THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT.*
[SECOND NOTICE.]
AFTER a brief but enjoyable repose at Ujiji, an Arab colony, and the mercantile rendezvous of all the dwellers by the lake, Mr. Stanley, leaving the bulk of the expedition in camp, under the charge of Frank Pocock, set off to explore the Tanganika, and to set at rest the question whether so large a body of water, the receptacle of so many streams and rivers, could possibly exist without an effluent ; and if not, whether Cameron was right in supposing that effluent to be the Lukuga. He took with him the 'Lady Alice,' and a picked crew of those natives best fitted for boat-work, and also a large and lumbering but stout canoe, belonging to the Governor of Ujiji, which, however, became disabled in a "south-wester," in mid-voyage, and had to be towed by her English-built consort. About forty men were em- ployed in this exploration, which lasted fifty-one days, during which time 810 miles were sailed over, without meeting with disaster or illness. Lake Tanganika, entirely hemmed-in by mountain ranges, more or less lofty, presents everywhere scenery of great beauty, sometimes, indeed, its shores are strikingly grand. Mr. Stanley gives us sketches of Mtomba Urungu, where the rocks rise into curious, natural towers, the " high places" of the spirits of those regions ; and of the singu- lar Mount Mtuumbi, as well as of some other spots • and his descriptions of bold headlands, enticing inlets, gorges and ravines often clothed by dense forest, gigantic • Through the Dark Continent. By Henry M. Stanley. 2 role. London • salaam Low and Co. • to 149 souls, embarked at Vinya-Njara, in the Lady Alice' and
crags of granite rising one above another, and wooded islands,. make up a charming picture. Villages are of frequent recur- rence, and the people, friendly as a rule, although in some instances ferocious, of a different type from those previously met with, some of them being especially distinguished by their skill in hair- dressing. The more warlike tribes appear, as a rule, to inhabit the mountain fastnesses, but the cannibal Wabembe, of the Kasan- sagara, would willingly have exterminated the strangers, and from them Mr. Stanley beat a prudent retreat. Whenever low shores.
appeared, the evidence that the Tanganika is rising appeared indisputable, and the natives also in many places complained that the lake is "eating the land." Nothing approaching to an effluent could, indeed, be discovered at any spot save the Creek, and even there at the present time nothing more- exists than an insignificant stream, known as the Luindi, Riundi, or Luimbi river, which makes its way westward, between the Ki-yanga and Kikunga ridges. Yet beneath the papyrus which chokes its lower portions there is a deep channel, which once, as- Mr. Stanley believes, served to convey the superfluous waters of the Tanganika into the valley of the Livingstone, but has been diverted from its duty by some convulsion of nature. When, however, the steadily rising lake shall have increased yet a little more in volume, the overflow must come, and will vent itself through the Lukuga :— " At present," says Mr. Stanley, "there are only a few inches of mud-banks and a frail barrier of papyrus and reeds to interpose- between the waters of the lake and its destiny, which it is now, year by
year, steadily approaching. When the Tanganika has risen three feet higher, there will be no surf at the mouth of the Lukuga, no sill of sand, no oozing mud-banks, no rush-covered, old river course, but the accumulated waters of over a hundred rivers will sweep through the ancient gap with the force of a cataclysm, bearing away on its flood al} the deposits of organic debris at present in the Lukuga Creek, down the steep incline, to swell the tribute due to the mighty Livingstone."
On the return to Ujiji, small-pox was found to be raging there, some of the Waugwaua having fallen victims to it. Frank Pocock was also suffering from fever, and although anxious to resume his journey, Mr. Stanley was obliged to pause, being himself disabled by a violent attack. As Boon as possible, how- ever, he struck his tents, and crossing the Tanganika at M'sehazy Creek, set out for Manyema, determined at least to get a view of the famous Lualaba. The journey which culminated in this- desired object, in which the traveller followed for 220 miles the course of the Luama, one of the sources of the Living- stone, until its confluence with the mighty river, caused a memorable crisis for Mr. Stanley. Having once seen the Lualaba, he could but resolve to follow it to the ocean, and thus solve the greatest problem of African geography. The difficulty was, however, to persuade the celebrated Tippu 'fib, who formerly escorted Cameron, and the Arabs of Nyangwe to lend their assist-
ance, by accompanying the party for a considerable distance, and,
enabling them to purchase or make canoes ; and before even attempting this, it was necessary for Mr. Stanley to ascertain whether Frank Pocock, who had stood by him so bravely up to this point, would be willing to risk the utterly unimaginable dangers of this new and hazardous exploration. In quite a dramatic manner, the author relates to us what took place in that after- dinner hour, over the pipes and coffee, when the momentous question was discussed between the two white men, and not- withstanding all its terrors, was decided in the affirmative,—how it was debated between them whether they should not, after all, take the easier course, and go to the east of Cameron's road, and explore Lake Lincoln, Lake Kamolonda, and Lake Bemba, down to the Zambesi ; and how they always came back to the point that there was nothing like the great river, the river" which Livingstone first saw, and which broke his heart almost to turn away from and leave a mystery," and what a glorious thing it would be to build canoes and float down it day by day, until they came either to the Nile or some great lake in the far north, or as eventually proved to be the case, to the Congo- and the Atlantic Ocean. And although they tossed up and drew lots, and fortune always seemed to decide against them, they could not resist the fascination, and resolved to march forward. And even when, some weeks later, they were deserted by Tippu Tib- and his Arabs, disheartened by the struggle with the dreadful forest, by encounters with cannibals, by the ravages of disease, by every- thing that was calculated to make the stoutest hearts quail, the chiefs and principal men of the expedition being willing to stand by them, these brave souls determined to begin their journey down the river, and to follow it to the ocean, or to death.
