
contingent of men, fully armed, and Stanley, anxious
to prevent a catastrophe, sent off an embassy of
peace, in the course of the day, to the " lord of many
villages," with a present of brass rods and valuable
cloth, proposing to make a treaty of amity and friend
ship with the black monarch.
The night wore on and no response came to this
appeal. With the dawn of day the shout of
" Kurwana," war, was heard rising up from the
valley, and Stanley knew that he must fight. There
was no time to lose. With splendid tactical skill a
picked party of the garrison was sent down into the
valley to the east to attack the enemy on the flank,
another small detachment under Lieutenant Stairs
was sent out to fall upon the levies of Mazamboni in
the rear. This plan of Stanley's, boldly conceived
and splendidly carried out, was altogether successful,
and before evening the way to the White Nile was
once more clear. On the 13th the last stage of this
terrible journey was reached, and the excellent leader
cried, as he turned to his men, " Prepare yourselves for
a sight of the Nyanza ! "
Next day, to the delight and astonishment of the
rank and file of the column, about 1.30 p.m., the
glorious expanse of the Albert Lake lay shimmering
at their feet, like a vast plain of molten gold. At an
altitude of 5000 feet above the sea, the weary travellers

448 Henry M. Stanley.
feasted their eyes upon one of the fairest scenes in
Central Africa. With streaming eyes and quivering
lips the members of the little band threw themselves
upon the ground, kissed the feet of their leader, and
then the difficult descent to the shore began. Still
another fight ! The natives poured down upon the
Expedition, as it was slowly making its way along the
rocky defile to the great watery expanse below. After
a brief but sharp and desperate struggle the enemy
were beaten off and the shores of the lake were reached.
At the village of Kakengo, on the south-west corner
of the Nyanza, Stanley had hoped to find some tidings
of Emin Pasha, but it appeared that all communication
between Wadelai and this point had been cut off.
The relief Expedition had no large boats or indeed any
means of navigating the vast inland sea in force north
ward towards the White Nile. Stanley therefore
decided to send on a native messenger in search of
the famous Pasha, and to return himself, meanwhile,
to Ibwiri, build a zareba, garrison it, and then
collect as much grain as possible for his men, as the
one great peril of the position appeared to be famine.
A council of war was held at once, and this course
was formally determined upon. On January 7th,
1888, the Expedition was back at Ibwiri, where a stay
was made of some weeks. Lieutenant Stairs was
ordered to return to Kilonga-Conga, to bring up the
steel boat and stores left there under the charge of
Captain Nelson and Surgeon Parkes. Eleven only of
the party left behind in October accompanied the
Lieutenant with the boat, all the rest had become
too feeble to proceed any further on active ser
vice.

A Letter from Emin. 449
April 2nd saw the re-united column once more on
the march eastward, under Stanley's command.
As the Nyanza was approached all fears as to the
attitude of the natives were soon dispelled. Mazam
boni entered into friendly relations with the dreaded
white chief. Food was sent into the camp in abun
dance, and the famine had soon ceased any longer to
distress the travellers.
As the party neared the shores of the lake for the
second time, a messenger placed a packet in the hands
of Stanley, which he said had been given to him by
another white man, "Malezza," to give to " his son,"
the " leader of the strangers."
" If your words are true," said Stanley, " I will
make you rich."
The messenger was carefully interrogated as to the
appearance and surroundings of the " Malezza," who
had sent him with the packet, and he spoke of " big
ships, as large as islands, filled with men, ' and other
things which at once convinced the relief party that the
great "Malezza" was Emin Pasha.
A note, wrapped in a strip of American cloth, was
handed to Stanley. It proved to be from the Pasha,
who stated " that as there had been a native rumour
to the effect that a white man had been seen at the
south end of the lake, he had gone in his steamer to
make inquiries, but had been unable to obtain reliable
information, as the natives were terribly afraid of
Kalrega, king of Unyoro, and connected every stranger
with him. However, the wife of the Nyamsassie chief
had told a native ally of his named Mogo, that she
had seen Stanley in Inmuisuma (Mazamboni's country).
He therefore begged Stanley to remain where he was,
G g

