The New York herald., 1877-10-09
stanlcy's Lstters-Unvefling the Mys-
tsrtes OF Equatorial Africa.


tories OF Eqaatorial Africa.
There is length and breadth to the work
of exploration in Africa which tends to
dwarf our conceptions Of achievements
which would be deemed almost superhuman
if accomplished ON q known and limited
field. The very magnifcence of the tri-
umph is often the cause Of its partial OBJ
scuration from the vulgar recognition that
takes only into account commonplace diff
culties magnifed and multiplied according
to the mental calibre of the observer. A
large majority of those who possess only
uncertain ideas of the geographical position
and the physical character of the continent
OF Africa will reduce their opinion of a
march from Zanzibar to the mouth Of the
Congo River to mere expression of
wonder that q man could walk SO far.
Others, perhaps, may conceive something
akin to contempt for an undertaking that
took SO long to accomplish after all. Many
| Of our readers will remember the story Of
the old trapper who, during visit to the
settlements heard preacher describe the
wanderings Of the Israelites under the guld-
ance of Moses for forty years in the Arabian
deserts. Learning, also, on inquiry, that
this desert was only few hundred
miles long and broad, the practical
minded old man exclaimed:-"A they
took forty year to git out of that thar
bit Of country Why, my friend Billy
| Spencer 'ud have fetched them out inside Of
three weeks" There is no doubt we have
many Billy Spencers in our midst who
imagine they could have followed the
Lualaba to the Congo, circumnavigated the
Victoria Niyanza and Lake Tanganyika, and
all that, while Stanley was getting ready to
do these things, and have plenty of time
besides to spare for wild forest sports and
other amusements.
| Really it is no exaggeration to say that
not one man in one thousand who reads of
Stanley's work as an explorer gives himself
time to consider the nature Of the task un-
dertaken or the significance and Importance
Of its results when accomplished. Setting
aside for the moment all considerations but
those bound up with Stanley's work in the
solving Of geographical problem we are at
once struck by the grandeur of the system
to be investigated. 1t was no less than the
drainage Of a mighty continent through the
main arteries called rivers, which unceas-
ingly pour their enormous volumes Of water
downward to the ocean. Whence did these
waters come? Where did they first COM
mence to flow? What were the directions
they took from these sources toward the
ultimate ocean basin into which they are
discharged? These questions were pro-
pounded to man by his hunger after
perfect knowledge of the earth he in
habits. They also arose out OF desire to
profit by that knowledge, and may be
said to have been suggested in some degree
by wish to bring the enlightenment Of
civilization to the dwellers in these wilder
over the face Of Central Africa. But tho
motive moral force which put men like Liv-
ingstone, Spoke, Grant, Burton, Cameron
and. lastly, Stanley, the most successful Of
them all, on the forest or desert pathways,
| the lakes and the rivers Of Africa in search of
geographical truths. was that Of curiosity,
Unsuitable, uncomfortable curiosity, which
cannot be satisfied with less than that which
destroys it. The HERALD and London Daily
Telegraph. as journals representing the aspir-
ing thought of two great sections Of the
human family, have been the agents in pro-
viding the means for accomplishing the
geographical triumph which Stanley has
won.
But in the effort to attain the ends Of ex-
ploration there are other things to be consid-
cred which always dominate and often frus-
trate the most strenuous exertions Of the ex-
plorer. These are the physical difficulties
that beset him from the start and which in
crease with every mile he penetrates into the
unknown. In the case Of Stanley's labors
in Africa, which may be taken as being in
the highest degree involved in these physi-
cal difficulties, we can readily understand
their arduous character from the very out
set Surrounded by q retinue Of ignorant
savages whose contact with civilization on
the coast impaired to them all the vices and
few or none OF the virtues of the higher
state Of being he undertook TO penetrate q
country without roads or even reliable
pathways. This region he found in
habited by hostile natives, kindred in
race to and scarcely more ignorant and
superstitious than his own followers. He
traversed region where by reason of local
wars the tribes were arrayed against each
other, but all united to oppose the advance
of the dreaded white man. To add to these
dangers food was scarce and often entirely
wanting A burning sun by day and chilly
dews by night created those conditions that
caused the deadly fevers to assault even the
acclimated natives with fatal effect. Wild
beasts in unknown numbers, but we'll known
ferocity, prowled around the camp at night
while by day every turn in the forest or
jungle path might bring the traveller into
a trap where the poisoned arrows of the
savages would end his life and his ambitious