New-York tribune., 1890-01-12
STANLEY.
OUTLINE OF A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

THE STORY OF EMIN's RESCUE AS TOLD IN STAN TAN
LEYs LETTERS. Edited by j. SCOT hei'Ie: WIZ
man of the route. Emo, PIP. l'0 harper
Brothers.
While the public are awaiting the pubncauon
# the book in which Stanley is to give detailed
narrative of his rescue of Emin Pacha this modest
volume of the explorers letters and dispatches
sent and received during his long absence Will be
eagerly welcomed and will prepare the way Tor
the more elaborate work 1t is the more season.
able because owing to the long intervals between
the letters and the fragmentary character OF many
of them il must have been difficult for the aver
are newspaper reader TO form clear and connected
ideas If the events referred TO- Here for the first
time the doings of the Emn Relief Expedition are
set down in something like orderly sequence ana
while no more than an outline sketch is presented
it will be sufficient, with the aid Of the map 10
render the story perfectly intelhgiDle. Enough
too is told in Stanley's letters to show the extent
and character of the difficulties with when ne mas
had to contend, and TO prove the tormidaoe
nature of the obstacles which Central Africa op-
poses TO the traveller. In his earlier passage
through the Dark Continent the intrepid explorer
encountered greater dangers from human foes per-
hans: but il is questionable whether in all the
literature of travel there he found a moro
frightful experence or one concentrating more
varied horrors and sufferings, than accompanied
that terrible nightmare struggle of nearly slN
months through the gloomy depths OF the NasO
primeval forest
That experience must have convinced Stanley
that the selection of the Congo route was MS
take. Whatever risks might have been lnVolVeu
NV following route which tapped Uganda and
Vnvoro. and consequently challenged the nos
tility of Mtesas trucuent heir. must surely have
been inconsiderabe when contrasted with the
prolonged martyrdom of the fearful forest march,
II was on June 2S, 1887, that the main column ol
Stanleye expedition started from lamDuya' WIZ"
the Albert Nyanza-posSibly Wadelai-as oO-
jective. leaving Major Barttelot in charge OF the
rear-ruard and the bulk of the reserve stores.
The Arab save-trader Tippoo-Tib, who, despite
all the notwithstanding experiences of Gordon and
Balxer. had been subsidized in the hope and eN-
recitation of at least neutralizng him. was engaged
70 supply BarttclOt with carriers. lie Droke MS
contract and PLAYED false TO all his engagements.
With such man this was the only outcome TO pe
anticipated. Alliances with Arab slaNe-lraueIs
have in every instance resulted SIMILARLY ana III
the very nature of things must always be eA-
nectcd so to result. Stanley however seems 10
have put faith in Hppoo-Iib, whom he thousht
be knew So he cut loose from his base ana
plunged into the unbroken forest, not 10 emerge
again into open country for l6O days Inc ao-
count given by Stanley of this march brings us
salient features into strong relief. lmaSlHe' ho
saws in one of his letters, stiff Scotch copPlce'
beneath and within great forest OF trees loo ana
200 feet high. The coppice represents the uhueI-
Growth which filed up all the space between the
forest trees and miles upon miles of which had 10
oe painfully hacked through and torn away 10
make path The rank vegetation of the tropics
luxuristed in the hot steamy atmosphere KAN
fell in torrents and continually. Underfoot the
fat soil melted into quagmlre anu
came above the ankles of the men. Inc
air was poison. Fever pervaded the gloomy
recesses of the interminable woods. On all SIDES
above, below, to right and left, venomous rep
tiles and insects crawled and bit and stung. Huge
spiders. covered with brstles whose mere contact
poisoned ferocious ants Of all sizes and colors'
snakes and lizards and mosquitoes ana ploou-
thirsty flies in myriads, swarmed, ana over an
the dark forest broodcd with an influence whlch
sapped the courage of the bravest. Thus, fight
ing fever fighting nature. fighting famine the
ill-fated expedition struggled on, day after day
week after week. month after month But IL
was not only the malaria-reeldng atmosphere
the sodden, vermn-infested vegetation the dearth
of wholesome food, that had 10 be encountered.
Man. wherever met was a deadly foe.
The natives along the route beset the path
with traps and pitfalls slew the straeeers, hIed
from ambush upon the marching column WIN
poisoned arrows With diabolical cunning they
had cleared short, straight path in the outsiiit'
Of every village, path which plainly invited the
wayfarers to take it. All along this path shallow
pits had been dug, in the bottoms of which sharp
ened sticks were fixed, while the snare was care
fully concealed with broad leaves. Many Of
Stanley's barefooted followers were permanently
cripnled by these man-traps for often the slcwcrs
IL ,r,obf fla fpOf ef
them. and every wound in that climate creates
an ulcerous sore. hard 20 heal. Nor was this all
The impenetrable woods were infested with most
fierce and treacherous race of dwarfs, called Wam-
butti who were ever lurking. bow in hand, watch
ing their opportunity TO shoot their poisoned
arrows When the dwarfs were not at hand the
aborigines, with their sharp spears, were to be
expected Gloom in the day time, soaking wet
fever; at night a darkness that might be felt
with the howlinss of carnivora, the crash OF
elephants marching, the yells Of monkeys and
chimpanzees All this had TO be endured from
June 2s to December 3, along the course OF tho
Aruwimi or lturi las il is varousy named. Al
Vganawa on the way, Stanley found an Araf
camp The Arabs had been raiding the country
and had desoated and depopuated an extensive
region, so that il was impossible 10 procure 1000
within This area That is one of the results o
the slave trade. and immense spaces have IN TIM
way been thrown out of cultivation and occupa
ton.
Stanleys men became terribly DISCOURAGED
They began TO think that the forest was endless
md that they were doomed 10 leave their bone
within its sombre recesses. The absence OF hsh
was the sevcrest privation. Without sunilgh
man cannot maintain a high vitality. The "hoI
system willis and withcrs under the heavy screci
of the woods, the body becomes anaenhc' IA
spirit loses courage and energy, and the way
made easy for disease. At last the open couh'T'
was regained and Stanley records how ne AM
his men almost went wild with delight AT Hho
ipq themselves snce more ondcr the open SKY
wish the brght sun beanIing warmly and chHei
f,ll, and tLn nrns,y STONES giyiMg cvldencc .