The Wilmingtonian., 1886-12-04
Henry M. Stanley.

Henry M. Stanley.
All patriotic Americans are glad to see
Henry NJ. Stanley, the leader in American
exploration back in this country again. To
this man must be given the palm as the
greatest traveller aud explorer of new lands
Of our times.
He is here specially to vindicate his asser-
tions about the Congo basin. During the
space of nearly twenty years he has been in.
vestigating the commercial problem of equa-
torial Africa. He is the greatest living
American authority upon that question. In
fact we have really none other. Colonel
Chaille Long made one or two visits to the
Northern limits of the Congo region, but
only as a commissioner for the Khedive OF
Egypt or as a lieutenant of the English Gen
eral Gordon. His opportunities were indeed
so limited and restricted to certain districts
that his words Of criticism of Mr.. Stanley
cannot be of any comprehensive weight. Mr.
Tisdel's visit to the Congo land also as the
commissioner of Secretary Bayard was of
such a limited nature in the light of the
thorough and far-reaching investigation that
the commercial demands and queries of the
merchants of New York needed that, though
of value as far as it went proved entirely in
adequate to meet the requirements of COM
prehensive report such as should now be in
the possession Of Secretary of State.
Speaking before members of the Geo
graphical Society and numerous prominent
New Workers at Chickering Hall Monday
night last, with what pride it may be i'm
agined Henry M. Stanley said 81 had left
New Workers sceptical as to my discovery
Of Livingstone. Now l will prove to the
same New Workers that finding Livingstone
was but ohiId's play to the completing of
Livingstone's work."
great man Henry M.Stanley is. He has real
| ly accomplished the greatest feat of modern
exploration. Great as DR.. Livingstone was,
the American explorer must, in all sober
ness, be acknowledged to have completely
eclipsed the good old missionary. Definite
y what Mr.. Stanley has achieved is, first, the
solving of the Nile problem. Until he had
determined its actual source geographers of
Europe and this country were of diverse
opinions. He has settled the question for
ever. His second great geographical feat is
| that of defining the source and trend of the
Congo river. These were the two great
problems OF all the geographical societies of
the world. The solving of them was held
in equal Importance 10 that ancient standard
inquiry viz, the discovery of the North Pole.
Henry NJ. Stanley, the American explorer
is now the peer of Franklin, Kane, McClin-
tOck, Hall, Mares, Greeley, Lockwood and
others of afct fame, and Baker, Speke,
Livingstone, De Brazza, and the older Afri-
can explorers Layard, Belzoni, and Mungo
Park.
But it is corspicuously in the commercial
value of what he has accomplished that he
stands head and soulders above those. men,
toned.
| In spite of the somewhat harsh criticisms
of certain of his own country men, notably
Colonel Long, Mr.. Stanley has demonstrated
that the Congo basin is a rich mine for COM
mercial enterprise. He does not deny the
difficulties of the Lower Congo. But he
boldly asserts that they are not insurmount-
able to true commercial enterprise. He
clearly states that the "Land OF Promise" is
the Upper Congo and to reach thata railway
is necessary. The climate there is not inim-
ical to Europeans as is the case with the re-
gions along the Lower Congo valley. And
as regards the latter the climatic danger is
restricted to those localities along the banks
IF the great river which on account of their
low fiat situation are every season subject TO
inundation, the thick matted vegetation Of
the river banks, the miles of Shiny ooze and
decayed organic matter acted upon by the
vertical rays of the equatorial sun sufficient.
ly we'll account for the stories of fatal ma,
larial fever on the lower reaches ofthe great
river of Southern Africa. Mr.. Stanley does
not deny these facts. But he asserts that they
do not apply to the Upper Congo.
1t is hard to surprise some country land
lords. A Boston man bad scarcely register
ed his name of Christopher Columbus at /
village tavern in Wisconsin when the land
lord reached out his paw and exclaimed
"IIow are ye, Chris Bin expectn' ye eve