Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1895-12-19
oLAvE IN MID AFRICA.


Ono of the Last Letters writtgu by the
Brave Young Explorer.
The October Century contains
tribute by Robert Howard Russell to
the late Il. j. Glave, who died in Afri-
ca while conducting an expedition to
investigate the slave trade for the Cen
fury Magazine. The following letter is
quoted. written from Lake Bangweolo;
There is no postoffice at above address.
must carry this letter myself for an
other 300 miles before l can despatch
1t. am just now in a very wild part
of Central Africa. l am travelling up
between the Luapula river and the
Bangweolo lake, toward Lake Moero.
Upon reaching this | shall turn to the
east again. ead strive the south end of
Tanganyila; thence ] cannot say for
certain, but hope To descend the Con
so and come out on the west coast |
have covered a lot of new ground, and
got together a budget of manuscript,
new, and think of some value as
throwing considerable light upon the
slave trade. have had splendid hunt
ing-bagglng lion, zebra Gland and all
| sorts of buck antelope. | have KEEP;
fifty men supplied with fresh meat for
hree months, besides feeding many
hungry native. My journey has thus
far been most successful in so far that
[ have not had the gllghtegt trouble with
any chief or his people. | have sue
ceeded in making friends everywhere.
My men, rag-tag-and- lot, have
behaved splenddly, but l am not out
OF the woods yet shall have a fine
collection of photographs if | get out
all rlght-some of considerable value.
| feel confoundedly lonely at times
without white companion, and have
not spoken any English for months.
My object all along has been to do a
share toward the suppression of slav-
cry, and the information / have gath
cred on this trip in regard to the sub
ject will to some extent aid the cause.
| should like to return to Africa, to this
section of the continent, and take some
active part in the suppression of slav-
cry. l have now only four rifles be-
sides my personal weapons; but with
300 rifles l could rid the whole land be-
| lNNth l1uht NydSSd On the east anu
Lakes Moero and Bangweolo on the
west of lawless slave raiders. With my
present information, know where the
murderous crews could be hit the hard
est. The cattle plague has played
dreadful havoc among the domestic and
wild animals throughout Central Afri-
ca. A year or two ago vast herds of
buffalo roamed throughout the country
l have traversed but | have not seen a
single one. l have also been unfortun-
ate in the failing to see rhinoceros,
although have seen their tracks doz-
ems of times, some quite fresh. which /
followed, but with no success. Twice in
the journey the grass has been covered
with frost in the morning-very miser-
able for my poor blacks. with their bare
feet and legs, and only flowing rags
around their loins: but as soon as the
sun is UP the air becomes more genial.
l have enjoyed remarkably good health
and l feel that | am as tough as piano
wire To be constantly among these ma
tive tribes is not a cheerful existence
for lone white man. They are cruel
merciless lot, grasping in all their deal
ings, and absolutely untruthful; yet,
withal, they are poor, prosecuted peo-
pie, and when subjected to humane gov
eminent they may be wonderfully i'm
proved"