Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-25
AFRICAN STARVATION.
Stanley's Near Approach TO The
Terrible Death.
Followers Sick and Dying Of Hunger in
The Forest.
No Nou,ishment Save Impoverished
Cruel They Waited the Tardy For
aEeis.

LONDON. Nov 24--MacklnnOn, chairman
of the Emin relief committee, has received q
letter from Stanley, dated Aug. 8, written Al
kafurro, an Arab settlement on the karagwe.
Stanley recounts arrangements made by him
to meet Emin and after describing how he
hunted up the missing rear column. con-
tinues II have already told you that the
rear column was in a deplorable state out
of l02 men remaining doubted whether so
would live IN reach the lake. Having col
lected large number of canoes the goods
and sick men were transported in such q
smooth and expeditions manner that there
was remarkably few casualties in the REM
nant of the rear column.
The wild natives, having repeatedly de-
feated the Ugarrawas, were raiders and BY
this discovered the extent of their own
strength. They gave considerable trouble
and inflicted considerable loss among our
best men, who had always to bear the brunt
of fighting and the fatigue Of padding
When progress by the river became too
tedious and difficult, an order to cast off the
canoes was given. This was four days
journey above Ursrows station and about 800
miles above Banalaya. We decided, as the
south bank of the Itura river was pretty well
known to US, to try the north bank although
the Shouts had traversed it for some days
and the despoiled lands had been common
centre for UgarrOwas and Kilongalages
bands of raiders. We were about 100 miles
from grass land. which opened up the pros
pect of further feasts of beef, veal, mutton,
and pleasing variety of vegetables, as well
as oil ard butter for cooking"
He describes the daily conflicts with Wam-
butti dwarfs which he found very numerous
in this region Wsmbut,i clung to the north
east route, and Stanley accordingly went
southeast, following the elephant tracks. He
says: "On Dec. 8, we were compelled to
halt for forage in the middle of vast forest
at a spot indicated by my chart not more
than two or three miles from lturi river
which many of our people had seen. While
~e rested for Bodo | sent 100 Ererfels to
a settlement 10 miles back. May
of Manyma's followers undertook to follow
them. The sixth day of the absence of the
foragers, after having occupied four days re-
calculating my observations from Ugarrawa
to Lake ALBERT, began to wonder why they
did not return.
On the fifth day. having distributed all the
flour in camp, and having killed the only
goat ~e possessed, we we're compelled to
open the officers provision boxes and take
pound pot of butter with two cups of my
nothing else save tea, coffee. sugar and sago
in the boxes. In the afternoon a boy died,
and the condition of the majority of the rest
was most dsheartening. Some could not
stand, falling down in an effort to do go.
These sights acted on my nerves until | be-
gan to feel moral and physical sympathy,
as though the weakness was contagious.
Before night the Mahdi carrier died. At
last one of our SOmalis gave a sign of col
lapse, and but few SOudanese with us were
scarcely able to move.
After holding council with Bonny and the
chiefs, Bonny offered TO stay with ten men
in camp if provided ten days food for each
person, while would set out to search for
the missing men. Food to make light
cupful of Cruel for ten men for ten days was
not difficult to procure, but the feeble and
sick must starve unless | met with good for
tune. Accordingly store of butter, milk.
-four and biscuit was prepared and handed
over to the charge of BonDy. On the after
noon of the seventh day we mustered every
body, besides the garrison of the camp of ten
men. Sadi, Manyema chief, surrendered
fourteen of his men to their doom. kibbo-
bora, another chief, abandoned his brother.
Fund.-, another Manyema chief. left one Of
his wives and her little boy.
We left 26 feeble and sick wretches who
are already past all hore unless food could
be brought to them within "a hours. We
travelled nine miles that afternoon and
posed several dead people on the road.
Early on the eighth day of their absence
from he camp we met them, marching 10
an easy fashion, but when were met the
pace was altered, and in 26 hours from leav-
ing the starvation camp we were back with
hup of nd
bananas. boiling plantains, roasting meat
and simmering soup. This was my nearest
approach to absolute starvation in all my
African experience. Altogether 2l persons
succnmbed in this Dreadful camp. On Dec.
II the Iburu river was reached and crossed
the next day, and for the two following days
We steered through the forest regardl. IS of
paths. We reached the Fort Bodo planta-
tons on the goth and found Lieut.. Stairs
and garrison of 81 souls remaining out of
SO left there.