450 Henry M. Stanley.
till he (Emin) could communicate directly with him."
The communication bore the signature " (Dr.) Emin,"
and was dated March 26th, 1888.
Jephson at once set out in the boat to get some
tidings of the Pasha. Emin was found at Mswa, his
most southern post on the Nyanza, and he at once
decided to proceed with Jephson southward to meet
Stanley. Towards evening, on April 29th, the smoke of the
Khedive steamer attracted the notice of the illustrious
explorer from his camp at the south end of the lake,
and was seen about seven miles off, steaming for
the zareba. At seven o'clock, the Pasha, with Signor
Casati and Mr. Jephson, reached the spot where
Stanley and his officers were awaiting them, and the
Governor of the Equatorial Provinces met with a
joyous welcome from the entire relief Expedition.
Emin and his deliverer remained together discussing
their plans for the future, till the 25th of May. It was
agreed that Mr. Jephson should return with the Pasha
to the Equatorial Province to bring out the garrisons
that still remained faithful to the Khedival flag.
Meanwhile, Stanley proposed to return along the
route to the Congo, in order, if possible, to effect a
junction with his rear column under the command of
Major Barttelot, and bring on the whole party with
the reserve stores to the rendezvous at Kavillas, on
the south-east side of the Albert Nyanza, where the
Pasha and the leader of the relieving force decided
to meet again and join their companies for a united
march to the east coast.
Unfortunately the great German was unable to per
form his promise. A series of events quite put it out

Back to the Aruwimi. 451
of his power to carry out his scheme, and entirely
falsified the impression he had conveyed to the illus
trious traveller of his resources and freedom of action.
The power of the Pasha had been shattered. His
troops were practically in revolt, and on his return to
his own territory, he, with Mr. Jephson, fell prisoners
into the hands of the rebels, who at one time had con
ceived a plan of entrapping and despoiling the Emin
Relief Expedition itself.
Turning westward, by a more northerly route than
the one he had hitherto followed, Mr. Stanley reached
the Aruwimi once more with 111 Zanzibaris and 101
of Emin's people to act as porters, after a march of
eighty-two days. On the road the messengers who
had been sent out months before to glean some tidings
of the rear column, were overtaken. On August 17th,
Mr. Stanley arrived before the stockade of Banalya,
on the Aruwimi, without having heard any tidings of the
lost party on the entire route between the Nyanza and
the Congo.
A white man, who turned out to be Mr. Bonny,
presented himself as the leader of the expedition
drew up to the fort.
"Well, my dear Bonny," said his commander, some
what anxiously, "where is the Major?"
" He is dead, sir ; shot by the Manyuema, about a
month ago," replied Mr. Bonny.
" Good God ! And Mr. Jamieson ? "
"He is gone to Stanley Falls, to try and get
some men from Tippoo Tibb." (Mr. Jamieson died
some time after this of fever, on his way down the
river). "And Mr. Troup?" g g 2

452 Henry M. Stanley.
"Mr. Troup has gone home sir, invalided."
" Hem ! Where, where is Ward ? "
" Mr. Ward is at Bangala, sir."
" Heavens alive ! Then you are the only one
here." " Yes, sir."
Trouble after trouble had fallen upon the un
fortunate rear column, only seventy-one men were left
out of 257 placed under the command of the Major
when the main body of the force left the river in June,
1887. Out of these seventy-one, only fifty-two were
fit for duty.
The terrible but happily false report of the massacre
of the great explorer and all his followers had reached
the camp at Yambaya early in 1888. The news was
carried to the Major by a deserter from Stanley's
camp, and a party of Arabs also declared that they
had heard the same rumour from some Soudanese
who had originally formed part of Stanley's personal
escort, but who were met on the hills making their
way homeward to the north. The Major, a young
officer of great promise, at once left the camp with his
force to press on and find out the truth of these dread
tidings. The rear column consisted of forty porters
and 100 soldiers. The Major decided to follow up
the traces of the advance column step by step. His
bearers were well laden with supplies, and his
relations with the natives were most friendly. The
chief object of the rear-guard was to keep open direct
communications with Europe by the Congo route.
Instructions had also been left for the forwarding of
stores, if needed, to Stanley and for the protection of
the road, so as to facilitate his return to the Congo,

