The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-17
STANLEY AFRICANUS.
A Private Letter from the Explorer
An African vtiiage-The Explorers
Hut and Outft-What has Been Ae-
eOmpltshed.

eOmpltshed.
From q private letter dated Knapehye,
Lake Victoria NiyanZa, May ~, 1875, and
published in the Boston Journal.
Knapehyi is q struggling village of
cone huts, twenty or thirty in number.
which are built somewhat in the form Ct
circle, hedged round by q fence of
thorn twisted between upright stakes.
Sketch such village in your imsgina-
ton, and let the center OF 1t be dotted
here ard there with the form of killings
who prank it with the vivacity OF Kid
lings under a hot, glowing sun. Let u
couple of warriors and few round-bel-
lied children be seen among them, and
near tall hut, which is the Chiefs, plant
taller tree, under whose shade sit few
Elders IN council with their chief. So
much for the village. l am sure you will
know it if you come this way. Now out
side the village, yet touching the fence,
begin to draw the form OF square camp,
about fifty yards square, each side tlanEed
with low, square huts, under the caves OF
which place as many tigues Of men Ms you
please-for we have maryland You have
the camp of the Anglo-American expcdi-
tion commanded by your friend and hum
BILE servant. From the center OF the
camp YOU may see the Lake Victoria, or
that portion of it have called Spoke
Gulf, and twenty-five miles distant you
may see table topped Magita, the large
island of Ukerave, and toward the north
west clear horizon, with nothing be-
tween water and sky to mar its level.
The surface of the Lake, which approach
es to within one hundred yards OF the
camp, is much ruftled just at present with
northwest breeze, and though the sun
is glowing hot, under the shade it is
agreeable enough, so that nobody per-
spires or is troubled with the heat. You
must understand that there is vast dill
ference between New York and Central
African heat. Yours Is n sweltering heat,
begetting languor and thirst; ours Is u
dry heat, permitting activity and action
without thirst or perspirstion. ltweeX
posed ourselves to the sun we would feel,
quite as though We we're being baked.
Come with me to my lodgings now. l
lodge in a hut but little inferior IN size TO
the chiefs. In it Is stored the luggage of
the expedition, which fills one-hait' IL
is about six tons in weight, and consists
of cloth, beads, wire, shells, ammunition.
powder barrels, portmanteaus,. IRON
trunks, Photographic apparatus, scient'hc
instruments, pontoons, sections OF boat
,Sc. The other half of the hut is my
sleeping, dining and ball ROOM. 1t is
dark as pitch within. the light can not
pepetrste the mud with which the wood.
work is literally iaubed. The floor is ot
dried mud thickly covered with dust,
which breeds fleas and other vermin, TO
be plague to me and to my poor dogs.
| have four youthful Mercuries, oil eoon
color, attending me, who on the marca
carry my personal weapons of otfense. L
do not need so many servants to wait on
me, but such is their pleasure. They ma
their reward in the liberal leavings OF
the table. Did they not minister 10 me
they know they would have to subsist on
their rstions, and black youths have such
capacity of distension in their stomscns
that would shame the veriest slutton IN
Europe. If have goat killed for the
European mess, halt OF 1t sutfices for two
dsys for US, When it becomes slightly
tainted my Mercuries will BEG it and de-
YOUR i, at single sitting Just outside
the door of my hut are about two dozen
of my men, squatted in circle and
stringiny beads. A necklace OF beads Is
each mans daily sum wherewith to buy
food. have now little over l6o men.
Imagine l60 necklaces given for food each
dsy for the last three months; in the sg-
prega,e the sum amounts to l4,oOO neck
lsces; in year it will amount to oo'ioo
necklaces. A necklace OF ordinary beads
is cheap enough in the States, but the ex'
pense of carriage makes necklace here
coal to about twenty-five cents in value.
For necklace l can buy chicken or a
peck Of sweet potatoes, or halt a peck OF
grain. left the cosst with about forty
thousand wards of cloth which, IN the
States, would be worth twelve and halt
cents per yard, or altogether about S5,Ooo;
the expense Of portersge as far as this
lake, makes each yard worth about ffty
cents. Two yards of cloth will purchase
a GOA. or q sheep, thirty yards will pur-
chase an OF, fifteen yards is enough to
purchase days rations for the entire
caravan.
These are a few of the particulars OF
our more domestic affairs The expedi
ton is now divided into eight squads o.
twenty men each, with an experienced
man over each squad. They are al arm
ed with snyder's and pereussion-loc.
muskets. A dozen or so OF the mos'
| faithful have brace Of revolvers IN al
dition TO their other arms.
We have had four battles since We iei'