The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-13 00:00:00

ON liiE NILE WITH GENERAL

lus, , _ a while, s .to
GORDON. a rise in prices, remains to be seen; but if exports go
The Liverpool correspondent of the Daily 2 lews on at a moderate rate, it would not be surprising if the
writes: average price of wheat before the end of the year were
to fall very nearly to 30s. a quarter. Already, although
On Wednesday next Mr. Bohndorff, a German we have complaints that the price of bread- is kept up
gentleman, will leave Liverpool in the British and in various parts of London, the price has fallen to a
African steamer Kinsembo for service on the Congo penny a pound in most country districts, and even in
under the auspices of the Belgian International Asso- some parts of London it is very little higher, the fonr-
ciation. Mr. Bohndorff is an old African traveller, pound loaf being sold at about slasi, . Extreme cheapness
and as he has been with General Gordon on the Nile of this kind makes the wages ofthe working-classes go
some particulars of his experience of the district much farther than they usually do; the bread-bill will
where General Gordon now is will, no doubt, be read be considerably smaller, and, therefore, them will be a
with interest. Mr. Bohndorff, it seems, left Egypt in larger surplus to expend on other things. Even a very
April, 1874, in the service of General Gordon into the sWalfinamcrirsNevoillhe expenditurewouneektlytoa
eonaienalfe eseaumh iwotrlis-
interior regions of Africa. General Gordon had just class
of ayyear, or even a month, and the impetusntha:
previously been appointed by the Viceroy Governor- would thus be imparted to the various trades which
General of the Equatorial Provinces. The purposes of supply the working-classes would lead to such an im-
the first journey were to organise the countries on the provement as would be felt throughout the length and
White Nile, which were then occupied by Sir Samuel breadth of the land.
Baker. The expedition was also to occupy the negro alussraooss BEDS Orr-or-DOORS.—This will be a,
States to the south of Gondokoro for Egypt. Mr. good time to collect some short stable-dung and horse-
Bohndorff, after a year's service, had to return to droppings with which to make UD beds out-of-doors for
Cairo through ill-health. In 1876 Mr. Bohndorff producing mushrooms next April and throughout the
again went up the Nile; he reached Dongola, but on summer months. The dung should be turned over a
account of the cataracts met with there he was few times when a sufficient quantity of it has been col-
lected for a bed, to allow of the rank heat and steam
obliged to leave the river, and direct his steps towards
c
the west. The Lybian desert was passed, and Darfur
escaping therefrom, after which the bed or beds can be
They can be made against a north wall in a dry
was also left behind, and the Bahr-el-Gasal country made.
situation—that is, in a place where water will not
was reached. At that time Sibeer Pasha was in lodge—about four feet wide and two feet high at the
authority. Mr. Bohndorff travelled in a westerly wall, and the whole should be trodden well together
direction to Dar-Abudinga, where three years were and spawned when the heat has declined to 70 deg.,
spent in exploring and making collections of natural and subsequently be cased over with soil sufficiently
history. It was Mr. Bohndorff's intention to return, moist to yield to the pressure of the spade. The bed
but just then the conflict between General Gordon should then be covered with long dry litter, over which
and Sibeer Pasha's son broke out. At that time the a few pieces of board should be placed to keep it in
Italian Fessi Pasha advanced, by order of General position. Failing the wall accommodation the bed can
be made in the shape of a potato pit—say 4ft. wide
Gordon, with 3000 soldiers against the slave holders
of the Bahr-el-Gasal country. Up to this time and 3ft. high in the centreTin any available knot where
w a
Mr. Bohndorff lived upon friendly terms with Iliaee lodgmentg of water • and where this does
is higher than its surroundings,exist
not to prevent
Sibeer Pasha :l
's son and the allies, but when hostilities few bundles of faggots Placed under the beds will answer
broke out he was watched, and all his actions were the same purpose. In making the beds in the open air
distrusted, as he had previously been in General we drive a few :lout stakes into the ground along the
Gordon's service, and it was now openly stated that line where the bed is to be made, about 6 feet apart
he had come to live in their country to act as spy both sides, and inside these, as the bed is being made
and give General Gordon information. So bitter was a series of boards or slabs about 6 inches wide are
the feeling evoked that he was suddenly attacked and placed, thus forming a sort of box for the clang, with
plundered ot everything be possessed, being left sufficient space left at the top to form a foundation for
absolutely naked. Indeed, Mr. Bohndorff said be the mould used in casing the beds. The latter, as
would undoubtedly have perished had not General above recommended,. having been previously well
Gordon happened then to make an expedition from
trodden and
spawned,
into
shape
should ould with a four or five.
