NO one can doubt that any man with less nerve
and courage than
Stanley would have turned back. Sitting in our quiet
American
homes, with all the evidences of civilization, peace
and comfort
around us, it is impossible to fully realize the situation
of the
great explorer on this expedition, which had for its
object the recovery
of an explorer equally famous with himself One thing
was in Stanley's
favor : all that money could afford was freely furnished
and his supplies
were ample at the outset. Of course these supplies of
clothing and
other things necessary for exchange with the African
tribes grew less
as he advanced, but at this point of his journey he was
still amply
furnished.
Yet it must be remembered that Stanley was in a country
which was
very unhealthful, where there were many hostile tribes,
where wars were
constantly raging, where Arabs were in pursuit of their
prey, and it was
necessary for him to exercise all his ingenuity and show
all his courage
in overcoming difficulties and pushing forward in his
great undertaking.
He was constantly compelled to pay tribute to the chiefs
of the various
districts through which he passed, and if he had not
sometimes reso-
lutely refused what was demanded, his expedition would
have been com-
pletely plundered before he was half way to Ujiji. At
the point where
we left him in the last chapter we hear of the same old
story of tribute
demanded. This was granted to preserve peace, and shaking
the dust
of Mvumi off their feet, the party proceeded westward.
The country
was one vast field of grain, and thickly populated. Between
that place
and the next sultan's district twenty-five villages were
counted. When-
ever they halted large groups of people assembled and
greeted with
peals of laughter the dress and manner of the white man,
and more than
once had to be kept at a distance by Stanley's rifle
or pistols, sometimes
his thick whip coming into play.
After this a dense jungle was entered, the path serpentining
in and out
of it ; again open tracts of grass bleached white were
passed : now it
led through thickets of gums and thorns, producing an
odor as rank as
a stable ; now through clumps of wide-spreading mimosa
and colonies of
baobab-trees across a country teeming with noble game,
which, though
frequently seen, were yet as safe from their rifles as
if they had been on the
Indian Ocean. But the road they were on admitted of no
delay ; water
had been left behind at noon ; until noon the next day
not a drop was to
be obtained, and unless they marched fast and long, raging
thirst would
immobilize everybody.
The Bugler Blew His Horn.
After this wearisome journey Stanley was again attacked
by fever,
which it required a whole day's halt and fifty grains
of quinine to cure.
As may be supposed, they were thankful when Ugogo was
passed, and
they entered Unyanyembe. As the caravan resumed its march
after halt-
ing at noon, the Wanyamuezi cheered, shouted, and sang,
the soldiers
and porters shouting in return, and the bugler blew his
horn much more
merrily than he had been wont to do in Ugogo.
A large district, however, presented the sad spectacle
of numerous
villages burnt down, cattle carried off, and the grain-fields
overrun with
jungle and rank weeds — too common a sight in that part
of the country.
The expedition at length entered Kivihara, the capital
of the province
ruled over by the aged Sultan Mkaswa, who received Stanley
in a friendly
way. The Sheikh Said Ben Salim invited him to take up
his quarters in
his tembe, or house, a comfortable-looking place for
the centre of Africa.
Here his goods were stored, and his . carriers paid off.
His three other
caravans had arrived safely. One had had a slight skirmish,
a second
having shot a thief, and the third having lost a bale
when attacked by
robbers.
This is the place, to the southward of Victoria Nyanza,
where Captains
Burton, Speke, and Grant remained for a considerable
time at different
periods during their expeditions. Soon after, the Livingstone
caravan
arrived, and the goods were stored with those of Stanley,
the men being
quartered with his. The chief of the caravan brought
Stanley a package
of letters directed to Dr. Livingstone at Ujiji, when,
to his surprise, he
found that it was marked outside: "November 1st, 1871."
What a
cruel delay was this !
The Explorer Senseless.
After his long journey, Stanley was now laid completely
prostrate,
and for two weeks was perfectly senseless. The unhappy
Shaw was also
again taken ill. The fever rapidly destroyed both his
memory and his
reason. Selim, who had hitherto faithfully watched over
his master and
treated him according to the written directions he had
received, was also
prostrated, and in a state of delirium for four days.
Late in July, how-
ever, all had again recovered, and fifty carriers were
ready to start with
bales, beads, and wire for Ujiji. Three days after this,
Shaw again broke
down, asserting that he was dying, and he had to be carried
on the
backs of his men till brought into his leader's hut.
