San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-28

Henry M. Stanley was lecturing in
America when called upon to under
take the leadership of the expedition
which has proved so disastrous to him.
Deserters from the expedition report
having left the explorer wounded in a
camp in the Central African noun
tains and beseiged by hostile natives.
Previously to his last departure for
Africa, representatives of the leading
European powers had assembled in
Berlin to consider the condi-
ton of African exploration and
had decided upon the creation of
the Congo Free State as a nation. This
achievement in the progress of civiliz-
alton is an outcome of the work done
by Henry NJ. Stanley, the leading
name in the honorable record of Afri-
can travel, not only because of the eX-
tent and matchless difficulty of his eX-
plorations, which surpass that of all
others, but of the practical statesman
ship that has made the creation and
political recognition Of the young state
possible. The story of SANKEY'S
career in Africa, as told by him in
various publications. particularly in
his last work, 1.-The Congo, and the
Founding of Its Free State,n is per-
haps the most memorable of records
written during this century. His
books are of pre-eminent present and
prospective value. Traveller, writer
and statesman, Stanley has earned for
himself a high place among the great
men of this generation.
But few, if any, persons have begun
life under as unprOmising conditions
as he. Heis Welshman, born at Den
bigh, in the year 1910, of parents who
were abjectly poor. When three years
of age he was placed in the poor-house,
where he remained until he was
school and subsequently shipped as
cabin-bOy for New Orleans, where he
was adopted by merchant whose
name was assumed instead of his own,
which was Rowlands.
His adaptive father died without
will and Stanley was thrown upon
his own resources. He enlisted in
the confederate army upon the break
ing out of the civil war; was taken
prisoner, and upon his release, joined
the United States navy aid became
acting ensign ON an irOnclad. In 1867
he was sent as a correspondent of the
New York Herald to Abyssinia, and
subsequently to Spain and other
countries. In October, 1869, he was
employed by the Herald to lead an
expedition into Africa, to determine
the fate of Livingstone, and from
whom only vague intimations had
been heard for two years. He reached
Zanzibar in June, 1871, and toward
the end of March, set out for the in
terior with company of 1872 men. In
November he found Livingstone near
Lake Tanganyika, and furnished him
with supplies for further explorations.
He returned to England in July 1872,
and was received with distinguished
hOnOrs. Queen Victoria presented
him with gold snuff box, set with
diamonds, and the Royal Geographic
Society decorated him with the pat
ron's Medal"
When the death Of Livingstone was
announced, Mr.. Stanley was placed
at the head of an expedition to Cen
trail Africa, the expense of which was
shared by the New York Herald and
the London Telegraph. He reached
Lake Victoria Nyanza, in February,
1875, having lost, by death or deser-
ton, l94 OF the three hundred men
with whom he started. In April he
continued his explorations along the
Congo or Livingstone river, the mouth
of which he reached in August, 1877.
Returning to Europe he was made
member of various geographical So
cieties. From 1879 to 1882 he was en-
gagged, at the instance of King Leo
pold of Belgium, in the command of
an expedition to the Congo. The ex-
pense was borne by subscribers of Bel
GUM and other countries, who formed
themselves into society which is
known in history as the African Inter-
national association. His latest book
is an account of his travels, discover
les and practical suggestions while
on this expedition. His previous
works are "How I Found Living
stone,n and Through the Dark Con-
tine1t."
The basin of the Congo contains a
length of six thousand miles of navi-
gable waters and population cop1-
puted to number forty-three million.
Its resources are of incalculable varie-
ty, extent and value. A great future
for Africa was begun with the found
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