The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
SANKEY'S Terse Assignments to Dark Con-
tinent-Sent on Instant to Fight
Way Into Jungle.
Livingstone Deeply Touched Pasha
Less Pleased and Doubtful if He
Ought to Leave.

nation. he could easily have cut his wa,
: i-by some southern route to the coast be
fore the Mahdfs forces could come dow
the Nile and get at him. But Emin i
a noble hero. and he preferred death [,
desertion. Indeed. when Stanley reach
ed him this sentiment. carried to almos
Cuixotic extremes, threatened to rende
the relief expedition unavailing.
Sir William Mackinnon is the presi
dent of the British East Africa Com
pany. Sir William secured subscriber
to the relief fund. the Egyptian govern
ment giving a full third of the tota
presumed expense. Directly upon re
ceiving the messages from King Leopold
and Sir William Stanley Cancelled hi:
lecture engagements and hurried off tc
| London
There the character of the errand hS
was desired TO perform was fully made
known TO him. The expedition was not
to be military. He was not TO go II
and drag out, or anything of that kind
1t was not known just what Emin S
situation might be. His last letters
had been quite hopeless in tone, telling
OF the submission to the Mahdi of all
the territory north of his and of the
fears that his own time would inevita-
bly, come.
Stanley was asked, therefore, to con-
duct a caravan to Emin, laden with
ammunition and supplies. If Emin
wanted to come home Stanley was to
act as escort. If he wanted to stay
and take his chances with the Mahdi.
Stanley was to supply his necessities
and come away.
The scheme was thoroughly peaceful
ard merely in the performance of the
duty owed by civilization in general and
Great Britain in particular TO the in
trepid man who was so bravely uphold
ing worthy interests in such an unequal
contest
Allied With Slave Dealer.
Stanley proceeded from England to
Cairo, where he saw the Khedive. by
whom he was specifically charged 10
/ say 10 Emin that should he decide u
remain in Wadelai he must do so on
his own responsibility. Then proceed
/ ing by steamer to Zanzibar, Stanley
organized his expedition.
K His agents had already recruited a
force OF 500 men, mostly Zanzibar, and
Stanley found II necessary only TO en-
ter into a treaty with Tippu-Tib. the
Zobehr of the Upper Congo, a person
age of vast influence in the African in
terror. a greedy slave dealer and man
OF whose character much that is bad
car be said But Stanley had trusted
him, and did so again.
Emin was reported by DR.. Tucker to
have seventy-five tons of ivory at
Wadelai. and Stanley supposed. of
course. that the Pasha would want to
get ii out to the coast. TippuTib
agreed to furnish the carriers, for
" hose services he was handsomely
paid 1t was also arranged to appoint
the Zobehr to the Office of governor of
Stanley Falls, on the Congo. at a regu-
lar salary. This was done, that he
might communicate with Stanley after
the expedition had got into the Aruwimi
country and maintain permanent and
accessible depot of supply.
Conflicting Advice Set Aside.
The route question was serious one
1t was left entirely to Stanley's judg-
ment, but a vast amount Of advice was
given him by other African travellers,
and his decision evoked a great deal of
adverse criticism
Three routes were urged upon him in
preference to his own One was from
Mombasa through the British posses
sions northwest to Wadelai Another
was from Bagamoyo, in the German
Protectorate. directly to the Victoria
Nyanza, across It or around. and thence
Uganda and Unyoro. The third was
from Bagamoyo to Lake Tanganyika,
and thence northward.
But Stanley chose a route OF his own,
and for reasons OF his own He de-
cided to sail from Zanzibar around the
Cape of Good Hope to the mouth Of the
Congo, thence up the river ne knew so
much about TO Yambuyu, and thence,
having stationed Tippu-Tib below on the
Congo at Stanley Falls. to proceed as
best he could up the Aruwimi to Ka
vallio
The route from Yambuyu was through
an entirely new and unknown country,
and many We're the doleful predictions
that he would come to grief in the
dense forests said TO cover that wilder
ness.
Explorer as Well as Rescuer.
II is difficult to resist the suspicion
that Stanley took this route as much for
the very reason that It lay through an
unexplored country as for any other. II
he could add to the map of Africa while
carrying relief to the beleaguered Pasha.
why not do It? The reason he gave
however, and one that has undoubted
force. is that travelling. as he was. with
a heavy burden Of supplies for Emin. he
could get along much better with a
river at hand. UP which he could go in |
canoes. than II he Travelled overland.
Whether in the light Of all that is now !
known this was a wise decision depends !
largely from the point of view whence |
the expedition is regarded. II took him |
from February 25 1887. to April =. 1888
429 days-to go from Zanzibar TO Lake
Albert by the route he chose. 1t has /
taken him 200 days TO come from Lake |
Albert 70 Zanzibar by the route he might /
otherwise have taken.
Having embarked his men. Stanley /
made all haste TO reach the mouth of /
the Congo. Congo steamers took him |
as far as Yambuyu, but before he got |
there he had 10 stop at Leopoldvnle and |
at Stanley Falls. Tippu-Tib was duly /
installed as governor at the latter sta |
ton, where he was 20 keep gre-enforce- |
ments and supplies ready at call. Late
Ia June Stanley reached Yambuyu, and |
there his serious work began.
Disposing His Forces.