Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1888-09-29 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

BARTTELOT'S LAST LETTER.  Sir F.de Winton has published *letter which Major Buttelot sent to the Emin Pasha Relief Coinmittee, remarking that it forms "a record of the difficulties which a brave man had to encounter, and the courage and resolution with which he did his duty." The most of it was written a few days before he was about to start in search of Stanley; and it constitutes a kind of anticipatory answer from the murdered man to the attacks which have been made upon his character. One of the most interesting portions of the letter—which is really a diary—refers to Major Barttelot's suspicions of Tippoo Tib. Tippoo promised to furnish 800 men, and when it came to the point he supplied but half the number, thus necessitating the abaxtdonment of precious stores, and seriously jeopardising the success of the search expedition. "Concerning Tippoo Tib, I hive" (he wrote under date June sth) "nothing to say beyond that he has broken faith with us, and I can only conjecture, from surrounding events and circumstances, the Cause of his unreasonable delay in supplying men, and the paucity of that supply. I deem it my bounden duty to proceed on this business, in which I am fully upheld by both Mr. Jameson and Mr. Bonny (his two officers). To wait longer would be both useless and culpable, as Tippoo Tib has not the remotest intention of helping us any more, and to with. draw would be pusillanimous." The head man of the carriers was an Arab, Muni-Somai by name, and the Major himself describes him as a willing man and anxious to do his best. The Major was very anxious to retain him. Muni-Somai, he anticipated, would be useful in hiring carriers at the settlements they pass through. The Manrems formed by far the largest portion of the escort. They numbered 430; the Zanzibars 110; the Soudan's° 22. The Manyema, according to Captain Cameron, were probably there as slaves, for with their known reluctance to travel they would hardly have joined in any other capacity. A mere desire of freedom on the ;out of exasperated men maybe enough to account for the massacre. Major Barttelot's intentions on leaving the camp —an operation which he accomplished on June 11th— he thus describes: "I intend to make the best of my way along the same route taken by Mr. Stanley; should I get no tidings of him along the road, to pro. coed as far as Koval! ,i and than, if I hear nothing there, to proceed to Ribero. If I can ascertain, either at Havalli or Ribero, his whereabouts, nn matter how far it may be, I will endeavour to reach him. Should he be in a fix, I will do my utmost to relieve him. If neither at Ravalli nor Ribero I qui obtain tidings of him I shall go to Wadelia, old ascertain from Emin Pasha, if he be there still, if he has any news of Mr. Stanley, also of his own intentions as regards staying or leaving. I will persuade him, if possible, to come out with me, and, if necessary,aid me in my search for Mr. Stanley." "Rumour (he adds) is always rife, and is seldom correct, concerning Mr. Stanley. I can hear no news whatever, though my labours in that direction have been most strenuous. He is not dead, to the best of my belief, nor of the Arabs here or at Kasongo."