Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-25
FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
New York. Nov. "a. 1871

New York, Nov. "a, 1871.
A few months ago two somewhat notable mer
came by accident to my rooms. | had know
both for years; each had made himself knowr
TO the public, but neither had CHANGED before tC
| see the other. One was man of large frame
with brown hair full beard, and blue eyes. He
looked like one of the cid Northmin Vikings
He spoke slowly, and almost hcSitatingly, bu
in tones singularly soft and melodious This
man was Charles Francis Hall, whose cXpedi
ton in search of Sir John franklin, reformed in
1860, 81 and 80, forms the subject of one of oul
best books of arctic adventure He had month,
before returned from his second expeditions and
now, furnished by government with ample
means, he was preparing to set out on his third
expedition, which believe, Providence permit
ting, will solve, once for all, the unsolyed geo
| graphical problem relating 10 the regions lying
about the north pole. If there is here an open
sea- and if man can ever reach it, am confident
that Hall will be the first man Of all the world
to do so.
The other man by the side of Hall looked
like a pigmy. In height he hardly reached the
ordinary stature of woman. doubt whether
he would measure three inches above five feet.
He was slight in form; his face was clear
oval; his hair, cropped short, was as black as
| JET he spoke quickly, using good English, hut
there was a decided Gallo tone in the enuncia-
| ton. At first sight no one would imagine that
he was a man to undertake and carry out any
| scheme of stirring adventure. But upon closer
| look one would be apt to reconsider this judg-
ment. The slight frame seemed instinct with
vitality He looked all life, If you could have
before you picture of Napoleon Bonaparte,
| "The Little Corporal at the age Of siX-and
| twenty, and then imagine now he ought to have
looked at forty, without an once of added flesh,
the real emperor as he should have been, not as
he appears in Delaroche's famous "Snuif-hoX'
| picture, would have stood before you. This little
| man was Paul Du Chaiu the African explorer.
He was then preparing to set out on a journey
to Norway and Iceland.
From that journey he has just now returned.
Before he left he had nearly completed the fifth
and last of the stories narrated for the young"
in which he relates the various adventures
which he had met with in Africa. The dedica-
lion of this volume, to Fletcher Harper, his pub
| Usher is dated North Cape Norway, August,
| 1871" Tue volume, which is entitled "The
| Country of the Dwaris," is the most interesting
of the series 1t tells how, in July, 1868, Paul
set sail from London for Africa, with the secret
intention of traversing the continent along the
line of the equator until he reached the head
waters of the Nile, which he proposed to follow
| from source TO mouth. How, on reaching the
western coast of Africa, the canoes containing
| his scientific instruments were wrecked, and he
had to wait for months until they could be re-
| placed from England How he finally set out
| on his journey; what pcrils he encountered,
and what adventures he underwent. How, in
the very heart of the equatorial forests, he came
across a people OF dwarfs, living in huts more
| like bec-hives than human habitationS; yet by
| no means like the sem-bratcs which travellers
profess to have found in Bomeo; and still less
like the so-caIled "Aztec children" Of whom a
| few hall-idiotc specimens, results of continue
Gus "brecding-in" for generations, have been
hawked about by showmen, He then tells how,
| before his projected journey had been 4 quarter
| accomplished, the jealousy of the native tribes
compelled him. not without sharp fight, to
turn back, leaving his great undertaking only
| partially accomplished.
Strangely enough, the two great geographical
| problems as yet unsolyed, relate one to the
equatorial, the other TO the polar regions; and
the two men who met by chance in my rooms
were Just the two who have made most strenuous
efforts to solve them. Hall, as | have said ,.may
he hoped to reach the northern pole. Some man
| it may be hoped will before many years traverse
Africa from the mouth of the Fernando Yaz 10
that great lake region wherein, as we are now
sure lie the true sources of the Nile.
Meanwhile the world owes much to Paul Du
Chaillu for what he has done. There have moi
been wanting men who have affirmed that his
narratives are fabulous, or having at most only
a slight basis OF fact. 1t is enough to say thai
these cavilers have come to grief Upon every
point where evidence beyond his own word could
be given, Paul Du Chaillu has proved his truth
fulness. Collections brought by him from cqua
torlal Africa find place in all scientific museums.
Such eminent naturasts as Owen and the Ia
| mented MurchiSOn are warm in his praise. No
traveller who has followed his track has detected
any essential error in his statements. More
over if the personal character of Il MAJ can be
any evidence OF his yeracity, no one who knows
| Paul Du Chalu will do other than believe him
| For myself, have known him for more than d
dozen Of years. During that time have seen
him almost daily, except at the times when he
has been absent from America; and | do not
hesitate to say that of all the men whom
know, there is no one upon whose bare word
place more implicit reliance than do upon that
of Paul Du ChaiIu.
Mr. Edward Prime, one Of the editors Of that
stanch religious newspaper, the New York OBJ
server, has written volume describing his Jour
ney "Around the World" which he has not long
since finished. This Mr.. Prime is brother OF
Samuel Ireueus Prime and of William c. Prime,
both of whom are well known as Travellers the
latter, especially, by his "Boat-ife in Egypt"
and his "Tcnt-liie in the Holy Land" Mr. Ed
ward Prime is also no inexperienced traveller
although this is, think, the first book which he
has written This long journey around the
world, was projected many months before it was
begun During these months Mr.. Prime busted
himself with reading every thing relating to the
regions which he was to visit. He saw before
hand all that others had seen, and 50 was pre-
pared to supplement aud correct these obseva-
| llOIS ny what ne sHOulu uliltsel SCI. Ou HIS
journey he was to be accompanied by bis wife,
and other friends. He left New York for
San Francisco, by way OF the newly opened
| Pacific railroad; made a short stay at Salt Lake
| City, looking there rather closely at Mormon
ism, although he failed to pay his respects TO
| Brigham Young. Rea ching California he made
dctour to the Yosemite valley, whereof he
wrote back to the Observer the best description
yet published. From California he went by
steamer straight across the Pacific, not even
stopping at the Sandwich Islands, to japan.
Thence, through the inland sea to China, and
from China to India. In India he made a long
excursion into the interior, visiting Benares, Del
hi, and Agra where is the famous Tai, the most
magnificent structure ever reared by human
hands From India he turned his face home
ward, by way of Egypt and Palestine. Touch
ing Europe, he went overland through Italy aud
Germany; thence to London and home again
across the Atlantic. If one chooses to mark the
route upon a map or globe, he will find that il
fairly belts the earth. Measuring the detours
III, In r,Il