The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-02-16

How He Looks, and Some Things he Says
Coneernlng Africa.


Coneorning Africa.
Edward Kings Paris Letter in Boston Jour-
nal ..f,,-
Stanley arrives in Europe in much
better condition than his friends had
expected. But he has grown old in
thought and feelings, as well as in body,
with great rapidity, during his terrible
journey. When he came down to the
mouth Of the great river which he has
SO thoroughly explored, he could scarce
~ stand alone, SO weak was he from
constant privation and from anxiety.
There were thousands of wrinkles in his
face, which had grown SO thin that he
was scarcely recognizable. In his pic
turesque way he told me: "You could
have counted wrinkle for every Sec
ond Of my life. My eyes were SO heavy
that could not keep them open long
at a time; the eyelids persisted in drop
ping" His hands were in terrible
condition, and still show marks of the
tremendous fatigue which he had under
gone, and of The lack of proper nOurish-
ment. When he reached the coast he
weighed but 118 pounds. For Is days
thereafter he gained half q pound of
flesh daily with the most curious regu-
larity. He was compelled to be ex-
tremely careful with regard to the use of
food. The first glass Of wine which he
took put him TO sleep, and any thing
like decent meal seemed to him the
acme of gluttony. Forthree months he
and his followers had lived on nothing
but cakes prepared from the cassaya
root. For eighteen months they had
been from day to day uncertain as to
food on the morrow. Often obliged to
fight for it, they were wont to make it
the study of the day, and to be pro-
foundly thankful when they received it.
MIR. SANKEY'S hair has become quite
gray from the extreme fatigues to which
he had been subjected, and his step is
slow and heavy, like that of man &C
to carrying great load. But
not one jot or title of his immense en-
thusiasm is in any sense abated. He is
just as vivacious in conversation, as
earnest in action and absorbed in his
work, as he was at the end of his first
journey. ] observe with certain sense
of regret that he mentioned, in his Mar
seilles' address, delivered before the
Society there, the posi-
bility of a future return to Africa. The
vast unknown continent has fascinated
him; its wonders, which he has unveil-
ed at the expense of such deadly peril,
seem to tempt him to come once more
among them. In conversation, how
ever, he has not expressed any opinion
as to third journey. To him, for the
present, every thing in Europe is new
and strange, and he is getting acquaint-
ed with civilization once more by slow
degrees. For three years previous to
his arrival in Europe the other day he
had not received line of handwriting
Or paper of any kind from any person,
either in Europe OF America. The out
side world was an absolute blank to him.
when struggling in the for
ssts or wandering along the banks ofthe
great stream which will be forever assO-
GATED with his memory, the image of
he great world which he had left
behind him came up with startling
and was SO enchanting that
he was compelled resolutely to put
t away. Mr.. Stanley had made up his
mind to accomplish all that the expedi-
ion had been planned for, or never to
return alive He said yesterday, "When
[ started up through the immense en-
oire against which Gordon Pasha was at
hat very time making war, found the
most frightful obstacles in my path. The
whole region was in state of extreme
awlessness; armed bands were wander
ing in every direction in search of plum
der, and murdered whoever they cap
tured. But my way lay right through
that country to even greater dangers
beyond. had only $50 men with me,
and my first need was allies. 1 got 1900
men as helpers, and we walked straight
across the dangerous ground. ! ar
ranged it SO that l could not be sur
prised or ambushed. knew every foot
Of the ground ahead by means of scout
ing expeditions, before I moved a step
on days march. had $50 scouts on
either side of the way, ahead, rear
guard and then the main column, and
80 we travelled for weeks, never certain
of living through the day, but determin-
ed not to be surprised and cut off. lost
only five man out of my 1000 allies in
that march, and those five were mystic
riously cut down when they were on
picket duty. 1t often seemed to me as
If the expedition must certainly be pro-
tected by the hand of Providence, for we
we're frequently in positions where it
seemed as if no human effort could pre-
vent our destruction"
Stanley says that King Mtesa, of
whom we have read so much in his cor
at one time offered him
&c, 900 allies. He told him he had not
come to fight tribes, unless they attack
ID him. His mission was one of peace
md goodwill, intended to do good to
every tribe through whose country he
passed; but he should not hesitate to de-
end himself and to punish any people
Who beset him by the way. This SIM
de statement was doubtless spread |
broad among numerous peoples, and |
difficult and tedious pathway. |
have spoken of SANKEY'S enthusi-
ISM, and it seems to me that this splen-
lid quality is the one above all others
which has given him his complete sue
ess. 1t is like a fine breeze, all the
ime freshening and stimulating his
oul. He had his moments of
'rofound encouragement, perhaps, but
doubt if they were many. The
,oal was always the thought uppermost
n his mind. sI had taken thousands
f pounds from two great Journals"
e said to me, to invest in an expedi-
ion, of the end of which 1 could not be
ertain. But of one thing was Ger
/ should do all that mortal
nan could do to succeed. Until the aim
7as accomplished should not reappear