, 1877-11-07
MR. STANLEY'S LATEST


since Mf. Stanlty, packed up MS VFHnKS
in Madrid and FASTENED TO Paris to receive
the order $50 find Livingstone' lie has done
much valuable work as an explorer. The
New York Herald, contains a sketch of his
last feat, the crossing Of the African con.
linent from the eastern to the western
shore. The cost Of this enterprise has
been paid by the New York Herald and
the Daily Telegraph, and ATr. Stanley has
no doubt draws rather heavily on the
ample resources of those newspapers. His
bearers and other assistants in tie heart
Of Africa numbered no less than 14O, and
. on reaching tho coast he sill had IFS.
Early |ast year Stanley nscertained by a
rough survey The true outline of The
Victoria lake, : body of fresh water nearly
equal to Lake Superior, which had been
already discovered and partly surveyed by
Captain Spoke. LATER in the year he
made his way stutbward to the great
Tanganika Lake, on The shores of which
DR.. Livingstone spent the last few y ars
OF his lifs and here he examined the
River kakuga, which was reported by
Lieutenant Cameron TO flow out Of The
lake in'o the river Lualaba, a large
stream 10 the westward of the lake and
haviIg Q nOrthell y course. Stanley how
ever found the water of the Lakuga to
be draining slow y into the lake yet, lis
channel is continued into the Lualaba,
end the waters OF tt o lake undoubtedly
rass of into that river when they Use
to an unusual height. The Luol4ba
is a riy.r which has possessed great
interest fr g%a~gfaphers for some years
past Livings ore supposed it to be a
tributary OF tbs Nile, aud if his life al
been spared would no doubt have solved
the problem which has now been solved
hy Cameron and Stanley. Mr.. Stanley was
prevented by dense forests, and the
attacks of natives. from following the
tivtr banks on foot and therefore took to
" lis exploring boat, tho Lady Alice, which
he has carried about Africa it'll HIM in
small pieces. all ready to be screwed to-
grtber at a moments notice. With the
aid Of this little vessel and o fact of
eighteen canoes he managed to make his
way down the stream aud discovered that
it turned gradually to the West, and was
in fact the same as the Congo or Zaire
river, the lower part of which has long
bees known. During his journey he was
frequently attacked by the %nativ,s aid
was often in alarming danger from the
Numerous catarsHts. On one occasion he
was actually swept over q waterfall and
OF another similar accident he writes "My
grief is still new over the loss of my last
white assistant Francis Pocock, who was
swept over the fall OF the Massassa on tho
3rd Of last june" The most painful feature
Of the story is the continual fighting
which accompanied the progress Of the
expedition, no leIs than thirty-two battles
having been fought between his depar-
ture from The interior and his arrival on the
west coast.
One cannot help contrasting an explo-
rer OF this warlike character with the
peaceful Livingstone, who earned the
lows and respect of all civilized men
while he excited their admiration. Mr..
Stanley is no doubt very brave, very
persevering. and great in resources, but
after oil, he has in this last exploit added
very little to our knowledge (for Cameron
had already practically settled the quss-
. lion Of the identity of the Lualaba with
the Congol acd that little has been added
al too great q cost; the cost not only of
the lives sacrificed, but of eli chance of
satisfy fer future explorers for many years
sVAAo> ~ .