The road, however, ahead was closed by the chief Mirambo,
who
declared that no Arab caravan should pass that way. The
Arabs, there-
fore, had resolved to attack him, and mustered an army
of upwards of
two thousand men. Stanley, with his followers, determined
to join them,
to assist in bringing the war to a speedy conclusion.
The palace was
soon surrounded, and, though the party was received with
a volley, the
fire of the defenders was soon silenced. They took to
flight, and the
village was entered. Notwithstanding the heavy fire which
had been
kept on it, twenty dead bodies only were found. Other
villages were
attacked and burned.
A more serious affair occurred soon afterwards. When Stanley
was
again attacked with fever, a number of his men, notwithstanding
his
orders to the contrary, joined the Arabs in an attack
on a more important
place, commanded by Mirambo himself The result was that,
though
the place was taken, the Arabs fell into an ambush, laid
by Mirambo,
and were completely defeated, many of them, including
some of Stanley's
soldiers, being killed. Mirambo, following up his successes,
pursued the
Arabs, and Stanley had to mount his donkey, Shaw being
lifted on his,
and to fly at midnight for their lives. His soldiers
ran as fast as their
legs could carry them, the only one of his followers
who remained at his
master's side being young Selim.
Stanley's Account of the Battle.
Stanley's description of this sanguinary affair is as
follows : A detach-
ment of Arabs and slaves, seven hundred strong, scoured
the surrounding
country, and carried fire and devastation up to the boma
of Wilyankuru.
Soud bin Sayd and about twenty other young Arabs led a
force of
five hundred men against Wilyankuru itself, where it
was supposed
Mirambo was living. Another party went out towards the
low wooded
hills, a short distance north of Zimbizo, near which
place they surprised
a youthful forest thief asleep, whose head they stretched
backwards, and
cut it off as though he were a goat or a sheep. Another
party sallied
out southward, and defeated a party of Mirambo's "bush-whackers,"
news of which came to our ears at noon.
In the morning I had gone to Sayd bin Salim's tembe, to
represent to
him how necessary it was to burn the long grass in the
forest of Zimbizo,
lest it might hide any of the enemy; but soon afterwards
I had been-
struck down with another attack of intermittent fever,
and was obliged
to turn in and cover myself with blankets to produce
perspiration; but
not, however, till I had ordered Shaw and Bombay not
to permit any of
my men to leave the camp. But I was told soon afterwards
by Selim
that more than one-half had gone to the attack on Wilyankuru
with
Soud bin Sayd.
About 6 P. M. the entire camp of Zimbizo was electrified
with the
news that all the Arabs who had accompanied Soud bin
Sayd had been
killed ; and that more than one-half of his party had
been slain. Some
of my own men returned, and from them I learned that
Uledi, Grant's
former valet, Mabruki Khatalabu (Killer of his father),
Mabruki (the Lit«
tie), Baruti of Useguhha, and Ferahan had been killed.
Caught in Ambush.
I learned also that they had succeeded in capturing Wilyankuru
in a
very short time, that Mirambo and his son were there,
that as they suc-
ceeded in effecting an entrance, Mirambo had collected
his men, and
after leaving the village, had formed an ambush in the
grass, on each
side of the road, between Wilyankuru and Zimbizo, and
that as the at-
tacking party were returning home laden with over a hundred
tusks of
ivory, and sixty bales of cloth, and two or three hundred
slaves, Mir-
ambo's men suddenly rose up on each side of them, and
stabbed them-
with their spears.
The brave Soud had flred his double-barrelled, gun and
shot two men,.
and was in the act of loading again when a spear was
launched, which
penetrated through and through him ; all the other Arabs
shared the
same fate. This sudden attack from an enemy they believed
to be con-
quered so demoralized the party that, dropping their
spoil, each man
took to his heels, and after making a wide detour through
the woods, re-
turned to Zimbizo to repeat the dolorous tale.
The effect of this defeat is indescribable. It was impossible
to sleep,
from the shrieks of the women whose husbands had fallen.
All night
they howled their lamentations, and sometimes might be
heard the
groans of the wounded who had contrived to crawl through
the grass un-
perceived by the enemy. Fugitives were continually coming
in through-
out the night, but none of my men who were reported to
be dead, were
ever heard of again.
