The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-22
Stanl:y's Adventures on the Congo.


A letter from Stanley, telling of his
great voyage down the Congo, with
somewhat more of detail than his
former ones, is published in the New
York Herald. He engaged an Arab
escort for the start, who accompanied
the expedition 125 miles, in which dis
lance there were several small fights
and great suffering from smallpox, es-
pecially among the Arabs, eighteen
deaths occurring during two or three
days. The point reached at the time of
their departure was beyond the range
of trading parties, and when the band
of 146, survivors of the original Zanzi-
bar force of 1874, started down the I'M
known river, it was with a melancholy
farewell song. This was on Dec. 20,
1876. We make few quotations from
Mr.. SANKEY'S interesting narrative:
On Jan. 4, 1877, we came to the first
of what proved series of cataracts, or,
to use a more correct term, falls, below
the confluence of the Lumami and the
Lualaba, or the Iowa, as the river was
now called. Our troubles began now
in earnest. We were hunted like game
Night and day every nerve was strained
to defend ourselves. Four times on
Jan. we broke through the lines of
| canoes brought out against us, and
finally we were halted by the Baswa
Falls, in latitude degrees, 30 minutes,
&c seconds south. The savages seemed
to think we had no resource left but to
surrender and be eaten at their leisure
IN, 1
repulse the furious charges that they
made to drive us over the falls. The
people of the Falls Islands also came up
to assist the cannibals of Mwana Ntaba
We were at bay and became desperate
Return we could not, as we could not
pull against stream and fight. We
pulled ashore first on the right bank,
| then across river to the left, and made
Il camp in the woods, drawing our
canoes and boat up after us. After
constructing fence of brush around on
the forest side, the best sharpshooters
were placed in position for defense.
After short time the natives retired
and left us to rest. For the ensuing
twenty-four days we had fearful work,
constructing camps by night along the
line marked out during the day, cutting
roads from above to below each fall,
dragging our heavy canoes during the
| day, while the most active of the young
men-the boats crew-repulsed the
savages and foraged for food. On Jan.
q we had passed in this desperate way
forty-two geographical miles by six
falls, and to effect it, had dragged our
canoes distance of thirteen miles by
land by roads which we had cut through
the forest. Our provisions in the mean
time we had to procure as we best
could. When we had cleared the last
fall, latitude degrees, IA minutes, 50
seconds north, we halted two days for
rest, which we all very much needed.
In the passage of these falls we lost five
men.
The river was gradually widening
from the usual 1900 to 1000 yards
| breadth to two and three miles. 1t
then began to receive grander affiuents,
and soon assumed a lacustrine breadth of
from four to ten miles We had reached
the great basin lying between the mari
time and lake regions. The first day
we entered this region we were attacked
three times by three separate tribes; the
second day we maintained running
! fight almost the entire day, which cul-
minated in the grand naval fight at the
confluence of the Aruwimi with the
Lualaba. As we crossed over from the
current of the Lualaba to that of the
Arumimi, and had taken a glance at
the breadth of the magnificent atfiuent,
tifty-foW canoes rushed down on us
with such fury that l saw l must act at
once if | wished to save the expedition.
We dropped our stone anchors, formed
close line and calmly awaited events.
Down the natives came, fast and furious
and in magnificent style. Everything
about them was superb. Their canoes
were enormous things, one especially,
a monster, eighty paddles, forty on Il
side, with paddles eight feetlong, spear
pointed, and really pointed with iron
blades for close quarters, | presume.
The top of each paddle shaft was
adorned with ivory balls. The chiefs
pranced up and down planking that
ran from stem to STERN On platform
near the bow were ten choice young
fellows swaying their long spears ready.
At the stern of this great war canoe
| stood piUht StperSmpn oilidinU her To-