New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-19
WITH ENNIS MEN.
A THRILLING BOOK OF ADVENTURE.

Grafton Of Henry NJ. stanley. vo. PIP 49o'
Charles Scribncrs Sons.
This volume ranks after Mr.. Stanleys own mar
rative as the most important literary result OF the
Emin Relief Expcdition 1t fills gap which the
commander could not close without receiving his
information at secondhand. Mr.. Jephson was
with Emin from April 90, 1885, TO January 81,
1880. when he left the Equatorial Province TO re-
join Mr. Stanley, who had returned 10 Aioerb
Nyanza with the remnant of the rear guard. Inc
other officers of the Expedition in contributing TO
the literature of this campaign OF adventure, are
forced to traverse ground where the leader has an
ticipatcd them but this volume contains store Oh
fresh material which was not open to him. III Is
plain. STRAIGHTFORWARD and unpretentious recital of
the authors nine months experience in Emins
country Many Of the chapterssarc of thrilling in
terest and all are useful in enabling the impartial
reader to determine the inherent worthlessncss OF
the Egyptian garrison for whose relief and deliv-
erance the Stanley expedition was planned.
Emin's character is sketched jim these pages with
O strong but not unfriendly hand. 1t is that OF O
man with kindly and generous mind, physically
courageous but morally coward one whose nat
ural kindness Of heart has been spoiled by delicate
susceptibility and childish vanity and whose
straightforward European directness and accuracy
have been warped by too long residence among
Orentals; man of accomplishments. enthusiastic
firm temper required to lead men of that dspo-
siton to attract and sway them, These are not
severe judgments. The author, after sharing with
Emin the dangers of imprisonment and having
been sentenced with him to death, can only bring
himself to speak Of his host with indulgence ana
sympathy. Still, while the judgments expressed
are enient the condition Of affairs in the Province
rs described by Mr.. Jephson unerringly points to
the Governors incapacity and credulous folly. lie
invited Mr.. Stanley to send an officer to Wadeal
at time when discipline not enforced and
his own authority openly deied Apparently
he did not know, else he deliberately refused to
believe, that he was surrounded with treacherouS
knaves and cuttbroats, who were laughing in their
sleeves even when they asked him to slit their
tongues if they were not speaking the TRUTH and
who were conspiring in their nightly debauches to
desert him and to surrender him to the advancing
Mahdists. When the relief expedition was organ
lied Emin had the reputation of being another
Gordon ruling over devoted and orderly popula-
ton. This illusion dispelled when Mr.. Jeph-
son went from post to post and found indications
everywhere of treachery and debauchery. The
garrisOns in the Equatorial Provinces, like those
in the Lower Egyptian Soudan, were recruited
from the worst classes The natives had risen
against the invaders in righteous wrath down the
Nile. There were the same causes of revolt against
rapacity, RIGHTEOUSNESS and misgOvernment in
Emin's Province.
Emin, aided by DR.. Junlcr and Dr. Felkn.
had succeeded in misleading the civilized world
There was cause for the Intervention of a
relief expedition. There no government in
the Equatorial Provinces worthy of the name
No practical reforms in administration had/ beer
introduced : the cowardly Iabblc of Egyptian
clerks and Soudanesc DULLES did not deserve the
moral support of Christian countries and the
Governor himself enthusiast in scientific
studies who out OF place in the heart of
Africa. If Mr. Jephson does not say this explicitly,
his narrative proves it, When the evidence is
produced in these pages of the faithessness and
dislovalty of the officers, their unceasng carousas
and their indifference both to EmiTs fate and
TO the welfare of the river tribes the relief expo
dition with its heavy expenditure of life and
money seems melancholy mistake. Emin. if he
had been captured by the Mahdsts would have
been ransomed on the lower Nile. The Egyptian
and Soudancse ruflians under HIM deserved to be
overthrow. If the v'iole truth had been known
when DR.. Felkin first succeeded in interesting
ClristendOm in the heroic figure" of the last OF
the Soudan provinces, sympathy would not have
been misplaced and mIs2ovcrnment would have
ended with the overthrow Of those responsible for
II. One-half the truth was suppressed: the ex-
petition was organized under misapprehension OF
facts, and Mr.. Stanley's men, instead of
being received with open arms BY Emin and his
people, were distrusted by them, conspircd against
and wcll-nigh entrappcd 10 their destruction.
Mr.. Jephson, while leaving his readers to draw
these differences for themselves from his recital
records with painstaking care and luminous truth
fitness his journey from the Ny ANA to Wadeai,
his Imprisonment at Duflc with Emin, the Mahdst
advance and repulse. and his final deliverance
from danger and restoration 10 his companions
1t is an extraordinary narrative of adventure
most modestly and pleasantly told. The begin
ming Of the rebellion was at Lahore, where the
khedive's proclamation was read 10 a large crowd
Of seditious soldiers While Emn was speak IN
big, buheaded, sullen-lookine Soudanese
stepped out of the ranks and exclaimed All you
have been telling US is a lie. and the letter you
have read out is forgery, for if it had come fror
Efendna he would Rave commanded us to come
and not have told us we might do as we pleased
You do not come from Egypt. We know of only
one road TO Egypt, and that is by Khartoum
We will either go by that road or will live and
die in this country" Emin sprang forward and
seized him, and trying to wrench his gun out OF
his hand shouted to his ordcrlies to arrest thu
man and carry him off to prison. The mutineel
cried out TO his companions to help him. The
soldiers dashed at Emn and Jephson with loaded
guns and surrounded them. Emin drew his sworo
and dared them 20 come IL was horrible
moment, the fingers of the mutneers movint
uneasily on the triggers o. the loaded guns while
they cursed the Governor and glared at hin
with brutal faces distorted with fury. Then some
one called out that the powder magazine woul(
be seized by the order)ies. and with suddcr
change of purpose the soldiers rescued their Sou
danese companion and rushed CT to the magazine
leaving Emin and Jcpbson standing alone.
This scene was followed speedily by the i'm
prisonment of both the Governor and the rcpesenti
tive of the relief expedition at Dufle. When sum
moned before the rebel council, Jephscn struck thu
right chord in tauntng them with having actct
contrary TO the strict law of Mahometan hospi
tality. lie was q guest and they had put him il
prison lie could not have said any bitterer thni
To them and high above the confusion OF tongue