The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26
ROMANCE OF AN EXPLORER.

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ROMANCE OF AN EXPLORER.
Remarkable Information That George
GrenseII Brought to Light.
George Grenfell, the African explorer and
missionary, who died the other day, had
lived nearly a third Of q century on the
Congo. In all that time he had visited
his home in England only twice. While
white men were dropping all around him
he seemed TO bear a charmed life, but he
died at last Of a disease that carried Of
many Of his oolaborers.
This little man, modest and slow OF speech,
was q leader among Congo explorers. No
other man over brought to light so many
Of the rivers, 90 many Of the tribes, so much
OF the country as Grenfel did.
Alexander Deloommune surpassed him
for a while in the extent Of his discoveries;
but in the long run tho laurels were with
GrenfeT. SANKEY'S great name over
shadowed them both. and his discoveries
extended from Victoria Nyanza to the
Atlantic.
stanley's greatest geographical dis
tinctions in the Congo basin were his reve-
lation OF the Congo for 1900 miles of its
COURSE, his exploration Of the Aruwimi
and bis dramatic journey through the vast
northeastern forest. But in working out
the details Of this second greatest hydro
graphic system In the world both Grenfell
and D~elcommune far surpassed him.
Delcommune's work was chiefly the ex-
ploration Of the upper part Of the southeast
| ern Congo system, which Stanley never saw.
Grenfell's field was the north and south
tributaries Of the Middle Congo In the 900
miles between Stanley Pool and Stanley
| Falls.
It was here that be completely revolu-
tionized our ideas Of Congo photography.
In his little missionary steamer Peace he
pushed up one Of these great tributaries
after another, exploring them as far as
he could force his vessel.
None OF the thousands Of natives he met
had ever seen q white man before and the
most remarkable things about him, they
thought, were his white skin and his gold
bowed spectacles, which seemed to them
a fetch charm Of remarkable power.
The first words that Grenfell wished to
learn in any language or dialect were those
meaning Friends and peace He was
a man Of peace and never harmed a native
in his life.
Scores Of times his putting little steamer
was attacked by showers Of poisoned ar
rows and all the time Grenfell would stand
behind the wire network that protected the
| roof and deck Of his vessel holding aloft
strings Of beads and lengths Of brass wire
and calling out friends and peace" to
the Infatuated natives on the banks.
He never ran away from them. He
would wait till they were convinced that
he meant them no harm. Their he would
parley with them, learn all he could about
their life and habits, give them presents
and. on his departure, he was usually invited
to come again soon.
It was Grenfell who brought to light the
dwarf tribes of the Middle Congo. Years
before Schweinfurth had found a pygmy
group hundreds OF miles to tho northeast;
but Grenfell was the first to see the much
larger groups Of dwarfs on the southern
tributaries OF the Congo, and as he steamed
up the rivers many Of the nimble little fell
cows would Chamber out IN the branches Of
trees ~overhanging the water to fire their
arrows at him.
He discovered that our ideas Of the great
southern tributaries we're wrong, for Stan.
ley's differences had led US to suppose that
they came from the far south and flowed
almost due north, while Grenfell dis
covered that the Chuapa. Lulongo and other
great streams rise in the east and flow far
to the west btHore joining the Congo. It
was his maps of their courses that rectifed
| the delineation Of the southern af1uents on
| our atlas sheets.
One day Grenfell was ascending the Congo
when he got among a group OF islands that
| concealed the mouth Of the largest Congo
tributary. 1t came from the north, is called
the Ubangi and it is 1900 miles long and
larger than any European river excepting
the Volga and the Danube.
GrenfeIl assembled it 400 miles, where he
was stopped by the Zombo Falls. 1t was
found later that the Ubangi is the lower
part OF the Welle, disco vered seventeen
years earlier by Schweinfurth and supposed
| to flow northwest to Lake Chad, on the edge
Of the Sahara Desert.
|. Grenieli's greatest scientific work Was
his mapping Of the Congo for 900 miles be-
tween Stanley Pool and Stanley Falls. It
was the result OF years OF surveying along
the shores OF the river and Of the islands
that often divide It into many channels.
He took infinite pains to assure accuracy,
and it will probably be many years before
his map Of this long stretch Of the river is
supplanted In our aliases. The map was
published in six large sheets by the Royal
Geographical Society.
Grenfell never wrote a book, but his re-
ports Of his many discoveries we're pub
lished at length in the geographical periodic
calls. Years ago he married q bright young
negro woman who had been we'll educated
at the mission school at Aocra, on the At
lantic coast far north Of the Congo.
She accompanied him on many Of his
geographical expeditions and has been
referred to by those who know her as a
competent and faithful helpmeet. When
Stanley was last In this country he told Of
sGrenfell's two beautiful children"
In his long African career Grenfell did
much good to the Congo peoples, and he
will always be remembered as one of the
pioneers OF discovery in this part OF the
DARK Contins-A
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