The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-05-14 00:00:00

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1887.

AN INTREPID EXPLORER,

THE news which has reached England from
Mr. H. M. Stanley as to the progress of his
hazardous undertaking for the rescue of
Emin Pasha, is, to say the least, highly
encouraging. There were many who are
well acquainted with the dangais of African
travel who gravely shook their heads and
expressed strong doubt as to whether the
discoverer of Livingstone would be able to
deliver gallant Emin and his beleagured
band. Stanley, said they, would lose his
followers by the way, the country would
kill them; and even if climatic dangers were
overcome, the natives, treacherous beyond
compare, would sacrifice them to their innate
love of slaughter. And supposing, said the
sceptics, the remnant of the relief expedition
should ever reach the spot where the fugi-
tives have been bravely holding their own,
it would only be to experience a repetition of
the story of Gordon and Khartoum; for the
dusky fanatics would inevitably massacre
Emin and his little force on the approach of
any succouring party. Stanley heard all
objections to his own daring project, and
still elected to go, and went with a confident
heart. So far, as intelligence now to hand
shows, his success has been eminently sat-
isfactory, and gives high hope of ultimate
triumph. The task is a big one, but he is a
remarkable man who has set himself to
accomplish it. Every school boy knows how
he went through the heart of the Dark
Continent and found the grand old mission-
ary wbo had so long been lost to the world.
rho overcoming of one peril of the wilder-
ness, the tropical forest, or the unknown
flood, only seemed to nerve him on to further
exertions, to lead him to resolve upon yet
more daring endeavours. He pushed far up
the mighty Congo river, and founded the
Free State which will one day be a power in
the world. He demonstrated the vast
natural wealth of the fertile African interior,
he shOWed where men might go and gather
rich stores of priceless products, if only they
would evince enterprise and leave the
wor:(l's beaten tracks. He trod where never
white man's foot had before been planted.
He fraternised with the natives, and gained
their confidence and esteem. Stanley knew
better than any carping critic could tell him
how tremendous was his latest task; no one
is so well acquainted with the wild stretches
of central and north Africa as he, the nature
and:disposition of its people are understood
by no man more familiarly. He calculated
the o' ances, and was willing to throw him.
self heart, body, and soul into the hazardous
exploit, taking the risks and toiling for the
glory of a great accomplishment. With him
went the heartiest good wishes of his multi-
tudinous admirers; and now we have news
of how he has so far fared. By the end of
March the brave traveller had reached
Stanley Pools, and from thence he was pro-
posing to push on up .the Mbonru to its
farthest navigable limit, and then get across
to the Albert Nyanza, from where, it was
intended, an armed escort should go ahead
to Emin Pasha to request that his steamers
might be sent to take forward the rest of the
relieving forces. The result has shown Mr.
Stanley's wisdom in the choice of a route,
hr he has only lost three of his men and less
than a score of donkeys ; whereas, if he had
gone by any other way than up the coarse
of the Congo, it is admitted that he would
in all probability have had to sacrifice well-
nigh 100 of his followers to the many perils
which beset travellers so thickly in that part
of Africa, while the mortality among the
beasts of burden would certainly have been
very great. The steamer Stanley unfortun-
ately met with a bad accident, temporarily
disabling her, but doubtless her resourceful
master has long ago had her iepaired and
put into full use again. It seems certain
now that the expedition will reach its goal,
the great Albert Nyanza lake, when it will
be within touch of Emin; and from that
time all will he plain, yet still difficult.
Delays may arise should the natives prove
stubbornly hostile, but Stanley is sufficiently
well equipped to be able to force his ,vay
through any impeding tribes, and to repulse
their warlike assaults; so that opposition
will only mean the occupation ot lengthened
time by the expedition. Dr Junker told
the Geographical Society the other day that
Sfandiism had got much hold in Equatorial
frica of late; and it may be that the adher-
ents of the false prophet will assail the
relief party with vigour, or make a deter-
:nined onslaught upon Emin's band with a
iew to its extirmination before the arrival
,f aid. The hardy fanatics might recruit
heir strength largely from Khartoum and
the rest of the Soudan ; but it is very dabt-
ii this could IA done to any con-
;derable extent before Stanley reaches
v'adelai, that is, unless a delay which is not
G:ticipated should occur Mr. Stanley has
•ade rapid progress up to tlii-4 latest des-
, ,tch, which gives holm that ho will get to
-Le succour of the fugitive Ernie we he has
.d to suffer attack from any large body of
elentless desert dervishes. - Should the
pedition be too late for this it will indeed
"woe unto the Egyptians." But "too
..o "has not yet been Stanley's experience.
.; trust it will not be in this case, and that
,çjll find the band of refugees, and extri-

'Lhera from the undesirable solitude
'light has placed them in. When
„ Dizy's own people have crossed the great
Y,t.rneEs which stretches from the Mbouru
;he Albeit Nyanza, they will know its
•uotircos for wsWr and fooci with some intl.
,cy *tad will be alga tocakailate t ui.