Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-05
Adventures In Africa


We have by the lates. Irauaa,..",ia walls tho
accouats given By Portuguese explorer to the
Royal Gecgrsp:ic.! S c,c!y Of Lisbon. Ct his
Journey from St. Paul d. Loando 10 rranag.al
and Natal.
Alexander Alder! Dc Slrpa Pinto, o young
Porluscse traveller, set Gu: il MaIc1, ISIS,
ir.m Billie, al ia,crior trading pcs: Eciopging
TO bis countIymca in I,arguela, Oh The West
coast. lie had lain i'll vsith nicoioiis Tor weeks
ct Billie, and his c5mplnoas, Captain Care!lo
and Lieutenant Sneus, suppoSiug lie would not
be able to 20 any further, lets him ia the care CT
negro doc;crs, With Just means eoought to get
back to Eurcp, 10 case he should recover. The
black physicians applied lctc1es all over his
body, which nearly sucked hiri CRY ct blood,
and theu covered him With great q1apl!y OF
small horcs which they regarded rs amulets.
Ia spite OF this treatment he so; we'll, and
learning that bis comrades hsd gone TO the
northeast; he SIT about crgeolz!rg 40 cEpedl
ton 20 tie southeast. His mos; important
want was arms, and this be supplied By gather
iog I'D seventy four disabled Snyder rifles
which Cameron had left in the courtry, impro
visipg forgcs aud putting them ia order; aud
manufacturing 10000 cartridges. His route
led first up tho Noursc river, which he !ound
was navagable above the last falls.
Then he crossed high tatlo lands to the main
stream Of the H.rbesi, called by tho natives
'the greatest river 10 tbs world. Ia this
march he was escorted by an ariay ct 400 men,
furnished by a powerful negro king, whose
daughter accompanied the expedition as c)m-
mander 10 chicf of the forc5s Tho Amszon
princess desired to marry tho explorer. but re
memberipg that be hsd wife in Portugal
awaiting his return, he firmly refused the Hat.
teriog cfTer.
10 This region De Se!pa piuto found tribe
az white as Europeans, With features resembling
thcss Of the Het,ertots, srd with 10 hair on
their beads. No previous 1xpI0rcrs encountered
those extraordinary people, ard the description
given OF thcul rcads ike the stories ct Baron
bluacheuscu. In latitude l2o s., leug!tude ! 50
e., largo forests, fltmcd exclusively OF inn
msuso brakes, we're trO7Crsed, Macy Wild Gle
phan,s 1ero seen, aod .gusr5 were uBpleas-
an,Iy abundant. Like Stanley. tic Portuguese
advcnturer fought battle %iili tho natives.
Ga the 9Th OF September, 1878. 60 array OF
neerots made q night attack upon his camp,
and we're only beaten of alter hard fight which
lasted ill dey break.
Exploring the H,mhssi anil its tributaries he
discovered stv.nty two falls and rapids GU the
Liambai, the oorthtrn brarca OF inc great
river, and made carl fal studies oil the Alts. GA
Tuny a, tho Victoria Falls Of Livingstone. wh!c!l
be found TO have hcigh: OF one huCdted
aud eighty moires. The iateoton Of D. Sorrn
Pinto was to traverse The country OF the Mata
boles, which lies west II tho Trans9saI, but
learning Of the massacre Of az English cxpocl
ton commanded b. Captain Pattersoo, be
turned off io.o the kaahari Desert, tho Sa'
hurs Of Soulh Airica. Here he suffered terrible
privalions.
For four days be was without food ard for
seven without wattr. llc arrived at tho Linn
popo river with only eight men, and eiier sub
sistiug entirely on game fer s4vcrsl wee k, be
Gealy reached Frcrch missionary station at
Sesuto. 10 tho Barutos cJunry. From there
he j:uroeyed to Pretoria, the clpitsl OF Traus
vasl. Oh tie way losioc enc ct bis mcu, who
was killed nv lion. Then ho travcrscd the
land of the Zalus without accident, coming cut
at Durham on tho coast, Whera no embarked for
Ia