New-York tribune., 1884-12-19
STANLEY AND THE CONGO.
A TALK WITH THE FAMOUS EXPLORER.


lFRoa AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBrSEl
BERLIN, Nov. 2s.-In conversation with Mr.. STAN
ley this morning have succeeded in cleaning many
details Of interest In relation to the Congo qucs-
ton. There is probably at this moment in Berlin
no man more busy or moro overwhelmed with callers
and invitations than he. He is in short, the hero
Of tho hour at tho German capital but when
called ut IL to-day by appointment at the
Hotel Royal, tho great explorer at once excused
himself from his other guests and conducting me to
his private parlOr bade me be seated, enscoDced
himself IN another fautcnil opposite me, and an
nounccd his readiness to answer any question
might desire 10 PROFOUND.
IL learned. Mr. stanley said I, that the confer
ence yesterday practically adopred your definition
of tho term Congo Basn'-that il, tract In
cudng not only the course of the streamI itself, but
the region commercially tributary TO it,
eyes the Congo Basin. as now defined, is based
upon the proposition made by tho American MEN,
bcrs of the Conference. and urged by Mr.. Kasson
in his speech tho other day. 1t takes IN strip OF
territory stretching from the west cost across tho
continent to the Indian Ocean, with littoral OF
$50 miles /. c. from Ambrz to tie French Gaboon
frontier on the Atlantic sdo. ard n coast front of
thirteen degrees or 7S0 miles on the Indian Ocean
The principal side of the question however in this
discussion pertains of course, to tho Atlantic 1T
toral as being tho accessible one and tho natural
geographical avenue of trade from and to Europe
so far rs the country to tho eastward of stanley
Pool goes, that il another matter which time can
develop. Woaro talking now Of the western SIDE
| of the territory referred to-
"Wil YOU, or the other American representatives.
take any active participation in the next question,
to wit, English claims on the Niger, which is to be
| brought before the Conference Fl"
81 think not, the matter Principally interesting
us is the Congo trade"
8" How long will the Conference probably remain
| in session T.
About three weeks longer or up to Christmas
| time. possibly"
"What will be the next step taken in case tho
Conference takes such action rs it is expected to
toward opening the Congo region to trade ~
1--WE shall at oace proceed to build n railroad
by we mean the International Association-we
taking halfthc stock and putting The remainder on
the market for such capita lists as want to come In.
The upper and lower regions of the Congo are nayi-
gable. bat are broken in two by the falls, making
necessary portage of 235 miles. This portage
is however, somewhat reduced by the fact that for
about seventy or eighty miles of it, there is nayiga-
bic water between tho fails. In VIC build
railroad for the entire distance. or the 235 miles it
will cost { 1 100000 If the other hand we
avail ourselves of the extra eighty navIgabe miles
we shall have II milos of road to build at cost
Of about $500, 000 THIS road would extend from
| Viyi, 40 miles from the mouth OF the Congo to
LeopoldvIe, at Stanley Pool, now settlement of
about 800 persons, all either Europeans or employees
| of our association"
"How is Leopoldyillc now accessible"
"Oh, we have a good wagon road all the way
| thither from Viy wish posts every ten miles gar
risoned by oar Ownlpaid soldiers. We have already
taken four steamboats, the road, in pieces, aud
put them together again at Leopoldylle for use n
the upper part of the river The view az the latter
point is beautiful At the base OF the hill under
the town are less than twenty African villages,
| the chiefs of which are all friendly"
| "What will be the probable attitude of tho ma
| tiyes after the railroad is completed and foreign
| traders flock mr.
| "They have thus far always been friendly and
have given us every assistance. They are the most
| initiative people III the word-more so even than
the Chincse-and they seem to feel pride in assoc
| eating with Europeans and adopting their man.
ners and ways. ! do not think any danger what
ever 10 even to be apprehclded from uprlsings or
attacks by the natives. OF course when strangers
begin to pour IN. az they undoubtedly WILL it VIII
be the duty of the association to soc that imposition
and outrages upon the native, arc prevented The
wcokcr race in this case Will not, in the case OF
the American Indian die out. IL will as'miate.
Are the Africans favorable to meIhols of civil
| lzationp
| "You would say so could you see some of the
dwellings they have put up know OF twenty or
| thirty black mon who have been for ten years or
more trading with tho whites, and who have in-
norted from England threc-story iron dwell
ings costing them each $1,000 or f5,00o,
| which they have paid i'll palm oil or palm Kernels.
| They 1.-Two in these houses with their wives and
| Il ,t,nrs rfNlt ttpf
and a great variety of cheap bric-a-brac, mirrors,
etc, which they have passion for acquiring
know of one German trader, n Mr.. Schultz, repre-
| scnting a Berlin house who makes regular bus-
moss in this way. He imports complete set of
parlor furniture. pctarcs, ornaments, ETC.. puts
them all i'm place in room in his house, and then
! invites a wealthy black % dine with him there
| After dinner the guest admires the surroundings.
and ls finally permitted rs favor. to purchase
them entire. Tkoy are ut once removed to an apart
mcnt in his English-built dweIling-he pays IN oil
a GOOD round prico-aad then the trader sends home
an order for another set invites another guest to
| dinner. and so on
| els the climate of that region healthy for Euro
| noons1 For instance, were one hundro cOlonistS
from Saxony to go down there how maay of them
would probably be alive at the end of year -
THAT depends Suppose, for instance, that you,
| fresh from the comforts or European INV 'a"o
steamer ticket from Liverpool to Nlvl on Tue
| Congo You 90 ashore, and strike inland over tho
nortoco for Leopollvillc The heat tho tremend-
| ons efforts required at times to push your way
tbrouch the tall grass, the burning equatorial sun.
soon fatigue you; tho perssration fairly pumps
vou ont, You como to a stream and dip up a hand
ful Of cold water to quencb your burning thirst ;
Won set down Oh damp rock to rest; you get q
chill: you go on aganupony yoar journey, weakened
| vou scarce know why. fever comes on, You
| mis-, the accustomed comforts and .qulet OF the
teamcr; IN nine cases out of ten 1t Is too yloient
change OF your physical condition ana yOu die
| - 4 l.. I,t,tlt laf