The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-10
GREAT EXPLORER PENsIoNED.
France Recognizes Services of Savorg-
nan De BTaZZa-


! The French Chamber of Deputies has
{ just voted to Savorgnan de Bfazza, the
founder Of the colony Of the French
Congo, an annual pension Of 10000
I francs and upon his decease q pension
/ OF 5000 francs is provided for his widow.
This IS only Just recognition Of the
/ services Of a man who made It possible
for France 10 develop its large posses
sions in the French Congo No previous
/ explorer had been able to make any
/ Roadway among the fierce Pahuins and
other unfTiendIy tribes which inhabit
that region; but de Brazza, with remark
able tact. turned foes into friends, made
it possible to travel unaTmed through
a large part Of the country, to study its
I resources and TO adopt the wisest meth
DDS OF development.
Next &c Stanley, de Bsazza is probably
the greatest of living African travellers.
Like Stanley, he has accomplished ev-
erything he has ever undertaken; and
he has led q charmed life among the
{ perilous conditions to which many Of
lis comrades succumbed- He is now long
past his prime, is worn out by his many
years Of arduous toll, and the history Of
his active career is probably about COM
pIeted.
Some years ago Mr.. Carl SteckeImann,
q West African trader, told a Sun" re-
porter Of the time he met De Brazza far
up the XVIII River The incident is
worth repeating, for 1t illustrates the
character OF De Brazza and his way of
dealing with the natives. Steckelmann
said:
4 was in camp at a village when a
few carriages suddenly emerged from the
forest and with them was slender,
sad-faced, poorly clad white man. He
vas the Governor of the French Congo, /
and he was of on one OF his long tramps.
De Brazza approached the natives and
asked them for food.
90 No they said grufay, you can't get
any food here. We have one white man
here already You had better 90 on your
way.
The explorer said nothing. He sim
ply ordered his carriage to lay down
their loads in the middle OF the village.
Then one Of his men unDacked the as
tho explorer set about making Observa-
lions for position and altitude The !
stTangest sight the native eye ever saw
was this white man studying his instru- /
ments and figuring away on bit Of pa
per. They concluded that he was not q /
person 20 trifie with ami that his theodO- /
lite was a powerful fetch Soon a crowd I
gathered around him. but the explorer /
frightened them away by his gruff man 1
neF and impatient gestures.
Get away from me. Clear out Don't 1
you see I am busy? Let me alone he 4
said
At length he finished his work. Some /
natives had been cooking their evening !
meal nearby Their meat and vegeta- !
bles, which had been boiling in a pot. /
were ready and the group gathered |
around and began to eat. De Brazza /
arose. took a tin plate and large spoon.
quietly walked 10 to the pot. helped /
himself literally without saying a word /
TO anybody. sat down by a tree and re- 1
called himself with native cookery. He /
knew just what effect his actions had 1
produced upon the native mind and Just
what to do
Then he told the villagers that his /
men we're hungry and must be fed The /
natives gave them all they could eat for
who dare oppose q great medicine man
who carried such a remarkable fetch
as a theodolite2 De BTazza slept in the
village that night and next morning he
paid the natives well for what they had
given him and took his departure
New York Sun.