The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-10-15

tTduHlH sstutlODS on The LOHanl
and upper Congo rivers. The broken
line on our map inc!oses the area in
which these tragical events occurred.
This uprising marks the disastrous
end OF the first attempt that has
been made south OF Stanley Falls to
establish purely commercial enter.
prise in a region where the Arabs have
enjoyed a monopoly OF trade. Other
causes, which will be named, doubt
less contributed to bring about this
resistless attack upon the whites.
The Katanga commercial syndicate
was organized in Brussels about n
year ago for the purpose OF carrying
on trade on the Lomami and upper
Congo rivers. This enterprise should
not be confounded with the Katanga
company, wholly distinct concern.
which has acquired rights from the
Congo state to very large territory
among the western headwaters OF the
Congo. The purpose of the Katanga
syndicate was simply to start trading
stations in the fairly populous regions
OF the Lomami and the Congo, be-
tween Stanley Falls and Kasongo,
where, it was believed, large quantities
OF ivory could be purchased of the
natives. The leadership Of the sxpe-
dition was given to Arthur HOLSTER,
who, in his nine years OF service on
the Congo and it's tributaries, had
shown himself to be one of the most
competent explorers and useful men
who ever went to central Africa. His
expedition, early this year, assembled
the upper Congo and the Lomami
rivers on the steamer Aueuste
Beernaert, owned by the syndi-
cate. The vessel carried large
supply o. trade goods which were to
be distributed among the six stations
TO be established.
The last letter received from Holds
ter was dated April 6 from Bena
Kamba. the head ofnavigation on the
Lomami. The prospects were bright,
and he was very hopeful. He had es-
tablished stations at Yanga and Bena
Kamba, where two or three white men
at each post, with an adequate force
Of black assistants, we're 10 begin trad
ing operations at once. He had sent
another party further up the river to
settle at Faki. Half OF his expedition
and supplies had gone overland from
Bena Kamba to Riba Riha on the Con-
20, had established q station there,
and also further up the river at Ny
angwe, and was soon to set up their
!urthest station at Knsongo. Which
with it's 1000 inhabitants is the larg-
est Arab settlement: in the Congo re-
gion. 1t is not known whether the
station at Kasongo was established
L.f< T.. l. Ia e.,
were sent to found the station at Ny
angwe and Kasongo, oil OF whom were
killed. The map shows that the FIVE
stations known to have been estah-
lished are separated by considera BILE
distances. Every one OF them, how
ever. was visited by whelming
Arab bands. who killed.the garrisons
and utterly destroyed the stations.
Hodister, who had remained at Bena
Kamba, was tortured for three days
and then beheaded. The two white
men who are the sole survivors OF the
expedition escaped from this station.
They were Messrs. Page and Dore and
they have safely reached Stanley
Falls.
Arthur Hodister, who was 30
cruelty murdered, had been the one
man prominent in central Africa who
had always insisted that the Arab,
denounced as slave raider who was
depopulating vast areas by his
cruelty, wac not so black as he was
painted. When tho Brussels anti
slavery congress was organizing and
the press OF America and Europe
was printing the most narrowing
stories OF Arab outrages, Hodister
wrote his defense of the Arabs,
n which he asserted That many
of them are not cruel, that
many OF them are not slave raiders,
that any policy looking to the sup
pressicy Of the Arabs in central Africa