Khartoum to Shakka, where he met Mr. Bohndorff pronged
soil
foil capable of being beaten firmly together, and
in the greatest distress. General Gordon gave the thatched over with a foot thick of litter, which should
German explorer clothes, money, provisions, and the be made secure with several lengths of tar-string, to
necessary camels to enable him to return to Cairo. prevent its being removed by rough winds. This done,
Shortly after this, Mr. Bohndorff was induced to join the beds so made will require no further attention until
Dr. Junker's expedition from St. Petersburg. Mr. March or April, except to see that the covering is not
Bohndorff proceeded in a south-westerly direction displaced, and the results will more than compensate
getting to the Niam-Niam countries, an-' -oing from for the labour and time of waiting. Successional beds
these he reached the River Uelle, from V, 1. ...1h ho got in the mushroom-house will need making up, and those
to the hitherto unknown river of Nepoko. It was the previously made should be spawned as soon as the heat
to admit of its being safely
intention of the explorers to penetrate to the very has sufficiently declined
mouth of this river,
sod but they found themselves in a do
in this usual n, and a few_
Way.— Gardeners, days later they should
Chroraele." be covered with
densely populated district, the inhabitants of which •
would not allow them to proceed further than a given THE ROYAL AGE/CULTURAL SoerErY.—On the nomi-
point. They were thus prevented from following the nation of the Prince of Wales, a trustee of the Royal
course of the Uelle, but it is Mr. Bohndorff's opinion Agricultural Society of England and a member of its
Council the Duke of Edinburgh has been unanimously
that the new river will probably empty itself into the
elected a life governor of the society. His Royal High':
upper reaches of the Congo, and it is his great hope High-
ness has given a donation of £5O to. the funds of the
now that when he gets out the authorities in charge institution. Recent additions to the roll of members
of the expedition may allow him to explore in the ship include the Duke of Grafton, the Earl of Crawford
same direction with the view of, as he says, coming and Balcarree Hon. Sir William Field, Hon. Henry W.
again upon the Nepoko. The people in the district Fitzwilliam, Hon. George F. Kenyon, Sir Thomas C.
of the Uelle did not as a rule live in villages, Mevrick, Bart., Sir William Williams, Rare, Sir
but each family almost separated from the rest, William M. Curtis, Major-General Sir H. Havelock-
living in the bush and deserts, and being pretty Allan, Sir William B. Parker, Sir Francis Stapleton,
industrious in cultivating the ground. There were and Mr. John Brinton, M.P. During the present year
many wild beasts in the district, principally the tiger, as many as 1032 members have joined the society.
which had made many raids, and carried off many THE WRECK OF A FRENCH Teassecner.—Particulars
which have just been received in Paris respecting the
natives. Notwithstanding these raids the people
wreck of the French transport, the Aveyron, with 700
still lived apart from each other. On his return Mr. men on board, testify in the most cordial manner to
Bohndorff passed through the countries on the White the hospitality and assistance offered by the English
Nile occupied by the Mandi, and after going through authorities at Aden to the shipwrecked men. Magnifl-
many dangerous experiences he arrived at Khartoum, cent tents were erected for their accommodation, and a
thence proceeding to Berber and Cairo. In the desert subscription was opened among the troops in garrison at
of Corrosco Mr. Bohndorff again fell in with Aden for the purpose of supplying the French soldiers
his former benefactor, General Gordon, who was and sailors with wine. The English, in fact, did every-
then on his way from Cairo to Khartoum. Mr. thing in their power to make their guests comfortable,
Bohndorff directed the General's attention to the and their kindness was fully appreciated.
great and increasing power of the Mandi, but, SEIZURE OF Fism—ln London tho total weight of
to use Mr. Bohnolorff's own words, "General fish seized during the month of August last by
Gordon did not mind the danger into which he the fishrneters appointed by the Court ef the Fish-
was rushing for England's sake, knowing that mongers'on 1s a r
he was backed by her invincible power." In place
tons 170:43.8.5f 117t4.'
in which
e4htoamnso,unl4 wcgawst.inoefluhdetngs, I ton 9 cwt. of
speaking of the Mandi's influence Mr. Bohndorff
said he had many opportunities of noticing its kippers, 5 tons 2 cwt. 3 qrs. of lobster, /6 cwt. 3 qrs. of
widespread nature. Everywhere in the interior, mackerel, 1 ton 17 cwt. of mussels, 8 tons of periwinkles,
hundreds of miles away from the Darfur, the slave- 6 tons of plaice, 15 tone 4 cwt. 1 qr. of shrimps, 3 tons
bunter was waiting for the to him welcome news of 3 cwt. 2 qrs. of skate, 3 tons 10 cwt. of whelks, and
the fall of Khartoum, and the reopening of the great 9 tons 2 cwt. 3 qrs. of whiting. The weight of fish
slave market. Mr. Bohndorff says that slaves were delivered at and near Billingsgate-market during August
being gathered together, and if humane England could by land and water was 10,701 tons.
see the horrors that the conquest of Khartoum by the THE DEFENCE OF PARIS.—A medal is being engraved
Mandi was preparing she would not grudge General by order of the French Minister of Fine Arts to cons-
Gordon all the assistance he needed to keep from the memorate the defence of Paris in 1870-1. The artist is
slave hunters their great market and metropolis. M. Chaplain. On the front is an allegorical figure of
With the acquisition of Mr. Bohndorff the Belgian the City of Pan, s rifle in hand, and on the reverse the
International Association will have quite a number of names
ss
of
took place,
places outside the fortifications where
place, together with the dates on which
notable personages in her service, as it was only by the they were ought.
last British and African Company's steamer that the Dean( OF a OENTENAUTAN —Mr T. Brough. a faer,
Comte de Pourtales left this country for the Congo died on Sunday night at Se. rrm
aham-pa k, Seaham,
for service under the International Society. The Harbour, aged 100 years. He was born in 1784, and
cornte is, or was, an officer of the Prussian Guards, for the past thirteen years had been bedridden. Up
and fought in 1866 in Bohemia and in 1870 in France. to twelve months ago his memory was good, and he
could talk of events which came under his observati n
during the closing years of the last century. He ss ss
Lord Byron's marriage, and knew Lady Byron inti-
mately when living with her father, Sir Ralph Milbanke,
at 3a ham Halls