THE dark forebodings expressed were not to be
realized. The
world was not yet to mourn the loss of one of her grandest
ex-
plorers. In the latter part of December, 1888, less than
ten days
from the time the startling prophecies of Stanley's death
were
made public, reliable news came that the intrepid hero
had reached Emin
Pasha, and that his expedition was a complete success.
On the 3d of
April, 1889, a letter from Mr. Stanley's own hand was
published, giving
a graphic description of his journey, and proving that
all the fears and
predictions concerning his fate were happily groundless.
His letter to the chairman of the Emin Pasha Relief Committee
was
dated at Bungangeta Island, Aruwimi River, August 28th,
1888, and ran
as follows:
A short dispatch briefly announcing that we had placed
the first
installment of relief in the hands of Emin Pasha on the
Albert Nyanza
was sent to you by couriers from Stanley Falls, along
with letters to
Tipo-tipo, the Arab governor of that district, on the
17th inst., within
three hours of our meeting with the rear column of the
expedition.
I propose to relate to you the story of our movements
since June 28th,
1887.
I had established an intrenched and palisaded camp at
Yambuya, on
the Lower Aruwimi, just below the first rapids. Major
Edmund Bartte-
Hot, being senior of these officers with me, was appointed
commandant.
Mr. J. S. Jamieson, a volunteer, was associated with
him. On the arrival
of all men and goods from Bolobo and Stanley Pool, the
officers still
believed Messrs. Troup, Ward, and Bonny were to report
to Major
Barttelot for duty. But no important action or movement
(according to
letter of instructions given by me to the Major before
leaving) was to be
made without consulting with Messrs. Jamieson, Troup,
and Ward.
The columns under Major Barttelot's orders mustered two
hundred and
fifty-seven men.
As I requested the Major to send you a copy of the instructions
issued
to each officer, you are doubtless aware that the Major
was to remain at
Yambuya until the arrival of the steamer from Stanley
Pool with the
officers, men, and goods left behind; and if Tipo-tipo's
promised contin-
gent of carriers had in the meantime arrived, he was
to march his column
and follow our track, which so long as it traversed the
forest region
would be known by the blazing of the trees, by our camps
and zaribas,
etc. If Tipo-tipo's carriers did not arrive, then, if
he (the Major) pre-
ferred moving to staying at Yambuya, he was to discard
such things as
mentioned in letter of instructions, and commence making
double and
triple journeys by short stages, until I should come
down from the
Nyanza and relieve him. The instructions were explicit
and, as the offi-
cers admitted, intelligible,
Skirmisli with the Natives.
The advance column, consisting of three hundred and eighty-nine
offi-
cers and men, set out from Yambuya June 28th, 1887. The
first dav we
followed the river bank, marched twelve miles, and arrived
in the large
district of Yankonde. At our approach the natives set
fire to their vil-
lages, and, under cover of the smoke, attacked the pioneers
who were
clearing the numerous obstructions they had planted before
the first
village. The skirmish lasted fifteen minutes. The second
day we fol-
lowed a path leading inland but trending east. We followed
this path
for five days through a dense population. Every art known
to native
minds for molesting, impeding, and wounding an enemy
was resorted to;
but we passed through without the loss of a man. Perceiving
that the
path was taking us too far from our course, we cut a
northeasterly
track, and reached the river again on the 5th of July.
From this date
until the 18th of October we followed the left bank of
the Aruwimi.
After seventeen days' continuous marching we halted one
day for rest.
On the twenty-fourth day from Yambuya we lost two men
by desertion.
In the month of July we made four halts only. On the
ist of August
the first death occurred, which was from dysentery ;
so that for thirty-
four days our course had been singularly successful.
But as we now
entered a wilderness, which occupied us nine days in
marching through
it, our sufferings began to multiply, and several deaths
occurred. The
river at this time was of great use to us ; our boat
and several canoes
relieved the weary and sick of their loads, so that progress,
though not
brilliant as during the first month, was still steady.
On the 13th of August we arrived at Air-Sibba. The natives
made a
bold front; we ]ost five men through poisoned arrows
; and to our great
grief, Lieutenant Stairs was wounded just below the heart;
but, though
he suffered greatly for nearly a month, he finally recovered.
On the 15th
Mr. Jephson, in command of the land party, led his men
inland, became
confused, and lost his way. We were not re-united until
the 21st.
On the 25th of August we arrived in the district of Air-jeli.
Opposite
our camp was the mouth of the tributary Nepoko.
On the 31st of August we met for the first time a party
of Manyema,
belonging to the caravan of Ugarrowwa, alias Uledi Balyuz,
who turned
out to be a former tent-boy of Speke's. Our misfortunes
began from
this date, for I had taken the Congo route to avoid Arabs,
that they
might not tamper with my men, and tempt them to desert
by their pres-
ents. Twenty-six men deserted within three days of this
unfortunate
meeting.
