The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12
SOLVING A RIVER MYSTERY
COL. VAN GELE'S DISCOVERY or
THE MOBANGI'S MOUTH.
One OF the Curiosities Of Exploration In
Afrfca-The C0ngoy Largest Tributary
Well Hidden-Col. Van Geie's Hunt
Another Explorer Finds II BY Chance.

The MobanG River. emptying into the
Congo from the north. Is the largest tribu-
tary Of that river. 1t Is 500 miles long
and larger than any river Of Europe ex-
cept the volga and the Danube. Col. Van
GEE, one of the famous explorers OF the
Congo basin. has just written the story
Of his discovery Of the mouth Of the great
river in 1884.
This discovery was act ually made by the
missionary traveller Grenfell as well as
by Van Gele about the same time. neither
of them knowing what the other was doing
1t was one Of the remarkable finds in the
second greatest river basin Of the world;
a brief summary Of the story told oy COL
Van Gele ia worth recording.
He heard from the natives that there was
a great river called the Mobangi emptying
into the Congo on the northern bank. He
had lived on the Congo for years "a mem-
steamed up and down the river. but he had
never heard Of the Mobangi He had con-
siderable doubt that such river existed.
but finally decided to take the little steamer
En- Avant and probe the mystery to the
bottom. There W ere four Belgians In the
party and ten Zanzibar deckhands. The
information they had received Was very
vague and the only course before them was
to keep close to the right or northern bank
of the Congo till they found the mouth
of the Mobangi or proved that It did not
exist. The Congo is miles In width. for
long distance above and below the confiu-
ence OF the Mobangi and IL Ia strewn with
hundreds OF islands separated from one
another by a myriad Of channels.
Mobangi, steamed down the river. and In
two days found themselves amid this tangle
! OF islands II was difficult to find the
north bank OF the Congo, Sometimes they
slirted for miles what they believe to be
the shore OF the river, only to find at last
| that they had been following the edge OF
Finally they found a fishing village where
| the natives. with some hesitation consented
20 have dealings with them; They bought
| some fish, but the men refused 10 guide
| them out Of the labyrinth or supply them
| with Information.
Their confidence was gained at last, and
| two of them were detained aboard the
steamer. A pile. Of brass rods and cloth
was shown 10 them and they were told
! that these treasures would he given them
! II they would pilot the white men to the
mouth OF the Mobangi River. The men
| promised to do no. and again the En- Avant
! started down the Congo under the con-
Under their direction" writes Col.
! Van (;Ale, I'VE steamed in and out among the
, Islands, and after four hours Of progress
| at full speed we found ourselves In swift,
l i n
| the bow OF the boat and looking back to
! Capt Hanssens ] shouted;
| Captain, we are in a new river.
| I've are. sure enough he replied:
! 1T was true. We were in the Mobangi,
and soon we saw alonE its ef' bank .0 vast
werc a Mobaugi tribe whom We had never
before we touched the shore We loaded
the two fishermen with the presents we
had promised to them and they sped down
| the river back to their village in canoe.
| The same day we were the guests Of N'koko,
the principal chief of that region. and tho
following morning we signed the treaty
with him and the other important chiefs
OF the lower Mobangi tribe,
sThis ia the way in which the Belgians
discovered the mouth Of the Mobangi and
entered into pacific posse ssion OF the coun-
try by treaties concluded with the native
e' A. the Same time Grenfell was starting
up the Congo on his little steamer The Peace
| ~ find new sit6s for mission stations. He
iosf his way among the islands and by the
mert at accident got into the mouth OF the
Nobangi and did not discover until he had
proceeded 100 miles up the river that he
THE fact is, he wrote, 'the Mobangi has
| no wide q channel, 50 many islands and a
course 30 nearly identical In it's lower reaches
l with that OF tne SOuko blat hhireahc'
though apparently absurd, is compre-
As soop, however, as no had passed be-
| rond the first parallel OF north latitude
and failed to find the town of Hbongo'
! where be had expected to obtain provisions,
Il was clear that lie was not on the Congo.
IL was very difficult to induce the natives
TO sell him any food. But they finally
became his friends. and a lttlc later he
steamed 900 miles up the great river.
His report Of this exploration was the
, first news the world received Of tho greatest
Congo tributary. The news came TO Eu-
rope lust In time to enable Stanley TO IN.
he publisho d with his large book. The
Founding Of the Congo Free State. Stan,
! lev had lived 1--WE " airs on the Congo and
had never heard Of it's most important
tributary. ,,,
| the Mobangi some 700 or 500 milts and
proved that the enormous river was identi-
cal with the welle Of Schweinfurth, dis
covered by the German explorer sewn
| teen years earlier. The sources OF the
Mobangi were found to be not far from
4 ~ The rivQf