THE STANLEY EXPEDITION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1759, 5 July 1888, Page 4

THE STANLEY EXPEDITION.

Now that the public anxiety has been keenly aroused as to the fate which hat> befallen, or is likely to befall, the intrepid 1 explorer Stanley, it will be of interest to review the circumstances under which he uodertook adventurous and dargerous journey. Everybody knows how Stanley " found livingotene." The present expedition, although starting from n total} different portion of the contiuent, it> nevertheless intimately connected with, and may be regarded in a sense as a sequel to, the resent exciting affairs in the Soudan. Etnin Bey, for whose relief it whs designed, was the trusted lieutenant of General Gordoj, and was in 1878 appoin Ml by his chief to the Governorship of (he Egyptian equatorial provinces. Since then lit has been menaced by most appalling dangers at the hands of the native tribes and of the Arab slave-dealer*, but although he hss had ample opportunity of •reaping by himself or a few of his chosen staff, he has preferred to remain at his pest rather than to abandon the remainder of his supporters, including many wh.twomen and children, to a miserable fate. His force is said to compiise 4600 Soudanese soldiers, fifteen bi ck officers and twenty Coptic clerks. Commenting on the chances of Euiiu making his escape, The Times in January, 1887, eaid :—" H has made an oasis in the wilderness of African Wbarianiem and be is not the man to allow it to revert to its erigina state if anything that becao do c*n prevoni it." Etnin was born m Austrian Silesia, and adopted the mwdical profession. Having served some ye»rs as a surgeon in the Turkish army he was sent from Cairo to join Gordon Pasha, then Governor of the Egyptian Equatorial Provinces. Finding him possessed of remarkable powers of dealing with the natives and of facility in acquiring their language, Gordon employed, him on several dip oruatic missions of great importance, all of which he conducted to a tatitiactory issue. Under his admit,iitration the horrible tiaffie in slaves was entirely suppressed in his province, while tho finances were established upon a fiim basis, the taxes on grain and cattle being fairly and equitably assessed and collected. Ever since the full of Khartoum and the suppesed death of Gordon, ha has been beset by the slave-dealing Arabs, who, recognising in him the last obstacle to their inhuman traffic, have redoubled their efforts to destroy bim before any succor can be sent. But surrounded by his merciltss foes, he has infused his own enthusiasm into the hearts of his followers and when last heard from, held Wadelai and nine fortified stations on the Nils with the force already mentioned. At that time be anticipated that bis ammunition would fail by the end of the year, but thought that he might hi Id out for another half year if he were not attacked by the wild tribes.

This alarming intelligence received in England towards the «nd of 1886, was the occasion for the present Stanley expedition. The fuuds, amounting to £21,000, were supplied principally by the Egyptian Government. The .Royal Geographical Society subsidised the expedition to the extent of £IOOO, and two members of the Scottish Geographical Society subscribed £SOO each. These, with other private contributions, made up the requisite amount. With these funds was organised the largest non-military expedition tbat ever entered Africa. When Stanley left England he bad not made up his mind whether to take an overland route —there were two recommended—or to proceed by the waters of the Congo, which would be longer than either of tue others proposed. A thorough general, he left himself to be guided by circumstances. He decided to leave England for Zanzibar, and, if ho there found a steamer to th. Congo, to take llie Congo route, but if not to take the risks of the inland journey. The King of the Belgians had mo*t generously offered to bim the free use of the whole stock of steamers belonging to the Upper Congo Stale. Shortly before Stanley left England he was, at an imposing ceremonial, presented with the honorary freedom of the City of London by the City Chancellor. When Stanley arrived at Zanzibar he decided to take the Congo route. Tho expedition was then over ICOO strong, consisting mainly of Z inzibans. In fact, there were but eight Englishmen, who, of course, came next in command to the gallant leader. The force was strong, well armed, and thoroughly disciplined. It carried ample supplies of ammunition and arms for Emin, and was quite prepared, if compelled, to bring its Maxim and Nordenfeldt guns to the front. When he started from England oi January 21st, Stanley meant to reach the beleaguere I general by the beginning of July at all hazards. His intention was to steam to within 300 miles of his destination—Emin Bey's head-quarters—to establish a camp at a safe distance from the Congo, m route to Albert Nyanza, as a basi of operations, thence to push forward overland towird Albert Nyanza to the relief of Emin. A* is now pretty generally known he met with extraordinary difficulties. Some ol these are graphically recounted by thy explorer in a letter from him dated Stanley Pool on Apiil 26th, 1887 : -Ths progress of the expedition from the Lower Congo had been impeded by flooded rivets, and there was great scarcity of food i« the country through which they travelled. In the neighborhood of Stanley Pools the situation was serious, not only for the expedition, but to all who are resident there. " You can imagine how groat th* stress i* here," be said, " when the State, aftei sending foragitg patties round about the district, can only secure fcod enough foi a third of its force. The other two-thirds live on hippopotamus meat, wh ch theii hunters provide. We have bad one hip popotamus within five <?uyß for 750 souls." He then went on to mention his difficulties with the missionaries, whom he formerly favored. According to his statements, the missionaries endeavored in every wny to avoid rendering him assistance by lending him their steamers, which were not in us-, for the pu f pose of transporting the expedition out of the reach of the famine at Stanley Pool. It was only after extreme measures bad been taken by th*• Commissaire of the Congo Free State on bis behalf that he oeuld obtain the übo of one of the mission steam*rß, and then he was charged fer its hire £IOO per month, whieli was at the rate of 30 ptr cent, on its estimated value.

The Zanzbar correspondent of the Time?, to'egraphing on the Ist May last, sl ,y ß ;_'« N<>W3 won r«ceiv (\ lice tn-'ay from Emin Pasha, dated N'lvm.b.'.r 2 >:ifrom Kibero, on the thoie of tl)«'

Albert Nym.zi. Ho has reconnoitrod for Mr Stanley, but without obtaining any news whatever. He was himself well and in good condition, and maintained satisfactory relations with the adjoining chiefs and people. Ho proposed lo go on a lour to the west side of the lake in a steamer before returning to Wndelai, and hoped that Mr Stanley might appear by tho end of the ye<»r. Other news, brought, here from Uginda, represents thnt the drunken King is greatly alarmed by tho reports of the German annexation of the coast, and that tho Iter. Mr Gordon's position is one of extreme danger. Mr Stanley's relief stores, with forty donkeys, which were forwarded in charge of Mr Stokes, have reic'>ed Usatnbiro, near Mala'a. His mails are at Uganda. Tho Arabs ure represented to be most hostile* and treacherous towards the English at Uganda and Unvoro."— Exchunge.