The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-17
DUALLA WAS "A HERO.
Only a Somali Boy, But 10 Had
Nerve and Courage.


~
While proceeding TO Zanzibar IN Feb
ruary. 1870, in the chartered steamer
Albion. writes Henry N. Stanley. the
celebrated African explorer, In Pail
Mall Budget. We stopped at Alden To
take Ia coal. Presently bright Sonali
youth, Who had paddledh his own canoe,
swung himself aboard our ship, md
after making fast his little craftwith
o lanyard accosted me with: ''iyant a
boy, sir2''
mo"
Me good boy, sir. DO anything"
mo, thank you
II hear you 70 to Africa and want
men. becn to America, been fore
the mast. been coachman, been butler
IN Brooklyn with Mr.. Hines I'd like
to 90 with yon, Sir. Z
Why, you are quite PRODIGY How
old are you?'
Seventeen, Sir. 2
now examined him more closely
He was a tall. shapely, comely. intellR
gent young MAN, with curly silk hair,
and look Of quite ready for any
thing" about him.
.Wel1, what wages do yon want?''
Anything you like 20 give, sir. Doll
lar, two dollar. three-dollar month
You find out yorsef by-m' by what I
worth. II I'm no good, no money
why, yon are extraordinary. I'll
give you ten shillings d month, and we
shnIlscc afterward Eh?"
'sAw-right, Sir.
And uron those terms Dualla, the
Somaii Lov. eptered my service. Tor
several months did not pay much
heed to him. There had been no occa-
sion for any exhibition Of superior nbil-
lily or courage
One Gay new rifles were served to
company No /. They were taught
how to manipulate them and how to
disconnect their parts Finally tar-
get was set up at point blank range
and prize was offered to the best
shot, and in order to show the Zanzi-
baris what good shooting was, Ave
European officers were requested to
step for ward and exhibit their skill
Bnt, TO ny shame, not one white man
hit the target.
DnaIla was called upon. Straight as
an arrow he stood second and fired,
plugging the target near the center.
At Stanley Pool an officer requested
the loan Of orr new steel barge that he
might proceed up river and 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. II was lent
with ali injunction that on his return
he should draw her up 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 rs
surcd me OF the security Of the boat
The next morning the boat was need
ed for q special service But she was
not on the beach and no one knew
what had become Of her.
The lieutenant was questioned, and
it was discovered that he had given or
ders for securing the boat, but had not
waited to see his orders carried out
The crew, It then transpired, had SIM
ply rowed her ashore, and each man
hnd sprung out and gone to his own
mess 1t was then obvious to all Of us
that the surge from the Great cataract
which was but two miles bclow, had
entered the cove, lifted the boat clear
of the strand and receding towards the
TERRIBLE vortex had borne her away
with MI her equipments aboard.
Though it appeared hopeless that we
should ever hear Of the boat again,
four several triplets Of messengers
were dispatched in as many directions
across the country to warn the natives
down the river and offer rewards for
her recovery, and set off with Dualla
and another towards,the Great cataract
5of Kintamo. over the hill Of Leopold
willie.
On reaching the summit overlooking
thcacataract, Stretch, one Of the young
attendants, with his sharp eyes de-
tcctcd the boat about midstream
stranded on reef, the lower part Of
" lich seemed to hang over the edge Of
tho rearing cataract With my glass
could see her like tiny specx COM
pared to The mile-wide river Above
the reef the pnissant Congo was treach-
cr0nsly placid, but we. who had SO
osten crossed it two miles above the
station within view Of tho gulf. had
often occasion to dread ITS terrible
velocity, and below the reef it was all
4 scene Of remorseiess furya count
less series Of tossing waves and spray
crowded crests. ard here and there
veritable trwers which were no sooner
formed than they seemed to be swung
bodily into the air TO be followed
BY others. The eye was fascinated by
the wild picture Of tremendous strength
and incessant rage which the Great
cataract furnished at this view OF it
One could gaze at il for hours for its
Suggestion Of ceaseless passion, power.