Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-26
AN ITALIAN In AFRICA.
The Stirring Adventures of Capt.
CaSati. Who Has Been Exploring
the Dark Continent.
Starting on His Journey Eleven Years
Ago. He returned to Civilization
Along with Emin Pasha.

codntrynlen there, says the New York
Sun. 1t was Capt. Casati, the explorer,
who after long wandering in the region
west of Emin's old province. was caught
in a trap. like Emin himself, by tie
mahdlSt uprising, and so Joined the fam
Gus German and shared his fortunes until
Stanley brought them both to the sea.
We have hardly heard of Casati in all
the story OF the Stanley expedition. but he
has held for years very warm place In
the regard of his countrymen, and a
rousing welcome awaits him when he is at
home once more.
Eleven years ago, when Casati was II
years old and captain in the army.
the desire to become an African
explorer so strongly impressed him that he
threw up his commission, and in the
service of the Italian Society for the Com
merlcal Exploration of Africa stated for
the Bahr-ei-Gazelle region. then almost
unknown to the world except in the writ
ings of Schweinfurth. He safely reached
that region OF many waterways and in
teresting tribes and there he had touch
ing meeting with his countryman: Gessi
Pasha. The explorer of Albert Nyanza
nursed the new conner through a dangerous
fever refusing to leave him till he was
fully restored to health, and then Gessi
set out on that terrible journey down the
Nile, when his party was imprisoned for
weeks, many perishlng of starvation, and
Gessi escaping at last only to die of his
privation as he neared the Mediterranean
Makua; for nobody knew where the great
river which Schweinfurth discovered had
its outlet, and geographers were indulging
l,oc Il LOT w
now that this river, three-ffths as long as
the Mississippi, is the greatest Congo
tributary. For many months Casati'
friends heard nothing of him, but at last
came along letter which was the talk of
Italy for weeks. Casati had been prisoner
for over a year in the hands of Chief Azanga,
to whom he had applied for carriers on his
proposed trip down the Welle Makua
The chief robbed him of everything he
possessed and barely spared his life, COM
polling him and his men to pick their food
around the village as best they were able.
Of course the people thought themselves
privileged to emulate the example of their
chief, ana so they made existence miserable
for the white man, and his life was often
in danger. One day he committed the
crime of blowing courteously to the kings
mother WhereupOn an angry mob surround
ed him, and one young fellow rushed upon
him with knife. Casati caught the up
lifted arm and wrested the knife from the
savage. He retained the trophy to remind
him that it was dangerous to be too polite
to African ladies of rank.
A girl in this savage community on
several occasions was kind to the white
prisoners and stealthily supplied him with
food. One day she eloped with slave and
all the men started in hot haste after the
fugitives. They were caught and the slave
was killed on the spot. The wretched
girl was dragged back to the village, and
Casati had the misery of witnessing the
tragic death of his benefactress, whom he
was powerless to aid. Her body was div
ided among the chiefs for food and Casati
saw one of them cooking portion of her
flesh
At last Casati made his escape and wan
dered with his few followers though the
wilderness, avoiding native settlements,
until he reached an Arab camp, the Khar-
toum Arabs being at that time scattered
in considerable numbers though this regi-
on.
They knew there was money behind
Casati, and they did not hesitate to take
his draft In payment for the goods they
sold him. Stanley and other explorers
have obtained assistance in the same way
from Arabs in central Africa.
1t was with 4 draft on Zanzi bar that !
Stanley hired Tippu lib to accompany
him considerable distance on his first !
journey down the Congo.
The Italian explorer then started for the |
Welle Makua, entering the Mann MAN
country, where he met the powerful King |
Kauna, with whom he made blood brother |
hood. Casati's Italian friends think an
admirable poem may be made of the ro-
matte incidents in the life of Ntikama. the |
father of King Kauna. When he was a |
helpless little boy he saw his father, an
important chief, killed before his eyes.
The boy grew up almost unnoticed. and |
the slayers of his father little dreamed that |
the lad was patiently waiting till he could !
wreak vengence upon them. Making
friends with all the young men, he grew
in influence until he killed all concerned |
in his fathers death, and conquered chief
after chief until he ruled all the great
region which. when Casati was there
acknowledged as king.
There was a great sacrifice of poultry |
when Casati left this friendly ruler. The |
king had his men throw eight hens into
the river, and he carefully counted those |
that sank and those that reached the shore. |
The prognostlgnatlon was favorable, and |
the great man assured the traveller that he |
would have a prosperous journey. 1t |
turned out, however, that as q medium of !
prophecy hens are less trustworthy than |
certain American weather prophets.
Casati was poorly equipped for his journey
down the river, and the Welle Makua
problem was reserved for Van GeIe
Among other potentrates with whom
Casati scraped acquaintance was Bakon-
gol, who had the pleasing habit of dis
tributing the cast-of favorities of his
harem among his dependent chiefs every
two weeks. He had 500 ladies in his
harem. and provided himself every other
year with an entirely new set
Casati's restitution compelled him final
ly to seek relief by joining Emin on the
Nile. That was in 1888 when the mahdi
was making a noise in the world, and
there Casati lived. the faithful friend |
and lieutenant of the governor of the
Equatorial province, until Stanley came
for them. One of his most trying expert
ences occurred after he had met Stanley,
and before that explorer reached Albert
Nyanza on his second trip from the Aruwi-
mi river. Emin had sent him as his rep
resentative to the chief town of Kabba
Rega, king of Unyoro. One of his most
important duties was to act as postmaster,
Emin sending to him his correspondence
for Europe, and Casati making the best
arrangements he could to forward the let
tiers to the coast. Casati lived there for 20
months. and was fairl y well treated by the
king until suddenly the capricious despot
changed his humor and sentenced Casati