The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-11


starvation. The savages would not supply
food to the whites. Even those who were
friendly feared to bring upon themselves
the anger of the bloodthirsty haters Of
white men.
For nine days between Feb. 10 and 10
the party was wholly without eatabes,
and the natives began to dread a famine.
Finally they met with "a peaceful tribe of
semicivilized people, the Chimbri, and
again their wants were supplied. On the
9th of March the thirty second and last bat
tie was fought with savage men. After that
| 1t was a battle with mighty torrents. The
| lower portion Of the great river is divided
into numerous deep channels broken into
ridges, along which the water PUSHES with
fearful velocity owing to the steep incline
| of the land. In many places the most pow
erful steamer would prove as helpless as II
shell of boards The currents are further
broken by trees, rocks and long reefs, and
several times the canoes in the hands of the
most skillful native boatmen were upset.
| When the expedition was afloat, Stanley
led in the Lady Alice to spy out the safest
roads and the dangerous passes. One day
after the Lady Alice had rounded point
in channel 1888 feet deep she was drawn
into wide bay which indeni ed the shore
900 yards above a dangerous falls. One after
another three canoes hugging the shore
| Joined the Lady Alice on a stretch of sandy
| beach. Suddenly the fourth canoe one of
the best of the fleet, called the Crocodile,
was seen far out in the current rushing on
with terrible speed toward the rapids. In
it were three of StaLley's favorite native
comrades, Kalulu, Mauredi and Ferajji.
Besides these were five native oarsmep y"
help could be given the doomed voyagers,
and those who had made land could only
look with Mortified and frozen gaze upon
the tragedy before them.
The canoe was gliding with fearful rapid
| ity toward an island which cleaved the
stream and sent each branch whirling from
its banks with angry velocity. Passing
down one branch on an incline, the canoe
struck level water, ON which it was whirled
about three or four times. Then the stern
flashed in the air for moment, and the
frail bark, with all its inmates, was eli
quilted in the waters below. A second canoe
with two men was warned by the crew OF
Lady Alice, but too late. 1t shot the fall.
safely, however. The Lady Alice was now
rowed well out into the channel Of the de
scending canoes to repeat the warning that
death lay in the midcurrent.
| Before the head Of the line of canoes
| could be reached q third came gliding
swiftly along carrying but one man, a
brave warrior lad MINED Soudi, who had
escaped the spears of the cannibal tribes ~
the river. Warning reached him from tn
Lady Alice just as his eye eau hit the break
In the current which marked the awful
| precipiee toward which he was rushing.
Too late TO help again. and the poor soul
gave himself up to Ills fate, crying, Pm
lost, master!" The canoe shot the falls,
with Soudi elinging to its sides, and bound
ed on from watery terrace to terrace, now
whirling about in boiling eddies and again
caught by heavy waves and whisked first
to the right and then to the left. 1t did
not sink, and Soudi did not let go. Dark
ness finally settled upon the scene and next
day canoe and boy had disappeared.
On the Sth of April, 1877, the Lady Alice
narrowly escaped destruction and there.
after figured in the most thrilling events OF
the voyage.
Three days later the barge entered Lady
Alice rapids, where the steep banks would
not admit of portage. Strong cables were
attached to the bow and stern, with three
| men TO each on shore TO regulate the speed
| Stanley and five men staid in the boat
| Scarcely had she struck the rushing current
when the stern cable slackened, and the
barge was whirled around out of control Of
her oarsmen, and one cableman was dragged
from his footing. The poor fellow clungto
the cable and was finally hauled on board
the Lady Alice, which was soon entirely
clear and Aging az a terrible speed among
the powders which blocked the rivers
course Oars were of no use except to
strengthen the helm. The natives were