The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-15

dChIcNcu W JOURNALISM III contained Stan
ley's report Of his voyage down the great rival
of the Nle-the historical Congo-and threads
like the pages of Herodotus rhc report is, OF
course, too long to be copied here but we can
give some idea Of il by a few extracts. ON the
4th of January last he writes:
We came to what proved series of catar-
acts, below the confluence Of the Lumami and
the Lualaba or the Iowa, as the river was now
called. Our troubles began now IN earnest.
We were hunted like game. Night and day
every nerve was strained to defend ourselves.
Four times on January we broke through the
I lines of canoes brought out against Us, and
finally we were halted by the Baswa Falls, in
latitude deg. 30 min. 36 sec. south. The say
ages seemed to think that we had no resource
left but to surrender and be eaten at their leis-
ure. Again and again were we compelled to
repulsc the furious charges that they made to
drive us over the falls The people of the
Falls Islands also came up to assist the canni-
balls Of Mwana Ntaba. We were at bay, and
became desperate. Return we could not, as
we could not pull against stream and fight
We pulled ashore first on the right bank, then
across river to the left and made camp in the
woods, drawing our canoes and boat up after
us. After constructing IA fence OF brush around
|
placed in position for defence After short
time the natives retired and left us to rest.
For the ensuing twentyfour days we had fear
full work constructing camps By night along
the line marked out during the day, cutting
roads from above to below each fall, dragging
our heavy canoes during the day, while the
most active of the young men-the boats
crew-repulscd the sayages and foraged for
! food.
On J,.auary ., we had passed in this des-
peratc way forty-two geographical miles, by
six falls, and to effect it had dragged our Ca
noes distance of thirteen miles by land, by
roads which we had cut through the forest.
Our provisions in the meantime we had topro-
cure as We best could When we had cleared
the last fall, latitude 0 deg. II min. so seconds
north, we halted two days for rest, which we
all very much needed. In the passage of these
falls we lost five men only.
After passing this series of falls we entered
| upon different scenes. The river was gradual
| ly widening from the usual 1 800 to 1000 yards
breadth to two and three miles. Itthen began
to receive grander atfiuents, and soon assumed
Il lacustrinc breadth from four to ten miles
! Islands also were so numerous that only once
a day were we able TO obtain a glimpse of the
opposite bank. We had reached the great
basin lying between the maritime and lake
regions.
We are not disposed TO be critical, but Mr..
Stanley goes on to relate sundry and various
battles that, in spite of respect for the most
yeraciou' Of men, remind Us of a conversation
between one Jack Falstaif and Prince Henry.
However, let that pass:
felt almost convinced wa. on the Congo.
| was in latitude deg. 46 min. north Look
where might on my chart saw was in the
midst OF IL horrible, hateful blacknesS-a
meaningless void. Yet to fight daily three or
four times each day our ammunition would
not last Nature even could not sustain such
a strain as we experienced. The increasing
breadth of the river below this last great atflu-
ent pointed way OF escape. would aban-
don the mainland and lose myself among the
! islands. | thus would pass by many affluents,
but it could not be helped. The main thing
after all was the great river itself the receiver
of all atfiuents.
The boat led the way to the islands. The
| first attempt was unsuccessful, for the chan.
nels, after taking us by half dozen islands,
exposed Us again to the savages, and we, OF
course, were again compelled to fight After
two or three attempts we learned to distinguish
the main land from the islands, and we glided
down for five days without trouble, further
than anxiety FOR food.
BY and by Stanley comes to a great chief
and the following conversation cnsueS:
What river is this, chief" asked
THE River" he replied
Has it no name?' | asked
Yes, the Great River"
: Il understand; but you have a name and
have name, your village has name Have
I you no particular name for your river we
spoke in bad KikusuD
1T is called lkutu IA kOngo'
! The River OF Congo,
There was, then, no doubt but we were still
about eight hundred and fifty miles from the
Atlantic Ocean and over nine hundred miles
below Nyangwc Manyema.
NoS he comes to the cataractS:
| Nearly fourteen hundred miles had been
passed. The Congo became stragtcned by
clio, meeting aspiring banks of naked cliffs,
or rep slopes of mountains shaggy with tall
WOO =, or piles above piles OF naked craggy
roc. md presently swept impetuousiy down
IN rpentine curves, heaving upward in long
| lin ii brown pillows, sometimes rs though
Irut.lri 10y tempest, or with a steep CLASSY
| tai. ~ laundering down steep after steep. toss
| ing i, waters upward in huge waves with
! their Crests dissoving in spray and mist, or
boiling round isles of powders, which dis.
parted il INTO two branches with fearful whirl.
pools with uprising whirling caldrons, and as
| it varied its wild aspect so it varied its thun.
| der, moan and plant. At one time the rush
sounded like the Swash Of sea waves against a
ships prov driven before spanking breeze.
another time like strong tide washing against
piers and huttreSscS OF bridges, at another time
/ it overwhelmed the senses and filled the meas
ure Of "a deep grief With the roar OF it, fury
and far up on the height Of the tableland. the
/ limorOus and superstition, Ba>undi, >traying
near the Clihy verge, stopped his ears against
/ the dreadful thunGer and hurried away a. from
doom.
| While We Were fighting our tragical way
over the long series OF fall, along distance Of
over $50 miles, which occupied u, five months.
We lived ~ though We were III tunnel sub
jet at interval, 10 the thunderou> crash Of
passing train.
And 50. with night, Of vigil and days Of