Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-04-06
DUALLA WAS A HERO.
Only Il Somali Boy, But He Had
Nerve and Courage.
Henry NJ. stanley Tells How lie saved
Steel barge from PcrlshinE In the
Great Cataract of Kintamo on
the Congo River.

hiNNl hihhAhR AhoN his lllIlt tfulI WIFI
lanyard accostcd me with: "Want
boy, sir2"
"No."
ME good boy, sir. Do anything"
No, thank you"
81 hear you go to Africa and want
men. ] been to America, been fore
the mast, been coachman, been butler
In brooklyn with Mr.. lines. I'd like
to go with you, sir"
why you are quite PRODIGY How
old are you?"
Seventeen, SIR"
now examined him more closely.
He was n tall, shapely, comely, intelli-
gent young man, with curly silk hair,
and look Of quite ready for any
thing" about him.
"Well, what wagcsdo you want2"
Anything you like TO give, sir. Dol
lar, two dollar, three-dollar n month.
You find out yorsef by-m'.by what l
worth. II I'm no good, no money"
why, you are extraordinary. I'll
give you ten shillings q month, and we
shall sec afterward Eh?"
"Aw-rigTft, SIR"
And upon those terms Duolla, the
Somali boy, entered my service. For
several months | did not pay much
heed to him. There had been no occa-
sion for any exhibition of superior abil-
ity or courage
One day new rifles were served to
company No. l. They were taught
how to manipulate them and how to
disconnect their parts. Finally n tar
get was set up at point blank range
and n prize was offered to the best
shot, and in order TO show the Xanzi-
baris what good shooting was, five
European officers were requested TO
step forward and exhibit their skill
Bnt, to my shame, not one white man
hit the target.
Dualla was called upon. Straight a.,
an arrow he stood second and fired,
plugging the target near the center.
At Stanley Pool an officer requested
the loan of our new steel barge that he
might proceed up river nd visit his
friends at the next station.
The steel boat pulled twelve oars,
and completely equipped and launched
on the Upper Congo had cost us about
eight hundred pounds 1t was lent
with an injunction that on his return
he should draw her mp carefully on the
beach out of harms way and paddock
her chain. The lieutenant faithfully
promised, went up the river, and, on
coming back, reported himself and as.
sured me of the security of the boat
The next morning the boat was need.
81 10 al lat oh q
not on the beach and no one knew
what had become of her
The lieutenant was questioned, and
| II was discovered that he had given or
aers for securing the boat, but had moi
waited to see his orders carried out
The crew, 1t then TRANSFERRED, had sim
ply rowed her ashore, and each man
had sprung out and gone to his own
mess II was then obvious TO all of vi
that the surge from the Great cataract
which was but two miles below, hat
entered the cove, lifted the boat cleal
of the strand, and receding towards tn,
terrible vortex had borne her away
with all her equipments aboard.
Though II appeared hopeless that W.
should ever hear of the boat again
four several triplets OF messenger
were dispatched in as many direction
across the country to warn the native
down the river and offer rewards 70
her recovery, and set off with Quail
and another towards'the Great catarac
OF Kintamo, over the hill OF Leopold
Vile.
On reaching the summit overlookin
the cataract, Stretch, one of the youn
attendants, with his sharp eyes dc
tected the boat about midstrear
stranded on q reef, the lower part G
which seemed to hang over the edge {
the roaring cataract With my glas
could see her like tiny speck CON
pared to the mile-wide river Abov
the reef the puissant Congo was treaci
erously placid but we, who had s
often crossed 1t two miles above til
station within view Of the gulf, ha
often occasion TO dread its terribl
velocity, and below the reef 1t was n
a scene of remorseless fury-a coun
less series Of tossing waves and spra!
crowded crests, and here and thei
veritable trwers which were no soone
formed than they seemed TO be swun
| DOully INTO tno air W po ioAoWe
by others. The eye was fascinated b
the wild picture of tremendous strengt
and incessant rage which the Gre'
cataract furnished at this view OF I
One could gaze at It for hours for I
suggestion OF ceaseless passion, powe
and its awful ingulhngness, while i
hoarse roar Is In at volume and accoI
paniment TO the watery horror.
sat dow n and studied the river abo'
the reef. From our side the boat WI
quite seven hundred yards and abo
one thousand yards from the opposi
hank. The low rock on which II Il
was probably fifty yards in width al
RISE about foot above the water, al
: by one Of those surgeB caused by Il
vicinity of the cataract and shiftil
currents the boat had doubtless be-
c swayed aside and had rested on VIII
appeared TO DO the beginning OF
s-aAsA ar ahannAl. VARIOUS plAns We