Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-09-02
AFRICAN EXPLORATION.

The source of the Nile, like the North
west Passage, has been one Of the Geo.
graphical hobbies of the world, and the
former question still remains in the
same state of delightful uncertainty as
the latter Nor will the definite settle
ment of either be likely to prove of any
practical advantage to mankind. But
DR.. Livingstone would persist in plung-
ing into the interior of Africa, and cut
ting himself off from any communication
with family, home, friends and the civ
ilized world generally. Now and then
vague reports concerning him would find
their way to Europe -thas -hs,elt lt--44ctt
with complete success and caught the
ancient river in the very act Of rising
somewhere, soon to be followed by fiat
denial, and fearful conjectures that the
bones of the inveterate explorer lay
bleaching in some central African des-
ert with an unpronounceable name.
Then the story would come that he was
lost, and that no trace of him could be
found anon, that he had been killed by
cannibals and salted down for provisions !;
next, that he was married to black
princess, in fact very much married to
several princesses and lastly, that he
had been made king and was ruling
his sable subjects with benevolence and
equity. fg
:. The uncertain fate Of Livingstone,
seen. through the mirage of romance,
fired the benevolent heart of the New
York Herald, and forthwith Stanley, the
indefatigable, was dispatched to Africa,
notebook in hand, to find the lost ex-
plorer. Fortunately for the public mind,
Stanley was prompt and equal to the
occasion. Had the fact been otherwise.
another expedition might have been sent
to find Stanley, and, perhaps, another
to find that, and so on ad tfrsit,m, until
an endless series of explorers had been
permeating the African continent. each
searching for his predecessor. But Stan.
ley was the man for the occasion tc
him trip to the heart of Africa was q
mere bagatelle, an ante breakfast pas
time, and he unearthed Livingstone in g
twinkling. From the very top of tn,
great watershed, where he found the
lost traveller, he sent forth triumphan
cry of REM, vidS, vici, and he so mes
merlzed the lost one with the magic n
his presence that Livingstone sat dowl
at once and indited a long epistle to tn
Herald, couched in true Bowery phras
and redolent of Bowery style.
Stanley had been feted in Englan,
for his great achievement, petted by tn
nobility, and taken by the hand of roy
atty. 1t is even rumored, and we trus
it may prove true, that the queen vii
ennoble him with the title of Duke {
UjUi. We see that some envious pei
sons at a public banquet at Brighton
England. where the gallant Stanley wa
promulgating his experiences, gave u
terance to expressions of incredulity g
to whether he ever saw Livingstone, an
that thereupon Stanley left the table
E high dudgeon. In this we think o,
hero acted with ill-advised haste. +
should have settled back in his chai
pointed to the letter of Livingstone
the Herald, and triumphantly asked IL
doubters how else could Livingston
. have got inoculated with the Bower
q style if not by contact with the Heral
correspondent ? Such facts are incontr
vertible. Seeing is believing.