The next day was one of distrust, sorrow, and retreat
; the Arabs ac-
cused one another for urging war without expending all
peaceful means
first. There were stormy councils of war held, wherein
were some who
proposed to return at once to Unyanyembe, and keep within
their own
houses ; and Khamis bin Abdullah raved, like an insulted
monarch,,
against the abject cowardice of his compatriots. These
stormy meetings
and propositions to retreat were soon known throughout
the camp, and
assisted more than anything else to demoralize completely
the combined
forces of Wanyamwezi and slaves. I sent Bombay to Sayd
bin Salim to
advise him not to think of retreat, as it would only
be inviting Mirambo
to carry the war to Unyanyembe.
Hasty Flight.
After despatching Bombay with this message, I fell asleep,
but about
1.30 p. M. I was awakened by Selim saying " Master, get
up, they are
all running away, and Khamis bin Abdullah is himself
going."
With the aid of Selim I dressed myself, and staggered
towards the
door. My first view was of Thani bin Abdullah being dragged
away,
who, when he caught sight of me, shouted out " Bana —
quick — Mirambo
is coming." He was then turning to run, and putting on
his jacket, with
his eyes almost starting out of their sockets with terror.
Khamis bin
Abdullah was also about departing, he being the last
Arab to leave. Two
of my men were following him ; these Selim was ordered
to force back
with a revolver.
Shaw was saddling his donkey with my own saddle, preparatory
to
giving me the slip, and leaving me in the lurch to the
tender mercies of
Mirambo. There were only Bombay, Mabruki Speke, Chanda
who was
coolly eating his dinner, Mabruk Unyanyembe, Mtamani,
Juma, and Sar-
mean — only seven out of fifty. All the others had deserted,
and were
by this time far away, except Uledi and Zaidi, whom Selim
brought
back at the point of a loaded revolver. Selim was then
told to saddle
my donkey, and Bombay to assist Shaw to saddle his own.
In a few
moments we were on the road, the men ever looking back
for the com-
ing enemy ; they belabored the donkeys to some purpose,
for they went
at a hard trot, which caused me intense pain. I would
gladly have lain
down to die, but life was sweet, and I had not yet given
up all hope of
being able to preserve it to the full and final accomplishment
of my mis-
sion. My mind was actively at work planning and contriving
during the
long lonely hours of night, which we employed to reach
Mfuto, whither
I found the Arabs had retreated.
Safe at Liast.
In the night Shaw tumbled off his donkey, and would not
rise, though
implored to do so. As I did not despair myself, so I
did not intend that
Shaw should despair. He was lifted on his animal, and
a man was placed
on each side of him to assist him ; thus we rode through
the darkness..
At midnight we reached Mfuto safely, and were at once
admitted into the
village, from which we had issued so valiantly, but to
which we were now
returned so ignominiously.
I found all my men had arrived here before dark. Ulimengo,
the bold
guide who had exulted in his weapons and in our numbers,
and was so
sanguine of victory, had performed the eleven hours'
march in six hours;
sturdy Chowpereh, whom I regarded as the faithfullest
of my people,,
had arrived only half an hour later than Ulimengo ; and
frisky Khamisi-
the dandy — the orator — the rampant demagogue — yes
— he had come
third ; and Speke's " Faithfuls " had proved as cowardly
as any poor
" nigger " of them all. Only Selim was faithful.
I asked Selim, " Why did you not also run away, and leave
your
master to die ?" " Oh, sir," said the Arab boy, naively,
" I was afraid
you would whip me."
From the last-mentioned place, Mfuto, Stanley returned
to Kivihara.
Here he was detained a considerable time, during which
he received au-
thentic news of Livingstone from an Arab, who had met
with him
travelling into Manyuema,and who affirmed that, having
gone to a market
at Liemba in three canoes, one of them, in which all
his cloth had been
placed, was upset and lost. The news of Farquhar's death
here reached
him.
The Chief Retreats.
As he had expected, Mirambo advanced ; and one of the
leading Arabs
and his adopted son, who had gone out with their slaves
to meet him,
the slaves having deserted, were killed.
The neighboring village of Tabora was burned, and Kivihara
itself
was threatened. Stanley made preparations for defence,
and having col-
lected a hundred and fifty armed men, bored loopholes
for the muskets
in the clay walls of the tembe, formed rifle-pits round
it, tore down the
huts, and removed everything which might afford shelter
to the enemy,
felt little fear for the consequences. Mirambo, however,
seemed to have
thought better of it, and marched away with his troops,
satisfied with the
plunder he had obtained. Month after month passed away,
and he had
great difficulty in obtaining soldiers to supply the
places of those who
liad been killed or died, which was the fate of several.
