The Princeton union., 1894-03-22


ing barge, Lady Alice The Lady Alice was
built in England from Stanley's designs.
She was constructed of Spanish cedar and
divided into five sections, each eight feet
long, and could be further subdivided for
ease in portage overland. The only white
men of the party besides Stanley were three
novices in rough adventure, Frank and Ed
ward Pocock, stalwart fisher lads from the
coast of Kent, and Frederick Barker, a ro-
mantle young hotel clerk of London.
When the adventures reached Zanzibar,
they were met with the tidings of Living
stones death in the heart of Africa, and
Stanley at once turned to exploring the
lakes supposed to be the sources of the Nile.
Two years were passed in exploring Victo-
ria Nyanza and Albert NyanZa. He cir
cumnavigated both lakes. transporting the
Lady Alice from one to the other and from
river to river, as he crossed the country, on
the backs of natives. The barge was in
every way equal to the hopes of her design
er, and after looking over and abandoning
many projects for a return to civilization
Stanley and Frank Pocock, the survivors
OF the original four, decided to try to
make the sea by trip down the mysterious
river flowing through the region where
Livingstone had passed his closing years.
No white man had fathomed the secret of
it's course and outlet and lived to tell of it,
and no native could be found who would
say more than that it flowed on and on for
ever to the sea. But it's waters rolled
throughout vast territories teeming with
savage peoples, and Stanley looked upon it
as roadway to carry him on his course
and reveal the wide inner continent in all
its darkness. The Lady Alice, an element
s>.l -.
the enterprise, was finally launched on the
water in December, 1876. The Arab COM
pany, under Tippu lib, had abandoned the
trip in spite of the enormous sums offered
them to continue. and other trained natives
Of Stanley's own crew deserted.
The river had some terror for those who
knew it far better than the white men-
terror which no amount of treasure could
spirit away. Stanley's party, when left to
itself, numbered 149 people-men, women
and children. The natives travelled in their
own rude canoes.
The first cataract of Stanley falls was
reached Jan. 4, 1877. The party was get
ting ready to land and 90 around by port
age when the noise of the roaring waters
was hushed in the battle din of the Mwana
warriors, who swarmed on the banks of
| the river. There was no choice but to
fight, because an attempt'to shoot the rap
| ids was sure to end in swift destruction of
the canoes and all on board. The can
nibals were driven away from the shore by
sharp volley from breechloaders, and the
party made land. The next day the war
like Mwana took counsel and united their
forces on one side of the river The bold
voyagers then lugged the Lady Alice and
canoes around the falls
Six more cataracts were passed after "a
days of hardship and toll At night the
party would make a camp on shore or upon
some deserted island, surround it with a
strong barricade and rest in security, but
at each portage place the natives, generally
of different tribes, swarmed to the spot and
harassed the expedition with every means
at their command. To the perils of the
river and the enemy were added those of