On the 16th of September we arrived at a camp opposite
the station at
Ugarrowwa's. As food was very scarce, owing to his having
devastated
an immense region, we halted but one day near him. Such
friendly
terms as I could make with such a man I made, and left
fifty-six men
with him. All the Somalis preferred to rest at Ugarrowwa's
to the con-
tinous marching. Five Soudanese were also left. It would
have been
certain death for all of them to have accompanied us.
At Ugarrowwa's
they might possibly recover. 'Five dollars a month per
head was. to be
paid to this man for their food.
Attempt to Ruin the Expedition.
On September 19th, we left Ugarrowwa's, and on the 18th
of October
entered the settlement occupied by Kilinga-Longa, a Zanzibari
slave
belonging to Abed bin Salim, an old Arab, whose bloody
deeds are
recorded in " The Congo and the Founding of its Free
State." This
proved an awful month to us ; not one member of the expedition,
white
or black, will ever forget it. The advance numbered two
hundred and
fifty-eight souls on leaving Ugarrowwa's, because out
of three hun-
dred and eighty we had lost sixty-six men by desertion
and death
between Yambuya and Ugarrowwa's, and had left fifty-six
men sick at the
Arab station. On reaching Kilinga-Longa's we discovered
we had lost
fifty-five men by starvation and desertion. We had lived
principally on
wild fruit, fungi, and a large, flat, bean-shaped nut.
The slaves of Abed
bin Salim did their utmost to ruin the expedition. Short
of open hos-
tilities, they purchased rifles, ammunition, clothing,
so that when we left
their station we were beggared, and our men were absolutely
naked.
We were so weak physically that we were unable to carry
the boat
and about seventy loads of goods ; we therefore left
these goods and
boat at Kilinga-Longa's under Surgeon Parke and Captain
Nelson, the
datter of whom was unable to march, and after twelve
days' march we
arrived at a native settlement called Ibwiri. Between
Kilinga-Longa's
and Ibwiri our condition had not improved. The Arab devastation
had
reached within a few miles of Ibwiri — a devastation
so complete that
there was not one native hut standing between Ugarrowwa's
and Ibwiri,
.and what had not been destroyed by the slaves of Ugarrowwa
and Abed
bin Salim the elephants had destroyed, and turned the
whole region into
a horrible wilderness. But at Ibwiri we were beyond the
utmost reach
of the destroyers ; we were on virgin soil in a populous
region abound-
ing with food.
Our suffering from hunger, which began on the 31st of
August, termi-
nated on the 1 2th of November. Ourselves and men were
skeletons.
Out of three hundred and eighty-nine we now only numbered
one hun-
dred and seventy-four, several of whom seemed to have
no hope of life
left. A halt was therefore ordered for the people to
recuperate. Hitherto
our people were skeptical of what we told them, the suffering
had been
so awful, calamities so numerous, the forest so endless
apparently, that
they refused to believe that by and by we should see
plains and cattle
and the Nyanza and the white man, Emin Pasha.
Ravages of Hunger.
We felt as though we were dragging them along with a chain
around
our necks. " Beyond these raiders lies a country untouched,
where food
is abundant and where you will forget your miseries,
so cheer up, boys ;
be men, press on a little faster." They turned a deaf
ear to our prayers
and entreaties, for, driven by hunger and suffering,
they sold their rifles
and equipments for a few ears of Indian corn, deserted
with the ammuni-
tion, and were altogether demoralized. Perceiving that
prayers and
entreaties and mild punishments were of no avail, I then
resorted to visit
upon the wretches the death penalty. Two of the worst
cases were
accordingly taken and hung in presence of all.
We halted thirteen days in Ibwiri, and reveled on fowls,
goats,
bananas, corn, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, etc. The
supplies were inex-
haustible, and the people glutted themselves ; the effect
was such that I
had a hundred and seventy-one — one was killed by an
arrow — mostly
sleek and robust men, when I set out for the Albert Nyanza
on the 24th
of November.
We were still a hundred and twenty-six miles from the
lake ; but,
with a supply of food, such a distance would seem as
nothing.
On the 1st of December we sighted the open country from
the top of
a ridge connected with Mount Pisgah, so named from our
first view of
the land of promise and plenty. On the 5th of December
we emerged
upon the plains, and the deadly gloomy forest was behind
us. After a
hundred and sixty days of continuous gloom we saw the
light of broad
day shining all around us, and making all things beautiful.
We thought
we had never seen grass so green or country so lovely.
