Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-23

TO the camp of his illustrious imperial
friend. Instead of finding few hun
| dred men with spears, which is the
common'ldea of mid-African army,
he found host of one hundred and
! tltty thousand warriors, and about fifty
thousand wOmen,with as many children
and slaves, SO that he estimated the
number of persons in Mtesa's camp at
two hundred and fifty thousand-a mass
which, considering the nature and ex-
tent of the Africans authority, Mr..
Stanley thinks not disproportioned to
the i've and quarter millions with
which Aerxes invaded Greece. We
should trust Mr.. SANKEY'S estimates. of
which he gives us the grounds, rather
than the traditions Of Nerxes, and this
immense host at once dissipates the
common idea Of the scanty forces of
African kings.
The story Of the war which the ira
Weller tarried to see is very amusing
The imperial camp Of thirty thousand
dome-like huts was pitched upon a cape
which was only seven hundred yards
from an island on which the insurgents,
only twenty thousand strong, were post
ed. But this enemy was very brave
and used to the water, so that they drove
back the imperial forces when their
navy appeared, and were full of inso-
lent defiance, which sorely tried the
soul of the imperial Mtesa, who, with
all his enormous force, could apparent
ly do nothing against the insurgents,
quick and singing as wasps. The mon
arch applied to ''Stamlee" for counsel.
Stanley, in his capacity of general and
shreWd white man, advised him to build
a stone dixie from the cape to the
island and march his army over Mtesa
was delighted, and forty thousand men
were instantly at work. But they be-
gan a causeway Of hundred feet in
width instead of ten, and when Stamlee
demonstrated, the prime minister smil-
ed, and continued to build q hundred
feet wide. In five days one hundred
and thirty yards Of the seven hundred
had been made practicable, and the
emperor thought that he would try q
parley. Stamlce told him it would be
fatal, and it was so. The poor ENJOYS
were at once murdered Meanwhile
interest Iii the causeWav had
declined, and in q few DAYS there were
but hundred men languidly at work,
and Stamlee, as missionary, began the
conversion of Mtesa to Christianity.
But having unsuccessfully tried another
naval engagement, the emperor paused
in the process of conversion of the
gospel of peace and goodwill long
enough to announce that he should try
fighting again, and that during the
battle he should watch for the coward
and that the coward he would burn
alive over q slow fire. This notifca-
ton served as a prodigious stimulant
The imperial forces, indeed, were again
beaten, but they fought SO well that
their master was not obliged to roast
any of the generals. The rebellion was
an exceedingly hard nut to crack. until
Stamlee thought of raft of canoes,
upon which q kind of wooden wall
was made of laced and twisted trees.
Within this garrison was placed, and
the floating fort was moved toward the
isle of rebels. A mysterious voice
from the interior of the fort then de-
manded their surrender, under pain of
an explosion of the island and general
destruction. This was too awful for the
insurgents to endure. They surrend-
cred, and the war was over.
The story Of the descent of the Lua-
laba, or Livingstone, or Congo River
from the point beyond which the expe-
ditions from Zanzibar have never pene-
trated is the most exciting part of the
book. 1t reveals the human life of the
hitherto sealed interior of Africa. STAN
fo11 no ole y
no expeditions from it's banks, and the
journey was one of the most desperate
and perilous ever known. The river is
a huge stream flowing through vast
jungles and forests and hills, dashing
down rocky slopes in impossible catar-
acts and rapids, and passing through the
lands of cannibals and the lowest grades
of humanity. it was one long contest
with savage man and nature. Cataract
after cataract, fierce tribe after tribe,
constantly confronted the voyagers, and
at last of the four white men Stanley
alone was left. The voyage upon the
river lasted from the 22d Of November,
1876, to the 9th of August, 1877. The
entire journey across the continent Oc-
cupied two years and nine months, or
about thousand days, and the distance
traversed, which was of course not di-
rect line, was seven thousand one hun
dred and ffty-eight (715S) miles. The
expedition contained about two hundred
and thirty persons when it started from
the east coast. One hundred and four
teen died by disease, or violence, or mis-
hap upon the way, and eighty-nine only
survived to return to Zanzibar.
MIR. Stanley is the sole historian, and
the wonderful tale rests entirely upon
his authority. There was, however, no
need Of exaggeration or misrepresenta-
ton, and there is no reason to doubt
the accuracy of the narrative. His
journey was one of the great historic
feats Of human courage and endurance.
The fidelity of his companions was re-
paid by his care of them upon the way,
and when the end was triumphantly
achieved, he accompanied the survivors
back to their homes at Zanzibar, as he
had promised, before setting his face
toward Europe. There IS no " Nile
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