Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-01-22
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Henry Morton Stanley.

The Scientific American publishes
the following eulogy on our great
African explorer:
August Peterman speaks of Stanley
as the Bismarck of African explorers.
1t is fact that the results achieved by
this American in Africa surpass all the
scientific discoveries made during the
last thirtysyears, all travels of Euro
peans during the last eighty years,
and all the travels of the Arabians
during the last thousand years.
Stanley has acquired more knowledge
of Africa than millions of the inhabit-
ants possess of their own country. His
tory knows of no other discoverer who
has been as successful as Stanley.
SANKEY'S first trip to Africa, and the
finding of Livingston, created a great
sensation throughout the civilized
world. He had no special object in
view during his second journey, and at
| the time that he embarked on small
boat on the African stream Lualaba.
and drfted toward the north. Shortly
before leaving Njangwe, on October so,
| 1873. he wrote as follows:
The entire equatorial Africa is an
unknown country, from which not
even the slightest information has
passed to the outer world. Even here
IN Njangwe no one knows anything of
the same. 1t is wrapped in mysterious
darkness, and the great superstition of
the inhabitants has surrounded it with
horrible imaginations. They are of the
opinion that 1t is inhabited by vicious
dwarfs striped like the zebras, living on
elephants, and using poisoned arrows.
An immense forest extends toward the
north, no one knows how far, as no one
has seen its end. Day after day, and
week after week, the traveller passes
through the forest of equatorial Africa
without ever seeing the sun. The great
Lualaba River flows to the north, and
1t is supposed that it extends to the
Mediterranean Sea; at least, so the
Arabs and their slaves say"
From the above it is evident that
much courage was required to under
take the hazardous trip to this unknown
country, but Stanley succeeded after
overcoming enormous difficulties, dan
gers, and hardships. He has proved
that the Lualaba and the Congo are
identical. and has thus solved the last
problem of the two main rivers of Afri-
ca, the Nile and the Congo.
Stanley achieved much because he
did not travel as scientist collecting
notes, or as great discoverer, but as
general and conqueror. He negoti-
ated where he could accomplish the
desired result thereby, but otherwise
made use of his weapons. Cortez and
Pizarro received much assistance, in
the countries they conquered, from
those who were suppressed and i'll
treated, or dissatisfied with the rulers.
but Stanley received no assistance what
ever, and it was all he could do to pre-
vent being attacked. Stanley not only
achieved scientific results, but also dis
covered a beautiful river and country
for mercantile transactions. Enor-
NOUS woods of oil palms. cotton
plants, rubber trees, etc, cover
this country. Elephants seem to be in
abundance, for Stanley says that he not
only saw temples and buildings made
of ivory, but even the most common i'm
PIGMENTS, which are not usually made
of such costly material. Some of the
inhabitants are cannibals, but some
tribes are partially civilized and have
some culture. Stanley found very
large cities and some vessels of perfect
construction. The Congo countries are
very fruitful, and the climate is favora-
BILE to vegetation, although the coast
climate is not very favorable for Euro
peans The country is specially well
ad tpted for raising tropical fruits, and
most of the West Indian plants can be
raised here, such as cotton, sugar,
indigo, tobacco. cocoa, ginger, and
many others. The quantity and num-
Der of drug plants of this country are
enormous.