He one day received a present of a little slaye boy from
an Arab mer-
chant, to whom, at Bombay's suggestion, the name of Kalulu,
meaning a
young antelope, was given.
An Arab named Mohammed, says Stanley, presented me to-day
with
a little boy-slave, called "Ndugu M'hali" (my brother's
wealth). As I
did not like the name, I called the chiefs of my caravan
together, and
asked them to give him a better name. One suggested "
Simba" (a lion),
another said he thought "Ngombe" (a cow) would suit the
boy-child,
another thought he ought to be called " Mirambo," which
raised a loud
laugh. Bombay thought " Bombay Mdogo " would suit my
black-skin-
ned infant very well. Ulimengo, however, after looking
at his quick eyes,
and noticing his celerity of movement, pronounced the
name Ka-lu-lu
as the best for him, "because," said he, "just look at
his eyes so bright!
look at his form, so slim ! watch his movements, how
quick ! Yes,
Kalulu is his name." " Yes, bana," said the others, "let
it be Kalulu."
" Kalulu " is a term for the young of the blue-buck antelope.
" Well, then," said I, water being brought in a huge tin
pan, Selim,
who was willing to stand godfather, holding him over
the water, " let his
name henceforth be Kalulu, and let no man take it from
him," and thus it
-was that the little black boy of Mohammed's came to
be called Kalulu.
Shaw Gives Out and is Sent Back.
On the 9th of September Mirambo received a severe defeat,
and had
to take to flight, several of his chief men being slain.
Shaw gave Stanley a great deal of trouble. Again he himself
was
attacked with fever, but his white companion in no degree
sympathized
with him, even little Kalulu showing more feeling. Weak
as he was, he,
however, recommenced his march to the westward, with
about forty men
added to his old followers.
Bombay, not for the first time, proving refractory and
impudent, received
a thrashing before starting, and when Stanley arrived
at his camp at night,
he found that upwards of twenty of the men had remained
behind. He,
therefore, sent a strong body back, under Selim, who
returned with the
men and some heavy slave-chains, and Stanley declared
that if any be-
haved in the same way again he would fasten them together
and make
them march like slaves, Shaw also showed an unwillingness
to go for-
ward, and kept tumbling from his donkey, either purposely
or from weak-
ness, till at last Stanley consented to allow him to
return to Unyanyembe.
On the 1st of October, while he and his party lay encamped
under a
gigantic sycamore-tree, he began to feel a contentment
and comfort to
which he had long been a stranger, and he was enabled
to regard his sur-
roundings with satisfaction. Though the sun's rays were
hot, the next
day's march was easily performed. On the roadside lay
a dead man ;
indeed, skeletons or skulls were seen eveiy day, one,
and sometimes two,
of men who had fallen down and died, deserted by their
companions.
Narrow Escape from a Crocodile.
While encamped near the Gambe, its calm waters, on which
lotus-leaves
rested placidly, all around looking picturesque and peaceful,
invited Stan-
ley to take a bath. He discovered a shady spot under
a wide-spreading
mijnosa, where the ground sloped down to the still water,
and having un-
dressed, and was about to take a glorious dive, when
his attention was
attracted by an enormously long body which shot into
view, occupying
the spot beneath the suface which he was about to explore
by a header.
It jwas a crocodile ! He sprang back instinctively. This
proved his sal-
vation, for the monster turned away with a disappointed
look, and he
registered a vow never to be tempted again by the treacherous
calm of an
African river.
The method of capturing this immense creature and getting
it ashore
is told by a tropical traveller, and will be read with
interest.
" One of our women went to the river to wash, but never
returned.
This was close to our diahbeeah ; and the water being
shallow, there is.
no doubt that she was seized by a crocodile.
" I was one day returning from head-quarters to my station,
a distance
ofa rnile and a half along the river's bank, when I noticed
the large head
of a crocodile about thirty yards from the shore. I knew
every inch of
th|e river, and I was satisfied that the water was shallow.
A solitary piece
of] waving rush that grew upon the bank exactly opposite
the crocodile
would mark the position; thus, stooping down, I quietly
retreated inland
from the bank, and then running forward, I crept gently
toward the rush.
Stooping as low as possible, I advanced till very near
the bank (upoa
which grew tufts of grass), until, by slowly raising
my head, I could
observe the head of the crocodile in the same position,
not more than,
twenty-six or twenty-eight yards from me.
