STANLEY'S WORK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2304, 17 December 1889, Page 2

STANLEY'S WORK.

Great as have been the achievements, and the results of the achievements, m the work of exploration of Africa of Mungo Park, Moffatt, Livingstone, Burton, Speko, and others, these have been entirely eclipsed by that most remarkable of explorers H. M. Stanley. He rises superior to ail difficulties, and absolutely seems to bear a charmed life, and his wonderful journeys m search of Livingstone and JEmin Bey will be the theme of admiration for generations to come. True, if after bringing Emm out of the dangers of the desert, that illustrious man perishes as the result of a most unromantic accident on the confines of civilisation, it will somewhat dim the lustre of his latest expedition, but happily there is room to hope that this will not be the case, though even were it so the fruits of Stanley's enterprise will be of incalculable value to tbe world, What has followed as the direct result of his previous explorations is an indication of the developments which will follow upon the knowledge of the country gained during the long journey from which he is now returning, and it is interesting to glance at what has been already accomplished m Africa m consequence of tbe light which he has cast upon the previously unknown regions of ho afore-time "dark continent," The • New Zealand Times " thus summarises the effects cf Stanley's work. Writing of his former marvellous trip right across the centre of Africa our contemporary says : — " With all the inquisitiveness of a naturalised American he kept his weather-eye open for business, and carefully noted the prospects of future trade. The result of his-observation culminated m the founding of the Congo Free State, by the aid principally of the King of the Belgians. Acting, too, on the advice of Stanley, several British trading companies were formed, and m a few years considerable commercial progress has been made m the African Central States. The African Lakes Trading Company of Glasgow, the Church of Scotland Trading Company, who have established stations at Blantyre, between Lake Shirwa &nd the Shire River, and the Scotch settlement on the Nyassa Lake at Livingstonia, axe notable features and results of Stanley's preliminary work. Then, again, Stanley must be credited as the real founder of the Congo Free State, a country containing 1,056,000 square miles, with a population of 27 millions. He, too, with Mr Hutton, President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, was the originator of the Congo Railway Syndicate, who have started a line 335 miles m length, to connect the Upper and Lower Congo Rivers, thus tapping the trade traffic of a district containing close upon 40 millions of people and opening up a Congo highway of 3054 miles, establishing flourishing towns at Leopoldville, Boma and Stanley Falls, forming a fleet of steamers now at work on the great inland lakesj and raising a force of nearly 5000 citizen soldiers for selfprotection. Such are some of the features of Stanley's work." Then as to the probable results of his latest great expedition the " Times " adds that these are " the opening up of the African Continent to colonisation and the development of enormous trade. .... Already some half-a dozon trading companies are at work carrying British manufactures into what was, before Stanley's visit, an unknown land, and ere many years are past Central Africa will be one of the largest consumers Great Britain haß. The probability of payable gold fields being opened up m the known auriferous country bordering on the Zambesi and Bhire rivers, near the ruins of the ancient cities of Monomotapa, Masbona, and Manica, where m long centuries past gold was worked on a large scale by the Phoenicians, will have its influence even on New Zealand, for it will tempt our hardy minerp, besides giving an impulse to many of our products." The intrepid man from whose single efforts so great results must flow, who has added a new world to the arena of British enterprise, indeed, well deserves all the honors which are certain to be showered upon him, and we concur with the " Times " m thinking that her Majesty would do herself and the country honor by comferring a title of nobility upon the most remarkable man as an explorer of ancient or modern times.