Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-09-28

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situation. There was only one way &
escape from the hapless position in whicl
Stanley found himself, unless he &C
tcepted the alternative of returning Il
Nyangwe and abandoning the grand worl
which he had undertaken. This was I,
make use of canoes.
With the Lady Alice as last reliance
and good canoes for the party, Stanle,
concluded that he could advance witt
better prospect of success than in an,
other way. Although he had decided
advantage over the savages on the water
Mr. Stanley still found that each day,
advance was but repetition of the
struggle of the day previous. 1t wa,
desperate fighting all the time, while
pushing down the river with might ant
main, 1t was still the rifle against the
4bow, hut the bow was covered by the
dense woods and the rife was exposed
in the open canoe.
In the midst of these successive strug
giles Stanley's journey on the river was
interrupted by a series of great cataracts,
not far apart from each other, and just
north and south of the equator To pass
these obstacles he had to cut his way
through over thirteen miles of dense
forest, and drag his eighteen canoes and
exploring boat, Lady Alice, overland
This enormous labor entailed the most
exhausting efforts, and they had fire.
quently to abandon the AK and drag
ropes for their rifles, to defend them
selves against the continuous assaults of
the hostile natives. After passing the
cataracts, Stanley and his party had a
long breathing pause from the toll of
dragging their boats through the forest.
Fhey were also comparatively secure from
attack, and took measures to recruit
Their exhausted strength before again
encountering the dangers of the journey
westward.
Although fighting his way continuous
ly, Stanley did not neglect the objects of
his journey, and found an opportunity
to note all the interesting changes and
physical characteristics of the route.
AT two degrees north latitude he found
that the course of the great Lualaba
swerved from its almost nOrtherly direc.
tion to the northwestward, to the west
ward, and then to the southwestward, de-
veloping into broad stream, varying in
width from two to ten miles and choked
with islands. tee- tH a aa.aI
In order to avoid the struggles with
the tribes of desperate cannibals that in
habited the mainland on each side of the
river, Stanley's canoe feet, lied by the
Lady Alice, padded along between the
Islands, taking advantage of the cover
they afforded as a protection from at.
tack. In this way many miles down the
stream were made by the party unmo.
Tested by the natives. But this safety
from attack was purchased by much suf-
fering. Cut off from supplies in the
middle of the great river, starvation
threatened to destroy the expedition.
The most extreme hunger was endured
by the party, which passed three entire
days absolutely without any food. This
terrible state of things could not be any
longer endured, so Stanley resolved to
meet his fate on the main land rather
than by hunger on the river. He there.
fore turned his course 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 mus.
kets, which they obtained from the West
Coast. They represent in degree the
advance guard of civilization toward the
of the continent. They called the
great river Skuta va Congo. With these
friendly natives Stanley and his party
made blood brotherhood" and pur-
chased from them an abundance of pro.
visions, which were sorely needed by the
famished exploring party.
After brief rest, Stanley endeavored |
to continue his course along the left bank |
of the river; but, three days after his de- |
parture from the village of the friendly
natives, he came to the country of |
powerful tribe, whose warriors were
armed with muskets. Here, for the first |
time since leaving Nyangwe, Stanley
had to contend with an enemy on an al |
NEST equal footing as to arms. He
therefore prepared his party for the |
the issue of which was de. |
cidedly doubtful. No sooner did these
natives discover the approach of Stan |
ey's expedition than they manned fifty
four large canoes and put off from the |
liver bank to attack it. 1t was not until |
after three of his men were killed that |
stanley desisted in his efforts to make |
he natives understand that he and his
party were friends. He cried out to
hem to that effect; he offered them
,lothes and peace gifts, but the savages
to be conciliated, and the fight
oroceedcdwith unabated fury. Fortwelve
niles downthe riverthe struggle went on,
md IL proved to be the greatest and most
desperate fight on this terrible river. 1t
vas maintained by Stanley's followers
With great courage, and was the last save
me OF thirty-two battles fought since the
expedition had left Nyangwe.
The Lualaba, which river changes its
lame scores of times, now as it ap-
the Atlantic Ocean became
.nown as the Quango and the Soure. As
he river runs through the great basin
which lies between 26 deg. and II deg.
ast longitude, ii has an uninterrupted
curse of over 700 miles, with magnif.
ent atfiuents, especially on the southern
ide. Thence, clearing the broad belts
I mountains between the great basin of
he Atlantic Ocean, the river descends
y about thirty falls and furious rapids
0 the great river between the falls of
ielaia and the Atlantic.
Stanley's losses during the long and
errible journey across the continent
rom Nyangwe have been very severe.
he continuous fighting in the forests
hd'on the river reduced the strength of
he expedition daily, until it became
uestion whether any of its members
youid reach the coast. Stanley states in
is dispatch; " Ny grief is still new over
he loss of my last white assistant, the
rave and pious young Englishman, Fran
is PocOek, who was sweDt over the falls
{ the Massasa ON the Sd Of last June" He
dds" My faithful companion, Kalulu,
also among the lost"
On the same day that Pocock was lost,
taDley and seven men were almost
rawn into the whirlpools of the Moa
alls; and six weeks later himself and
ne entire crew of the Lady Alice were
wept over the Falls of Mbelo, whence
My by miracle they escaped. The
xplorer writes 81 make the expedition
rom Bona by steamer to Calinda, and
roceed thence TO st. Paul de Lando.
lF Priaa nf tho firm, Of Ha2ton a, Do1H ,