"At that distance, my gun could hit a half-crown; I therefore
made
sure of bagging. The bank was about four feet above the
water ; thus
the angle was favorable, and I aimed just behind the
eye. Almost as I
touched the trigger, the crocodile gave a convulsive
start, and turning
slowly on its back, it stretched its four legs above
the surface, straining
every muscle ; it then remained motionless in this position
in water about
two feet deep.
" My horse was always furnished with a long halter or
tethering-rope:
thus I ordered the guide and another man to jump into
river and secure
the crocodile by a rope fastened round the body behind
the fore-legs.
This was quickly accomplished, and the men remained knee-deep,
hauling
upon the rope to prevent the stream from carrying away
the body. In
the mean time an attendant had mounted my horse and galloped
off for
assistance to the camp.
" Crocodiles are very tenacious of life ; and although
they may be shot
through the brain, and be actually dead for all practical
purposes, they Avill
remain motionless at first; but they will begin instinctively
to move the
limbs and tail a few minutes alter receiving the shot.
If lying upon a
sand-bank, or in deep water, they would generally disappear
unless
secured by a rope, as the spasmodic movements of the
limbs and tail
would act upon the water, and the body would be carried
away.
Men Stricken witli Terror.
" The crocodile, that had appeared stone dead, now began
to move its
tail, and my two men who were holding on to the rope
cried out that it
was still alive. It was in vain that I assured the frightened
fellows that
it was dead. I was on the bank, and they were in the
water within a few
feet of the crocodile, which made some difference in
our ideas of its
vivacity. Presently the creature really began to struggle,
and the united
efforts of the men could hardly restrain it from getting
into deeper water,
" The monster now began to yawn, which so terrified the
men that they
would have dropped the rope and fled, had they not been
afraid of the con-
sequences, as I was addressing them rather forcibly from
the bank. I put
another shot through the shoulder of the struggling monster,
which ap-
peared to act as a narcotic until the arrival of the
soldiers with ropes.
No sooner was the crocodile well secured than it began
to struggle vio-
lently; but a great number of men hauled upon the rope,
and when it
was safely landed, I gave it a blow with a sharp axe
on the back of the
neck, which killed it by dividing the spine.
" It was now dragged along the turf until we reached the
camp, where
it was carefully measured with a tape, and showed an
exact length of
twelve feet three inches from snout to end of tail.
' The stomach contained about five pounds' weight of pebbles,
as though
it had fed upon flesh resting upon a gravel-bank, and
had swallowed the
pebbles that had adhered. In the midst of this were three
undeniable wit-
nesses that convicted the crocodile of willful murder.
A necklace and two
armlets, such as are worn by the negro girls, were taken
from the stom-
ach ! The girl had been digested. This was an old malefactor
that was
a good riddance.
" I had frequently seen crocodiles upv/ard of eighteen
feet in length,
and there can be little doubt that they sometimes exceed
twenty ; but a
very small creature of this species may carry away a
man while swim-
ming. The crocodile does not attempt to swallow an animal
at once ;
but having carried it to a favorite feeding-place, generally
in some deep
hole, it tears it limb from limb with teeth and claws,
and devours it at
leisure."
Stanley Quelling Mutiny.
As war was going on in the country, it was necessary for
Stanley to
proceed with caution. Some of his followers also showed
a strong incli-
nation to mutiny, which he had to quell by summary proceedings,
and
Bombay especially sank greatly in his good opinion. As
they approached
Lake Tanganyika all got into better humor, and confidence
returned be-
tween them. They laughed joyously as they glided in Indian
file through
the forest jungle beyond the clearing of Mrera, and 'boasted
of their
prowess. An ambassador from Simba, the Lion of Kasera,
received two
gorgeous cloths, and other articles, as tribute — Stanley
thus making that
chief a friend for ever.
Stanley gives an interesting account of some of his adventures
m this
part of his journey.
One day, he says, after a march of four hours and a half,
we came to
the beautiful stream of Mtambu — the water of which was
sweet, and
clear as crystal, and flowed northward. We saw for the
first time the
home of the lion and the leopard. Hear what Freiligrath
says of the
place :
Where the thorny brake and thicket
Densely fill the interspace
Of the trees, through whose thick branches
Never sunshine lights the place.
There the lion dwells, a monarch,
Mightiest among the brutes ;
There his right to reign supremest
Never one his claim disputes.
There he layeth down to slumber,
Having slain and ta'en his fill ;
There he roameth, there he croucheth,
As it suits his lordly will.
