The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-09-22
STANLEY.
A Wonderful Tale form the Celebrated African
Explorer.

success


ing which the gravest fears were entertained
for his safely, news has come that Henry NJ.
Stanley has arrived on the west coast of Africa,
after troublesome journey across the CONT
nent along the line Of the Lualaba and Congo
Rivers. Stanley's letters are dated from En-
bowa. Congo River Aug 10, and says he ar
rived at that point from Zanzibar Aug. 8, with
only 11j souls, and in an awful condition, after
the long, terrible journey through the heart OF
the African Continent After completing the
exploration of Lake Tanganyika, and settling
definitely by actual survey the question Of the
outflow Of the lake by what was believed to
be the River Lalluga, but which he has
PROVED TO DE ONLY A CREEK
draining into the lake, except where the
waters of the great inland sea attain an extra
ordinary level Stanley and his followers
pushed across the country to the Nyangiye
on the Lualaba This was the most northerly
point reached by Cameron when he attempted
to solve the mystery of the Congo, and lis
identity with the main drainage line OF the
[nalaba basin. Stanley left Nyangive Nov.
%, 1876, and Travelled overland through Ureg
ra After an arduous march of many days
through country filled with difficulties, and
being compelled to transport on the shoulders
of his men every pound of provisions and
other stores necessary for the transcontinental
Journey, and besides carrying, in a similar
manner, the sections of the Lady Alice, the
exploring boat, and the arms and ammunition
of his party, Stanley found himself brought to
a stand by
AN IMMENSE TRACT OF DENSE FORESTS,
through which all attempts at progress were
futile. Finding he could not advance along
the line he had first intended to follow, stan
lev crossed the Lualaba and continued along
-, FL,
Northeast Uskusa On this route he endeay
ored to find an outlet westward, but the jungle
was so dense and the iatigues of the march so
harrassing that it seemed impossible to pass
the tremendous barrier of the forest. To add
to the horrors of his position, Stanley was OPP
posed at every step by the hostile cannibal ma
| lives who filled the woods and poured
FLIGHTS OF POISON ARROWS
on his party, killing and fatally wOunding
many of his men. From evory tree and rock
the deadly missiles winged their course and
! the heavilv-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. Stanley's march
through these cannibal regions soon became
hopeless. There was no cessation OF the
! fighting, day or night. An attempt at camp
| ing merely concentrated the savagcs, and rem
dered their fire more deadly. The advance
was
\ SUCCESSION OF CHARGES
IN rude and sklrmishing order by guard en-
gagged to clear the road for the main body,
while rear-guard in like manner covered the
retreat All efforts to appcase the savages
were unavailing. They would listen to no
ovcrturcs, disregarded signals of friendship,
and refused gifts. They regarded as coward
| ice the patient behavior of Stanley's men, so
I,,,t f,rlt : la
out with as little loss as possible. To render
StanIey's position more deplorabIc, his escort
of 146 natives engaged for the service at
Nyangive,
! REFUSED TO GO FURTHER, AND DESERTED.
They were so overawed by the terrorS OF the
forest and the fighting that they believed de-
S;ructiOn was certain To Ovcrtake the whole
party Learning that his ranks were thinned
| hv this dcscrion, the hostile natives gathered
for grand attack on Stanley to completely
crush him 1t became necessary, therefore, to
organize desperate resistance, which was so
successful that it repulsed the savages for the
time, and gave Stanley chance to arrange
plans adapted to his trying situation. There
was only one way to escape uni ess Stanley &C
ccpted the alternate of returning to NyangwC
and abandoning the work he had undertaken
1 This was To use canoes. With the Lady
Alice as Il last reliance, and good canoes fol
the party. Stanley concluded he would adj
vance with better prospect OF success. a!
Though he had decided advantage over the
savagcs on the water, Stanley found each
days advance a repetition of the previous
days struggle.
IT WAS DESPERATE FIGHTING
Throughout while pushing down the river
In the midst of these Struggles Stanley:
Tourney was interrupted by a series of great
lcataracts not far apart, and just north anc
south of the equator. To pass these he had to
cut his way through thirteen miles of dens'
forest, and Ia drag his eighteen canoes ana Tho
Lady Alice overland. This enormous labor
Icntailcd the most eXhausting efforts, and Tho
men had frequently to abandon the aN ans
drag ropes for their rifles to defend thcmselvc'
lagainst the continuous assaults of the hostile
natives
/ AFTER PASSING THE CArARACTs
there was a long breathing pause and compar
alive security from the attack, while the party
recruited strength Tor the further journey
westward Though fighting his way coniin
luouSly. Stanley made opportunity % note the
interesting changes and physical characters
tiles Of the route. At two degrees Of nortl
latitude hc found the course of the grca, Luai
aba sweryed from its almost direct nOrthcrll
: drection 10 the northwes,warl, developing
into broad stream varying in width from I'VE
Ito ten miles, and choked with Islands. II
layoid struggles With
THE TRIBES OF ClNNIEAI&,
, inhabiling the mainland each side the river
; SANKEY'S flee, padded between the inland'
, taking advantage Of the cover. la this Wa.
many miles were made with little molc,tation
but this safety was purchased by much suftci
= ing Cut off from supplies in The middle ,
e the great river, starvation threatened. y
, IRENE hunger was endured. three davs Eain
passed by the party without food. This stat
Of things could not b. loager endured, s
$ Stanley resolved tomcet his fate on the mai
q land rather than 10y hunger on the river. II
=, turned 10 the LEFT bank Of the Iualsba an
with
; TIfE sINGUGAR GOOD FORTUNE
u Tia. has generally attended him. reached III