The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-11-28
STANLEY'S REAR GUARD.

Information from n New Source on the
Rear Guard Controversy-A Letter, Writ
ten In 1888, by Assad Farran. Interpre-
ter with Staniey's Rear Guard to Mr..
Camp. Engineer of the Baptist Mission
ary Steamer Henry Reed-Stanley De-
clsres the Letter Genuine
BOSTON. Nov. 22.-In July, 1888, AS
sad Farran, the Syrian interpreter
with Stanley's rear guard, wrote a let
ter to Mr.. Camp, engineer of the Up
per Congo steamer Henry Reed, the
property of the American Baptist For
eign Missionary Society. describing
events transpiring in the Stanley
expedition with special reference to
the rear guard under Major Barttelot
This letter Mr.. Camp sent to Mr..
Lewis, Baptist missionary at Luz
kungu. Mr.. Lewis in turn sent copy
of it to Rev. Edward Il. Merriam, as
sistant foreign secretary of the society
in Boston, and it is now published for
the first time. The letter is as follows:
LUKUNGU, Aug. /, 1858.
DEAR BROTHER MERRIAM: Below is a copy
of q statement sent me by Brother Camp
with a request that send you a copy:
Having been engaged in Mr.. Stanley's
expedition as Interpreter through Africa,
about It. Mr.. Stanley's idea was that 1t
would take him s tx mon this to reach Emin
Pasha. six months to relieve him and settle
his affairs, and six months TO go back.
When Mr.. Stanley arrived at Zanzibar he
took six hundred men from there to carry
the loads and twenty servant boys. With
these and sixty Soudanese soldiers, whom
he engaged in Egypt, and thirteen men
from Alden, two interpreters and ten white
men, he started the expedition Before he
left Zanzibar an engagement was made
with Tippoo Tib that he should give him
six hundred men when they arrived at
Stanley Falls. The expedition won't far
as the Yarowimi river; there they made a
strong camp and Mr.. Stanley, after
staying there week, took six
hundred men and five officers and
left the rest at that camp in charge of Major
Barttelot Mr. Stanley left Yamboya Camp
on the 9th of Juno, 1887 promising to re-
turn about the 1st of November. The men
who were left in camp had great difficulties,
especially about their food, for in that place
there was nothing but roots, and on these
they fed for twelve months. Almost all the
men became sick, and a good many died of
starvation. The Major, who was in COM
mand, had many means of preserving the
men IL he had wished to. He had great
quantity of cloth, brass rods, beads, etc,
which is the native money there, which he
threw away at last. He cruelty treated the
men, beating them two and three hundred
stripes at time for small Offenses and then
shot them. Tippoo Tbs men. who heard of
this, would not go with the expedition. and
Tippoo Tib himself was sorry that he made
an agreement to give Mr.. Stanley six nun
dred men. Twelve months elapsed, and
they could get no men from Tlppoo Tib to
carry the loads and follow Mr. Stanley.
During this time some deserters from Mr..
Stanley arrived at the camp. We expected
good news from Stanley, but there was
Nlan
mon were sick. AT one time Mr.. Stanley left
forty men on the way who would not march.
The men went with him five months and
did not roach the place he was going to, and
therefore deserted. There were nine men;
seven were eaten by cannibals, and two
reached the camp. After this tho Major
begged Tippoo Tib to give him some men ,and
IL necessary to mako new contract and
Increase the men 8 pay. Intending II he re-
fused to throw their stuff into the river and
go back to Zanzibar. He ordered j. S. JAM
eson, one of the white men, to go with an
interpreter to Kosongo, village belonging
to Tfppoo Tib, thirty days from Stanley
Falls by canoes. to try and get some men,
Tippoo Tib got letters from Zanzibar urging
him to send some men to look for Stanley,
as news reached them that he was dead.
Therefore Tippoo Tib was obliged to give
Jameson men.
On this trip Jameson, being anxious to
see how the natives eat each other, bought
a girl about ten years old, and gave her to
the natives to see them eat her. They tied
her to a tree and stabbed her twice in the
bowels, when eight men rushed up with
knives and cut her up and put er in their
cooking pot. Jameson was pie ased with
the sight, and made pictures of the same.
As soon as they arrived in camp. Major
Barttelot intended to leave camp with tho
men and go to Wadelai to look for Mr.. Stan
ley. Meanwhile two steamers arrived and
hal of ia hack BanUa-
liza. Many things were thrown away and
given to the natives which would have
served all the men who died. We heard at
that time that fifty ZanZ nZibaris and one white
man from Stanley were at Ujiji ana going
to Zanzibar and that they were supposed to
be the remainder of Stanley's expedition,
but we could not believe this as there was
no foundation. Tbe steamers returned
few men who we're sick, but they were not
supplied with food on the way. Three days
after the expedition started after Stanley
on the 18th of June, 1888.
[sgnedl A. E. FARREF'
Mr.. Stanley was seen this afternoon.
When shown the letter he said: Eyes,
it is genuine, and I'm glad to hear it.
But it does not make the matter any
stronger than it was. Jameson's own
letter is the most damaging evidence
against him. He was blinded by his
scientific desire. I would gladly prove
Farran liar, but after Jameson's let
ter how could L? When Bonny told
myself and my officers about the af-
fair did not believe it. Mr.. Jameson
was as nice fellow as you ever saw,
but he did not see the thing from a
humane standpoint His science led
him astray. Mr.. Jameson was rich
man and the Thought came that maybe
this man was blackmailing him for not
paying his salary. But Jameson's let
ter settled it."