The New York herald., 1874-12-02
Mr.. Henry M. Stanley's Present
Expedition.
THE SLAVE TRADERS.
The Great Work of the Sultan
Of Zanzibar.
EXPLORING THE RUFIJI.
The Prospective Commerce Of
Oar Salaam.


ing implements to record my experiences OF the
last lew weeks wish darts TO my mind-that the
art OF writing was never invented. 1t is true.
writing to me is such labor at this moment. I
have but the day before yesterday returned from
the exploration OF the Rufji River and it's delta
returned only In time to be compelled to write to
you OF what have seen, because II do not take
advantage OF the four days OF grace given me by
the stay Of the mail steamer In port you and
your res ders would have to wait another month
before Information could be received by you ofthe
movements Of your commissioner Yet would
gladly avail myself OF some excuse-a reasonable
excuseto postpone writing to you for various rea-
sons. One main reason is thatitis exceedingly hot
and the persp!ration is understandable, and feel
ing OF lassitude and eanut which has succeeded the
return to Zanzibar from our exploration OF the
Rufji is inimicai to physical exertion or mental
thought. Besides, every few moments am trou-
bed by the arrival OF volunteers for the expedition
into the interior, the rumor OF its intended depar
ture having stirred up an heroic desire in the
minds OF the able-boded and poor people, resi-
dents OF this town, to visit the distant regions
OF Africa, where the tribes are called pagans;
where elephants-and consequently ivory-are nu-
merous; wnele there are vast extents OF level
country covered" with game Of all kinds. These
volunteers come to make ''snauri'i-to hold a
palaver or talk-to question me respecting the
amount Of pay | can afford to give them the
probable duration OF the journey I propose
to make the countries / propose to VISIT
and other things Of like nature. These voun-
feers are not to be despsed; they are not
to be told to depart without words OF q concilia-
tory and friendly kind. for out OF this class the
members OF the expedition must be selected,
without whom its objects could never be con-
summated. This palaver, therefore, requires
time, tact and patience; and though l ann In.
wAfdly luminG and stOrmtng at these several In
70 ruptions endeavor to commend myself cheer
fully to my late, hoping that my apparent placable
disposition Will invite confidence on the part Of
the volunteers, and that my excuses, which hum.
bly, tender, may cOnciliate the editors Of the DaiV
telegraph and the NEW YORK HERALD for the
brety OF this letter the sterilty Of its informa
ti0n.
Ever since my march to Uhji in search of DR.. Liv-
ingsrone have entertained a desire that might
De permitted to explore that most promising OF all
East African rivers-tle Ruff. Burton my heroic
predecessor in Africa, had, with his usual in
dustry, collected much valuable Information
respecting this river; and when, subse.
quentiy, ! heard from the natives that all
the small streams to the south OF that country
were received BY the Rwaha. or Rufjl-rhat tho
Kisgo, an important river IN Urori, which is soutn
OF Ugogo also emptied into the Rwaha-l mentally
whose navigation benefits commerce and the
world. Ientertained the opinion that the Rnfii
wasa river worthy of exploration; that it was
river likely to benefit East and that portion OF
Central Africa contiguous to IT. that by Its means
the Gospel might find reader and more feasible
access into the interior than by any other route
not even excluding the Wami River, whose utmost
limit OF navigation place at Mbumi-U Usagara, at
the foot OF the Usagara Mountains; that by means
Of this noble stream the white merchants
Of Europe and America might exchange their
c0ttons and beads for the valuable products
OF the interior. I cay this was my opinion
until saw in some geographical publication two
several accounts OF explorations OF the Runji.
The first purported to be an account Of an expora-
tion made by DR.. John Kirk and Captain Wharton,
Of the surveying ship Shearwater, In q steam
launch; the second was made by Captain Elton,
nrst assistant to the Political Agent at Zanzibar,
who proceeded inland from Sumanga, on the north
side or the Kkunia mouth OF the Rudji.
Messrs. Kirk and Wharton proceeded, as far as
Fugulla, which presume to be the same as that
which the natives call Agunia or near 1t. Captain
Elton reached Mpenbeno ten miles higher up the
river. All these gentlemen expressed themselves
emphatically against the possibility OF utilizing
the Rufji River. or course after such emphatic
expressions or opinion dared not hope that
would return from the Ru1Ji with any better
opinion OF 1t. The following letter will show what
my Impressions OF the navigable utility OF the
Runji are with which venture to say nine-t tenths
OF American river steamboat captains would at
once agree n they were called upon to examine
and report upon the rIver:-
At haifpast three P. NJ. OF the a0th September
sailed from Zanzibar in the Yarmouth yawl Wave
bound south. The yaw was purchased for che
purpose Of exploring the portion OF East Africa
tnh hn tv,ta tn Ia
phiantnropic and commercial pubic OF England
and America. Through the courtesy and kindness
or the gentlemen OF the Peninsular and Oriental
once, on Leadenhall street, and those of the
British India Steam Navigation ofice-more es-
pecialY Captain Bayley, OF the former, and Messrs
Mackinnon and Dawes. OF the latter-I was enabled
to have her safely shipped and landed at Zanzibar
without damage, though she was large and
heavy boat. Her dimensions were Al feet
length and feet beam; with her deep rudder
ahlpped she drew Ave feet which we afterward
found TO be disadvan tage. Had been wiser
should have ordered second rudder, specially
made for river navigation, to be exchanged on en-
tering the river for the sea rudder.
The crew OF the Wave mustered, beside myself,
TWO eGnclent, Industrious and wiling young Eng
lishmen Francis ana Edward Pocock, twenty-iour
Wangwana or freemen OF Zanzibar, armed with
Snider rines two black cabin boys and cabin
passenger in the shape of a thoroughbred English
bull terrier, Jack, who for his fare and passage
was to make himself useful at night while on the
Ruhji to warn of midnight punderers. you
add as stores two casks Of water, thousand
pounds OF rice and some cabin provisions for the
whites, 1t will be seen that she boat OF some
capacity. Several officers OF the cruising neet at
Zanzibar who had seen her at anchor In port mad
spoken highly OF her. and some had said that she
was just the kind OF boat Her MaIestvs cruisers
on the East Coast OF Africa ought TO be
supplied with for slave dnow catching In
shallow waters. After three weeks trial
OF this kind OF boat am inclined to the
same opinion. With moderate monsoon breeze
she travels faster than any steam launch that
ever came to Zanzibar could. As an instance of
her sailing qualities 1t is worth mention that on