Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-01
MEMPHIS TENN FRIDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY i 1875

leI' hd5Ily ne undertook 10 ueJer- /
mine whether the river Lualaba
was tributary of the Nile or of |
the Congo, and it proved to be of |
the latter, as the voyage down the !
Lualaba brought the explorer out /
on the Congo. Stanley merged on
the western coast of Africa on
August IL, 1877, with but 115 men.
Thence he sailed around the Cape
Of Good Hope back to Zanzibar, nine
more men dying on the voyage. At
Zanzibar he discharged his little
army, made presents to the rela-
tiYes of his dead followers, and re-
turned to Cairo by the way of
Suez. During his three years in
the interior 7400 miles were accom-
pliShed, of which 6400 were over
country never before trodden by
explorers. The continual reduc-
ton in the number of his force was
caused by conflicts with hostile
tribes and by fevers. Stanley him
self suffered more or less from fe-
yer, but after having become thor
oughly acclimated the attacks were
not Of serious nature.
The heroic explorer will become
the recipient of a dinner at our
hotel tonight, and tomorrow he
will leave for Alexandria, to sail
for London. After arriving at that
destination he proposes to devote
himself to writing the book of his
explorations, aud hopes to give it
to the publisher in May next.
Completing all this, he will then re-
turn to his home in New York.
Stanley is below the average stat
ure, of medium weight, has full
head of iron-gray hair and a mus
tache, and his face is intelligent as
we'll as handsome. His address is
easy and pleasant, and though he
has been beyond the limits of civil
llzation for three years, the ordeal
has left no impression on his courte-
Gus demeanor.
GENERAL GRANT.
The next distinguished visitor is
anticipated in the person of our
illustrious ex-President, General
Grant. Already Consul-General
Fairman has gone to Alexandria to
welcome his former chief, who is
daily expected. We saw the Van
dalia at Naples on the 22d ultimo,
whence she was bound for Malta,
and thence for Alexandria, 80 that
the general may have already ar
rived. Immediately upon his land.
ing an envoy from the khedive will
tender the hospitalities of the pal
ace of ShOobra during the EXPIRES
ident's stay at Cairo, but it is by no
means certain to be accepted. The
palace is without the city limits,
and waSG4he favorite residence of
Mohammed Ali, its builder. The
Prince of Wales has occupied it
twice, and as a rule exalted person
ages are entertained there. Lead
ing to the palace is the Shoobra
road, the HYDE Park or Paramount
Park of Cairo. The great driving
days are Sunday and Friday, when
every turnout appears and almost
every nationality is represented.
Should the general decline the pal
ace, his quarters will in all proba-
bility be here at the Grand New
Hotel. Prominent among those
who will receive the American
President will be General Loring,
late of the rebel forces, but now
the commander of a division in the
khedive's army. This officer stands
in high repute atcourt, and hearth
ly welcomes Americans who Jour
ney to Cairo.
General Loring, Consul.General
Fairman, Vice Consul Van Dyck
and Others have just returned from
a pilgrimage to Mt. Sinai, where
Moses received the laws, Their
accounts of the journey are most
interesting. Mounted on camels
they crossed the ground made sa ..
cred by the flight of the I8raelites,
aud along the shore of the Red Sea
of old, now the Gulf of Suez, where,
hemmed in by the mountain range,
the tide came up and drowned the
hosts of Pharaoh after the children
of Israel had passed, Close to the
vcnerated mount they lodged at the
Convent of st. Catharine and cut
sticks from the tamarisk, or tarfah
tree, from which exudes the min or
mamma, made plenty by the Lord to
feed the fugitives. The monks of
st. Oatharine collect this mamma in
tin boxes to offer travellers as a me-
mento Of their visit, and it is also
exported as an article of commerce.
The tamarisk tree yields this gum
during two months in the autumn,
and it is gathered similar to the
tqrpentine in North Carolina.
Along with the tamarisk cane, Mr..
Van Dyck has given us a box of
the mama, and each time it is
tasted / am more and more sure it
would pass for the ordinary molas-
ses candy which delights young
America and soils his clothes.
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