The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-11-02

Nile. ireund the Great Lakes OF hquaioriA
Africa, and Down the Livingstone River 70 the
Atlantic ocean. BY Henry N. STANLEY, iuther
or % Coomassle aRd Magdals,' Etc. With Tea
Maps and ORc Hundred and Finy Wood Cats.
IN I've yalamss. New l0rks Harper and
Brothers, ISIS.
This heck. containing the record q Mr. SANKEY'S
sventful journey '' Through tie Dark Continent"
has been received By The public with surprising In
tersst. The explorations o. previous travellers.
though important contributions 10 the geographical
kaowIedge Of Equatorial Africa, left much still az
known, and therefore a mystery. Fer mere than
two thousand years the sources Of the Nile bad been
a matter Ct doubt. but the explorations q modern
trAve,srs-BAker, Grant. Spoke, Cameron ani
Livingstone-eOuhrmed and made certain by the
still more recent explorations Of Stanlty-have re-
moved all uncertainty on this point. which has 80
long been hidden in doubt and obseurity. The
splendid map which accompanies the FIRST volume.
gives a clear illustration Of the relative positions
and extent Of the various lakes and rivers which
feed the Nile, as well as the names Of the different
nations and tribes located upon them and 10 their
vicinity.
SANKEY'S narrative is fall Of romantic interest.
and from the commencement Of his Journey. On the
18th Of November, 1874. to its end, August Il.
1877, he was almost constantly beset with perils
that would have Inundated the majority Of men. and
led to an abandonment Of the dangerous enterprise.
The account Of the organization Of the expedition At
Zanzibar is amusing in its details, showing the
frauds and receptions Of the natives desiring to
enlist under stanley's banner, M y Of them receiv-
ing their advance pay with the intention Of desert
ing at the first favorable opportunity.
At Bsgamoyo, the starting point on the mainland,
SANKEY'S troubles commenced. He says, p. 72:
But within three hours Bagamoyo was in a ferInent,
murdercrs OF Zanzibar TO take possession OF the town,"
Was the rumor that ran wildly through All The streets,
bloOdshot eyes. bodragsled. runpled aud torn dresses.
reeled mp t. our orderly and nearly silent quarters clam
oring for r1hes aud ammunition. Arabs with drawn
swords, and sinewy Baluchis with matchlocks and finder
them. a miscellaneous rAbble of excited men. while. ia
the background. seethed n mob Of frantic women aud
What is the matterf' 1 asked, scarcely knowing how
to begin TO calm this turbulent mass Of passionate beings.
repeated. Matter enough. The town Is in AN uproar.
the stores. breaking plates. killing our chickens, assault
ing everybody. drawing knives ON our women after
exterminate everybody. Matter indeed matter enough Z
Zanzibar :" So fumed and sputtered an Arab OF some con
sequence among the magnAtes Of Bagamoyo.
sit down. and be patient. sit down here by me. and lea
10 mis- mum tg-ribJe for he really Looked in festnre
dress, and demeanor. what. had 1 been an imaginative
raw youth, I should have set down as the "incarnRte
scourge of Africa and he looked wicked enough with
his bare. sinewy arms his brandished sword and fierce
black eyes, 10 chop on my innocent head"
On the II Of November, 1874, they leave Baga-
moyo, for the dark interior, and the known and uu-
known perils they are destined to encounter in their
journey across the Continent. The entire force Of
the expedition, including three young Englishmen,
consisted of 300 persons. who served in the capacity
r T. II -
first four hundred miles was near an old caravan
road which had been previously Travelled by Stanley,
Tin 1879. Then leaving this route. they turned
north towards the southern shore Of Lake Nyanza.
which they reached on the 9th Of February, in 1903
days from Bagamoyo, the number Of miles Travelled
being 720. Here they rested for n week, and
Stanley, with a picked boats crew, started for a
thorough exploration Of the lake, in the little boat
Lady .Aiiee, which they had brought in sections
from Bagamoyo, leaving the rest Of the party under
the protection Of Sungoro and Prince Kaduma the
principal chiefs Of the district. whose goodwill had
been gained by adequate gifts.
On the third day they reached the broad creek
which receives the tribute food of the Shimeeyu,
the extreme southern reach Of Nile waters. The
length of this river Is put down at 300 miles, thus
giving the Nile a total length Of 4 200 miles, making
it the second longest river in the world. The shores
of this lake were thoroughly explored, and were
dotted with houses detached and in
clusters, presenting the appearance Of O well settled
and fertile country.
The authors account Of his reception at the
capital and court Of Mtesa, the "Foremost Man Of
Equatorial AfricG.'' reads like a fancy sketch. so
unexpected is the portrait drawn Of Mtesa. Mr..
Stanley says, p. 1913:
'Mtesa has impressed me as being an intelligent and
distinguished prince, who. If aided in time by virtuous
nifty years Of Gospel teaching unGided by such authority,
can do. 1 think see in him the Light that shall hgh'en
worthy the most hearty sympathies that Europe can give
stones hopes. for with his aid the civilization Of Equa-
torial Africa becomes feasible. ] remember Sekeletn
been tenfold, and his pen aud tongue would have been
employed in calling all good men 70 assist him"
And again, p. 1876:
slender. He has very intelligent and agreeable features,
reminding me Of some Of the faces Of the great stone
Cairo. He has the same fulness Of lips, but their gross.
ness is relieved by the general expression Of a~lniabiity
blended with dignity that pervsdes Ids face, and the
large, lustrous, lambert eyes that lend IL a strange beauty.
have sprung. His color is Of a dark red brown, Of a
wonderfully smooth surface. When not engaged in
council. he throws OF unreservedly the bearing that
characterizes him when on the throne, and gives rein 10
his humor, indulging in hearty peals Of laughter. He
seems to be interested in the discussion Of the manners
aud customs Of European courts. and 10 be enAinored
II 'hIlh u tAE NbLAffH u fINlliLhllfNs ~ ~ NinDI=
tious to initiate as much as lies in his power the ways Of
the white man.
Having taken n good rest. and recruited his
strength, Stanley leaves the court Of Mtesa to prose-
cute his explorations Of Lake Nyanza. and after a
variety of adventures he landed at Musira Island,
where the party camped. Here the author ascended
the heights in the rear Of the camp, and the beau
tiful prospect spread before him aWakens his utmost
admiration, and rapture. He says, on page 222:
d" What a land they possess and what an inland
sea How steamers afoat on the lake might cause
Ururi to shake hands with U~songora. and Uganda
with Usukuma; make the wild Wavuma friends
with the Wazinza and unite the Wskerere with the
Wagana - and on page 223
oh for the hour when 4 band Of Philauthr0pic capital
lists shall vow 10 rescue these beautiful lands. aud sun
ply the means to enable the Gospel messengers b come
aud quench the nurderOus hate with which man beh0lds
man in the bcautiful. lands around Lake Victoria.
Chapters II to Is, more particularly the account
Of Mtesa's conversion TO Christianity, will be read
u ;tb the greafest interest The device If the float