Again at the Albert Nyanza. 453
should he decide to use that route on the completion
of his mission to the White Nile.
No letters, however, passed between the two leaders
from the day that the commander left the shores of
the Aruwimi. The Major resolved, therefore, to set
out and succour his leader, if yet alive, at all hazards,
and he chose the river course as the one which he
knew had been always favoured by his illustrious
chief. In a few weeks, alas ! the Major was murdered
by his own carriers, and, as has been truly said,
" another name was added to the already long list of
notable men who have given up their lives, almost
with joy, as a sacrifice on the altar of humanity."
On the 5th of September the return to the Albert
Nyanza was resolved upon. The stores Stanley had
come so far to secure were dispersed, or had been sent
back down the Congo, and nothing remained but to go
back to Emin, and do the best for him and the Expedi
tion that could be done under the circumstances.
On January 18th, 1889, the relief Expedition was
once more encamped on the Albert Nyanza, awaiting
the arrival of Emin and those of his officers and
followers who had decided finally to leave the
Equatorial Territory for the east coast and Zanzibar.
Many difficulties arose, and a delay of several months
arose before a start could be really made. On May
8th the whole party, including the Pasha and his
people, set out for the south-east. Emin appears to
have been unwilling to the last to leave his life's
work. He perceived, at length, however, that his
influence had been permanently shaken, and he decided
to accept Stanley's offer of an escort for himself and
his party to the coast.

454 Henry M. Stanley.
On the 10th of November the column reached
Mpwapwa, en route for the east coast and Zanzibar,
after a journey of 188 days from the Albert Nyanza.
The returning party consisted of 750 souls, Emin's
people numbering 294, of whom fifty-nine were
children, mostly the orphans of Egyptian officers.
The whites were Stairs, Nelson, Jephson, Parkes,
Bonny, M. Hottman, Emin Pasha and his daughter;
Casati, Marco and others.
The homeward journey lay through a vast unex
plored region between the Nyanzas, and along the
base of the snow-clad mountain range of Ruwenzori.
The Southern Nyanza discovered by Stanley in his
first journey to the Congo, was revisited and named
Lake Albert Edward. It is smaller than either the
Victoria or Tanganika Lakes, but its importance
consists in the fact that it is the reservoir all the
streams of the south-west Nile basin, and discharges
these waters by a river — the Semliki — into the Albert
Nyanza, the Victoria Nile and the Semliki amal
gamating in the Albert Lake, and leaving it under
the name of White Nile.
With the arrival of Stanley and his tiny army at
Mpwapwa with Emin Pasha and his people the task of
the Expedition was virtually completed. The district
which remained to be crossed between Mpwapwa and
Bagamoyo, the point of embarkation on the east
coast, presenting no exceptional difficulties. The
leader of the gallant host of brave men was once more
on familiar ground. Supplies of food and personal
necessaries had been forwarded to this place by
generous friends of the Expedition and by the agents
of the Emin Relief Committee at Zanzibar. The rest

Stanley's Task Completed. 455
of the progress of the party was therefore rendered
comparatively easy and pleasant.
On April 20th, 1887, Mr. Stanley took command of
the Expedition at Leopoldville, and started up the
Congo ten days later. On June 28th he left
Yambuya on the Aruwimi, and plunged into the dense
forest which divided him from the Albert Nyanza.
On April 29th, 1888, he first met Emin Pasha. The
fall of Wadelai occurred on August 18th, and on
January 18th, 1889, Mr. Stanley reached the Albert
Nyanza for the third time, and began to prepare for
the journey to the east coast. On May 8th the whole
party set out for the sea, and in the last weeks of the
year the whole of the party — relievers and relieved —
were safe in Zanzibar, thus bringing to a triumphant
conclusion the most remarkable and adventurous
enterprise of modern times.
The relief of Emin Pasha was an accomplished fact.
But the outlook for Central Africa in the near future
is not a cheering one, for Mr. Stanley brought with
him to Zanzibar all, alas ! that was left of civilization
between Wady Haifa and the Nyassa region. To
recover this lost ground is the work of time and of
system. This, the next stage in the great African
problem, is unfortunately likely to be a long one.
The principal facts of this extraordinary undertaking,
with its singular and dramatic episodes, and the full
account of the homeward march, with the striking
details of capture and ultimate relief of Emin, all con
tribute to add fresh lustre to the name of Henry
Morton Stanley, who in this his last heroic exploit
has completely changed the map of Equatorial Africa,
and added much that is valuable to our scanty store

456 Henry M. Stanley.
of geographical knowledge of the hidden heart of the
Dark Continent. The universal belief in the power
of resources of the man has been abundantly justified ;
and the wisest and the best of men in both hemispheres
will unite to offer a tribute of unqualified admiration
for the fine combination of patience, resolution, and
undaunted courage which has carried this remarkable
mission of humanity to a brilliant and successful
termination.

the end.

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