The men liter-
ally yelled and leaped with joy, and raced over the ground
with their
burdens. Ah ! this was the old spirit of former expeditions,
successfully
completed, all of a sudden revived.
A Battle Imminent.
Woe betide the native aggressor we may meet, however powerful
he
may be ; with such a spirit the men will fling themselves
like wolves on
sheep. Numbers will not be considered. It had been the
eternal forest
that had made the abject, slavish creatures, so brutally
plundered by
Arab slaves at Kilonga-Longa's.
On the 9th we came to the country of the powerful chief
Mozamboni.
The villages were scattered over a great extent of country
so thickly that
there was no other road except through their villages
or fields. From a
long distance the natives had sighted us and were prepared.
We seized
a hill as soon as we arrived in the centre of a mass
of villages about 4
p. M. on the 9th of December and occupied it, building
a zariba as fast as
bill-hooks could cut brushwood. The war cries were terrible
from hill
to hill, they were sent pealing across the intervening
valleys, the people
gathered by hundreds from every point, war-horns and
drums announced
that a struggle was about to take place. Such natives
as were too bold
we checked with but little effort, and a slight skirmish
ended in us cap-
turing a cow. the first beef tasted since we left the
ocean.
The night passed peacefully, both sides preparing for
the morrow. On
the morning of the loth we attempted to open negotiations.
The natives
were anxious to know who we were, and we were anxious
to glean news
of the land that threatened to ruin the expedition. Hours
were passed
talking, both parties keeping a respectable distance
apart. The natives
said they were subject to Uganda ; but that Kabba-Rega
was their real
King, Mozamboni holding the country for Kabba-Rega. They
finally
accepted cloth and brass rods to show their King Mozamboni,
and his
answer was to be given next day. In the meantime all
hostilities were
to be suspended.
The morning of the nth dawned, and at 8 a.m. we were star-
tled at hearing a man proclaiming that it was Mozamboni's
wish that we
should be driven back from the land. The proclamation
was received
by the valley around our neighborhood with deafening
cries. Their word
" kanwana," signifies to make peace, " kurwana " signifies
war. We were
therefore in doubt, or rather we hoped we had heard wrongly.
We sent
an interpreter a little nearer to ask if it was kanwana
or kurwana. Kur-
wana, they responded, and to emphasize the term two arrows
were shot
at him, which dissipated all doubt.
Sharp-shooters Drive the Natives.
Our hill stood between a lofty range of hills and a lower
range, On
one side of us was a narrow valley two hundred and fifty
yards wide ;
on the other side the valley was three miles wide. East
and west of us
the valley broadened into an extensive plain. The higher
range of hills
was lined with hundreds preparing to descend ; the broader
valley was
already mustering its hundreds. There was no time to
lose. A body of
forty men were sent, under Lieutenant Stairs, to attack
the broader val-
ley. Mr. Jephson was sent with thirty men east ; a choice"
body of sharp-
shooters was sent to test the courage of those descending
the slope of
the highest range. Stairs pressed on, crossed a deep
and narrow river in
the face of hundreds of natives, and assaulted the first
village and took
it. The sharp-shooters did their work effectively, and
drove the descend-
ing natives rapidly up the slope until it became a general
flight. Mean-
time Mr. Jephson was not idle. He marched straight up
the valley east,
driving the people back, and taking their villages as
he went. By 3 p.m.
there was not a native* visible anywhere, except on one
small hill about
a mile and a half west of us.
On the morning of the 12th we continued our march; during
the day
we had four little fights. On the 13th marched straight
east ; attacked
by new forces every hour until noon, when we halted for
refreshments.
These we successfully overcame.
At 1 p.m. we resumed our march. Fifteen minutes later
I cried out,
" Prepare yourself for a sight of the Nyanza." The men
murmured and
doubted, and said, " Why does the master continually
talk to us in this
way? Nyanza, indeed! Is not this a plain, and can we
not see moun-
tains at least four days' march ahead of us." At 1.30
p.m. the Albert
Nyanza was below them. Now it was my turn to jeer and
scoff at the
doubters, but as I was about to ask them what they saw,
so many came
to kiss my hands and beg my pardon, that I could not
say a word.
This was my reward. The mountains, they said, were the
mountains of
Unyoro, or rather its lofty plateau wall. Kavali, the
objective point of
the expedition, was six miles from us as the crow flies.
