The Democratic advocate., 1890-11-29
9estriptiue Artirles.
THE DARK CONTINENT.
A Record of SianIey,s African ExpIora.
lions.
From the philadelphia Ia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia (Pa.) Ledger.
Henry NJ Stanleys visit to the country
of his adoption has revived to a mark ed
degreee the popular interest in the great
work for civilization which the intrepid
traveller has accomplished in his explora-
tions in the ozark Continent" Every
reader is familiar in a general way with the
chief events in Stanley's career as an ex-
plorer-with the search for and the finding
of Livingstone, the subsequent expedition
in which he took up the task of the great
Englishman, and crossed the continent of
Africa from the east to the west coast, fol-
lowing the Congo from its source to its
mouth, with the founding of the Congo
Free State and with the last expedition for
the relief {Emin Pasha. But in the
great mass of details wllGsah"ve been given
to the public relative to tta "a Journey,
there must be confusion in Il minds of
many as to the successive excavations, as
we'll as to the purposes 486F, 4f86F, which they were
undertaken. 1t has therefore been ~56nsid-
cred that general sketch of Stanley's
work in Africa should be of interest, as
we'll as an aid to an intelligent understand
ing of what the explorer has to say himself
about his work in Darkest Africa"
STANLEY AS A "wAR SPECIAL"
A word or two by way of introduction
about the man who was the chief actor in
these terrible journeys Although STAN
leys distinction will always be wholly in
connection with his African achievements,
his career prior to 1871 had already been
a remarkable one A native of Wales, and
for ten years an inmate of the free school
of st. Asaph, he came to America while
still lad, working his passage to New Or
leans. The outbreak of the civil war found
him in the Confederate service, but he was
taken prisoner at Pittsburg Landing, April
6, 1862, and he subsequently enlisted on
the side of the North, serving in the Navy.
At the close of the war Stanley made his
first appearance as newspaper correspon-
dent, reporting the military operations
against the Indians in the Northwest in
1867 for the New York Tribune and Mis-
souri, Democrat. He won fame by his
work on this mission, and in the following
year became the Herald's travelling cores
pondent He went with the British troops,
under Sir Robert Napier, to Abyssinia,
where he not only distinguished himself as
''war special but did his first work as an
explorer in a region which was then almost
as much of terra incognito as those which
he afterwards visited in Central Africa.
Stanley next went to Spain, and in 1869
was summoned to Paris to meet the propri-
etor of the N. Y. Herald. Friends of Dr.
Livingstone were then in great anxiety as
to the fate of the famous explorer, and
Stanley was sent to Suez in order that he
might await any news which might reach
the Red Sea by way of the Soudan or the
east coast. None came, however, and the
restless traveller made journey through
Central Asia, which was in itself note
worthy. He went from India to Zanzibar,
reaching the latter place in January, 1871,
and from there he started on his first IA
nous expedition-to find Livingstone.
''FIND LIvINGsToNEr'
Stanley had already received his commits
sion for this work. Livingstone had started
upon his final journey March %, 1866,
with small band of followers, starting into
the interior at the mouth of the Rovuma
river. But uncertain tidings had come as
to his progress, and finally circumstantial
account-or what appeared to be sol
his murder On the borders of Lake Nyassa
come to hand. The story was not believed
by many, and in June, 1867, it was com
pletely disproved by the party which went
to the Nyanza under the leadership of W
z. Young. Letters from him dated Feb
ruary, 1867, were received in 1868, an
nouncing the partial completion Of tn,
work which he had undertaken--the solu
tion of the mystery which had so long sur
rounded the great rivers beyond Lake Tan
ganika. When Stanley began his searcl
the last letter from Livingstone's pen wa
dated at Ujji, on Lake Tanganika, Ma
30, 1869, and his friends were in the great
est anxiety and uncertainty as to his fate
Mr.. Bennett's instructions to Stanley wer
to spare no cost and to find Livingstone.
THE START FROM BAGAMoYA
), At Zanzibar Stanley fitted out an exp,
= !, dition, and in February, 1871, crossed tn
Strnits to Bagamoya, the starting point {
s the road to the interior. The difficultiC
Of the undertaking were sgch that it VIZ
not until March 21st that the Search Z,
Z. pedition started, although several caravan
q with supplies had been started in advanc
Stanley had not only the difficulties Of Il