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

just back there, which when | left the
Congo had a bridge over it, and now
this morning l could hardly get my don
keys across by the log or two remain
ing"
/ told him the natives along the route
were very much afraid of his Zanzibaris
and had been running away from the
villages day or two in advance of his
coming, and of the difficulty 1 expert
enced in finding enough food for nay men.
eyes" he said, Il am particularly sur
prised at the absence of food in the
country and the change in the manner
of the people. When l went down coun-
try in "a, before going home to Europe,
every village l passed through the
chiefs presented me with something,
and by the time l reached Matadi / had
twenty-five goats saved to give to Vivi
Station, where food was always scarce.
Why, l remember in this very village of
N'Selo,' looking round on the deserted
huts, ''where now there is not soul, l
had couple of goats given me then
and plenty of food brought for my men"
Bidding Stanley goodbye l fastened
after my men, who were now descend
ing the steep hill in rush, and left him.
l got my two cylinders over the
Nkissi safely in the canoes, and at seven
in the evening was able to see my camp
fires blazing merrily away for the night,
while Jephson's shone across the water
from the opposite shore; and up on the
hilltop l could see the lights through
the trees round NSelo, where Stanley's
men had taken up their quarters.
Next morning at noon Stanley came
down to the far bank and the work of
embarking his men was rapidly COM
menced, and, steering the boat himself,
with Uledi, his Zanzibar coxswain, Civ
ing orders to the crew, the first detach-
ment was conveyed across the river
Every man was safely over by even
ing; branches were cut, linen cloths
strung from them tent-like, and all
around us an encampment sprung up as
if by magic, where the Zanzibaris en-
sconced themselves for the night.
At daybreak the camp was raised,
tents were struck, loads redistri buted
to their carriers, and by six a. m. not a
soul remained among the sticks and
impromptu huts of the Zanzibar en-
campment. Every one was streaming
along in the wake of Stanley on his
white donkey. Soudanese soldiers,
weakened by fever contracted since
their arrival in the damp air of Congo,
dragged their long limbs YEARLY
over the unequal path; sick Fan
zibaris struggled to keep up with
their stronger companions, or despair
ingly threw themselves down by the
bank of some stream, and, in answer to
the appeals of their comrades, only
shook their heads or despairingly
looked at the thin, narrow strip of road
winding over some hilltop in front,
dipping into the recesses of wooded
valley, only to reappear mile furthar
on, where the leaders of the column
were now beginning to emerge.
On the third day of this weary march
we reached the Lula river, having kept
close behind Stanley's march each dav,
amid the ruck of native carriers with
ammunition loads and struggling or
sick members of the expedition.
The Lula was in flood, and it was
found necessary to put the boat together
to cross this stream, ordinarily only
| knee-deep, proceeding which delayed
the march almost an entire day.
The next day Stanley reached the
Pool and camped on the hill above Leo
poldville station, where I found him on
my arriving the subsequent evening
with the Egyptian flag floating near his
/ tent.
He pointed to it and said: "You see
we are an Egyptian expedition, going
to relieve an officer of the Khediye's
Government'-an then some native
chiefs, old friends from Ngalviema's
village near .by, came to greet their
well-remem bered Bula Matadi and see
how he looked after four years absence
from the Congo in Mputu-the white
mans land.
On the morrow 1 continued nv iour-
ney 10 kinchasa, where | found the
hull of the Florida ready for launch
ing, only requiring the engines to be
fitted in her.
va