The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-16

1t lies in the very heart of Africa, just north
OF the Equator and west of the far Upper
Nile. Soudan lies north of it and south of it is
the region where Emin Bey holds out. When
Stanley had assembled the Congo to the juno
ture with the Aruwhimi and left his steam
ers for the land march, the wayiwas open to
him, should he choose to travel northeast
instead of east, to go to the Bahr Gazelle in
stead of to Emin Bey. But the question nat
urally arises. Why should Stanley wish to go
to the Bahr Gazelle instead of to Emin Bey
An address delivered by Mr.. Stanley three
years ago before the British and Foreign
Anti-Slavery Society may throw some light
on this question. 1t was just at the time
when the rise of the Mahdi had overturned
law and order in Soudan and cut off the
equatorial provinces to the south. OF the
Bahr Gazelle, Mr.. Stanley says:
The extent of country exposed by the abandon
comment OF law and order In the Soudan, which
hch ,Iass pe iSeated as slave nursery and
witch iles outside OF the New Congo State covers
some loo 900 square miles, and was known gen.
eraliy until lately as the Equatorial Province of
6th and 9th degrees of north latitfde To The
east iies the beautiful Cashmere of Africa. and
neo,i lns west the Chadda-Congo lands
serving English traveller who was
tnere few years ago, it is described as bav
Fstsl g ; climate, even suitable for colonization
aa.ai levers were unknown therefore Europeans
o99iu exist In comfort and prosperity. The whole
VI II ~ rich and fertile country, watered by
mighty trees and grand unduiating plains are
Iouno, tropical luXuriance marked every fea-
lure OF Il, winding foot paths led through charm
ing sylvan scenery, occasionally empowered by
tne follage OF an outrageous forest, where even
az midday, one might enjoy delicious GOODNESS in
have seen myself In these beauteous and mi bro.
fuse lands wherein nature never PLAYS the mig
gard, dwe.t few years ago happy peoples, igno-
which they were Blessed. The stranger. white or
biack, was welcome when he came they made
nm Joyous with their simple beers and meads,
t thy invited nm 70 seat under the frondent
shade and RECALLED his ears with native minstrelsy
and ieasted him with the saccharine Juices Of the
sugar cane. But, aasl These strangers came I'd
spy out the land and were repaid by the diseov
cry OF It's weakness. They came a second time
MI MIN numbers Of armed men; they dotted
Ine lovely land with zaribas or fortified stations
garrisoned by fierce bandits from Dongola and
BerDer, and the process of desolation throughout
the blooming trop1c paradise began. Then EpyDt
annexed these lands and despatched Gordon and
other captains TO govern and subdue them into
some semblance OF civilization. The slave war of
1889 followed, wherein, in Biblical phrase
Gordon .'smote the Amalekites hip and thigh
ZeDehr Pasha was called to Cairo, and Sulei1lan
again in peace. ~
When the sinister form Of the Mahd
doomed up the Bahr Gazelle was cut off. and
iell again into the hands of its despoilers
Ihis event made a profound impression on
Stanley, and speaking just after the death
OF Gordon, he said to the Anti Slavery Socie-
ty, Does it not strike you now that you.
who urged Gordon to his death in that AL
most hopeless contest, single handed
as he was, against the united savage
hosts OF North Central Africa. should
take up the work he yearned to his
death-day to accomplishment is, do
what you can wisely and prudent
ly to rescue the tribes of the Southern
Bahr Gazelle from the doom that surely
awaits them il the help such as you can give
is withheld? There are two routes to the
district under consideration; one by the
Suez Canal, Suakin, Berber, and up the Nile
to the Bahr Gazelle, which, though shorter.
Is thoroughly blocked and impossible; the
second is direct from England to the Congo.
and up that river" These words, spoken
by Mr.. Stanley, show motive for going to
the Bahr Gazelle. There is work there to-
day. perhaps more urgent than the rescue of
Emin Bey, who seems to be doing very well
in his adjoining province, and not SO much in
need of help as was at first represented.