The morning call., 1893-09-14
is EMIN PASHA DEAD?

African explorers have many lives.
Stanley was killed, not once but many
times; the same fate has been shared by
his brothers in African travel Hence,
the recent story that Emin has at last met
his destiny at the hands of Arab slave
traders has not been implicitly believed.
though it has been reported repeatedly
during the past six months.
The latest reliable news from Emin was
from point between the newly discovered
Lake Alexandra and Lake Tanganyika.
After Stanley left Zanzibar for England in
the winter of 1SS9-90 Emin entered the
service of Germany, and started at the head
of a small force commanded by German
officers for Lake Victoria. This was in
April, 1890. He reached Prukoha. on
the west side of the lake, on the last day Of
October in that year, and forthwith pro-
ceeded to build fort and vessels for the
navigation of the lake. He appears to
have been on the best terms with the
natives. though when his force permitted
he never failed TO make war upon the
Arab slave-traders, and to liberate their
slaves. He commanded such influence
that the King of Uganda. whose dominions
touch the northwest corner of the lake,
:
but as the partition of the continent be-
tween the European powers threw Uganda
into the share of Great Britain Emin was
compelled to decline the offer. lie made
friends, however, with the kings of
Karague and Ruauda, whose territories lie
west of Victoria Lake. and planted stations
under their protection. This was in Feb
ruary, 1891. He appears at that time to
have entertained and partially executed
several projects. One was TO open line
of travel from the elephant country in
Ruanda to the head of Lake Tanganylka,
and to plant trading station on the lake
to Intercept the siave-traders' caravan
route from the Congo to Zanzibar An
other was to strike through the uneX-
plored country, between the upper lakes
and the Congo, SO as TO extend German in
tiuenee in a region not included in the
partition treaty.
How much OF these projects he was able
to realize, we have at present no means
of knowing. In December. 1891, he was
travelling with handful of half-starved
ana siekly men from point near Albovo-
DO toward Albert Lake, while his lieu
tenant. otuhlmaD, struck out due east to-
ward Lake Victoria. There our informa-
ton stops. The story believed in Africa
is that III October. 1892 he was beset and
murdered near the border of Albert Lake
by Sa id Ben Abed famous slaYe-dealer
There is no improbability in the tale. Dut
it requires confirmation. Emin's hostility
to the slave traders was notorious; but he
was too well versed in African life to take
chances among the boodihirsty Arabs
when he had no escort within call.
Whether purposely or not. SANKEY'S
books belittle Emin's services to the cause
of African discovery. The Euglishman
paints the German as a gatherer Of coleop-
terra, and one who set more store on the
antenn8 of beetle than on the conquest
of territory. This seems unjust. DIR.
SchnjtZer-for the time seems to have
come to restore to Emin his real name
proved his capacity for high craftsmanship
by his long reign over the Upper Nile
province, which he converted from a desert
peopled by savageS into prosper Gus dis
trict where both industry and agriculture
flourish. He was man of science as well
as an administrator, and that is hardly to
his discredit. That he did not hold his
dominion is pity; but il must be remem-
bered that he was dependent on his own
resources, and derived neither men, money.
nor supplies from Europe or from Egypt.
His dominion is now merged into the ter
ritory of the wandering Arabs of the
SOudan. But is the Congo State so solid ?
At latest dates the up-riyer stations were
falling into the hands of the Arabs, and
public improvements had ceased for the
want of money.
The civilization of interior Africa is a
problem which will yex the ingenuity OF
the European statesmen who have under
taken to solve it. They have been thirty
years trying to stop the Arab slave-trade,
and it is as flourishing as ever. The coun-
tries surrounding the great lakes TEEN
with people, but it seems impossible to
teach them to wear breeehes or to buy
Jackknives. The loss of man who could
handle them without shooting a few Of
them before breakfast is to be regretted.