We camped but a few yards from just such a place as the
poet de-
scribes. The herd-keeper who attended the goats and donkeys,
soon
after our arrival in camp, drove the animals to water,
and" in order to
obtain it they travelled through a tunnel in the brake,
caused by ele-
phants and rhinoceros. They had barely entered the dark
cavernous
passage, when a black-spotted leopard sprang, and fastened
its fangs in
the neck of one of the donkeys, causing it, from the
pain, to bray
hideously. Its companions set up such a frightful chorus,
and so lashed
their heels in the air at the feline marauder, that the
leopard bounded
away through the brake, as if in sheer dismay at the
noisy cries which
the attack had provoked. The donkey's neck exhibited
some frightful
wounds, but the animal was not dangerously hurt.
I Peered Closely Into Every Dark Opening.
Thinking that possibly I might meet with an adventure
with a lion or
a leopard in that dark belt of tall trees, under whose
impenetrable shade
grew the dense thicket that formed such admirable coverts
for the car-
nivorous species, I took a stroll along the awesome place
with the gun-
bearer, Kalulu, carrying an extra gun, and afurther supply
of ammunition.
We crept cautiously along, looking keenly into the deep
dark dens,
the entrances of which were revealed to us, as we journeyed,
expectant
every moment to behold the reputed monarch of the brake
and thicket,
bound forward to meet us, and I took a special delight
in picturing, in
my imagination, the splendor and majesty of the wrathful
brute, as he
might stand before me. I peered closely into every dark
opening, hoping
to see the deadly glitter of the great angry eyes, and
the glowering
menacing front of the lion as he would regard me. But,
alas ! after an
hour's search for adventure, I had encountered nothing,
and I accord-
ingly waxed courageous, and crept into one of these leafy,
thorny caverns,
and found myself shortly standing under a canopy of foliage
that was
held above my head fully a hundred feet by the shapely
and towering
stems of the royal mvule. Who can imagine the position?
A smooth
lawn-like glade; a dense and awful growth of impenetrable
jungle around
us ; those stately natural pillars — a glorious phalanx
of royal trees, bear-
ing at such sublime heights' vivid green masses of foliage,
through which
no single sun-ray penetrated, while at our feet babbled
the primeval brook,
over smooth pebbles, in soft tones befitting the sacred
quiet of the scene!
Who could have desecrated this solemn, holy harmony of
nature?
Bufjust as I was thinking it impossible that any man could
be tempted
to disturb the serene solitude of the place, I saw a
monkey perched high
on a branch over my head, contemplating, with something
of an awe-
struck look, the strange intruders beneath. Well, I could
not help it, I
laughed — laughed loud and long, until I was hushed by
the chaos of
cries and strange noises which seemed to respond to my
laughing. A
troop of monkeys, hidden in the leafy depths above, had
been rudely
awakened, and, startled by the noise I made, were hunying
away from
the scene with a dreadful clamor of cries and shrieks.
Encounter Witli a Wild Boar.
Emerging again into the broad sunlight, I strolled further
in search of
something to shoot. Presently, I saw, feeding quietly
in the forest which
bounded the valley of the Mtambu on the left, a huge,
formidable
wild boar, armed with most horrid tusks. Leaving Kalulu
crouched
down behind a tree, and my solar helmet behind another
close by — that
I might more safely stalk the animal — I advanced toward
him some forty
yards, and after taking a deliberate aim, fired at his
fore shoulder.
As if nothing had hurt him whatever, the animal made a
furious bound,
and then stood with his bristles erected, and tufted
tail, curved over the
back — a most formidable brute in appearance. While he
was thus lis-
tening, and searching the neighborhood with his keen,
small eyes, I
planted another shot in his chest, which ploughed its
way through his
body. Instead of falling, however, as I expected he would,
he charged
furiously in the direction the bullet had come, and as
he rushed past me,
another ball was fired, which went right through him
; but still he kept
on, until, within six or seven yards from the trees behind
which Kalulu
was crouching down on one side, and the helmet was resting
behind
another, he suddenly halted, and then dropped.
But as I was about to advance on him with my knife to
cut his throat,
he suddenly started up ; his eyes had caught sight of
the little boy
Kalulu, and were then, almost immediately afterwards,
attracted by the
sight of the snowy helmet. These strange objects on either
side of him
proved too much for the boar, for, with a terrific grunt,
he darted on one
side into a thick brake, from which it was impossible
to oust him, and as
it was now getting late, and the camp was about three
miles away, I was
reluctantly obliged to return without the meat.
A River Full of Dangers.
