The Forrest City times., 1893-02-17
DUALLA WAS A HERO.
Only Somali Boy, But He Had
Nerve and Courage.
Horny NJ. Stanley Tells How He Saved =
Steel Barge from Perishing In tho
Great Cataract of Kintamo
the Congo River.

While proceeding to Zanzibar in Feb
ruary, 1879, in the chartered steamer
Albion, writes Henry M. Stanley, the
celebrated African explorer. in Pail
Mall Budget, we stopped at Alden to
take in coal. Presently bright Somali
youth, who had padded his own canoe,
swung himself aboard our ship, and
after making fast his little craft with
lanyard accosted me with: want =
boy, sir?"
"No."
''Me good boy. sir. Do anything"
mo, thank you"
II hear you go to Africa and want
men. | been to America, been fore
the mast, been coachman, been butler
in Brooklyn with Mr.. Hines. I'd like
to 60 with you, sir"
"Why, you are quite prodigy! How
old are you?"
Seventeen, SIR"
now examined him more closely.
He was a tall, shapely, comely, intelli-
gent young man, with curly silk hair,
and look of quite ready for any
thing" about him.
"Well. what wages do you want"
Anything you like to give, sir. Dol
lar. two dollar, three-dollar a month.
You find out yorsef by-m'-by what l
worth. If I'm no good, no money"
"Why, you are extraordinary. I'll
give you ten shillings a month, and we
shall see afterward Eh?"
"Aw-right, SIR"
And upon those terms Dualla, the
Somali boy, entered my service. For
several months l did not pay much
heed to him. There had been no occa-
sion for any exhibition of superior abil-
ity or courage.
company No l. They were taught
how to manipulate them and how to
disconnect their parts Finally a tar
get was set up at point blank range
and a prize was offered to the best
shot, and in order to show the ZanZi-
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.
Duaila was called upon. Straight as
an arrow he stood a second and fred,
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 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. 1t was lent
with an 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 as
sured me of the security of the boat
The next morning the boat was need
cd for 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
had 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 below, had
entered the cove, lifted the boat clear
off the strand, and receding towards the
terrible vortex had borne her away
with all 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
J across the country to warn the natives
down the river and ofrrr rewards for