The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-07-22
;TANLEY'S NEW ANECD0TES
The Noted Explorer illustrates the
Ignorance About Africa Twenty
Years Ago.

1t is 81 years since Henry NJ. Stanley's
celebrated book, Through the Dark
Continent" was printed. 1t told the
thrilling story of his journey through
Africa, in which he made his boat sur
vey of Victoria Nyanza and followed me
Congo from it's upper waters to the sea.
A new edition of the book is about to
appear and Stanley has written long
preface for it, in which he tells of the
remarkable changes that have taken
place in the regions described in the
book. He has sent the preface to the
geographer, Wauters, of Brussels, and
the first installment of it has appeared
in L. Movement Geographique in adj
vance of the appearance of the book. A
few extracts from this part of the pre-
face are reproduced here. Obviously,
Mr.. Stanley's exact language cannot be
given, as the extracts are translated
from the French:
LAS striking instance of the general
Indifference in Great Britain to all |
had written about Africa in the year 1878
lwhen his book appeared) remember
an interview between two members OF
the council of the Royal Geographical
society and myself. The gentlemen
were calling on me, and one of them, OBJ
serving my manuscript map of the
Congo hanging on the wall and the an
notation | had made along the rivers
course, turned to me with the remark:
"'How long do you think it will be
before a white man sees Stanley falls
again?'
"'Perhaps two or three years. re-
piled.
"'Two or three years. he exclaimed.
Why, / expected to hear you say so
years at least
Fifty years. said I. 4 am ready to
wager that within 20 years there will
be no part of the continent a hundred
miles square that will not have been ex-
plored.'
81 accept the wager and will make
the sum $50, if agreeable to you,' said
my caller.
',rhe bet was made, the 20 years have
at last expired, and though / do not pre-
tend to say that j have won the bet, !
do assert that my prediction has been
completely confirmed by the facts.
1.-THE same year Sir Rutherford AL
cock, president Of the Royal Geographic
cal society, remarked in his annual ad
dress that 1 had expressed the opinion
to him that if sufficient money were eX
pended Africa would not only be eX
plored, but also pacified and civilized
| did not think there was anything sur
prising in the statement, but Sir Ruther
ford must have thought it worthy O
reproduction or he would not have men
toned it. l speak of the matter only t.
show the prevailing ignorance in al
circles at that time of matters relatin,
to Africa.
Seven years later | was introduce,
by canon of Westminster to well
known bishop, and as l was talking t
him about the Congo he smilingly re
marked:
"'This is all very interesting, but, t.
tell the truth, l do not know that
should be able to find the Congo on tn
map
"You may imagine my surprise. Al
the newspapers of the country had bee
printing every day for year news Q
one sort or another about the Berli
conference and it's results, and I Gel
tainly supposed that a prince of tn
church would know something about i
But his Indifference to the large event
that were passing in Africa was so grea
that he did not even know the name G
: the Congo!"--N. Y. Sun.