Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-05-25
EXPLORATIONS IL AFRICA.
The African Explorer at che TTOv'Ier's
Club--SomeGhing About Equatorial
Africa.
[From the N. Y. World.]


The renowned African explorer, p.
b. Du ChailIu, Esq. made his first pub
lie appearance III TINS city last evening
at the Travellers Club, No. 222 Fifth
Avenue The occasion was that OF the
opening of the elegant new club room,
and In spite of the tempestuOus wealth
er, select audience of the youth, beau
nv, fashion, aud talent of the metropO-
lis greeted the distinguished gut ST.
Shortly utter o'clock, M, Du Chailu,
accompanied by mir. f. L. Dunbar,
President of the club, entered the spa
cious parlors, and was warmly wei
coined.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: / came to-
day from Putnam county, in the state
of New York, little thinking of the re-
ception 1 should obtain here tonight.
[ agreed with Mr.. Dunbar for this
meeting with the Travellers Club to
stalk" but had no idea that ladies
would be admitted. Besides, was not
prepared to give full lecture. | have
been In the country on purpose to be
quiet and prepare for my coming lee
lures, to attend TO my diagrams, &c, IN
order To do the best 1 can to give al
account to the people of New York oi
what l have done during the ten years
of my explorations in equatorial Africa.
fad it very difficult now, for during
these ten years have collected great
amount Of material. have studied as
much as / could the habits of the peo-
pie, their customs and religion.
have studied the natural history OF
the country, especially the insects,
birds. gorillas, chimpanzees, the astrono.
my and geography OF the country, and
when have TO put all that lii lecture
/ find it very hard, / assure you. Is IS
far more difficult to put down ydtIT
thoughts when you come back from
your travels than it is to travel IN
tho3 e foreign countries. During the
ten years 4 was there made large
collection. / succeeded in collecting
twenty-nine gorillas, the skins OF
which | have here or in England. /
sent twenty-one during the first trip.
also secured fifteen chimpanzee's
skins and skulls, more than two thous-
and birds, thousands of insects shells,
and also succeeded In securing one
hundred and twenty skulls of negroes.
(Sensation.l / obtained these skulls
of the negro, not for pleasure, but as a
matter OF science. Great laughter.
The negroes could not understand
what L wanted at first. L had to be
very careful about the skulls. They
thought was crazy. They said; ''Fhat
man, what does he want lie is all
WAYS running in the woods; he is al
ways wild. Now he wants to buy the
skulls of our forefathers." They were
very shy about that first; they always
came at night to sell me the skulls. -
Now and then man would be very
angry; lac said lac lad gone 10 the
burial place, and thought he could get
the skull OF his father, and somebody
had stolen it. Laughter At night
they would come TO my house late-1O
o'ciock-with a barrel In which was
carefully packed skull. Every one
said: "You must not tell. " Every
one said the same thing. Laughter.
1 was glad TO get these skulls. They
arc certainly pure biooded negroes. Ii
is great thing Tor rs to save the
skulls.
Some part Of the country / have ex-
plored was perhaps known to the great
Carthaginian navigator, of whom il
was related that be captured three fe-
male eorilIas, bnt they were SO fero-
eious that he was Obliged TO kill them;
aud Pliny mentions that the skins were
still in the Temple Of Juno when the
Romans took Carthage. However, the
gorilla remained unknown until lately
he has been brought TO light again.
Ia those vast iungles / visited more
than thirty tribes. Among them were
the dwarfs from three to four and from
four to five feet high. Ihess dwarfs
always move westward. Towards the
headwaters of the Nile, wherever
have questioned negroes about where