We were at an altitude of five thousand two hundred feet
above the
sea. The Albert Nyanza was over two thousand nine hundred
below
us. We stood in 1° 20' N. lat. the south end of the
Nyanza lay largely
mapped about six miles south of this position. Right
across to the
eastern shore every dent in its low, flat shore was visible,
and traced like
a silver snake on a dark ground was the tributary Laniliki,
flowing into
the Albert from the southwest
After a short halt to enjoy the prospect, we commenced
the rugged
and stony descent. Before the rear-guard had descended
one hundred
feet, the natives of the plateau we had just left poured
after them. Had
they shown as much courage and perseverance on the plain
as they now
exhibited, we might have been seriously delayed. The
rear-guard was
kept very busy until within a few hundred feet of the
Nyanza plain. We
camped at the foot of the plateau wall, the aneroids
readings two thou-
sand five hundred feet above sea-level. A night attack
was made on us,
but our sentries sufficed to drive these natives away.
At 9 A. M. of the 14th we approached the village of Kakongo,
situate
at the southwest corner of the Albert Lake. Three hours
were spent by
us attempting to make friends. We signally failed. They
would not
allaw us to go to the lake, because we might frighten
their cattle. They
would not exchange blood-brotherhood with us, because
they never
heard of any good people coming from the west side of
the lake. They
would not accept any present from us, because they did
not know who
we were. They would give us water to drink, and they
would show us
our road up to Nyam Sassic. But from these singular people
we learned
that they had heard there was a white man at Unyoro,
but they had
never heard of any white men being on the west side,
nor had they seen
any steamers on the lake. There were no canoes to be
had, except such
as would hold the men, etc.
Building a Fort.
There was no excuse for quarrelling ; the people were
civil enough,
but they did not want us^near them. We therefore were
shown the path
and followed it a few miles, when we camped about half
a mile from the
lake. We began to consider our position, with the light
thrown
upon it by the conversation with the Kakongo natives.
My couriers
from Zanzibar had evidently not arrived, or, I presume,
Emin Pasha with
his two steamers would have paid the southwest side of
the lake a visit
to prepare the natives for our coming. My boat was at
Kilonga-Longa's,
one hundred and ninety miles distant.
There was no canoe obtainable, and to seize a canoe without
the
excuse of a quarrel my conscience would not permit. There
was no tree
anywhere of a size to make canoes. Wadelai was a terrible
distance off
for an expedition so reduced as ours. We had used five
cases of car-
tridges in five days of fighting on the'plain. A month
of such fighting
must exhaust our stock. There was no plan suggested which
seemed
feasible to me, except that of retreating to Ibwiri,
build a fort, send a
party back to Kilonga-Longa's for our boat, store up
every load in the
fort not conveyable, leave a garrison in the fort to
hold it, and raise corn
for us ; march back again to the Albert Lake, and send
the boat to
search for Emin Pasha. This, was the plan which, after
lengthy discus-
sions with my officers, I resolved upon.
On the 15th we marched to the site of Kavali, on the west
side of the
lake. Kavali had years ago been destroyed. At 4 p. m.
the Kakongo
natives had followed us and shot several arrows into
our bivouac, and
disappeared as quickly as they came. At 6 p. m. we began
a night march,
and by 10 a. m. of the i6th we had gained the crest of
the plateau once
more, Kakongo natives having persisted in following us
up the slope of
the plateau. We had one man killed and one wounded.
Illness of Stanley.
By January 7th we were in Ibwiri once again, and after
a few days'
rest Lieutenant Stairs, with a hundred men, sent to Kilonga-Longa's
to
bring the boat and goods up, also Surgeon Parke and Captain
Nelson.
Out of the thirty-eight sick in charge of the officers,
only eleven men
were brought to the fort, the rest had died or deserted.
On the return
of Stairs with the boat and goods he was sent to Ugarrowwa's
to bring
up the convalescents there. I granted him thirty-nine
days' grace. Soon
after his departure I was attacked with gastritis and
an abscess on the
arm, but after a month's careful nursing by Dr. Parke
I recovered, and
forty-seven days having expired, I set out again for
the Albert Nyanza,
April 2d, accompanied by Messrs. Jephsqn and Parke. Captain
Nelson,
now recovered, was appointed commandant of Fort Bodo
in our absence,
with a garrison of forty-three men and boys.
On April 26th we arrived in Mozamboni's country once again,
but
this time, after solicitation, Mozamboni decided to make
blood-brother-
hood with me. Though I had fifty rifles less with me
on this second
visit, the example of Mozamboni was followed by all the
other chiefs
as far as Nyanza, and every difficulty seemed removed.
Food was sup-
plied gratis ; cattle, goats, sheep, and fowls were also
given in such
abundance that our people lived royally. One day's march
from the
Nyanza the natives came from Kavali, and said that a
white man named
" Maleja" had given their chief a black packet to give
to me, his son.
Would I follow them ? " Yes, to-morrow," I answered,
" and if your
words are true I will make you rich."
CHAPTER XXXV.
STANLEY FINDS EMIN PASHA,
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