The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-18
STANLEY POOL.

little steamer herself alongside co.
beach. Hurrying to our dining-room we
found Stanley giving some instructions
to the engineer of the steamer, and in
answer to our:
''Why, Mr.. Stanley, how is this? We
thought you were couple of miles up
the Pool" He replied:
$50 we ought to have been, but when
we just got opposite the station here in
the bad water off the islands something
broke, and the rudder wouldn't act. We
were at the mercy of the stream, and al
most drifted ON the rocks of the island
there.
81 thought we should have to swim for
it, and turned to Ward, saying it was
time to jump, but luckily we escaped the
rocks and were able to get into your
beach, Swinburne, and so here we are
until tomorrow, fear.
"The engineers will have to work all
night at repairing the damage"
Our little dinner that night was one
OF the pleasantest of my experiences dur
ing my five years in Africa. How we'll
remember Stanley's bright, agreeable
conversation during the meal, how act
i've our little black servant boys were to
attend upon the feast, the real-the
true Bula Matadi-none of your spurious
limitations, but the genuine being who
had thrashed their chiefs in many
fight and then made blood brothers"
with them who had journeyed in lands
far up the great river, where tabled
dwarfs with top-heavy heads dwelt; or
who, in his own land, the distant
Mputu, whence the white men came
far across the sea, was the King and
father of them all! All! we'll, poor lit
tie chaps, they were accustomed to hear
us talk of Bula Matadi as our leader and
settler of our disagreements on the Con-
60 as to how our work should be done,
and they naturally thought we must
owe allegiance in our own land to this
big white chief
Dinner over, during our coffee and
cigars flor we sometimes possess these
Injuries down on Stanley PooD Stanley
most graphically described his descent
OF the great cataract below the Pool
how he had dragged his camels two
miles nearly over an island at the
mouth of the Gordon-Bennett tributary
to avoid the Livingstone rapids, which
ragged and howled outside the island.
81 wandered for two days along the
north bank seeking place to descend"
he said, ''but all was hideous roar of
waters tossing their huge waves up one
hundred feet from the surface-such sea
OF broken pillows that the Great Eastern
herself would be like chip of firewood
thrown upon it. Lying fat on nv face
on an overhanging cliff which rose high
above this raging, roaring mass of
water, watched it foaming and boiling
along lar below me. No one else has
stood on that cliff, 1 am sure. 1t lies
hidden away somewhere below the
Uoroon-Bennett entrance into the
congo, and from it the most magnificent
view OF the rapids is obtainable."
was deeply interested in his graphic
description of his descent of the river on
that dark Continent" journey, and
ventured to ask him if he thought a
white man could travel through tronical
africa without means, men or armed
followers, as Rene Callie did through
the Soudan about 1920. He looked at
me and replied:
People have tried that since Callie.
There was that German who attempted
somewhat similar journey on the east
coast, but did not succeed" Then I
saw smile stealing round the corners
q his mouth as he continued.
YOU. snn might perform the Journey from