On our way to camp we were accompanied by a large animal
which
persistently followed us on our left. It was too dark
to see plainly, but
a large form was visible, if not very clearly defined.
It must have been,
a lion, unless it was the ghost of the dead boar.
On the evening of the 2nd of November the left bank of
the Malagarazi
river was reached. The greater part of the day had been
occupied in
negotaiting with the ambassador of the great Mzogera,
chief of the greedy
Wavinza tribe, who demanded an enormous tribute. This
being settled,
the ferrymen demanded equally preposterous payment for
carrying across
the caravan. These demands, however, having at length
been settled,
the next business was to swim the donkeys across. One
fine animal,
Simba, was being towed with a rope round its neck, when
just as it
reached the middle of the stream, it was seen to struggle
fearfully. An
enormous crocodile had seized the poor animal by the
throat; in vain it
attempted to liberate itself. The black in charge tugged
at the rope,
but the donkey sank and was no more seen. Only one donkey
now remained, and this was carried across by Bombay the
next morning,
before the voracious monsters were looking out for their
breakfasts.
The next day was an eventful one. Just before starting,
a caravan was
seen approaching, consisting of a large party of the
Waguhha tribe, oc-
cupying a tract of country to the southwest of Lake Tanganyika.
The news was asked. A white man had been seen by them
who had
lately arrived at Ujiji from Manyuema. He had white hair
and a white
beard, and was sick. Only eight days ago they had seen
him. He had
been at Ujiji before, and had gone away and returned.
There could be
no doubt that this was Livingstone. How Stanley longved
for a horse
for on a good steed he could reach Ujiji in twelve hours.
Nearing' tlie End of tlie Journey.
In high spirits he started, pushing on as fast as his
men could move
There were dangers, however, still in the way. A war
party of Wavinza
was out, who would not scruple even to rob their own
villages when
returning victorious from battle.
Next day they traveled on in silence, but on the 5th they
fell in with a
party of the Wahha, who soon brought a band of warriors
down upon
them, at the head of which appeared a fine-looking chief,
Mionvu by
name, dressed in a crimson robe, with a turban on his
head, he and his
people being armed with spears, and bows and arrows.
He asked
whether it should be peace or war? The reply was, of
course, peace.
At the same time Stanley hinted that his rifles would
quickly give him the
victory should war be declared. Notwithstanding this
Mionvu demanded
a hundred cloths as tribute. Ten were offered. Rather
than pay the
hundred, Stanley asked his followers if they would fight,
but Bombay
urged pacific measures, remarking that the country was
open — no places
to hide in, and that every village would rise in arms.
" Pay, Bana, pay : it is better to get along quietly in
this country," he
observed.
Mabruki and Asmani agreed with him. The tribute was paid.
Stanley
wisely resolved, if possible, not to come back that way.
A night march was determined on, and sufficient grain
was purchased
to last the caravan six days through the jungle. They
hoped thus to
escape the extortions of other chiefs to the westward.
The men bravely
toiled on, Avithout murmuring, though their feet and
legs bled from the
cutting grass. The jungle was alive with wild animals,
but no one dared
fire.
Woman in Hysterics.
As they were halting in the morning near the Rusugi river,
a party of
natives were seen, who detected them in their hiding-place,
but who fled
immediately to alarm some villages four miles away. At
once the cara-
van was ordered to move on, but one of the women took
to screaming,
and even her husband could not keep her quiet till a
cloth was folded
over her mouth.
At night they bivouacked in silence, neither tent nor
hut being erected,
each soldier lying down with his gun loaded by his side,
their gallant
leader, Avith his Winchester rifle and its magazine full,
ready for any
emergency.
Before dawn broke, the caravan was again on its march.
The guide
having mads a mistake, while it was still dark, they
arrived in front of
the village of Uhha. Silence was ordered ; goats and
chickens which
might have made a noise had their throats cut, and they
pushed boldly
through the village. Just as the last hut was passed,
Stanley bringing up
the rear, a man appeared fi-om his hut, and uttered a
cry of alarm.
They continued their course, plunging into the jungle.
Once he be-
lieved that they were followed, and he took post behind
a tree to check
the advance of their f jes ; but it proved a false alarm.
Turning westward,
broad daylight showed them a beautiful and picturesque
country, wild
fruit-trees, rare flowers, and brooks tumbling over polished
pebbles.
Crossing a streamlet, to their great satisfaction they
left Uhha and its
extortionate inhabitants behind, and entered Ukaranga.
