New-York tribune., 1897-01-16
JOSEPH THOMSON.
A SUMMARY OF HIS WORK AS TRAVELLER
AND SCIENTIST IN AFRICA.


by Charles Scribners Sons.
The commander OF an African exploring party
az tho age OF twenty-one and dead at th'r''
seven-these are the limits OF prie' o"' IL
markable career. Yet in sixteen years "o'r'o'
sc aared as much new territory as most Vi"
see In a long lifetime. 1t was his hghes' "'"o
that he accomplished his task without oioou-
shed and that wherever he went nc 'e'. 'N
natives friendly to the white man. 30 enp"a'N
was his mental protest against the oes'' ''o''
-, u,a that he avoided sport merely for sports
sake. and hunted game only when II was "e''
sarv for the subsistence OF his party he was
norhors tho last Of the long line Of explorers for
whom Africa had romantic a'u"''
pendent OF personal gain.
Africa is no longer a land to be explored; IL
"a q continent to be exploited. The change was
strongly marked in Thomsons time ana ne ''ie'
It with anything but approval. he ala not """'
10 see Africa tur-ed over to traders as lohs do
it was possible to avoid It, The gin trafhc alohe
the coast of the Gulf Of Guinea horrihed hifh'
and whar he witnessed the enthusiasm ana
downriaht religious earnestness OF the Mahome-
tans Of the Soudan he drew such contrast
between the propagators of Islam ana the Chris-
.;an missionaries as almost to wreck his reputa-
ton in Great Britain. His opinion was that the
missionaries should limit their instruction TO the
capacities of the people and should direct their
efforts TO the practical improvement Of the ma
tives in the affairs Of daily life. He was struck
by the fact that the Africans seemed 10 under-
stand Mahometanism. and that 1t appeared dir-
fcult for them to grasp the meaning OF Chris-
tianity He irritated certain other famous ex-
porers by his censure Of the mercantile spirit
I2rt no found missionaries who looked at the
African problem much as he did, and he had
an admiration for Cecil Rhodes. fact when ne
could only justify by arguments that ran pretty
close TO the wind Of his convictions He would
be an impossible person in England thomson
wrote on one occasion. but for South Africa
he IS simply the ideal man. and throughout the
lenath and breadth Of the country he is recog-
nized as such" He thought the war on the
Matabele thoroughly justifabe. These con-
trasts in ThomsoH's thinking cannot be under
stood without realizing the fact that he was
British to the core. He considered it the mission
of Great Britain to care for Africa and to bring
Il under the influences of civilization, and he
saw little good in what other nations were
doing.
Though the beginnings Of his fame as an
African traveller were almost matter OF acci-
dent exploration in the Dark Continent had
been his ideal from boyhood. He had more
than the usual strength and activity of a
Scotsman born and reared amid rural surround
pographer by instinct. and alert TO the ques-
tions that his native mills offered to the botanst
and geoogist He won distinction in his ia
yorte studies at the University Of Edinburgh.
and a few months later was appointed geologst
and naturalist 10 an expedition which, unoer
command Of Keith Johnson. was to explore
the unknown region between Dar-es-Saiaam
and Lake Nyassa, and if possible, to examine
the country as far west as Lake Tanganyika.
The region was infested by the murderous ana
predatory bands of the Mahenge. who had
hitherto been the terror of all caravans. John
son was traveller Of experience. At Zanzi-
bar he selected his men and his outht with
such care that. said. party better
eouipped for African travel never left the East
Coast But he was not to enjoy the fruit OF
his labors His death left Thomson. then twen-
ty-one years old. in charge Of the expedition.
He decided to complete the work himself. his
manner OF treating the threatening war parties
that he met astonshed them. as we'll as MS
own servants Instead of trusting to guns and
warlike show. he went among the hostile ma
tives and by showing that he meant them no
harm invariably gained their confidence.
Where the Arab slave-hunter was a familiar
figure he at first suffered from the tmdity or
resentment of the tribesmen. but his fame as
man of peace usually preceded him. He in
spected the country around the north end OF
Lake Nyassa and then. instead Of turning back,
passed on through the intervening country TO
Lake Tanganyika. A1oat and ashore, he maze
a survey of both sides of this lake as far north
as the Lukugu River on the west and uJiJi
on the east He settled. 10 his own complete
satisfaction the dispute between Stanley ana
Cameron as the Lukugu River. by discover
ing that the outlet from the lake was filed with
a swift-fowing stream. and that the water Of
oh ci O.
feet.
Then he made an attempt TO reach the Congo
but his ammunition had given out and the hos
,lity OF the Warua tr!besmen was implacable
Within a days journey of the headwaters OF
the great river he was obliged by the fears
NJ his men 10 turn back. His return to the
coast was made with a rapidity which caused
even the Arabs TO marvel His men were all
in good condition. and, though he had been
troubled by fevers. he finished the journey IN
fairly good health The members OF the Royal
Geographical Society were delighted with the
success of young man. The exploration
was praised as one Of the most complete IN all
tts parts that had ever been undertaken. Then
the Sultan of Zanzibar sent the young geolo-
gist up the Roouma River to find coal. and be-
cause he did not find any and was candid
enough TO say So treated him subsequently as
n he were trying to steal the country
But the Royal Geographical Society wanted
somebody to break through the line defended py
those notorious spearmen. the Nasal. Many
an explorer had lost his life there Thomson's
opin,on was that the country could be trav-
ersed without appeal to arms. Unfortu-
nately German traveller who thought diff
ferenty got into the country ahead Of him
and stirred up the natives by series Of small
battles BY changing his route Thomson man
aged to evade most Of the difficulties arising
from this cause. but it was only when the
German scientist gave up his effort and re-
treated to the coast that Thomson had fair
chance to carry out successfully his policy Of
neace. He succeeded. Not a native suffered