The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-24
NATIVES ATTACK
AMERICAN PARTY
EXPLORING IN CONGO
Young American Scientists
Fear They May Be Put
on Menu.
KING AND STANDARD MEN
6ussenheim and Oil Masnates Allied
Nth Leopold in investigating Rub
Der and Mineral Resources
Of South African State.

WV ~
Der and Mineral Resources
OF South African State.
Washington, Special: The internal
tional corporation for the exploitation
of the Congo Free States ubber and
mineral resources. in which King Leo
pold. of Belgium, has entered partner-
ship with Inc Ryan and Guggenheim in
tereStS of New York. has already en-
countered troIb.es
Hostile natives recently attacked a
party of explorers, only six miles inside
the corporations congestion, near the
Kasat river, and in the battle that fol-
lowed 125 of the attacking natives We're
Killed. while five porters of the eNplora-
1ion party were killed, and several 9TH
ers wounded. None of the white men
An the which was in COM
mando Of S. H. Bail, of the United States
Geological survey. was even wounded.
The battle lasted an entire day, the re-
treat of the explorers occupying the
next two days. during all of which they
were constantly harassed by the ma
tives before they reached safety.
The first news of his battle has just
reached Washington, through letters
to friends Of the group of Washington
scientists who entered the service of
the Observation-Disclosures COM
pany for the purpose of making a geo
logical and scientific survey of the
country. The letters received Indicate
further that the engagement reported
As likely to be small and unimportant
compared to others that may follow.
1T is stated that in this battle 25 SOL
diers, under command of Lieutenant
]Gmpertoria, of the Belgian forces. with
the scientists, fought Il greater number
of natives. The latter were mostly
armed with fintlocks, which they get
from the Portuguese trading points.
Will Use Troops.
The tremendous possibilities of the
campaign which the big international
corporation has inaugurated may be
Judged from the statement. given in
tive troops is to be employed to con-
duct the scientists through the hostile
country. The natives are described as
very fierce, largely cannibals. and quite
in the habit of eating every white ma
the can cut off. Despite these condi-
tions, the strong force of troops. mag
efficiently equipped and provided with
every possible facility for comfort, ex-
poets to cut it's way through the heart
of the company's immense concession.
which includes about one-third of the
Congo Free State.
The wonderful story of the expert
ences of the American scientists in a
jungle many hundreds of miles in ex-
tent, much of it never before
traversed. by white men. is graph
ically told in a letter from Arthur F:
Smith, a member of the geological
survey, on leave of absence. MI.
Smiths horne is at Madison, Wis. and
he is Il graduate of the Wisconsin uni
versity. Other Americans in the party
are NJ. X. Shaler. of this city. also a
member of the geological survey; S.
II. Ball, member of the survey. and a
son of Judge Fall, of Chicago: the
official topographer OF the expedition,
Oliver by name. and an advcnturer
named Mohun, once Il United States
army officer. who has been across the
widest part of Africa from east to
west, and has been mixed up IN three
or four revolutions in South America.
Two brothers named Reid. Australians,
the party.
Plan of Campaign.
Mr.. Smith in a letter OF June q
describes thus the plan of campaign
which was described on October "a
We start in at l.uebo. which is
about 600 miles directly inland from
Bona. on the Atlantic coast. From
600 miles south ana east, TO the head
waters OF the Kasai river. We viii
have a regiment OF native soldiers
and several hundred native helpers
We plan to work as follows, thougf
changes of plans. We have already
had to make two changes. But we
plan to divide into three parties. work
ing generally parallel. about 10 to i;
miles apart. sgd (BalD ohu ant
Oliver will be with the main cara
van and sgd will work the geology
along their route. Smaller and f. A. III
Reid will work about 10 miles to one
about 10 miles on the other side
Every 10 lays or two weeks Shaler':
and my parties will join the mai,
force, get supplies and talk over the
work. One Of the Belgian clerks will
.renain at Luebo to look after sup
piles, mail. ETC.; the other will be abou,
half way between the main caravan
and Luebo to see that the supplies
are hustled along the trail. The coun-
try has never been penetrated by white
men. A number have tried but the ma
tives quickly stopped them. We hop.
to enter without fighting. but that is
to be seen. The natives are on al
know how we will find them there
Our equipment is certainly up to the
lmits-grub and everything, the best
that ~Gugsenheim, Standard OIL and
the richest capitalists of Belgium car
buy"
So much for the plan Of campaign
The letter Of October "a, mailed
from Lusan1bo, Congo Free State, anc
ing Of the concession, and he battle
which resulted in UGH slaughter
Quoting from this letter:
Fond Of White Meat.
las I wrote from Luebo the country
around there and to the south to Lake
Dilolo on the very southern border OF
the Congo Free state is very bad and
the natives have the very ungentleman,
ly habit of chopping (eating) all the
white men they can get their hands on
From Luebo one OF the Reds and my
self with five soldiers took q short two
weeks trip on the concession. Ball also
made a ten-days' trip in it from "a
Makima. Some six or light whites
have been chopped in that region In
the past few months. Only the other
day one got his.
1--WE know that the concession fol
about $50 miles south of Luebo would
be practically impossible unless we had
unlimited soldiers and arms, SO we de.
1 cided to enter some so miles south OF
i Iulnabourg. at Kamsella. Sgd Pere
+ Dale Zone of the Catholic missionaries
] whom we picked up at Lulnabourg and
J who has had Is years experience in the
Congo), and Lieutenant Empertoria
with 2h aoldiera attempted 10 enter the