Their appearance created great alarm as they approached
the village,
the king and his people supposing them to be Rugruga,
the followers of
Mirambo, but,- discovering their mistake, they welcomed
them cordially.
On the loth of November, just two hundred and thirty-six
days after
leaving Bagomoyo, and fifty-one since they set out from
Unyanyembe,
surmounting a hill, Tanganyika is seen before them. Six
hours' march
will brine them to its shores.
Stanley's emotions upon reaching the end of his great
and perilous
journey, and coming so near to the successful accomplishment
of his
undertaking, are best described in his own words : "
A little further on —
just yonder, oh ! there it is — a silvery gleam. I merely
catch sight of it
between the trees, and — but here it is at last! True
— -the Tanganyika!
and there are the blue-black mountains of Ugoma and Ukaramba.
An
immense broad sheet, a burnished bed of silver — lucid
canopy of blue
above — lofty mountains are its valances, palm forests
form its fringes !
The Tanganyika ! — Hurrah! and the men respond to the
exultant cry
of the Anglo-Saxon with the lungs of Stentors, and the
great forests and
the hills seem to share in our triumph.
" Was this the place where Burton and Speke stood,
Bombay, when
they saw the lake first ? '
" ' I don't remember, master ; it was somewhere about
here, I think.' "
"' Poor fellows ! The one was half-paralyzed the other
half- blind,' "
•said Sir Roderick Murchison, when he described Burton
and Speke's
-arrival in view of the Tanganyika.
Stanley's Joy.
" And I ? Well, I am so happy that, were I quite paralyzed
and blinded,
I think that at this supreme moment I could take up my
bed and walk,
-and all blindness would cease at once. Fortunately,
however, I am quite
well ; I have not suffered a day's sickness since the
day 1 left Unyanyembe.
How much would Shaw be willing to give to be in my place
now ? Who
is happiest — he, revelling in the luxuries of Unyanyembe,
or I, standing
on the summit of this mountain, looking down with glad
eyes and proud
heart on the Tanganyika ? "
It can easily be seen from the foregoing extract that
Stanley's heart was
almost too full to contain itself His spirits bubble
and overflow like
those of a boy excited and charmed by coming into possession
of some-
thing greatly coveted. The one thing coveted by Stanley,
sought by
him through those weary days and dreadful marches, was
the discovery
of Livingstone ; for this he went. This one object he
kept continually
before him. Never losing sight of it, he pressed on until
we find him
now looking down upon the lake on the shores of which
he was to meet
the object of his long search.
A man is worth looking for, especially such a man as Livingstone.
Many, many years of his precious life were devoted to
African explora-
tion, and the benefit conferred upon him by Stanley's
arrival was as
nothing compared to the infinite benefit he, by his labors
and triumphs,
has conferred upon the world.
Best of all in this marvellous transaction, Livingstone
had no idea that
anyone was seeking him ; that anyone had been sent to
find out whether
he were alive or dead ; that any supplies had been forwarded
for his
relief; that any special interest was taken in him more
than a general
desire to learn of his welfare. Stanley's coming was
a happy surprise.-
It must have been more enjoyable to Livingstone than
if rumors had
gone ahead of Stanley's expedition, and it had become
known that he
was on the march. There is everything about this completion
of Stan-
ley's journey to give us satisfaction, and nothing seems
to be wanting to
finish the picture.
Very clearly does the lesson come out that an iron will
and a persistent
perseverance will master difficulties. There were many
points in this
journey from Zanzibar to Ujiji in which discouragement
might have car-
ried the day ; many points where it would have been much
easier to turn
back than to go forward. The path trodden was at least
known ; the
path to be trod was unknown, and the explorer could not
guess what
dangers and obstacles were just ahead. Whatever may have
been his
fears, he did not allow them to prevail, but day by day,
and hour by
hour, pressed steadily forward. Sickness came, his force
was diminished,
wild savages attacked him, privations were his constant
companions, yet,
through it all, the vision of the lost explorer stood
before him and he
remembered the words of Bennett, in the brilliant capital
of Europe — far
away from these scenes of savage life and mountainous
difficulties — " Find
Livingstone."
This whole marvellous story illustrates the value of a
great purpose, a
single aim, an unconquerable resolution. To-morrow Henry
M. Stanley
and David Livingstone will meet — two white men in the
wilds of Africa,
both immortal now, and both ranked among the world's
great heroes.
CHAPTER XIV.
STANLEY FINDS THE LOST EXPLORER.
Continued
in ERBzine 6099_14
