The New York herald., 1877-09-20
From the New York Tribune
sTANLnY's GREAT EXPLORATION

sTANLNY's GREAT EXPLORATION.
Another geographical prof lem, and OF the mos.
important which Africa has held In her grim keeping
has Doen trumphanty solved. There good
grounds Tor tho belief that Mr. Stanley with the ad
vantage OF his years Of experience explorer his
vigorous aud thoroughly acclimacd frame, his com.
bincd courage and quckuess of decision in situations
OF rcril and his exceptionally complete equipment for
the undertaking. would succeed reaching Tho west
ern coast somewhere; but that he should have been
allowed by fate to follow tho Lualaba of Livingstone
until IL became the Congo, ana TO locate It's entire
course from the Aanyuema country TO the Atlantic
Ocean, Ia ono OF tho most signal successes the
nails Of geographical discovery.
Staney's last letters 10 the HERALD before setting
this wonderful Journey were written from Ujj,
on Lake Tanganyika. IN August, 1S76,1and did not
reach their destination until the 18th OF last Marcn.
He announced his speedy departure Tor Nyanrwe, on
the Luaaba, tho point beyond which both Living stonc
and Cameron found IL impossible to proceed The df-
ncues encountered by the latter In his endcavors to
reach from points u ther gave u.s. In ad
vance, ,cear conception OF tho hazardous task which
awaited Stanley. When these last messages arrived
SIX months Of MS unknown Journey had already
elapsed, and six more have passed before the OF
his safe arrival at Emboma, on the Lower Congo
to relieve the general anxiety In regard to his
fate boforo has taken tho form of panu suspense
Reaching Emboma on the 8.h OF August, his travels
from Lake Tanganyika to the mouth OF the Congo
must have occupied about eloven months, nine OF
which were spent In travcrs,ng territory utterly
known.
The first report which the HERALD has lust received
gives general and somewhat vague geogr raphical out
line of the route. Staney started from Nyangwe tho
initial point OF exploration, on The 10Th OF last Novem
ber sInstead of cmbarking che Luanba he appears
pressed forward along tho right bank of the
river carryn his supplies and the sections OF his
on the shoulders OF mon. HIS progress was greatly
impeded by great tracts Of dense forest tho
OF the savage native tribos, with whom found IL
impossible TO establish any friendly intercourse
He then crossed the river, aud continued his
march along the left bank, oncountcrng tho
same obstacles Finally the porters from Nyangwe
l4O in number became SO intimdated by the danpcrs
beRet the that tbey deserted in n bodv
The march, in fact was necessarily made IN military
order, with skirmishers in advance and rear guard
Many men were struck down by the arrows OF tho
natives shot at them out OF the ambush the forests
The deserton OF the portcrs was followed by
bncd attompt to extcrmnatc the rest Of the party,
and Stanley was finally compelled to betake himself TO
the river.
The brief sketch Of the voyage will excite general
impaticncc for fuller details The great stream flowed
northwa to the Equator whero its inter-
ruptcd by a succession OF cataracts stanley, who
found that in spite OF tho hostility OF the tribes
both shores he better able to protect his men In
their canoes than in the forests obligci 10 cut
track thirteen mes IN length In order to transport his
boat and the canoes below the falls Then, after a
period OF very necessary rest the voyage resumed
On reaching tho parallel OF degrees north latitude the
course OF tho river turned westward and south
westward, IN great curve. IL was from two to
ten miles in breadth. and filed with islands,
between which the little 1,tilla pushed forward with
less danger from tho attacks OF the ssvages All
efforts to communicate with tho latter aiied the sup
Plies came TO an end, and tho party was threatened
with starvation. Finally when three entire days had
been passed without iood, Stanley halted at village
the left bank where, by providcntia chance, tho
people friendly, and had somc intercourse wit
the coast. They called the river '.Ikuta va
Congo" From that point the name OF Lualaba was
replaced by ''kwango," or "zoure" thairc0 ~
Rested and amply supplied the expedition set forth
again. But its dangers were not yct ovcr: In three
days Stanley en,cred the dommions Of powerful
tribe the men OF which were armed with m.skcts.
They put of nifty -iour largo to attack the
nineteen Of the intrudcrs, and desperate
river This was the last but ono OF hirtytwo separate
attacks made upon the expedition alter leaving N.Y.
angwe OF the force OF $50 men with which stanley
lett Zanzibar in November, 1874, ll5 survivors, In a
miserable state OF exhaustion arrived with him at
Embona His greatest loss was that Of hts only
English assistant, Francis Pocock who was carried
June last special fortune seems to have attended
the explorer, for his own boat tho Lady Alice, with
himself and crow, was carried over another cataract
weeks later, all escaping as by miracle From
Emboma there is easy communication with St Paul
dc Loarda and stanley may therefore, reach England
In another month
The exploration, II will be seen, beginning at Ihe
point where Livingstone and Cameron were inter-
ruptcd, determines the entire course of the Congo
River But further, through the great curve OF that
river beyond tho Equator IL carries our line OF know
edge over nearly bali the unexplorcd re-
gion Of Central africa Even II there are
great northern aflucnts Of tho Congo AS there
arc southern, we may consider It now nearly cslab-
shed settled iacts that the largest fcccrs OF the
Victoria Niyanza are the sole sources OF tho Nile;
that tho river Wclic, Of Schweiniurth bcougs
Tssd, tho Bcnuc, which Is the main arm OF tho
Niger that the Ogowe ut present the avoritc field OF
French explorers, mas no important region O
IN Short that no other large river system viii DC
found In tho yet unknown region lying between tbc
systems OF the Nile, the Niger and tho Congo. Tho
results OF Mr. Sanleys discoveries thus extend widely
beyond thor field His good fortune has been com.
mensuratc with his daring and endurance; aud the
two journals which equipped him literally tor tho
great venture are rewarded by u contribution to
geographical knowledge which has never been
cqualled by any single journey OF exploration. When
we take Stanicy's new route from Zanzibar Tor, at
least, from UgoRo TO tho Victoria Lake including his
discovery 6fihc shmccyu RIVER; his complete circum-
navigation OF the lake, his examination OF the south
crn end OF the Albert Lake; he journey from Karag
we TO Vim by new route his repetition OF the com
picte survey of Lake TanganyiKa, and, finally, his
marvellous descent OF the Lualaba-Congo 10 the West
Ocean, must admit that IL stands alone, IN va
ricty and importance OF achievement in the records
OF African travel
From the New York rimcs.l
STANLEY.
The great journey OF Cameron across the continent