Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-01-02
inside of Africa.


At recent meeting Of the British associa.
tion in Lodon, Capt. Grant was present and
gave very interesting account of his exped-
ton into Central Africa. With Capt. Speke, to
discover the source of the Nile. lie said:
We weie accompanied 10y about two hun.
dred blacks, ven OF whom were Of the CAPE
mounted rifles, and one, half caste Arab
commanded the porters (formed Of Seede,s
from Zanzibar, and mel returning 10
tie iu,erior) Although we started with
twelve mules and four or five donkeys,
every one walked along the little path, ex
cepi when sickness obliged Them to ride
The animals were chiefly used in carrying
ammunition and baggage; but after three
months all had died, not from want of wa
ter, food or insect bite, but from the del
elerious pasturage along our route. There
was no such thing as coinage in the coun'
try; ae got on by paying Veudan beads,
cotton cloth, or thick wire, from an. a:
first. abundant supply. When they were
exhausted, Capt. Speke, in he far interior,
lad in fresh supply from the trading
Arabs, paying them AT the rate of-l70O
per cent, ON the articles purchased. Un-
fortunaI ely for him, utter giving no,e OF
hand, which was readily accepted, all the
goods purchased bad to be left behind, as
no men could be found willing to carry them
on for US. The king of Unyrio, The last
of The kings on our route, was told If he
sent for them he might have all, provided
he allow ed us TO leave his country aud get
nto Goudokoe To this lie agreed, but
whether or not they cached him, We never
heard Being thus left without the ordi-
nary funds TO pay ouI way. it required no
small management to concIliute the uatIve
princes. 1t was admirably arranged 10y
giving them private rifles, smuuillon watch
es, Instruments, medicine, boxes, and n
good deal of wo. thles5 lumber for all Of
" hich they showed their gratitude by eu
tertaining us durng the year we were
among hem, aud al imately allowing US to
go on towards Egypt
The route from the coast to the lake dis
rrct was traversed rough large proper
les governed by paltry oal udepen dan
snltans or small rulers, VINO wore most ex
acting in their demands for taxes-deiain
ing us for days palaveriug-ne getting
away from them without row, disagree
ment. or threat of attack As an instance
although stayed with the old sultan Of
Ukuni in the Land of the Moon, providing
Of course, my own food, showing him aud
his five wives manyklndnesses and c'vllities
| | became so Indispensable TO his amusement
that for thee mouths be would render me
no assistance to- get away, aud on the
day of my leaving he cody drove my por
! tecs away with his stick, aud took forcble
possession of Que of my rifles. hinkiug TO
exact more presestS from me, and defeat
my plans of getting on The presents had
Il o he paid. and the rifle had to wrest
GU, OF 10 Grasp. Agalu, ln passing the
lahd> adjoining his bvls'G;ou' party tnr'
ned on of large village, demanding lax,
but my party was TOO strong Tor them' and
nothing was lost Two days afters ards.
while marching at he head Of file OF Two
hundred laden men, enjoying the pretty
hiily country all atouud, mob sprung out
Of the bushes, their skin coverings flying
like wings on their backs making their
spears quiver. threatening with their bows
aud arrows bowling and yelling l smiled
at their graceful antics over The high grapes
aud bushes, thinking they merely were
showing their delight. However. bursting
10 the center Of my followers, they broke
The line from cenler to flank. seized aud
rausacked every load. while | was left with
but two or three followers. Al! the prop
erty was stolen in an instant, and had dis
appeared on their backs through the cover
The only redress obtained from this sultan
after having frightened parties away from
their homes. destroyed more than fourth
of the property, and hndered me for Let
days was the coadescending permission to
leave bis highness domiuions aud reioin my
companion Speke This even was not &C
complished llll another unwarrantAble ex
action was made by drunken fellow, who
frightened away some Of my load carriers
by beating bis war drums whenever | re
fased to satisfy his greed Tor presents Ua
I'll rifle and case of amunition, with othe
presents, we're given 10 him. be would no