The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-01-26
THE GREAT Du cHA1LLu.
Chat With the Celebrated Explorer
Lived to See His Story Believed.

Chat With the Celebrated Explorer
Lived to See His Story Believed.
"Africal we'll, that was my first
love, but it is an old story now," was
the greeting the great explorer gave
the Witness representative, at noon
to-day. "The land of the midnight
sun and the times of the Vikings
have more interest for me now"
1t was hard to realize, looking at
this unconcerned looking little man,
with strong French accent, that a
few years ago all the world had been
set agog over the wonderful stories
of the gorillas and the pigmies.
"Here," he said, with wave of his
head towards. little table by his
side, "here are the proofs of my new
book, an historical romance of the
Viking age. Yes, a romance this
time, a genuine love story for all
young people from sixteen to seven
ty-fve.
"Wonderful people those old Scan
dinavians. All that stuff Green and
others tell you about the Anglo
Saxons having come from below Jut-
land, is nonsense, pure nonsense.
No Saxon ever had ship. How
then were they to get to Englanda
"How did l first happen to go in
to this question: Why, when l was
writing my book, 'The Land of the
Midnight SUM- I found in the old
tombs all over England the same
coins and relics that l found in the
graves all over Scandinavia I found
three Roman coins of long before
the Christian era; | found magnif-
cient silks and brocades, showing
that these people had had extensive
commerce with China. Cortland,
that great island in the Baltic, must
have been
THE ENGLAND OF THE VIKING AGE.
The Picts and Scots who so bother
ed the Romans were without doubt
Scandinavian robbers. The Scots
of to-day are descended from these
very people.
"About my books Well my Land
of the Midnight Sum sold faster
than it could be printed. But that
was a popular book. My Viking
Age has been a great success too,
but not so many copies have been
sold, for that is a scientific book, a
book purely for students. l loved
my work on that book. l travelled
for seven years getting the matter,
and then wrote for two years more.
England was the only country in
which | could print that book first.
Only there could | get it kept in
type until it was completed. Here
they wanted to turn over their
money too fast; couldn't spare their
type so long. But see, had to have
it. Two years is long time; my
book must be accurate. If few
months after [ had written part l
wanted to make change how could
l do so in the platcs2
"Now what shall l say about
Africa? Well, things are certainly
changed. Why almost everybody
CALLED ME a LIAR,
for saying that l discovered the
gorillas and other apes and the pig
mics; yet they all believed Stanley
Well, l was not newspaper man.
did not know how to puff But
was content to wait. l was not
travelling for fame. l am travel,
ling for science, and / can laugh
at it heartily now. Why, some
did not even give me credit for the
invention. l was but boy, you
know. They said some clever Yam.
kee had invented the story for me.
"But yes, as you say | am for
tunate. Many men have not lived
to see themselves righted before the
public. No man can keep before the
world for long. Look at Stanley
Yesterday the world in a furore. To
day. flat as a pancake. Some PEG
pie even accuse him now of stealing
the accounts of some of his adven
lures from me! A wonderful fellow
is Stanley. Daring, persevering, bu
he had not the faculty of making
friends.
mo, as you say, one man canno
be everything, but many explorer
have been more than he. Why, il
all his African journeys he neve
took meal with his officers! Digni
ty, you see, stronger command, b.
keeping farther away from them
may be. But" and an expressly
shrug of the shoulders said, "but it
not my way.
There was Stairs, now," he con
tinued. Gle was of your own coun
try. All, he was a noble fellow.
loved Stairs, and he is dead. Al
, we'll!
"Oh, yes, some men believed i
me. More Americans than English
men. At least, the English wer
i more brutal in their expressions G
disbelief. They thought nothing O
-, calling me liar. The Americans
at least,
| Sand the young people, ah! tn
young people, they believed in IN
always. They were nearer my ow
a age and sympathized with me, an
n young peoples instincts are true.
: did | know Livingstone? No;
never met him, but | know Gran
He is a grand man. He believed
j me. Poor Spoke! You know how |
r died? Shot himself when shootir
i with some friends. There is fate f
you! A man who had braved al
passed safely through all the da
gers of Central Africa drop at last
a tI,rnip fold