, 1877-11-16
Stanley's Great Exploration.

Of the most important which Africa has
held in her grim Keeping has been tn.
umphan,ly solved. There were good
grounds for the belief that Mr.. Stan.
ley, with the advantage of his years OF
experience as an explorer his vigorous
and thoroughly acclimated frame, his
combined courage and quickneSs OF de-
cision in situations of peril, and his ex-
ceptionally complete equipment for the
undertaking, would succeed in reaching
the western coast somerhere; but that he
should have been allowed by fate to follow
the Lualaba Of Livingstone until it he.
came the Congo, and to locate its entire
course from the Manyuema country to
the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the most
signal successes. in the annals of geo.
graphical discovery.
Stanley's last letters to the Herald be-
fore setting out on this wonderful jour
ney, were written from Ujiji, on Lake
Tanganyika, in August, 1876, and did
not reach their destination until the 18th
of last March. He announced his speedy
departure for Nyangwe, on the Lualaba,
the point beyond which both Livingstone
aud Cameron found itimpossible to pro-
ceed. The difficulties encountered by the
latter in bis endeavors to reach the river
from points further west gave us, in ad-
vapce,a clear conception of the hazardous
task which awaited Stanley. When these
last messages arrived, six months of his
unknown journey had already elapsed,
and six more have passed before the news
of his safe arrival at Emboma, on the
Lower Congo, comes to relieve the gen.
eral anxiety in regard to his fate, before
it has taken the form Of painful sus-
pense. Reaching Emboma on the 9Th Of
August, his travels from Lake Tanganyika
TO the mouth of the Congo, must have oc-
cupied about eleven months, nine of
which were spent in traversing territory
utterly unknown.
The first report, which the Herald has
just received, gives general and some
what vague geographical outline of the
route. Stanley started from Nyangwe,the
initial point of exploration,on the 18th of
last November. Instead of embarking
on the Lnalaba, he appears to have
pressed forward along the right bank of
the river, carrying his supplies and the
sections of his boat on the shoulders of
men. His progress was greatly impeded
by great tracts of dense forest, and the
attacks of the savage native tribes, with
whom he found it impossible to establish
any friendly intercourse. He then crossed
the river, and continued his march along
the left bank and encountered the same
obstacles. Finally the porters from Ny
angwe, lao in number, became so intimi.
dated by the dangers which beset the
party, that they deserted in body. The
march, in fact, was necessarily made in
military order, with skirmishers in ad-
vance, and a rear guard Many men
were struck down by the arrows of the
natives, shot at them out of the ambush
OF the forests. The desertion of the por-
ters was followed by combined attempt
TO exterminate the rest of the party, and
Stanley was fualy compelled to 6etake
Himself to the river.
The brief sketch of the voyage will ex.
cite general impatience for fuller de.
tails. The great stream flowed north.
ward to the Equator, where its course
was interrupted by succession of catar.
acts. Stanley, who found that in spite of
the hostility of the tribes on both shores
he was better able to protect his men in
their canoes than in the forests, was
obliged tn cut track thirteen miles in
length, in order to transport his boat aud
canoes below the falls. Then, after o pc
ROD OF very necessary rest, the voyage
was resumed. On reaching the parallel
OF degrees north latitude, the course of
the river turned westward, and then
southWestward, ina great curve. 1t was
from two to ten miles in breadth, and
hlled with islands, between which the
little totilla pushed forward with less
danger from the attacks of the savaoes.
All efforts to communicate with the lat.
Ter tailed; the supplies came to an end,
ana the party was threatened with stary
anon. Finally, when three entire days
had been passed without food, Stanley
Halted at village on the left bank, where
by providentia chance the people were
friendly, and had some intercourse with
the sea-cOast. They called the river
"lkuta ya Congo" From that point,
the name Of Lualaba was replaced by
"kwango," or you're (Zaire0.
Tested and amply supplied, the expe.
oilon set forth again. But It's dangers
were not yet over; in three DAYS Stanley
entered the domlnions Of a powerful
trioe, the men Of which were armed with
muskets They put off in ffty-four
large canoes to attack the nineteen canoes