The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-09-20
forests, through which all attempts al
progress were futile.

progress were futile.
j Finding he. cosld not AdyaAca aioHs
the line be hHd fist intended to follow
Stanley crossed the Lualaba and Continue
along the left bank of the river. passino
through Northeast Uskusa. On this ronte
he endeavored to find an outlet westward
but the jungle was so dense and the fa'
tigues Of the march 10 harassinr that Il
seemed impossible to pass the tfemsnduns
barrier OF the foreet To add to the hor.
rors OF his positioh, Stanley was OPPOSED
at every step BY the hostile cannibal na.
tlves. who filed the woods and poured
flights of poisah arrows on his partv
killing and fatally wounding many of his
men. From every tree and rock the
deadly missiles winged their course. and
the heavily laden bearers fell dead under
their loads. Only now and then could
Stanley and his men reply with their
| rifles, as the savages kept Under dense
cover: SANKEY'S march through these
cannibal regions soon became almost
hopeless. There was no cessation Of the
fighting, day or night. An attempt AT
camping merely concentrated the savages,
rude and skirmishing order by guard
engaged to clear the road of the main
body, while real. guard in like manner
covered the retreat. All efforts to appease
the savages were unavaiing. They would
listen to no overtures, disregarded signals
OF friendship and refused gifts. They re-
garded as cowardice the patient behavior
of Stanley's men, SO that no course re-
manned but to fight the way out with as lit.
tie loss as possible.
To render Stanley's position more de-
plOrable, his escort of 140 natives, engaged
for the service at Nyangwe, refused to 90
further, and deserted. They were so over
awed by the terrors OF the forest and the
fighting, that they believed destruction
was sure to overtake the whole party
Learning that his ranks were thinned by
this desertiop, the nostile natives gathered
for grand attack on Stanley, to CON-
pletely crush him. 1t became necessary,
therefore, to organize desperate resist
ance, which was SO successful that it re-
pulsed the savages for the time, and gave
Stanley chance to arrange plans adapted
to his trying situation There was only
one way to escape, unless Stanley accepted
the alternative of returning to Nyangwe,
and abandoning the work he lad under
taken. This was to use canoes. With
the Lady Alice as a last reliance, and good
canoes for the party. Stanley concluded
he would advance with better prospect of
success.
Although he had decided advantage
over the savages on the water, Stanley
found each days advance a repetition of
the previous days struggle. 1t was des-
perate fighting throughout while pushing
down the river. In the midst of these
struggles Stanley's journey was inter-
rupted by series of great cataracts not
far apart, and just north and south of the
equator. To pass these he had to cut his
way through thirteen miles of dense for
est, and to drag his eighteen canoes and
the Lady Alice overland. This enormous
labor entailed the most exhausting efforts,
and the men had frequently to abandon
the ax and drag ropes for their rifles, to
defend themselves against the continuous
assaults of the hostile natives. After pass
ing the cataracts there was long breath
ing pause and comparative security from
attack, while the party recruited strength
for the further journey westward.
Though fighting his way continuously,
Stanley made opportunity to note the in
teresting changes and physical character
istics of the route. At two degrees of
north latitude he found the course of the
great Lualaba swerveu Irufr. lts aln.sst di-
rect northerly direction to the northwest
ward, To the westward, and then to the
southwestward, developing into broad
stream varying in width from two to ten
miles, and choked with islands. To
avoid struggles with the tribes of canni-
balls, inhabiting the mainland each side
the river, Stanley's fleet padded between
the islands, taking advantage Of the cover.
In this way many miles we're made with
little molestation, but this safety was pur-
chased by much suffering. Cut off from
supplies in the middle Of the great river,
starvation threatened. Extreme hunger was
endured, three days being passed by the
party without food. This state of things
could not be longer endured, so Stanley
resolved to meet his fate on the mainland
rather than by hunger on the river. He
turned to the left bank of the Lualaba,
and. with the singular good fortune that
has generally attended him, reached the
village of tribe acquainted with trade.
These people had four muskets, which
they had obtained from the West Coast.
They represent the advance guard of CIV
ilization toward the interior of the Cont
nent. They called the great river Ikuta
va Congo. With these natives Stanley
made I" blood brotherhood" and pur-
chased from them an abundance of pro-
visions.
After brief rest, Stanley continued his
course along the left bank. Three days
after leaving the friendly village he came
to the country of a powerful tribe, whose
warriors were armed with Uuskets. Here,
for the first time since leaving Nyangwe,
Stanley had to fight an enemy ofIequal
footing as to arms. No sooner did the
natives discover Stanley's approach tfan
they manned fifty -four large canoes, and
put off from the river bank to attack him.
Not till three of his men were killed did
Stanley Gesist trying 10 make the natives
understand that he was friendly. He Of
fercd peace gifts, but the savages refused
to be reconciled, and the fight went on.
For twelve miles down the river it was
maintained by Stanley's followers with
great courage, and was the last save one
OF thirty.two battles since the expedition
had left Nyangwe.
The Lualaba, which river changes its
name scores of times as it approaches the
Atlantic Ocean, now becomes known as
the Kivango, and the Zoun. As the river
runs through the great basin which lies
between 16 and II degrees east longitude,
il has an uninterrupted course of over 700
miles, with magnificent affiuents, espec-
tally on the southern side. Thence cleav-
ing the broad belt of mountains between
the great basin of the Atlantic Ocean, the
river descends about thirty falls and furi-
ous rapids to the great river between the
Falls OF Yellala and the Atlantic.
Stanley's losses during the long and ter
rible journey across the continent from
NvanCWe have hecn verv severe The