New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MC'NGO PARK.


Explorers and Explorations TO tell the story Of
Munyo Park and the Niger. In comparatively
small compass he has packed all necessary IN
formation concerning a subject and quest which
for ages spurrcl the adventurous TO heroic dcrds
Yet the legend Of the Sleeping Beauty III her en-
chantcd castle cirlcd bv the imprnciiahlc Nlhcr-
ness throuah which but one prcdcs'ined adNcn'oier
might win. would well have symhohzca 'his
perennial search FOX the Secrets OF Central Africa
and the fate of the bold seekers who, century aier
century, went out TO disaster and death. FROM
the time OF IIcrUdotus the African mystery hau
fascinated ncE everywhere, and. not"l'hs''hd
TIC apparent invincbllitv of the dreAd 2har"lahs
of The enchanted land. there never wanting
knights vowed to the adventure. Inc source OF
tits perennial fascination was twofod. Tradition
invested the Niccr with charnIs Of all others al'
pealing to the mastc--pnssion OF most men, IT.
was pictured as very Pdctolus, tic means OF
entry TO a lard of gold, where fabulous wealth
awaited the first comcs. With the legends OF the
Niger were joined those Of Timbuc'o" city OF
the fancy, whose slitfcrinS d"mes ana n'lnarc's
were indexes 10 the riches stored under us Hlcr-
chants roofs. The fac, only was known 'haV
Timbuctoo was a commercial centre. All 'Nc
rest Dad been added by the lively Inauguration OK
those Western peoples who III those days not ohF
created imperial cities in Central Africa, I'M VINO
filled earth AMI ar Wtu lilc CREATURES WI '"''
facilc fan, and then slaughtered orc another
for nuttirc 18th in these fantastl: prcctllons
The eA plorcrs themselves. tie men VIII" ~" 'he
Norl; and faced the pcrils Of the way. a'ic too o'''h
loft their bones to bleach upon the lnhosp'an"
strand OF Africa were borne mp by true ana
se,0css enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge ana
adventure But they could not have moved III
tic matter Ind they not been backed bN the money
bower Of merchants who sought onI% new H''''S
Of trade and profit and VII" IN Their '"fh were
snrrrea on hy the love Of sain-'he lust
Of acquisition. Tie experience OF DOM
these agents in African exploration WAS
dearly bought. Expedition after eNprdIl'h WIS
bl1sted by tic deadly clulat" OF the Ne'' "'>''
Death lurked IN the slime Of tie niiGro't S"'"P'
md the s,camy mis,s that hung over the chan
ncls of the rivers and lasoon> The interior was
known only by its supplies OF S"iu' IVORY ""'
s,,yes Tie slavet radc was lawful AMI I"nohi
M mans conscience until few years before
aunro Parks zine and Park himself. 'h"N@h Ae
saw all it's horrors close al land. and '""n2o we
agitation for its abolition Lad then teen "'-"'''
never-to his disCr,,lit le il slid-iii'"d pc" OF
voice 20 condemn the horrible trailIc MI i'"4i-
Son has written most n;"f'>'I;- account VI
Parks two expeditions. and las. L" d"a''' "M'''''
nothing that could rebound I" me h"h"' an"
,o,v ~ his hero: hu, after balm 'ln@ his ca
I
10 really had in him ollcr qualities Of Great
e>p,oycr than indomitahlr c"Ura2" ana sprh'''
perseyeraucc OF the Judgment. kn"W"ie". '''''
nohcy administrative skill. which ar" :" h"r'>-
sary TO the success of important exploring '\p
citions he appears I" have shown h''!e ct '"''-
ing: and but for an l'"n c"!>'lil'I"l' "S wv"
blupders must have brought upon INN, AZ 'H'
outset of his first Journey. tie ia'' o. - EiN o'
his predecessors.
Nothing coulI hr wilder than lis pans anu
methods and the hit'cIc>t cNl"rrn'" '''-"' "''i
nothing The first time he started WITH ne '!,'H
error of taking Europeans alone Win MN -"
second time he committed tie same miN''"'' anu
both times he owed his failure 10 TINS lni'l'i
blundcr His first journey indeed WAS 'N''a"i-
binary and deeply interesting, but b"ranS' II
showed will Of tremendous power c"'.'"'idlh-
ao.i,s, almost inslpclabic obstacles. ne "\-
ulvrer was practically alone. and III very >"'''
time he was u pauper. haTlnc been r""'"'" ~ '
small store he had taken for trade ana Ills "
is significant that even :" lo"~ a."-"'iI">' WI"
turv-thc negroes, W!"i l"i; - THEMSELVES WIZ
for tic most part inclined ~ 'F"i' We N'N'''I
kindly II was the Arab iN!!u"n'" 'h"' 'Nr''''
a.ains, him 80 many chiefs and 'hH' i'l y" III,
he;rr 50 crucHg boyro,tcl. THAT lie WAS 10" h'..''
shows that q LundIcd years a-o ,h"i" " - "'i'
humanity in Central Aluca than has been en-
,o,,tcrcd IN r,c4n, fines Tie explanation
,robablv is thar the land had not then been ~
larried by the savchuntcrs as II has been o"''
that many powerful negro tribes were men '''
70 hold their own against tie S"-cane" H'''''
and that the spirit Of despair La" nov Nr' >"'.'
lated native fcrocity. Mpng" PARK was "'S'i ''N
derencsless and he had n"'hn- wncT'"'h ~
nurclase kindness OF forb"aranre lls ""f"l
tlrcs in these circumstances were All 'A' NOR III
,.ros,ins and his escape III" moIc marvellous
o,l ln al
.hoprh lc could not explore II. HIS gr"3Taphi''
a;scoycr;.s wore not conclusive. bat thri "rr'
;r,,o,,ont and MY. Thomson points "N '"h'
,,cy confirmed in every point tie pr'"I'''h"
NJ MCQUEEN a closet -Gco"raph"r, VICE. years
before had evolved Tie true roIiNr "i ''' -N-''
from his inner consc!pnsicNs'
Wben Park So ont upon his Second rXp''''oh
he seems 70 have l"f no biund"rS nhc"ih"'i'''''
His company this time was formed WHOM y.
,,.r;,. mon He took with him number OF
ENGLISH soldiers fancy Tommy Atkins ~ AN 'N
plorcr y and the only native, were VI" f"'' ''''
his two or three men N"' P"r"i u
, ~ on,arrd The EuroppaIs were
exnccted to do all the manual labor as well 1s me
marching Small wonder is il that when II"
,.,chcd thc Nicer lie had lost sevcnclshthS OF Ms
,xncdition and that when tie end came, Du' io"I
whit, men remained 10 srn"r III me 'io>h3
c,+ostronbe. Never was an African cApcili"h
wore arranged or conducted, il would appear
Tho leader was indcflt gable, full OF cn'hnaiasi'
ccosclcss in endcavor; but more than NAH MS
bcrcuoan tolls were n"c"-sita'"d ny MS Wv"
egrccions error, and failures of Jud2heh' ann -
INV man. no matter how di,,in- u'Ahrd. were -
suuandcr to-day the live, Of his companions az
I,ork did q cry Of Indignation and horror would
On M from all Chri> Tendon, an1 he world De
condemned universally. There was II" excuse l'i
the ignorance or bad Judgment that wrecked the
Government expedition {" the Niger y" man
could have known 80 well as Park That whl'"
mon were uniittcI to face tie c"a't climate" 'I;it
they could no. stand hard labor under III" sun