The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-05
AFRICAN HEADMEN.
Savages Who Facilitate Explorar
ton OF the Wilds.
One OF Thorn Who Accompanied Henry
II. Stanley on His Recent ExpedE
tion and of Whom tho Explorer
Spenks Very Highly.

III oeahley on Ills Recent Expedk-
tion and of Whom tho Explorer
Speaks Very Highly.
Mr.. Stanley, in his latest book, SAYS
tho New York Sun, pays o very elo-
quent tribute to the humble porters who
followed him bravely across Africa or
succumbed to the terrible priyations of
the journey. Now and then one among
these Zanzibar porters, who are an es-
sential part of every expedition, be-
comes widely known through the supe-
rtors ervices he renders. Such men were
Chumn and Susi, tho well-known head
men, who were long in the service of
Livingstone, to whose worth and value
he paid many tributes In his diaries,
who finally brought his body hundreds
OF miles to the sea, restoring it to his
friends, and receiving the thanks and
substantial rewards from tho British
Parliament. Another of these stanch
Zanzibnris is the headman Of Ali XII
ongwc, who is n type of oil that is best
In the fne Swahili people, who inhabit
h African coas near Zanzibar. This
man has rendered services to African
exploration which have attracted the
of geographers, and his jour
ncys have been recorded in ut least ono
OF the leading geographical periodicals.
When he was only fifteen years old
he accompanied an Arab caravan to
Lake yassa and tho river Loangwa-
On this occasion he showed his remark
able facility for acquiring the leading
African dialects spoken in these re-
gions, a talent which has been Of
great service to the explorers who,
In later years, he accompanied. In
1875, when still . n very young
man. he joined Stanlcy's expedition,
and with that explorer made the
memorable journey across Africa. when
the secret of the Congo was discovered.
A little later Stanley returned to the
Congo to develop that region under the
auspices of King Leopold. Ono of the
first things he did was to send to Zanzi-
bar for Ali Kiongwe, and for three
years the man served Stanley up and
down the river, proving one of the most
faithful OF assistants. He was often in
charge of large bodies Of porters or
road-makers, and was one of tho few
Africans who seemed equal to any duty.
In 1884 he joined the expedition of II.
IL. Johnston TO Kilima-Njaro, and the
explorer says that in scores of instances
he showed great bravery, astutcness and
fertility of Then for q time
he was in the service of the universities
mission in Usambara, having charge of
the entire business Of transportation
from tho sea to the mission stations
among the mountains When Count
Ieleki set out on his fruitful explora-
tions three or four years ago he was
very glad to engage this man at Zanzi-
bar to take charge OF his porterago serv-
Ice. lie accompanied tho Count
through Masailand, and this journey re-
suited in the discovery of the two salt
lakes, Rudolph and Stcphanie, and set
tied tho fact hat the enormous sea-,
which was supposed to exist under tho
name of Samburu, is q myth. This is
one of the most noteworthy contribu-
tions recently made to the geography of
Africa, and Count Teleki was profuse
in his praises of Ali Kiongwo for his
contribution to the success of the expe-
dition.
A little later this now famous
Swahili was engaged by the wealthy
Englishman, Guy Dawnay, to lead his
hunting expedition into Masailand, nm
expedition which had n very tragical
ending, for the white man who had
hired the party at n great expense to go
with him in search Of sport on the big
African plateau met his death by a
buffalo, which gored and tramplcd him
under foot as they confronted one
another in the same path. On this oc-
casion Kiongwc showed his pluck and
cunning. The Massi savagcs were first
to discover the tragedy, and they took
possession of the unfortunate white
mans body. They robbed it of tho
watch and rings which Mr.. Dawnay
wore. They arc ono of the hardest
people to deal with in Africa, but the
Swahili headman succeeded in obtain
ing from them all the valuables which
they had appropriated. He restored
them to Dawnay's relatives, who have
presented Kiongwe with q watch and
chain as a mark Of their esteem.
In the expedition which II. II. Johns
ton recently led from the mouth OF the
Zambesi to Tanganyika, Kiongwe was
IN charge of his porterage service, and
his employer paid an ample tribute of
praise to his honesty, pluck and de-
votion. He is q type Of the best speci-
men OF the East African coast native,
and the records of Burton, Spoke,
Grant, Stanley, Thomson and other cx-
piorers show that there are others who
are equally deserving of praise, and
who have proved as faithful and de-
voted in their attention to the interests
of white men us any person could be-.
LOST OvERCOATS.