Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-09-23
One of stanley's Adventures.

While Stanley the African explorer
was working his way down the great
river whose union with the sea he was
the first to discover, he had thirty-two
adventures with the hostile natives in
some of which he lost a number OF men,
One of these adventures is thus deScrib-
ed by correspondents of the Boston
Journal: The Inhabitants had assembled
On the bank, seeing this curious boat
dlled with strangers approaching, and
Stanley's men said they thought the
cries which were almost deafeuing, of
friendly nature. Bui Stanley thought
not. TO him the cries seemed warllke.
However, visions of eggs, chickens,
fresh milk, and prehars goats flesh,
for his exhausted men, flashed before
his eyes, and he gave the signal to put
into the cove. No sooner had the boat
reached the slopIn2 bank, than it was
hauled fifty yards up on the shore by
hundred hands, and before Stanley
and his astonished men could realize
where they were, they found them
selves in the centre of a circle of savages
each of whom was aiming an arrow at
the unlucky wights. There were sew
eral hundred of these people, called the
Bumbrich, after the name of their Is
land on the shores, and Stanley says
that he expected TO be instantly massa-
cred. His gun and those of his men lay
In the bottom of the boat, and TO stoop
10 pick them up would have brought
shower of arrows and instant death.
SO he endeavOred TO reason with the
savages, and showed them some cloths
and beads, which they accepted. Ihey
crowded around the boat, however, ana
one man took hold OF Stanley hair ana
gave 1t violent wrench, thinNlng mat
it was cap and would come OF, dis
closing wool. This was hard TO bear,
and meanwhile, one OF Stanley's men
received u stunning blow from spear
handle. Then the explorer made an
other lite speech, asking for food and
10 be allowed to continue his journey
promising more cloth and beads. The
savages then made several ferocious de-
monstrations, rushing down upon him,
ynashing their teeth and shaking their
spears in his very face; but they did
not kill him and finally retired TO con-
suit. This mortal agony of suspense
lasted from nine in the morning until
three in the afternoon, during which
time Stanley did not get out of his boat,
nor did he take his eyes off the island
ers. AT last, seeing no chance OF any
thing but death, he gave the signal to
his men TO be ready at certain cry 10
drag the boat into the water. Presen-
tly the islanders began TO return, and
something told Stanley not TO wait. So
he shouted the word of command, and
the boat tiew down the slope into the
water, his men diving all around it like
SO many muskrats, in their eagerness
to escape the javellns and AFRO US which
they knew would come. Stanley pick
ed up his elephant gun, and, as an is
lander bounding on the beach was pre-
pairing to fire an arrow after the boat,
he shot him, and the immense bullet.
passing through the savage's body,
killed another behind him, Meantime
1t was discovered that the oars were
lost, and Stanley's men were pad
ding with their hands as fast as they
could TO get out of arrow range, when
they were horriGed by seeing thirty-six
savages put off from Bumbrich in three
large canoes. The men in Stanley's
boat were anxious to fire at once, but
he ordered them TO allow the canoes 20
approach, and succeeded in sinking
two of them by firing into their sides
St the water line. In two minutes two
dozen savages were struggling in the
water and beating away Tor the shore
with vigorous strokes; the third canoe
renounced pursuit, and Stanley and his
men found themselves safe, but still
half dead from hunger when they
Joined the main body ofthe expedition.