Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-25

Penetration into Equatorial Africa. By Paul
b. Du ChRiliu. Author Of Explorations in
Equatorial Africa. With Maps and Illustra-
iiens. New York D. Appleton i Co. Brosd
way. 1901. pr. so. r Fr
Paul Du Chailln, as his name indicates,
is Frenchman by birth. He, however,
came to America while yet quite a boy,
and on arriving at n proper age became a
naturalized citizen of the United States.
His genius was for natural history and
geographical and chronological studies. In
the city of New York, where he resided,
his tastes were met and theoretically graft
fed but his theoretical acquisitions only
whetted his appetite for the practical, and
he has become an explorer, the most re-
markable and vigorous now living. Since
the unfortunate death Of DR.. Livingstone,
Du Chailln is without a rival.
He sci out from New York in October,
1855, on his first expedition to Africa, and
was absent nearly three years. On his re-
turn he published first in England and
then in this country an account of his Ex-
plorations in Equatorial Africa - a book
that has been generally read and greatly
admired for the purity of its style and the
boldness and intrepidity of its author.
He discovered and captured the first CO.
rilla known in modern times, though this
remarkable animal was described by the
ancients. Being unknown to fame, his ac-
counts were doubted, and attacked in Eu-
rope as apocryphal. After sufficient rest
and preparation, this intrepid explorer re-
solved upon another journey to Africa,
which was begun in 1868, and from which
he returned a few months ago, tarrying
awhile in England and arriving in New
York some two weeks ago on the Great
Eastern" The result of this last expedi-
ton is given in the book before us. 1t is
an elaboration, altogether different in de-
tails from his former work, and includes
geographical and scientific observations of
great value, together with more intimate
view of the condition and habits of the na-
iiVes. His adventures are intensely inter-
eating. For example ::
In the Ashira county he was detained for
Eve months by the plague, which broke
out about fortnight after his arrival. The
natives attributed the visitation to the inhu-
ence Of his presence and, to make matters
worse, the king, who had steadily be-
friended him, died of it. M. Du Chaillu
was the only one who escaped the malady,
fact which induced the natives to invest
him with the attributes and title Of can
Evil Spirit" This proved to him the
cause of innumerable difficulties and de-
layed his progress greatly, the chiefsrefusing
to see him or listen to his representations.
In one district they set fire to the prairie
grass in order to prevent him and his es-
cort from passing that way. IL would
make this article too long werewe to follow
our traveller through the various othar adj
ventures which he encountered on thisme-
morable journey. inregardto its results, we
must content ourselves with stating that he
added largely 10 his previous discoveries
in geography, meteorology, botany, ethno-
logy, and, in fact, in almost every branch
of science. The men Of the new tribes that
he discovered were. larger in stature than
those he had met with on the sea shore.
There was one exception, however, to this
rule, that Of the Obongo tribe, most in
teresting tribe Of dwarfs whom he fell in
with towards the end Of his journey, and
who are probably indentical with the pig
mics described by Herodotus as living at
the head waters of the Nile They neither
plant nor SOW, and lead nomadic life.
Their height is from four feet three to four
feet six, and their bodies are covered with
tufls of woody hair. The journey, up to
this time so fortunate, terminated disas-
t,ously in the Ashango Land which,
by-the-by, gives the title to NJ. Du Chaiilu's
last book. A gun in the hand of one of his
escort went off accidentally and killed two
of the natives who were seated near our
traveller, and who had Just presented him
with goat as a token Of friendship. The
assembled crowd, fancying that they were
about to be attacked and murdered, took to
their arms, and a fierce encounter ensued,
M,Du Chaillu being wounded twice. The
fight began at nine in the morning and
lasted till five, the party retreating through
the jungle until they got out of the district
belonging 70 the tribe
Sur LOvtNGOoD. Yarns Spun by Nat'ral
Born Durn'd Fool" Warped and Wove for
Public Wear. by George W Harris New
York Dick 4 Fitzgerald 1867. Pr. 800.
This Is a home book. thouOh published