The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-03
PAUL DU CHAILLU.

columns the other day announced the
death in st. Petersburg of Paul B. Du
Chaillu, the traveller and author.
Doubtless a great many of those who
read the item, even persons who were
more or less familiar with Du Chaillu's
work, thought of him as an inquisitive
Frenchman given to expeditions into
infrequented quarters of the globe and
to writing articles about them. That,
however, is not the exact truth. While
of French descent. he was an Ameri-
can, and a Southerner. He was born
in New Orleans in 1888, and educated
in a Catholic school in that city; that
is, his education was begun in the
school mentioned, for he early develop
ed the rowing spirit. and circumstances
with his family were such that his de-
sires could be gratifled.
AT the age of II he started upon his
first trip into the then unknown heart
Of Africa, where he lost himself to CIV
ilization for three years. When he,
emerged again it was to come to Amer
lea with a collection of ivory and a
more astonishing collection of stories
of the people, animals, birds, reptiles,
ETC., that he had encountered. In New
York, according to his own account, he
was received as "a small boy with a
big fish story" He told of the discov-
cry of a race of pygmies in the inte-
rior of the dark continent-small black
people who could stand under the arm
of white man, and who lived largely
in the trees. Serious minded people
declined to believe his yarns" though
they were accompanied with the most
circumstantial descriptions given in a
straightforward way. Later Henry M.
Stanley came upon the same race of
little people, and it was one Of the re-
grets of Du Chaillu's life that Stanley
neglected to say in his accounts of his
travels that Du Chaillu had first dis
covered the pygmies. Stanley left 1t
to be inferred that 1t was he who found
them in their jungle Businesses. It
was Du Chaillu, also. who first made
the world acquainted with the existence
Of the gorilla. That was about forty
five years ago, at which time scientific
lduBuGQ
stories" He was. however. able to
prove the truth of what he said about
the great monkeys, against the Wig
orous criticisms of Prof. Grey of the
British Museum.
Du Chaillu spent a number of years
in Africa, making several trips, during
which time he came in contact with
savages and cannibals. He wrote his
experiences and observations in several
books that have become recognized as
among the most thrilling stories of
travel ever put into the English or any
other language. He then remained some
time in the United States writing and
lecturing, following which he made ex-
petitions into Norway, Finland and
Lapland. Some three years ago he
went to Russia to investigate condi-
tions in the sections of that country
unknown to the outside world. and it
was during this trip that he died.
Du Chaillu's lifdwas romance, and
one of the hair-raising sort at times.
He knew not fear and no difficulty ap-
palled him. Once he said to a friend,
There is no such thing as an obsta-
cle;" then turning to a desk he drew
out a journal that he had kept during
one of his African trips. On the fly
leaf was written, by himself: "Should
Death overtake me, kindly forward
this journal to Murray & Co., London" 4
You win see." said he to his friend |
that Death is capitalized. 1t is the
only important word to me. 1t is the /
only thing that will interrupt my lab
bors." That was his spirit. If he
found a thing difficult to do in one way |
he did it in another. He wouldn't per-
init himself to fail to arrive at the OBJ
ject of his determination. Amid the |
hardships of an explorers life he was
probably most happy. His indomita-
BILE pluck and keen observation won |
him a considerable measure of credit |
yet it can hardly be said that Paul Du |
Chaillu enjoyed the recognition that |
his achievements deserved.