The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-04-11
FROM STANLEY DIRECT.
An Interesting Letter From the
Great African Explorer.
Details Of His March Through the Dark
Continent-Ho Hostile Natives, Fam
Inc, and Other vicissitudes
x OF the Tramp.

LoNDoN, Appf1 3.-sir Francis de win.
ton, chairman of the Emin Bey relie
committee, has made public the lettel
which he received Monday srcm 1eGry
NJ. Stanley. 1t is dated nnSangeta Isl.
and, on the Aruwhimi, August %, 1888
After confirming his short dispatch oi
August 27, already received, he says he
has established palisade camp at YAM
buya on the Lower Aruwhimi, just below
the first rapids, and appointed Bartteloi
commandant, with Jameson associated
with him. On the arrival of the men and
goods from Stanley Pool and Bolobo. the
officers were to report to Bartellott for
6uty, but no important action was to be
taken without consulting Messrs. jamie
sou, Troup and Ward. The officers ad.
mItted that the instructions were explicit
and clear. Bartellott had 275 men. He
was to stay until the steamer arrived
from Stanley Falls with men and goods,
and if Tippoo Tib furnished the carriers
promised, he was to march, following the
track blazed out by Stanley's advance
column. II the carriers did not arrive,
Bartellott was to disregard these direc-
lions and begin short journeys until
Stanley should come down to his relief
Stanley's column set out June %, 1887,
from Yambuya with $3.50 officers and men.
On the first day the natives they met fired
their villages and began fighting The
skirmish lasted only fifteen minutes. The
natives continued for five days along the
march to impede the advance in every
way they knew Of, but not man of STAN
ley's party was lost. The party reached
the river again on July 5, and from that
time till October IS, followed the left bank.
After seventeen days continuous march
ing, they halted one day for rest. On the
twenty-fourth day they lost two men by
desertion They made only four halts in
July. On August / the first death oc-
CURED. 1t was from dysentery.
They now entered q wilderness which
1t took nine days to march through.
Their sufferings began to increase, and
several deaths occurred. The river
helped them, as the canoes relieved the
men of much of their burdens.
On the 18th, on arriving at Airsibba, the
natives attacked them, and five men were
killed by poisoned arrows. Lieutenant
Stairs was wounded near the heart, and
suffered greatly for month before re-
covering.
On August Is, Mr.. Jepson, commanding
the land party, got too far inland, and
was lost. His contingent rejoined the
main party on the 21st. On the 18th they
arrived in the district of Airjeli, and
eamped for while opposite the mouth of
of the tributary Nepoko.
On August 81 the party fell in with a
caravan Of Manyema under Uledy- Balyus.
This was most unfortunate, as Stanley
had taken the route he did in order TO
avoid the Arabs. As expected, several of
his men were tampered with by the
Arabs, and within three days twenty-six
had deserted.
On September Is, Stanley arrived at the
camp, opposite Ugarrowwas. He could
not rely on friendly relations with the
chief, and finally made a trade with him,
leaving fifty-six sick men with him, and
five dollars apiece was to be paid the
chief for taking care of them.
Three days later Stanley left and on
October 1S reached settlement belong
ing to Kilingalonga, o Zanzibarese slave
OF Abed Ben Salim, the fierce old Arab
who has made so much trouble in the
Congo Free State. Stanley says: This
proved an awful month to us. Not one
member Of our expedition, white or black,
will forget it. Out Of the 3S9 men with
whom we had started we lost sixty-six by
desertion and death between Yambuya
and Ugarrowwas, and left fifty-six sick at
the Arab station. On reaching Kilinga-
Tonga, we found we had lost fifty
five more men by starvation and
desertion. We had lived principally
on wild fruit and nuts. Abed Ben Salim's
slaves did their utmost, short of open
hostilities, to ruin the expedition. They
induced the men to sell rifles aud cloth
ing, so that when we left we were beg
CARED, and the men nearly naked. We
were too weak to carry the boat and sew
enty loads of goods, and we left them at
Kilingalonga, under Surgeon Parke and
Captain Nelson, the latter of whom was
unable to march. After marching twelve
days we reached Ibwiri. The Arabs had
devastated the whole country SO that not
a native hut was standing at Ibwiri.
What had not been destroyed by slaves
of Abed Ben Salim the elephants ruined,
so that the whole region was turned into
q horrible wilderness. But at Abwiri we
were beyond the reach of the destroyers,
in populous region abounding withfood
Our sufferings from hunger which began
August 81, terminated November u. Our
selves and men were skeletons. Out of
the $50 men we numbered ia, and several
of these had no hope of life left
A halt was ordered for the people to
recuperate. Hitherto they were skeptical
of what we had told them. Their suffer-
ing had been so awful, the forests so end
less, that they refused to believe that by
and by we would see plains, and cattle,
and the Nyanza, and the white man, Emin
Pasha. We felt as though we were drag
ging them along with chain around
our necks. Beyond these hardships,"
said we, "the country is untouched, whore
food is abundant, and where you will for
get your miseries; so cheer up, boys, be
men press on little faster!"
They We're deaf to our prayers and en-
treaties, for, driven by hunger and suffer-
ing, they sold their rifles and equipments,
for a few ears of Indian corn, deserted
with the ammunition, and were altogether
Perceiying that prayers
and entreaties and mild punishments
were of no avail, | then resorted to
visiting upon the wretches the death pen
atty. Two Of the worst cases were ac-
cordingly taken and hanged in the pres
ence OF all.
We halted thirteen days in Ibwiri and
reYeled on fowls, goats, bananas, corn,
sweet potatoes, yams, beans, etc. The
supplies were inexhaustible. The people
glutted themselves. The result was that
/ had 173 sleek and mostly robust men
when ! set out for Albert Nyauza on No
vember "A. Zone man had been killed by
an arrow.) We we're still 1876 miles from
the lake, but with food the distance
seemed nothing.
On December ! we sighted the open
country from the top Of the ridge, which
was named Mt Pisgah because it was our
first view Of the land OF promise and
plenty. December we emerged on the
plains, and the gloomy, deadly forest was
behind US. After 1G) days continuous
gloom we saw the light Of day, making
every thing beautiful. We thought we
had never seen grass so green or country
so lovely. The men leaped for joy. and
ran with their burdens 90 KilongasoDgas.
On December q we cana 20 the c0untrv