The Portland daily press., 1877-02-24
Recent Publications.
CENTRAL AFRICA. By Col G. Chaile Long. New
York: Harper Brothers. Portland: Loring Short


s. Harmon.
In July, 1873, Sir Samuel Baker returned
from an expedition into Central Africa where
he had been sent by the Khedive to suppress
the slave trade; he was unsuccessful because
the slave traders were assisted by government
officials. Col G. G. Gordon. G. b., OF the Eng
lish army, was appointed to succeed him, and
made Governor General of the Equatorial
Provinces of Egypt, with his seat of govern
ment at Gonbokoro, and the author of this book
an American and Southerner, was appointed
his chief of staff The expedition started in
February, 1874, and on arriving at Khartoun
found that the great mass of vegetable matter
which so impeded Baker in the upper waters
had been cut away and aoated out, which
allowed them to pass freely in the steamers
which Baker had carried thither. Col. Gordon
finding that great sickness prevailed at Gonbo-
koro, returned to Khartoun leaving permission
for Col. Long to explore the lakes, which he
undertook to do with only two soldiers as
guard. He started with large body of ivory
hunters who were going to Fatiko, 165 miles
above Gonbokoro, where Baker had built fort.
Thence he moved toward Victoria Lake with
his own scanty following. He visited Riongs,
Bakers faithful ally, and speaks most favor
ably of him. On the Goth of June he arrived
at the Court of MISE, the King of Ugunda
who had befriended both Speke and Baker, and
much astonshed that monarch and his court
by coming on horseback. Having never seen
horse before they mistook him for centaur.
In honor of his visit the king decaptated thirty
men as a sacrifice, which compliment polite
wall as nolicu raourad him, 70
quietly. Speke related this custom of Ugunda,
and Livingstone expressed doubt of it, but Col.
Long vindicates the former With large
escort from the king, he visited the lake and
MAKE ar excursion upon it, but by the strict
orders of the king was not allowed to attempt
to CROSS it, the feat being considered dangerous
in open boats. On July 10Th he started to re-
turn, this time taking to the river, where he
had dangerous passage, and a severe fight
with five hundred of Keba Rega's men in a
fleet Of boats. Keba Rega is the son of Kam-
rasi King of the Unyoro's, aud it was he who
gave Baker so dangerous check. With his
explosive bullets Col. Long put the crowd to
flight, killing about eighty of them. After
reaching Foneira, the most advanced Egyptian
military post in Rionga's country, he wished to
continue by the river, carrying his boats around
the falls of Karuma into Lake Albert and
thence down the Nile to Gongokoro, but sick
ness had made the garrison so weak that they
could not give the necessary escort so he re-
turned as he went up. Subsequently, he made
trip to the Niam.Niam country, at the head
of detachment of Arabs who had been In the
service of the slave traders, to establish mill
tary authority in that district, whence Schwein-
furth returned in 1871. The Yaubazi tribe
opposed his passage, but enlisting large force
of the Niam-Niams he defeated them, and his
African allies, who were cannibals, made
grand feast on the bodies The narrative shows
that the Khedive is carrying out in good faith
the reforms which were proposed and COM
menced by Baker. Abou Saoud, the chief
slave trader of whom Baker complained SO bit
terly, though appointed to command in Cor
don's expedition, was soon disgraced. Military
posts have been established and trade opened
with the King of Ugunda, both lakes Albert
and Victoria, have been sufficiently explored to
| satisfy geOgraphers, and it has been demon
strated that the plan of the government to
garrison its military posts with natives is the
| only practical one in that climate. The book
| the author While it will not compare with
| Bakers, Schweipfurths and Livingstone's s
books, it is very interesting as a sequel to their
| labors, and the writer will take rank with them
| for patience, energy and daring.
| PETER THE APOSTLE. By Rev. VIM. M. Taylor,
d. D., author of "Davd, King of Israel" and
"Elijah the Prophet" New York: Harper
Brothers. Portland: Loring, Short s. Harmon.
These sketches in which Dr. Taylor en-
bodies his ideas of the life and character of the
apostle, are written with very much earnestness
of purpose and sincerity of intention. There
is fresh and practical quality in DR.. Taylor
work, direct appeal to human nature, that is
no doubt productive of fine results. As a point
| of good taste at least, however, the reviewer
may protest against the over-familiarty Of
phrase, the translating of religious ideas into
the veriest colloquialisms of street and change
This is an obvious, but in great degree mis-
taken method of presenting the truth into
which many of the preachers and writers upon
moral subjects have fallen. 1t is partly very
natural and pleasant revusion from the awful
and solemn utterances in which the Puritans
proclaimed their religion of wrath; it is a fit
| IeCOsuitlOu VI tuo VI uNinO eiubn
that suggests it. and yet to lower expression in
the pulpit to the level of ordinary business Of
colloqnial words of the six days of the working
week really does not so effectualy harmonic,
| it to the hearers mind as more dignifie6
| while equally practical manner would be abb,
to do. Every department of life has its vocab.
ulary, appropriate to itself, whether it bt
called technical terms or slang, and the graphic
ana suitable phrases of the paragraphis' q
the condensed language of the merchants III
structions to his clerk are as unfit in the pupi
as scriptural language would be out of place IL
a morning call or in the hurry of the gold room
Dr.. Taylor is by no means solitary or even al
extreme example of this very common misun
derstanding of the popular need; but amoni
the many good points of his work this fault i
apparent and gives opportunity for saying