On December 28th, 1876, the expedition, reduced by this time
salaam Low and Co. • to 149 souls, embarked at Vinya-Njara, in the Lady Alice' and twenty-two canoes ; but although the leader did his best to in- spirit them, it was but a forlorn start. " I stood up," says Mr. Stanley, "and looked at the people. How few they appeared, to dare the region of fable and darkness. They were nearly all sobbing. They were leaning forward, bowed, as it seemed, with grief and heavy hearts ;" and when Uledi, the gallant cockswain of the Lady Alice,' endeavoured to sing, "his voice soon died into such piteous hoarseness that the very ludicrousness of the tones caused his young friends to smile even in the midst of their grief." Truly it required no small amount of courage, no little knowledge of African character, and no small confidence in the power of governing men, to determine to set forth under such circumstances ; but the result proved that the leader had not miscalculated either his own strength, or the fidelity of the simple souls who had promised to follow their " father " wheresoever he should lead them. No sooner had they begun their voyage than they were attacked from both sides of the river, and many were the battles they had to fight during those eight arduous months. Sometimes, however, within a league's distance of a canal. bal nation, they would meet with natives of gentle aspect, willing to barter provisions for beads, cloth, and brass wire, although later, on approaching districts to which European articles had already penetrated, only guns and ardent spirits were esteemed of value. On one occasion Mr. Stanley was placed in a singular difficulty, owing to the superstition of one of the tribes, but contrived to save himself by a stratagem. His note-book was pronounced fetish, and war declared against him unless he would consent to burn it before the assembled people. The fortunate substitution of a much-prized volume of Shake- speare for the valuable record appeased the irate Mowas, and the expedition was allowed to proceed in peace. In this desperate voyage danger was, indeed, always present, from rocks, rapids, cataracts, and whirlpools, from cruel enemies and from starvation, and yet it had also its pleasures. The beautiful banks, clad with glorious tropical vegetation, and the spicy islands, delighted the senses, and the excitement of overcoming difficulties lent vigour to the toilworn frame. Some of the escapes at the cataracts were miraculous, and we instinctively hold our breath as we see some of the brave party in imminent danger of death, and othersbeing swept away. Unfortunately that fine fellow Frank Pocock fell a victim to his own rashness at Massassa, and notwithstanding the efforts of the poor native boatmen whom he had forced to attempt the rapids, "the little master" was drowned when within two months of the completion of the voyage, and never knew that the great river they had followed with such perseverance was indeed the Congo.
The effect of this fatal accident upon the Wangwaua was ex- traordinary. Struck with fatal dejection, they seemed hencefor- ward regardless of anything that might befall them, and quite unable to struggle against illness or adversity ; and when starva- tion began to be added to their other misfortunes, it is not sur- prising that many of them should have attempted to desert. Resolute action, however, on the part of the leader, albeit his plight was almost worse than their own, put a stop to this mutiny, and thirty-one of the disaffected were forced to return to their duty ; and yet a week afterwards, when at the rapids of Zinga Mr. Stanley himself narrowly escaped with his life, the devotion of his followers made him forgive their former failings, and once more inspired him with the hope that success would finally reward their efforts. About three weeks afterwards, the leader was able to announce to them that they were not far from the sea, but by this time the good news was hardly able to afford comfort, for "with sunken eyes and unfleshed bodies," their vigour gone, and "unspeakably miserable in aspect," would they indeed be able to reach it, or reaching it, be able to do more than lay their bones by its shores? When within a short march of Embomma, or Boma, as it is now called, Mr. Stanley decided to send a letter "to any gentleman who speaks English," as well as others written in French and Spanish, beseeching assist- ance, which, it is needless to say, was promptly and generously accorded, and in a short time the remains of the expedition were housed and carefully tended. But not until they discovered that the master would himself accompany them to their homes in Zanzibar did the poor Wangwana pluck up heart, and begin to realise that their toils were at last over ; and when at last they did reach their beloved island, they said they could not rest until they knew that he who had led them across Africa was safe in his own land, so that if he needed their help to get there, they would assist him. "For me," says Mr. Stanley, "they are heroes, these poor, ignorant children of Africa, for from the first deadly struggle in Ituru to the last staggering reach
into Embomma, they had rallied to my voice like veterans, and in the hour of need they had never failed me ; " and he fitly con- eludes his record of perils past and victories achieved with a heartfelt " Laus Deo."
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